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Posted by: Craig Woolheater on March 10th, 2014 Linda Godfrey has posted a new blog concerning the connection between cryptid canids and UFOs: Illustration by Nathan D. Godfrey, all rights reserved One question I hear a lot from radio callers, blog readers and conference attendees is whether I think that unknown, upright canine creatures are related to UFOs. It’s actually a concept that’s been around for some time and is also asked in regard to Bigfoot and other cryptids. My usual answer is that while I don’t have any reports from witnesses who’ve seen a dogman hopping directly off a UFO (although I know there are a few cases where people have claimed this about Bigfoot), it just so happens that places where mystery creatures abound are also often UFO hotspots. A perfect example of this type of area is the northern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest which stretches through Sheboygan, Fond du Lac and Washington Counties in Wisconsin. This wooded, well-watered and hilly terrain encompasses the Holy Hill region which has had numerous sightings of upright, wolf-like creatures — probably the most famous of which was the 2006 incident where the DNR’s carcass removal contractor saw one such beast drag a fresh deer from the back of his pickup truck. It’s also an area where many Bigfoot have been spotted, and includes old legends of a Goatman and ancient sacred places to boot. It’s just as well known for its UFO activity. The city of Hartford, in fact, was named the site of one of the Top 10 UFO Cases of 2012 by the Mutual UFO Network, or MUFON. The incident occurred July 13 when a woman in her 50s and her daughter both saw a silent, lampshade-shaped object equipped with lights and measuring about two hundred feet long zip over the trees in their yard before shooting away in classic UFO style. The sighting lasted about half a minute, which is actually longer than most sightings of unknown phenomena. Read the rest of the story here. Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005. I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films: OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.

V.21 No.2 | The Daily Word in capsized cruise ship, crashing Mars probe, self-whistleblowing bank robber. Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day! By E.J. Maliskas [ Mon Jan 16 2012 9:19 AM ] The Earth's crust in New Mexico is stretching. Jon Huntsman to drop out of 2012 race and endorse Romney. Lobos win first conference game 72-62 at Wyoming. The 'atrocious' officiating of the NFL playoffs. A word from Kim Jong Un's best friends from growing up. May I please have all of these for my birthday?: Astronomy illustrations from 1868-1881. Russia's Mars probe crashes into the Pacific. Bank robber calls 911 on himself. Jay-Z bans the "B-word" and gets a nasty response. Taliban leader reported dead in US drone strike. Transsexual-averse Girl Scout calls for cookie boycott. Jimmy Fallon as Tebowie. The Daily Word in Bigfoot's right to free speech, Robert Anton Wilson week, and (Un)-Occupy Albuquerque in Santa Fe By Geoffrey Plant [ Sun Jan 15 2012 12:44 PM ] (Un)-Occupy Albuquerque will be protesting in Santa Fe next week. What happens to stuff dropped off at Santa Fe recycling stations? It is Robert Anton Wilson week! Here is a different way of evaluating NFL teams and games. "If you need a brassiere, wear one" and other dating tips for women circa 1938. Too fat to fit in the CT-scanner? Try the one at the zoo. Court finds state violated Bigfoot's right to free speech. V.21 No.2 | 1/12/2012 Hangover Sports Roundup Lobos rolling into conference play, Giants bury Falcons, Tebow pulls off another miracle By Justin Goodrum [ Mon Jan 9 2012 2:00 PM ] Before the season started, fans and critics questioned the potential of this year's Lobos. Head coach Steve Alford imposed multiple non-conference tournaments into the schedule to test his team’s mental toughness. Based on its 14-2 record, it seems this team has answered the challenge. The Lobos concluded non-conference play last Saturday at home against North Dakota. Despite having starting freshman point guard Hugh Greenwood recovering from an ankle sprain, the team didn't miss a beat, with six Lobos scoring in double figures. UNM only had a 10-point lead at half time, but turned up the pressure and blew out North Dakota 85-57. Now riding a 12-game winning streak, the Lobos have an extended break before facing the Wyoming Cowboys, Jan. 14 at Laramie. Alford has his team performing extremely well, but there's no denying some of its opponents have been subpar. Only time will tell if this could come back and haunt New Mexico when facing the top Mountain West Conference teams. The New York Giants may be experiencing deja vu during their attempt at another Super Bowl run. An underrated Eli Manning, an average regular season, great unknown wide receivers and a furious pass rush are creating a lethal combination that could lead the Giants to the promised land. But first they had to take care of the Atlanta Falcons. The Giants defense tormented Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, enabling Giants QB Eli Manning to have good field position and throw for 277 yards and 3 touchdowns. New York only allowed a safety and dominated the Falcons, 24-2. Now the Giants must face the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers for a spot in the NFC Championship. The Packers will be the favorite, but to count out Manning and the Giants would be a mistake. For those hoping the hype surrounding Tim Tebow