Woman Arrested for Selling Goldfish to Child

66-year old Jane Higgins, a great-grandmother, and her 47-year old son, Mark, were arrested for selling a goldfish to a boy who was only 14. The Animal Welfare Act of 2006 states that pets cannot be sold to children under 16 unless accompanied by an adult, and the seller must inform the purchaser on how to care for the animal. Authorities were informed that the pet store run by the mother and son were selling to underage kids, so they sent the 14-year old in to make a purchase in a "sting" operation.

Jane Higgins expected a small fine or the like, but nearly fainted when she was told she faced a possible prison sentence! Higgins wound-up receiving a £1000 fine, being placed under curfew, and forced to wear an electronic tag for two months. The sentence is one usually given to violent offenders and cost taxpayers an estimated £20,000! Her son was sentenced to 120 hours community service.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Nero's Palace Collapses

A 60' portion of the Domus Aurea's roof collapsed early Tuesday afternoon. No one was injured, as the monument was closed for restoration. Experts believe rain and water damage was the cause of the roof's instability. They also said this was one of the biggest collapses the structure has sustained in the last 50 years. A smaller, but similar, collapse occurred in 2001, resulting in it being closed to the public for a brief time.

The popular tourist attraction, seated between the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, was once home to Roman emperor, Nero. It was completed the same year Nero took his own life. The name, Domus Aurea, means "house of gold." It was named for the gold leaf which once adorned nearly every inch of the palace. The vaulted ceilings were once covered in pearl encrusted ivory. The ancient building is a maze of passageways, adorned with elaborate frescoes.

The Domus Aurea was reopened in 1999, having been closed to the public for nearly 20 years while it underwent restoration efforts. The latest collapse has experts debating its future.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

UFO Over China - Real or Hoax?

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Christian Militia, At War with Antichrist, Arrested for Plotting Deaths

FBI agents arrested nine people involved in what authorities call a Christian militia group, which was planning an elaborate attack on a police officer, as well as those attending his funeral. The group, known as Hutaree [hoo-tuh-REE], claims to be preparing to fight the Antichrist, but authorities say it was plotting war on the American government. The suspects arrested came from three states: Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana, but Hutaree was based in Michigan.

FBI agents allege that Hutaree had marked a local policeman, whom they intended to lure to his death by placing a fake 911 call, attacking his family, or initiating a traffic stop. They would then plant explosives at his funeral. Finally, the outfit would regroup at predesignated "rally points," secured with tripwires, explosives, and booby traps, from which they hoped to outlast police in a violent stand-off. Hutaree's larger plan was to galvanize other extremist groups in launching a large-scale war on the United States government.

44-year old David Brian Stone, aka "Captain Hutaree," is said to be the ringleader. He, his current wife, and one of his sons were among those picked-up Monday, and Stone's other son was arrested today. According to sources, the Stone family and a handful of close friends comprise the entirety of Hutaree. Stone's ex-wife claims her ex-husband lured their sons into Hutaree, and told reporters the organization began as a prayer group, but David Stone "started to take it a little too far."

According to members, "Hutaree" means "Christian Warriors" and is from a language few are privileged to know. Hutaree members were assigned codenames and worked their way through 11 ranks, from "radok" to "gunner." According to its website, the collective's primary goal is "Preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive." A page detailing Hutaree Doctrine expounds upon and reinforces this, painting the group as soldiers of Christ, prepared for protracted battle. Above the index page's title rests the quote, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" - John 15:13.

The site contains links to weapons and combat gear dealers, as well as "Information Sources" including extremist, right-wing and religious websites and "news" organizations. It also includes a video, showing members engaged in combat training (they appear to be playing paintball). A scroll above the embedded video reminds visitors that training will begin on April 24^th, and urges viewers to contact headquarters.

One 33-year old member claimed he was in contact with the CIA and needed protection from a local crime family. His family had taken away his firearms last summer, and urged him to seek psychiatric help. Another told the judge he could not afford a lawyer because he is "getting raped on property taxes."

Police seized numerous guns and ammo, but would not say whether or not explosives had been found. The wife of one arrested Hutaree member said "there were no explosives" in the home, and told reporters her husband "doesn't even know how" to make explosives. Charges include seditious conspiracy, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, teaching the use of explosives, and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Eight of those arrested will be represented by public defenders - seven of whom are from Michigan, the last being from Indiana. I assume Stone's second son, arrested today, will also be assigned a public defender.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Jesus' Face Revealed?

