Waymon Wood and the Warped Windshield

On March 1^st, 1953, Waymon Wood's body was found "crisped black" in the frontseat of his car. While the car, which contained a half a tank of gas, was unaffected, the windshield had bubbled and sagged inward from the intensity of the heat. Almost nothing was left of Wood's body.

The case has never been fully explained.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Cambodian 'Jungle Woman' Flees Society

29-year-old Rochom P'ngieng disappeared into the Cambodian jungle in 1989 as a young girl. In 2007, she was "rediscovered" when she emerged from the thick jungle. She was reunited with her family, but failed to adjust to modern society. Rochom P'ngieng has now fled back into the jungle.

Sadly, Rochom never learned either of the local languages, refused to wear clothes, continued to crawl rather than walk, and has attempted to escape many times. She grunted and made animal noises to communicate. Her father says she helped the family pick vegetables the day before, then simply took off her clothes and ran back into the jungle without saying anything to anyone.

Mystic beliefs still hold sway in Cambodia. Sal Lou, her policeman father, blames "forest spirits" and has hired a fortune-teller to help find her. Lou is saving-up to afford an offering of one wild ox, one pig, one chicken, and four jugs of wine, which the mystic says will reunite him with his daughter. Several people claim to have seen her in the company of a naked man who carries a sword - the man is believed to be a "forest spirit."

Rochom's story has gripped the country of Cambodia, where she is called "half-animal girl." She disappeared with her sister over 20 years ago, but her sister has never been found. Her parents identified her by a scar on her arm, but refused a DNA test. Some think she was raised in captivity, as they do not believe an eight-year-old girl could survive in the Cambodian jungle.

34 pro-Khmer Rouge tribesmen who had been hiding in the jungle since 1979 (when the regime fell) emerged from the jungle in 2004.

The original story of Rochom's rediscovery was on the other server and has since been lost.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

15-Year Old Girl Stalked by Panther

Kim Howells was walking through the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire with her cousin on her 15^th birthday when the two came upon a cat they described as being the size of a Great Dane, with big eyes, paws, and a long tail. The pair continued walking. Shortly thereafter, Kim says she saw something in her peripheral vision, which was the cat, sitting up, watching her intently. The cat was following them. When the two realized the cat was only about 15' away, they cut through brambles and began running. They ran all the way to Kim Howell's house.

The girl's mother says the two were obviously upset. "Their feet were all cut and Sophie [the cousin] was in tears." Kim's mother showed the two a picture of a panther online and they agreed that was what they had seen.

"It was definitely a big cat," Kim told reporters. "I could see it really clearly."

Twice in 2007, big cats - also believed to be a panther(s) - were spotted in the area. One early morning encounter involved a milkman, and the other a firefighter.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Brazilian Police Chief Assassinated on Live Radio

Police chief Clayton Chaves and his wife had pulled their over to the side of the road while he spoke with a local radio station about fighting local drug traffickers.  Suddenly, shots rang-out, and his wife can be heard screaming as the chief's own mobile phone documented his death.

Chief Chaves was on his way to work when he pulled over to finish the radio interview.  Authorities say he was followed by two gunmen in a white Volkswagen.  The gunmen ambushed the police chief and his wife just as he ended the interview.

Gangland violence such as this led Arizona to recently institute tougher, and controversial, anti-illegal Immigration laws.  While many parts of South America suffer from such outbursts of drug-related violence, areas closest to the American border are said to experience the worst of it.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

American First 'Cluster Balloonist' to Cross English Channel

American adventurer, Jonathan Trappe, became the first person to cross the English Channel by helium, alone.  The 36-year-old Trappe attached 54 balloons to a wicker chair and floated 22 miles over four hours from Kent to Dunkirk, France. 

Forced to cut some of the balloons to avoid floating into restricted airspace, winds blew Trappe off course, and he crash-landed in a cabbage patch, where authorities awaited him.  Things looked bad for a moment -- until Trappe produced his passport and documentation, proving he was authorized to land there.  He met with both British and French civil aviation authorities before launch. 