would eventually disappear, they’ll have to wait at least another week. Besides Denver Broncos fans, anyone who says they picked the Donkeys to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers is probably lying. The Steelers were fighting injuries to key defensive stars and Ben Roethlisberger was hampered by a leg injury. But going into the game Denver was given little chance to pull the upset, considering they lost three in a row prior to Sunday. The unsung Broncos defense stopped the Steelers in the fourth quarter to force the first new playoff overtime. That set the stage for another Tebow miracle. It only took a coin flip and one play and Tebow delivered another miraculous victory. His 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas not only gave the Broncos the 29-23 win but also should guaranteed Tebow's job for next season. His stats aren’t always impressive, but there's no doubt when it's crunchtime, he delivers. Tebow has to prove he can put a full game together before he can be worthy of all the media attention. Keep in mind this is Tebow’s first season as a starter. If he can improve, it wouldn't be surprising if he rises to be an elite quarterback in the NFL. V.21 No.1 | 1/5/2012 NFL playoffs begin By Michael Sanchez [ Sat Jan 7 2012 10:00 AM ] As the regular season finished up last week, New York Giants fans got another win to gloat about in their rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys. This one stung in a pretty spectacular manner, too, since the G-Men's win meant that the Cowboys would be nowhere to be found in this year's playoff schedule. Things get started this wild card weekend with a quartet of games that offer plenty of excitement, plus the promise of water cooler talk to last the entire week. Cincinnati plays at Houston to open things up and then Detroit gets to play in New Orleans. If you can find two better examples in the last ten years of cities with everything hanging out on the line playing each other in the playoffs, your memory is better than mine. The Saints' first season after Hurricane Katrina ravaged its city was kicked off with a bang and finished almost as near as one can ask for, without winning the big prize. Of course, New Orleans is past its sportly woes after taking home the Lombardi Trophy two years ago. Detroit, on the other hand, has been awful for a long time, and has had its troubles well-documented as a result of the auto industry's meltdown. A win for either side will represent just another level by which the respective cities have overcome the tumultuous previous decade. The Atlanta Falcons get things kicked off on Sunday with a game against the aforementioned Giants. That great game, though, serves merely as a precursor to the ongoing drama of Tim Tebow. The Pittsburgh Steelers (they of the most championships of all time in the NFL) will face off in Denver against the Broncos, hoping to end the miraculous season of a team that virtually no one picked to even make the playoffs. Let's be clear: This is merely the wild card weekend of the playoffs. Details haven't even been given on the top dogs in each conference, which consist of the Green Bay Packers, the San Francisco 49ers, the Baltimore Ravens, and the New England Patriots. The Packers and the Patriots are the likely favorites to win their respective conferences, but their paths to Super Bowl XLVI are by no means guaranteed. The best time of the year for a football fan is upon us. It's only going to get better. Hangover Sports Roundup Lesnar retires, Lobos on fire, Giants embarrass America's Team By Justin Goodrum [ Mon Jan 2 2012 12:33 PM ] Brock Lesnar made his long-awaited return to the octagon when he faced top Heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem. UFC President Dana White was certainly happy to see Lesnar return as he's the biggest pay-per-view draw in mixed martial arts. Despite Lesnar's bout with diverticulitis, many critics picked him to win by overwhelming Overeem with his wrestling ability. Shockingly, when Overeem aimed to the body with knees and kicks, that ability disappeared. Eventually, Lesnar crumbled to the ground and allowed the referee to rescue him from the Overeem beatdown. In the post fight interview, Lesnar announced his retirement under pressure from his wife and kids. Despite only having eight professional fights, Lesnar accomplished a lot in his brief tenure in the sport. While professional wrestling fans will wish for Lesnar's return to the WWE, Overeem can now become a major star with American MMA fans with a victory over UFC Heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos. Also in MMA, Jackson's fighter Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone earned his co-main-event spot against Nate Diaz by going 4-0 in 2011. Both men engaged in a war of words through interviews and press conferences before the bout. Then, when the fight started, Diaz’ trash talk seemed to take Cerrone out of his comfort zone. Diaz’ signature boxing frustrated Cerrone and gave Diaz a massive advantage headed into the later rounds. “Cowboy” mounted a decent comeback in Round 2 with huge leg kicks, but Diaz countered with multiple combinations to the head. In Round 3 Diaz continued his striking dominance en route to a 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 unanimous decision. Diaz makes a very convincing case for a title shot but most likely will have another fight against a wrestler in order to become No. 1 contender. As for Cerrone, he has six victories out of his last seven fights and is still a major player in the Lightweight division. If