Experts have painstakingly recreated what may be the face of Jesus, working from the controversial Shroud of Turin. The image on the Shroud was "lifted" by computer and a 3D model of the face was created. Ray Downing, president of Studio Macbeth will reveal more on the History Channel special, The Real Face of Jesus, airing next week.

Many believe the Shroud of Turin to be an elaborate hoax, perpetrated by a clever artist in Medieval times, though all attempts to duplicate it have failed. Others believe it shows the image of Jesus Christ, and was wrapped about his face after his death. Even Church officials admit there is no way to know for certain. The Shroud of Turin will be displayed to the public for the first time in 10 years, from April 10^th to May 23^rd.

Some argue that no relics related to Jesus have ever been found (suggesting that Jesus was actually a legend/mythological figure, not a real man), but that may be erroneous; the Knights Templar claimed to protect pieces of the cross, the Holy Grail, and other Christian artifacts, as did other people, organizations, and governments. In fact, everything from pieces of wood to toenails were touted as having belonged to Christ and were sold throughout the world during the Medieval period. 

Almost none of these were actually Jesus' effects, but a recent discovery on a small island off of Madeira may lend credence to some of the Knights Templars' claims.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Parents Arrested Over Three-Year Old Pothead

A Maine couple has been arrested after police say they discovered a video of their three-year old son smoking pot. According to cops, the video shows the boy lighting a glass pipe with a lighter in front of his father, who lie beside him. The mother appears to be the one who videotaped the incident.

Family members deny the allegations, saying the child was mimicking his parents who carelessly left paraphernalia laying in his reach. They insist the boy smoked nothing, but police say the video shows him inhaling and coughing. The child is currently in the custody of an aunt.

I personally don't believe you can teach a three-year old to inhale. This sounds like a matter of the police making more of something than there is for their own ends; legal enforcement agencies have recently stepped-up their anti-marijuana rhetoric because of a nationwide move to decriminalize it. California is set to vote on legalizing marijuana in the state, 17 years after it was voted legal for medical use. Marijuana has been cleared for medical use in at least 13 states, and decriminalized in a handful of others. President Obama recently said federal raids would not take place on legally-operating medical marijuana outlets in these states.

Police are, of course, deadset against this, as it would cut into their number of arrests, and state and local officials get big sums of money for successfully fighting "the war on drugs."

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

The Panther of Blackhole, Tennessee

The story of the Blackhole Panther was relayed to me by someone who has lived in the area her entire life.  I believe it to be fallacious (to a large extent) and classify it simply as Tennessee folklore of the region.  I relate it in hopes of hearing from others who may have heard the tale of the Blackhole Panther, or possibly even have an encounter of their own to share.

According to the subject, she, her future husband, his brother, and his brother's wife were "partying" on the Buffalo River in Humphreys County (Tennessee) at an area once called "Blackhole," at Exit 143 (I-240), late one night in the summer of 1980.  She had to think about the date, but settled firmly on 1980, as her child was born in 1981.

The spot was called "Blackhole" due to the depth of the river at that point.  According to the subject, "If you stood on the bridge in broad daylight, the water looked black, it was so deep."  She later relayed several stories of people who tried to reach the bottom but could not.  Neither she nor I know if Blackhole still exists as it did 30 years ago.

The couples were drinking and smoking marijuana, then decided to go skinny-dipping in the river.  All four went to the bank and began disrobing when they were startled by what "sounded like a woman screaming."

According to the her, local lore held that a "panther" frequented the area and she had "been hoping to see it."  When the shriek frightened the foursome, they saw "glowing" red eyes on the opposite bank.  Suitably scared, the party collected their clothing and made their way back to the single car in which they had arrived -- an early 1970's model Ford LTD (1974, according to her, but she was not certain).

She said the eyes belonged to a large, black cat which swam across the Buffalo River to their site and made its way to their car.  The width of the river at Blackhole was estimated by the subject to be about 40' -- or from one side of I-40 (a four-lane interstate) to the other.

She said the Panther of Blackhole approached the car, then mounted the hood.  The cat walked around on the hood before curling-up to gaze at the party, "Daring us to get out of that car."  It had a long body- - distinctly different from that of a bobcat which, though extremely rare, are still in the area -- and a long tail.  Bobcats can be black, but have a distinctive head and mane, which is often gray and tawny.  The bobcat is named for its "bobbed" tail -- a short, stubby, and fuzzy appendage.  The encounter lasted approximately 15 minutes from first appearance (on the opposite side of the river) to it laying on the hood of the car.