Last month, Trappe floated 109 miles in 14 hours across North Carolina, claiming the world's record for the longest free-floating cluster balloon flight.  A Roman Catholic priest attempted to grab that record in 2008, but received a Darwin Award instead. 

Trappe claims to have reached 18,000' on another flight.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Agenda

Hi guys. I know things have been slow and weird here lately, but I was basically offline all May!  Seriously -- even when I was connecting, I was only getting 20-30% capacity, so I was basically offline the whole month.  That is part of the reason I am here tonight/this weekend.

Please make note -- and this is why I'm writing this -- this does not mean we are going back to weekend posts.  We generally do not post on the weekends, so this is a little unusual.  But, because of the holiday -- and the fact that we have been fighting connectivity issues for the last five weeks -- I am posting tonight.

I may, or may not, continue posting throughout tomorrow, because I would really like to enjoy the holiday by doing nothing.  Granted, I had a lot of time "off," so to speak, but I continued to work offline, so I didn't really get to kick-back and relax.  And I desperately need to do that.

So, happy Memorial Day and, now that our connectivity issues appear to be resolved (knock wood), we are going to get back to our normal schedule -- which does not include weekend posts.  I am just playing catch-up tonight.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

9-Yr. Old Girl Struck by Lightning - in Her Bedroom!

Nine-year-old Lexie Archuleta was watching TV in her Commerce City, Colorado bedroom Wednesday night when lightning shot through the window and hit her foot. Her mother says Lexie was barely able to speak, she was so upset, but managed to relay that her 'insides were burning.' Though neither Lexie nor her bedroom showed any sign of damage, the Archuletas rushed her to the hospital, where tests confirmed Lexie had no serious injuries.

The fire department in their area examined the house with thermal imaging and verified that it had been struck by lightning, which indirectly struck Lexie. They found evidence of smoke inside the home's walls, but no other damage. A spokesperson for the fire department said the incident was "unusual, but... happens."

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Children *Do* Smoke - In Indonesia

When a video of 2-year old Ardi Rizal smoking hit YouTube earlier this week, only Gawker recognized that the baby is "cooler than you;" most self-righteous prudes' knee-jerk reactions were what you'd expect, calling for his parents' arrest, insisting they are abusing him, and so forth. But Rizal's father said the child throws a tantrum when they don't allow him to smoke. And experts say it is a growing trend in Indonesia, the world's third-largest tobacco consumer; statistics show that children who smoke regularly, ages 5-9 are up from .4% to 2.8%. Further, 25% of children ages 3-15 have tried smoking.

The government has taken small steps to cut these numbers, including raising taxes and enacting laws limiting the areas where smokers can light-up. Child-protection advocates say limiting tobacco advertisements is needed to reverse the cycle.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Still Offline!!!

Obviously, I am online right this second, but I just got back up and going after yet another 18-hour outage! I have, quite literally, been offline this entire month and I am... very freaking upset about it. Unfortunately, it is entirely out of my hands, so all I can do is apologize.

I'll try to get something up for you guys, but I am one month behind on everything and I have to do what I can while I am connected. So sorry for this!

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Children Don't Smoke - Unless...

The Wick Effect has been forwarded as the answer to all cases of spontaneous combustion, but in order for the Wick Effect to occur, there has to be an actual, external, heat source to set the fire. Usually, the victim is considered to have been a smoker, sitting too close to a fire, or the like. But in the case of four month old Ricky Pruitt of Illinois, there was no discernible source of fire.

The infant died of severe burns in 1959 in his crib. Neither his clothes nor his bedding showed any sign of damage.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Technical Issues

Sorry guys. I thought I was having computer issues here last week, but it was actually the service provider. Apparently lightning had struck something at the station, causing area-wide performance issues and outages. Mine had been going on for the last two weeks, as had a few other customers', but the tech told me he had replaced this, that, and the other at other peoples' houses before he ever got to mine, so I don't know what to think.

At any rate, it appears the problem(s) has been handled, and we are back up and running full-force. Sorry, again, for that, but it was out of my control.

UPDATE

When I went to post this, the network went down again for nearly 30 minutes. It has dropped carrier at least once since then, so obviously, we aren't exactly in the clear just yet.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Missing Postman Leads to Missing Mail

A Philadelphia-based postman is missing, and when managers went to his house, they discovered crate after crate of missing mail, some of which dates back to 1997! When the mailman did not show up for work for several days, managers paid him a visit. At his home, they found over 20,000 items of mail - including important files, papers, paychecks, and bills - which required three postal vans to remove.

Confused residents have been receiving mail several years old. The mailman is still missing.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Maintenance

Sorry guys, got a little behind with the website and forgetting this weekend was Mother's Day, so we're doing some regular maintenance across the site and blogs and will be back shortly.

Enjoy the archives until then!

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

'Vampire' Attack in New Zealand

A New Zealand man alleges he was attacked by three "vampires" who bit him and drank his blood.  Police charged two youths, one of whom has a mohawk and several piercings.  A third is wanted, but has not been apprehended.

The suspect with the mohawk told reporters he was aware that the victim's blood had been drunk, but he did not engage in such an activity.  He says that though he "may look like a punk," he is not; he says he is "just different."

"Do I look like a vampire?" he asked reporters.  "I'm out during the daytime!"

He did, however, admit to biting the man, whom he claims was hitting on his "missus."

The three face charges carrying sentences of up to 14 years in prison.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Russia to Investigate Alien Abduction Claims

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, a former chess champion and millionaire businessman who has presided over the small Southern region of Kalmykia for over 15 years, told an interviewer during a primetime TV special that he had been taken aboard an alien spacecraft, where tests were then performed on him. He also stated that there were several witnesses who could verify his claim.

Now, Russian MPs are asking the President to look into the allegations, to find out whether or not they are serious, whether or not they are real, whether or not Ilyumzhinov is fit to lead, and whether or not he may have divulged military and political secrets to aliens. Also in the request is whether or not there is a protocol for such events.

Ilyumzhinov is known as an "eccentric."

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Bullet Bypasses Clothing

In July of 1891, Charles Fort records, a man by the name of Carl Gros was shot on Long Island.  The bullet penetrated the man's body, but not his clothing!

Ten years later, Fort records the murder of 72-year old Lavinia Farrar, who was found knifed to death on her kitchen floor.  The murder weapon -- a common kitchen knife -- was left behind, and Ms. Farrar had suffered a broken nose and some facial bruising.  But the droplets of blood in the kitchen did not appear to belong to her, as the fatal wound was reportedly "almost bloodless."  

Like the poor Carl Gros before her, Ms. Farrar's undershirt bore some bloodstains, but her exterior clothing did not.  Nor had any of her clothing been pierced.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

No Flame, No Wick Effect

When investigators examined the charred remains of 52-year old Allen Small, they found the carpet beneath him had been scorched, but there was no sign of fire anywhere else in the small Deer Isle, Maine home.  In fact, the stove lids were all secured, and Small's unlit pipe set on an intact shelf a few yards away from his burned body. 

To this day, the 1949 case of "spontaneous human combustion" has yet to be fully explained.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Montana Flight Rerouted When 'Alien' Tries to Fly

An unruly passenger was arrested when a flight headed to Utah had to make an emergency landing in Idaho Falls Sunday. While reports conflict, witnesses say the passenger began banging on the flightdeck door. A news report states the 32-year old Las Vegas man said he was an "alien" and wanted to fly the plane.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Mummified Baby Missing

For years, a mummified baby's corpse -- thought to have belonged to an ancestor of the family -- was kept by the Peavey family.  They bought it birthday cards, and even a dried fish for a pet.  After a living relative mentioned the mummy in daycare, authorities seized it and sent it for testing.  Tests proved the mummy was at least "decades" old and had died of natural causes, but could not definitively prove whether or not it was related to the Peavey family, and so a judge ordered it interred in an unmarked grave.