The subject continued: About a year after the incident at Blackhole, she and her (then) mother-in-law were at an undisclosed cemetery (the name of which escapes her) at Cuba Landing -- approximately ¹/₂ mile from the site at which they first encountered the Panther of Blackhole -- when they spotted several, small, black creatures in a field.  At first, she thought they dogs, due to their large size.  "They were fuzzy -- fuzzy and black.  There were a lot of stray dogs [that] used to run around out there, back then.  I was pregnant then and I wanted to take one home."

When she went to the fence to lure one, she realized they were large cats and told her mother-in-law, who was still behind the wheel of the car.  Partially inspired by her alleged encounter with the Blackhole Panther, she decided she still wanted one to take home.  As she stood there, her mother-in-law called excitedly from the car, "Those aren't just cats -- here comes their mama!"

The subject said a large, black cat, similar to the one she saw that night at Blackhole a year earlier, slinked from the woods.  Both it and the kittens were sable, with long tails.  She was within an estimated 20' of the kittens and the mother was about twice that distance from them (roughly 60' from the subject).  Her mother-in-law began screaming at her to get in the car.  She did so calmly, but quickly, and they left the area.

The subject says the Blackhole Panther legend was well-known amongst residents of the area at the time, but few claimed to have actually seen it.  She has not heard much about it since, but no longer lives in the area.  The friends she had at that time generally live elsewhere, or she has lost contact with them, and she has since divorced. She never saw the creature before nor since these, possibly related and entirely alleged, incidents.

I wholly discount the witness' alleged encounter at Blackhole, though I do believe she encountered a wild creature that night on the opposite bank -- possibly even one with "glowing red eyes" (that is to say, the eyes were red and may have appeared to be glowing to her and the others in her group). 

That the creature remains unidentified is not meant to suggest an Unknown or Cryptid; there is a very good chance that the creature unseen was, in fact, a bobcat -- or a cougar, bear, owl, even a large, stray dog.  Whether or not anything more happened beyond that point -- the creature crossing the river, and most especially mounting the hood of the car -- I cannot say, but do not believe it did.

I remain unconvinced of the story, though "The Blackhole Panther" sounds cool as hell.  This was the boom-time of the infamous "Beast of Exmoor" in England, and those accounts made headlines and network news here in the States several times throughout the era.  However, The OddBlog is always interested in tales relating to the subject matter we discuss.  If you, or anyone you know, has anything to add to the Panther of Blackhole, TN legend, please share!

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Smoldering Body Found Inside Unscorched Clothes

Authorities in Manner, India carried the still smoldering body of a woman to the district magistrate's office in 1907. The amazing thing about this case is that the woman's clothes were not even singed! The press reported the officers had not seen any sign of fire in the room in which the body had been discovered, either.

"The Wick Effect" has been established as probable cause for most cases of "spontaneous human combustion," but cases such as this one still leave some perplexed. It is certainly possible that the fire which consumed the woman was not hot enough to scorch her clothes, but to not even burn them - at all? According to "The Wick Effect," which has been demonstrated under controlled conditions on numerous occasions, it is certainly possible for upholstery, carpeting, and even wallpaper close to the victim to remain largely untouched, but the very clothes the deceased was wearing?

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Poltergeist or ESP? Binbrook, Lincolnshire, England

At the turn of the last century, the Reverend A.C. Custance said bizarre things started happening at the rectory in Binbrook, Lincolnshire, England. In December of 1904, the Reverend reported objects began moving of their own accord -- some even caught fire. But it was in January of 1905 that a farmer in Binbrook walked into his kitchen to discover the servant girl sweeping the kitchen, unaware of the flames leaping from her back. He rushed to her aid and smothered the fire, but she was badly burned.

These cases seem to suggest Dæmonic activity, as poltergeists are generally associated with a specific place or person. Poltergeists are also rarely associated with fire but often associated with girls -- specifically, adolescents. Could it be that the servant girl mentioned in the account, recorded by famed Phenomenalist, Charles Fort, also worked, or attended services at, the local rectory and was the source of all the associated phenomenon the small village of Binbrook experienced in the early 1900s? Or was Binbrook perhaps host to a Supernatural entity?

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Wolves Kill Alaskan Teacher

32-year old teacher, Candice Berner, is believed to have died from injuries sustained during an animal attack, Alaskan officials say. Piecing together the mysterious death, authorities say the young woman was apparently jogging on the outskirts of a remote Alaskan village when she was attacked. Wolf tracks were found surrounding the body and many say the wolves in the area have become more aggressive in recent months. According to authorities, there are no other carnivores in the area that are active at this time, and the body showed signs of tell-tale drag marks - it had been dragged off the road, into nearby bushes.