Authorities say the gravesite, unknown to many, had been disturbed over the weekend, and though the casket was retrieved, it was empty.  Mr. Peavey's car and home were searched, but police found no evidence of his involvement in the felony disturbing of a grave.  Peavey's attorney said his client has no information to give them, and was deeply troubled over the matter.

The Peavey family says the child was a family heirloom, passed down for generations.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Bucketful of Heads Demands "Structured Approach to Anger Management"

A 32-year old man entered the St. Andrew's precinct police station in Grenada with a bucket containing two severed human heads. Police later found two mutilated corpses in a field. They say the man is a suspect.

While the crime has shocked the small country of Grenada, Prime Minister Tillman Thomas said it underscores the need for a "structured approach to anger management."

True story.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

All Parisian Policewomen Are Criminals

Strictly speaking, since no French woman is allowed to wear trousers, which are part of the official Parisian policewoman's uniform. Though the law, on the books since 1799, has been amended several times over the years, and is basically negated by a 1946 gender-equality law which runs counter to it, it has never been removed from the books. It even survived a 2003 challenge - by a Right-Wing MP!

Authorities are now looking at removing the antiquated law.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

France to Return Mummified Heads

First requested in the 1980s, France has decided to return 15 mummified heads of Maori warriors to New Zealand, where they will be sent to the appropriate tribes for burial. The heads were taken as trophies and collectors' items in the 18^th- and 19^th-Centuries by explorers. Some say Maori may have been killed for their tattoos in these collections.

In 2007, a city council voted to return one head, but the decision was later overturned. The bill was almost unanimously backed by authorities this time around. The heads have been on display in various museums throughout France.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

May is Zombie Awareness Month

Yes, and you should be wearing your little, gray ribbon to let everyone know you are prepared (preparing?) for the coming zombie Apocalypse, according to the Zombie Research Society, which informs readers that October is not associated with zombies because zombies are flesh and blood creatures not associated with the pagan rituals of Samhain or All Hallows' Eve. Also, many zombie movies were set in the month of May, including the granddaddy of them all, George Romero's Night of the Living Dead.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Look Ma, No Hands!

An 18-year old who has been diagnosed as bi-polar and schizophrenic, among other things, approached Texas police and told them he had a foot in his bag. He showed the body part to police, then rode along to show them the grave he dug up. Police found a small hatchet inside the bag with the foot, and a shovel at the scene of the crime.

The teen's parents say "he has no control over his mind" and have no intentions of bailing him out. In fact, his mother, who spoke to reporters, told them her child should not be free, as she feared he would hurt himself or someone else. She said he refuses to take his medication, and he cannot take care of himself, but authorities keep releasing him.

Police reports show the teen was recently arrested for "terroristic threats" he made to a shopkeep a few months back. He said he would "blow up the building and kill everyone in it," then threatened to beat the man up if he saw him again.

The troubled teen faces one count of desecration, which could land him up to one year in jail, plus a fine.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Burnin' Up the Dancefloor

Around Midnight on August 27^th, 1938, Phyllis Newcombe was leaving the dancefloor of the Chelmsford Shire Hall when she burst into a bright, blue flame. Though her date tried to beat-out the flames with his hands, Miss Newcombe was fatally burned before the ambulance arrived. Nothing else in the hall was damaged.

Coroners originally thought someone had set her dress alight with a cigarette, but Miss Newcombe's father proved in court that it would have taken an open flame to start it burning, and that a cigarette alone could not have ignited it. All of the witnesses from the dance hall swore no one struck a lighter or match at the time Newcombe went ablaze.

The case remains unsolved.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Drowned-Out

Hey guys, sorry about missing the weekend.  We are in one of the areas in TN which was affected by all the storms and rain, and our connection has been down since Saturday!  It literally just came back about an hour ago.  So, even though I am busy with e-mail and all of that, I have a full day planned here, and will resume regular posting by next week.

Stick around!

© C Harris Lynn, 2010