Residents had recently been warned of wolves and children were escorted to school by armed officials on the lookout for the carnivores. An Alaskan Fish and Wildlife spokesperson later told reporters authorities had located and killed two of the wolves they believed were responsible for, or participants in, the attack.

Berner's is the first official death due to wolves in 50 years.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Island Disappears in Bay of Bengal

An island whose ownership was disputed by India and Bangladesh has disappeared beneath the waves in the Bay of Bengal. The island - known as New Moore Island to Indians, and South Talpatti Island to Bangladeshis - never hosted a permanent settlement and only rose some 6' above the waters at any time. However, scientists say it is now completely submerged.

They also note that the waters in this area of the world are rising faster in the last decade than they have in the 15 years prior, so it is only a matter of time before other, nearby islands disappear as well!

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

The Weird, Blue Flames

Though not spontaneous, this case deserves mention due to the... just plain weirdness of it! Again, this is not literally a case of "spontaneous human combustion," which has largely been explained-away by the "wick effect" theory, but an incredible case, nonetheless:

According to Dr. De Brus in the March, 1829 edition of the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, a patient's hands sporadically burned with a blue flame for several hours after the subject had helped his brother, whose clothes had caught fire. The account states the blue fire continued to "flicker" over the patient's hands for hours and only constant submersion in water extinguished it.

The account does not detail the nature of the fire which ignited the subject's brother's clothes, but the specific detail of "blue" flame seems to suggest it was different from the fire he'd helped extinguish. However, this sounds a lot like a case of an alcohol-based (ethanol, maybe?) fire. Blue flames only occur in the hottest fires, and alcohol is known to produce such an effect. It can also stay on the skin and surface of materials for a long time.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

UFO over Sydney 2010

A noiseless, disc-shaped object "buzzed" a street full of cars in Sydney, Australia this past Sunday and a mother of two happened to catch a picture of it. Fiona Hartigan says she had stepped from her car to photograph the sunset when "this black object appeared and... started to move." Hartigan says two, smaller, "round things" emerged from a "bright orange light above" as the larger object came within 400 meters or so of her before flying past at rapid speed. The smaller objects went in opposite directions.

Fiona Hartigan told reporters, "There was no noise. It was calm and peaceful but it was very weird."

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Time Magazine Weighs-In On Why We Can't Find Bigfoot

Time Online ran this article today on why we can't find Bigfoot. It's a tongue-in-cheek look at the hunt for Bigfoot, but does contain a few facts along the way. While regular readers and Bigfoot enthusiasts aren't likely to learn anything new, and the comments contain the usual claptrap you'd expect from... commenters (except y'all, of course), the article itself is worth a read - for a chuckle, if nothing else.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

World's First Set of Male Elephant Twins Doing Well

Onlookers at a Thailand zoo cheered as what is believed to be the world's first set of male twin elephants were born two hours apart about two weeks ago. At least one onlooker had traveled from another town to see the birth. Thong-Kum and Thong-Tang are both doing fine.

Elephant twins are extremely rare and both rarely survive. Thailand's other pair of elephant twin, Jim and Joom, were born in 1993, but one died nine years ago. Zoos in both South Africa and Nepal have had three sets of elephant twins born on their grounds, the last set being born in Nepal just last year.

Though elephants are held in high regard in Thailand, their numbers have dwindled from over 100,000 to fewer than 4,000 today.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Sharks Found in Tennessee River

Two sharks, measuring approximately 14" and weighing two lbs., were found dead in the Tennessee River within a short time of one another.  The first was brought from the river, already dead, by a dog; the second was found washed-up on the bank several miles away.  Both sharks were found by visitors to popular destination points along the river in Decatur County, TN.

While the species of the sharks is unknown, Keith Byrd of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, who is looking into the matter, says he hesitates to call them "baby" sharks.  How the sharks got into the Tennessee River will likely never be known, but it is strongly suspected they were bought as bait in Florida or Mississippi and dumped in the river, perhaps as a joke.  It is also possible they were someone's pets until they outgrew their aquarium home.  However, Byrd says it is possible the sharks made it up the river either from the Gulf of Mexico or the Mississippi River.

Saltwater specimens have been found in freshwater Tennessee rivers before.  A Florida manatee was discovered in the Wolf River Conservancy in Memphis, and blue crab and needlefish have been found in the Tennessee River in the past.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Did the CIA Dose Pont-Saint-Esprit?

A picturesque village in Southern France suddenly went "insane" one day in 1951. People insulted and fought one another; one man jumped from a hospital window, claiming to be a dragonfly; the mailman zigzagged on his bike and toppled. The bizarre behavior and "mass hallucinations" continued for several days.

Originally, a local baker was thought to have made bread with contaminated yeast, but this theory was later disproven. The mystery remained for nearly 60 years... until an American author, seeking to uncover what had lead to the 1953 murder of a US biochemist who worked on many of the CIA's secret programs during the Cold War came across information which lead him to conclude that the strange events in 1951 Pont-Saint-Esprit were the result of the CIA.

Hank Albarelli's A Terrible Mistake, recently released in the US, tells how the author sifted through thousands of government documents and continually found references to the small, French village. According to Albarelli, his research uncovered that Pont-Saint-Esprit was targeted by the CIA for testing, and that they may have dosed the bread with LSD. Further, the event was tied to the 1953 murder of Frank Olson, an Army biochemost who worked on the CIA's mind-control experiments during the Cold War.

The Pont-Saint-Esprit "field test" was carried-out under the name "Operation Span." Albarelli points to various documents which openly discuss using LSD and other, "mind-altering chemicals," and even call for field tests. Several of these documents actually refer to Pont-Saint-Esprit by name.

Albarelli's coup-de-grace came in the form of documents detailing a discussion between a former CIA spy and Swedish chemist from the Sandoz Laboratory, in which the agent openly admitted the incident was an experiment. The Sandoz Lab is where the effects of LSD were first discovered. Sandoz Lab was providing the US Army and CIA with LSD in 1951.

Those who lived through the 1951 incident agree that it will never be fully explained and what actually happened may never be known, but said learning of the CIA's possible involvement is "disturbing."

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Mephedrone Facing Ban

Drugs, including alcohol, and mind-altering substances have been used in religious rites since time immemorial, but they have also been used recreationally - arguably for about as long. These days though, most drug use is specifically recreational and price is a factor. This is how a plant food has recently become one of the more popular club drugs in the UK and is now facing probable banning.

Mephedrone, aka M-Cat, Meow, MC, et.al., is actually plant fertilizer. The side effects when ingested include rapid heartbeat and mild euphoria, but the product has led to the deaths of several young people in recent weeks, forcing UK authorities to consider classifying Mephedrone as a Class B substance. Some experts assert it is simply amphetamine by another name.

Mephedrone can be procured in pill or tablet form, but is often powdered for snorting.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Chileans Report UFOs, Strange Lights Preceding Earthquake

The recent earthquake in Chile was one of the strongest on record, and prompted dozens of reports of UFOs and strange lights following. But now, Chileans are coming forth to report strange lights in the area the very night of the earthquake itself!

The highest concentration of these incidents occurred in the areas in, and surrounding, Las Condes, Peñalolén, Providencia and Colina, with some 16 sightings reported on the night of the quake. Some cases reported a humanoid emanating light emerging from a craft of some sort. Many of the reports suggest the object(s) came from the ocean.

As some noted in the comments, "strange lights" are commonly reported with earthquakes. The most popular theory involving this phenomenon is "swamp gas" - pockets of which could logically be released whenever the earth is shifted - but magnetic lights and other, natural phenomena may also be involved. At any rate, given the stress the victims were under, not to mention the land and waters, the reports of strange lights, though they technically remain unexplained are probably not extraterrestrial or otherworldly.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Blood Falls

Discovered in 1911, Blood Falls is a massive, frozen fountain which - true to its name - appears to be pumping frozen blood! Experts originally believed the color was due to algae, but have now discovered the color is actually due to the fact that microbes, which have evolved independently of life elsewhere on the planet in a sealed environment (without light or oxygen), were "trapped" beneath the surface some 2 million years ago. Essentially, Blood Falls is - quite literally - made of "primordial ooze."

A fissure in the Taylor Glacier is what allows the lake's waters to flow without contaminating its ecosystem. The waters are rich in salinity and iron, which give Blood Falls its blood-red color. This proves to scientists that life can exist in the most extreme of circumstances, bolstering hope that life could exist in the frozen waters recently discovered on distant planets such as Mars and Jupiter's Europa.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Child Sorcery

Now, child sorcery is a growing problem in the DR Congo. As The OddBlog continues to report, the Congo is one of the areas in the world where claims of witchcraft are not only taken seriously, but often lead to murder. Of course, the Congo is also one of the pockets of the modern world in which proclaimed forms of "witchcraft" or "sorcery" is still practiced; this is one of the places where albinos are dismembered so their body parts can be used in bizarre rituals.

Activist spokespersons say there is no sense of community or family in the Congo, which makes it easy for the disenfranchised to single-out those with few or no rights. In 2008, some 100 cases of "child sorcery" were reported; in 2009, that number grew to 450. Unicef's Alessandra Dentice believes this can be explained by a growing awareness of the situation in the area, but also knows how serious such allegations can be - many accused "child sorcerers" are burnt, exiled, or killed.

Many charities have taken-in children found abandoned on streets and in the wilderness, cast aside by family members, neighbors, and friends because of something as simple as a family member having fallen ill. One child was accused of sorcery after he and a friend saw a zombie movie and began play-acting one of the scenes. The other child ran away and spread the rumor that his young friend was actually a sorcerer. The young movie-goer was forced into exile to avoid death by burning. These orphans are threatened, not only by life on the streets without supervision, but by stoning and attacks from other villagers.

Even though it is now illegal to accuse children of witchcraft, the law is not enforced. Many priests, local authorities, and even government officials not only believe in sorcery, but force the accused into "confessions" through intimidation, trickery, and outright violence. Yes, these are, of course, Christians.

The law took activists eight years to get on the books, but it has not stopped the accusations. Activists say it is helping, though. They hope their media and word-of-mouth campaigns bring serious, and long-lasting, change to the region.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Archaeological Dig Uncovers Knights Templars, Crucifixion Nail

Archaeologists believe they have uncovered a nail from the time of Christ's crucifixion -- in the possession of three men believed to have been members of the Knights Templar.  The Knights Templar are classically associated with holy relics, as finding and protecting them was one of their primary concerns as an organization.  They were featured in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, though that was a fictitious work.  Throughout the ages, the Knights Templar claimed to have possessed the Holy Grail, as well as other relics of Christianity.

The archaeologists found the nail in an ornate box buried with three skeletons, one of which held a sword bearing the Knights Templars' holy cross.  The fort was discovered on a tiny island off of Madeira.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Scottish Couple to Hang-Around in Dungeon After They Die

A Scottish couple has donated their bodies to Edinburgh University's Medical College for dissection before they are put on display in Edinburgh Dungeon.  Though part of the reason the couple made their decision is that they do not want their family to suffer their funerals, they also want to highlight the lack of bodies left to medical science.  Both work as nurses at a nearby hospital.

The Edinburgh Dungeon recently launched a campaign to find people who wish to donate their skeletons to an exhibit on Burke and Hare, the infamous 19^th-Century serial killers who procured victims' bodies for one Dr. Robert Knox.  While the Dungeon already has several donations, they are still looking for five-six more to complete their... collection.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Woman Auctions Off Souls

A New Zealand woman auctioned off vials said to contain the souls of two dead people for just under $2000 earlier this month. Avie Woodbury of Christchurch said the spirits were captured during an exorcism at her home and the vials dipped in holy water, which "dulls" them. One is thought to be the soul of a man who lived in the house in the 1920s, while the other is that of a "disruptive girl" who was called forth during a Ouija board session.

The auction drew over 200,000 page views. Woodbury said the proceeds would pay the exorcist's fee and the remainder donated to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Devil Woman Grows Horns

101-year old Chinese grandmother, Zhang Ruifang, began growing a horn on the left side of her head in 2009. The protrusion is directly above her eye and is approximately 2¹/₂" long. Now, another protrusion is appearing on the opposite side of her forehead - thought to be another horn. Some are calling her "The Goat Woman."

While the woman's family is worried, some experts think it is only a cutaneous horn. While they can be startling, most cutaneous horns are not dangerous although some are cancerous. Most only grow to a few centimeters in length, though they can be longer. Cutaneous horns of this length are very rare.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Vatican Investigating 'Our Lady'

For nearly three decades now, the faithful in Bosnia-Hercegovina have claimed the Virgin Mary appears daily in Medjugorje; six children first saw the apparition in 1981. The Vatican is now investigating these claims.

The Virgin Mary is said to appear in a gray dress and veil, and sometimes adorned in gold, crowned with stars. She is said to float on a cloud and repeat the same phrase each appearance, always in Croatian: "I've come because there are many true believers here. I wish to be with you to convert and reconcile the whole world."

Many skeptics warn against believing such claims, but some 30 million pilgrims are said to have visited the small town since the vision was first reported.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Bigfoot Sighting in Leeds, Maine

A couple in Leeds, ME says they spotted a large, hairy, manlike figure crossing the road between the Greene and Leeds towns on March 8^th.  This is just one more of many such Bigfoot sightings in the immediate area over the last 25 years.  In fact, there have been so many Bigfoot sightings in the Leeds area that it has attracted the scrutiny of one cryptozoologist who says he barely got into town before people were literally stopping him to discuss their own sightings and the stories they had heard.

Leeds is close to the area in which a "strange creature" was discovered a few years back.  The creature turned out to be a rare breed of dog.  The story was covered on our earlier blog site, which was hosted by a company that went under.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Agenda

Sorry for the spottiness lately, but I have a big project with a pretty tight deadline and I've had to focus my attentions there right this moment. I am still collecting stories and will post them as soon as I'm finished with this (which will hopefully be tomorrow!). I also have to do my taxes at some point, but I'm hoping to knock those out over a weekend.

In the meantime, enjoy the archives!

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Michigan's Only Wolverine Found Dead

Michigan's only known wolverine was found dead along a trail over the weekend. Conservation officials collected the body and took hair samples for DNA testing to determine the cause of death, but it is not believed anyone intentionally harmed the creature.

The wolverine had become a local celebrity, generating several recent news stories, and was followed by a local science teacher who gave updates as to its location and activities as he monitored the animal by camera. He told reporters he lied regarding the wolverine's exact location to prevent hunters "seeking a trophy."

Officials believe the wolverine may have once been an exotic pet set free, but admit they do not know exactly how the creature came to reside in Michigan. It was the first wolverine spotted in the state in 200 years.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Big Cats Exist in Britain, According to Authority

This is the second time in recent months that an authority in Britain has "confirmed" the existence of Big Cats in and around the UK. While no conclusive evidence has yet been uncovered, Natural England recently released a report containing well over 100 reports of unknown creatures - the field of which is known as "cryptozoology" - and over ¹/₃ of these reports (38, to be exact) concern Big Cats.

While some of these reports were eyewitness accounts, others include tracks and the carcasses of animals attacked by unknown creatures. Far more interesting about the report is that it contains evidence of just how seriously the government takes these reports. Several investigations were launched and veterinarians were called-in to examine tracks, as well as the carcasses of livestock thought to have been attacked by Big Cats.

Charlie Wilson, who coordinates such reports for the government, has now gone on record as saying the evidence proves these Big Cats exist. He tempered his comments by saying these creatures had been "escaped, released, [and/or] dumped in the wild," and that he doubted any breeding populations existed.

In addition to Big Cats, the report confirmed the existence of raccoons and raccoon-dogs, neither of which are indigenous to the UK, as well as a wolf, prairie dog, and coypus.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Women Hospitalized After Getting Cracks Caulked

Six women were hospitalized with abcesses after receiving black market cosmetic surgery to augment the size of their behinds.  Doctors were shocked to find the material used was actually watered-down, non-medical, construction-grade caulk -- "The same stuff you use to caulk around the bathtub," explained Steven Marcus, director of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System.

Having the buttocks surgically-enhanced is an uncommon procedure, due to the risks involved, but is more popular in certain cultures than others.  No details about the women nor the unlicensed practitioners has been released, and no arrests have been made.  While authorities are not 100% certain the cases are related, they say it underscores a larger problem in the area with unlicensed plastic surgery using non-medical grade materials, and warn residents to be aware.

All six women underwent surgery, were prescribed antibiotics, and are expected to make full recoveries.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

You Really *Are* As Old As You Feel

According to recent study, the age-old adage "You are only as old as you feel" may be dead-on. According to a study conducted by Purdue University (Indiana), those who consider themselves old suffer a plethora of downsides associated with old age, while those who maintain a younger outlook on life do not. The researchers compared participants' actual, chronological age with their "subjective" age to determine which had a greater effect on their brain functions and mental activity.

The study determined that though your actual age does matter, your outlook makes all the difference.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Catholics Sue Over "Mistreatment" of Christ Statue... in a Movie!

The Catholic Church is threatening to sue over director Roland Emmerich's treatment of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the apocalyptic flick, 2012. 

According to their lawyers, the movie was specifically denied the right to show the statue being destroyed in the movie, but deliberately did so anyway.  The lawyers claim people of "many faiths" were offended by the imagery and want Columbia Pictures to state that it did not intend to offend anyone.

Columbia Pictures says they did have permission to "destroy" the statue -- from the sculptor's estate, not the Church.  While a spokesperson said they hope to speak with the archdiocese to resolve the matter, reports say an "amicable agreement" has yet to be reached.

According to some, the Church manages the copyrights related to the statue, erected in 1931.  Because the sculptor died in 1961, whomever controls the copyright will continue to do so until 2031, when it technically enters the public domain.

A lawsuit has yet to be filed though talks have been going on since December of last year.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Pics of a Golden Eagle Attacking a Full-Grown Deer

Deer Attacks Eagle

Eric Walters, a 46-year-old IT worker for Discover Card, took his camera to an Illinois nature reserve, hoping to spot a prairie falcon reportedly seen in the area. What he snapped instead has excited the wildlife community to no end: A golden eagle attacking an adult, white-tail deer!

Experts say that while the incident is extremely rare, it isn't unheard of -- it largely depends on how scarce food is. Rodents and small mammals tend to comprise the brunt of golden eagles' diets according to experts, but they are known to attack larger creatures like mountain sheep, coyotes, even caribou.

Like the prairie falcon, the golden eagle is a rare sight -- especially in Illinois -- and one attacking prey as large as an adult deer is rarer still. While Walters missed the prairie falcon, he managed to get what many consider the pictures of a lifetime. The entire attack lasted about 35 seconds and Walters captured at least three good pics.

This is particularly interesting to cryptozoologists because of the phenomenon known as "Thunderbirds." Thunderbirds are said to be oversized avians, sometimes believed to be creatures unknown to science or possibly animals thought extinct, which have been reported to attack humans -- notably children.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Jersey Cops Demand Venus de Milo Sculpture Clothed

A mother and her two children sculpted a replica of Venus de Milo's famous nude from snow in their front yard. Though many passersby praised their creativity and skill, one good Christian neighbor complained to police who told Eliza Gonzalez and her children they must either cover the work or destroy it. Gonzalez complied by dressing it up with a bikini top and sarong, but noted she thought that "objectified and sexualized" it even more.

A willing ignorance toward art, culture, science, and general knowledge and education cannot be tolerated, even if it is in the name of religion. The Constitution gives us the right to religious freedom, but also the right to personal freedoms, and the two should not cancel-out one another; the neighbor should not have the right to oppress others based on his/her religious or moral convictions. How do I know this Good Neighbor was a Christian? Well, I don't - s/he could just as well have been a Muslim; I know it was one of these religions - one associated with the Judaeo-Christian mythology - because this is America and that's how those people work!

It is certainly no more inappropriate for children to see this piece than it is for them to be ashamed of the human body. There is no denying this is a work of art - not just because it is the recreation of a world-famous piece of art - and the family should have the right to display it as it was intended without fear of reprisal or censorship.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Unlicensed Pilot Arrested... After 13 Years as a Commercial Pilot

Authorities arrested a 41-year old Swedish pilot for falsifying his piloting documents and flying without a license moments before the flight he was piloting took off with over 100 passengers aboard. But that's just the beginning: The pilot had over 10,000 hours of flight experience and had been flying commercial airlines for over 13 years!

The pilot's name has not been disclosed, but police say he did have a license to fly small aircraft, though it was now expired. That license did not permit him to fly commercial aircraft however, but he has been doing just that on European airlines for over 10 years now! Police arrested him in the cockpit and say he was relieved to have finally been caught - witnesses say he ripped off his pilot's stripes before being lead away.

The airline for which he worked said he had been employed there for some two years and had "expertly misled" the company.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

MoD to Destroy UFO Reports

The Ministry of Defense's new policy on UFO reports is to destroy them after 30 days. Apparently, this is being done to free-up resources, as opposed to hiding anything, as the MoD does not want to be bother with Freedom of Information requests for such reports.  As one former MoD employee who worked on the UFO files, Nick Pope, put it, "It's laziness -- as opposed to a conspiracy."

The Ministry of Defense received reports on some 634 UFO sightings in 2009, the most it has received since 1978 -- an average of almost two per day.  The MoD is releasing UFO reports it collected over the years its UFO program ran online.  It has released five installments so far, comprising roughly ¹/₃ of the total reports in its archives.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Things What Done Fell from the Sky: Fishfall, Australia

Residents were shocked to see hundreds of spangled perch fall from the skies over the small outback town of Lajamanu in Australia the other day. Eyewitnesses say the fish were alive when they hit the ground (those not killed by the fall, that is) and were scattered everywhere across the town. many were collected by hand and placed in buckets and other readily available receptacles, where pictures were taken as evidence.

Meteorologists are trotting out the age-old "tornado" theory, suggesting the fish were picked-up by storms in one place and deposited elsewhere. Yet even critics and skeptics find this "explanation" hard to swallow for all sorts of reasons covered in earlier posts in this series.

One eyewitness quipped, "All I can say is that I'm thankful that it didn't rain crocodiles!"

© C Harris Lynn, 2010