he gets his wish to fight on the UFC Japan card, a victory could put him back in the title mix. After a heartbreaking overtime loss to Santa Clara, the Lobos have been on a roll, winning nine straight before their New Year’s Eve battle with St. Louis. More than 15,000 witnessed UNM hold off the Billikens for the 64-60 victory. The Billikens kept within reach, but Drew Gordon’s 18 points and 9 rebounds carried the Lobos for their 10th straight win. While UNM may have been a little rocky to start the season, it has huge momentum headed into conference play. The Lobos have a good combination of athleticism, defense and confidence that may lead them to a Mountain West Conference title. The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants had challenging seasons in 2011. But each team had had one last opportunity to erase the failures of the past and earn an NFC East title and a ticket to the playoffs with a win last night. Many would think with everything on the line during Sunday Night Football, this game would be competitive. Instead the Giants embarrassed the Cowboys and moved into an early 21-0 lead in the first half. The injured Tony Romo engineered a fourth quarter comeback with two touchdowns to close within seven points. But the underrated Eli Manning made the Dallas defense pay and threw a four-yard touchdown to Hakeem Nicks to seal the 34-13 victory and win the division. The Giants earned a wild card home game and will face the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday. Meanwhile, Dallas will search for answers to the many flaws they showed this season. Expect Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones to evaluate everyone’s job, from star players to the coaching staff. V.20 No.52 | 12/29/2011 Are you ready for some football? Crunch time in NCAA, NFL By Michael Sanchez [ Wed Dec 28 2011 12:44 PM ] After Thanksgiving, football on both the pro and collegiate level heads toward the goal line. NCAA games come to an end for many fans—especially in Albuquerque, especially these days—long before Christmas. The bowl season extends further than it has in the past, sure, but that's mainly due to the proliferation of the so-called bowl games. We start with the New Mexico Bowl, which Temple took over Wyoming on Dec. 17, and continue all the way to the BCS. The title game occurs on Monday, Jan. 9, when No. 2 Alabama will face first-ranked LSU. Between now and then, plenty of pretenders to the bowl throne will battle, but few of them are worth the time it'll take to play, much less to watch. Of course, no disrespect is intended, as I'm sure Michigan State and Georgia, at No.’s 17 and 16, respectively, are great football teams, and their fans care very much who wins the game. But outside that constituency, its hard to muster feelings for the Outback Bowl, amongst others. The day before the title game, in fact, is somehow, for some reason, occupied by Arkansas State versus Northern Illinois in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Just for fun, although I'm sure it's been done before, let's look at some of these corporate sponsorships: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, Little Caesar's Bowl, TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl! All of these games have been or will be televised nationally. Advertising really has changed the world. The end of the college football bowl season dovetails nicely into the end of the NFL’s regular season, where things are really heating up. The titanic Green Bay Packers are obviously still a favorite, and the Philadelphia Eagles (preseason favorites who have been extensively covered) have now been officially dismissed from the playoffs. Perhaps another year to gel will help them live up to the lofty expectations. While Green Bay has wrecked the regular season (save a blip two weeks ago), the New England Patriots have gone under the radar to resume their traditional position atop the AFC. Plenty of spoilers await a slip from either side, including the surprising stories of the San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans. With only one more week in the regular season, plenty of teams are still itching to play spoiler. The biggest end-of-season matchup, however, seems guaranteed to be the Dallas Cowboys playing in New York against the Giants. The teams will play for the NFC East Championship in the last game of the regular season, on New Year's Day. Football's finale is always the best, save the drama regarding the need for a true playoff system in college football. This year should be no different, whether you'll be watching the boys play in the BCS title game, or following the pros as they make the final cuts for the playoffs. V.20 No.51 | 12/22/2011 The Daily Word in the Barefoot Bandit, brick weed on Broadway, boozy Blago By Sam Adams [ Fri Dec 16 2011 10:15 AM ] Six former Freddie Mac and Fannie May bigwigs sued by the SEC. Video shows inmates escaping Santa Fe Courthouse. The cop who saw them flee takes a leisurely stroll and sets down his drink before chasing them down. Who is this guy? Dirty Harry? 55 bricks of weed found at crackdown on auto repair shop on Broadway. Death toll up to 169 in India bootleg liquor poisoning, with 195 under treatment. Barefoot Bandit due for sentencing today on 33 charges in a Washington state court. Boy meets girl. Boy takes girl to movies. Boy leaves girl in theater and steals her car. Woman’s breast implant sucked through her ribcage during Pilates maneuver. ICC may investigate Gaddafi’s death as a war crime. Two baby goats apparently tortured and killed in the South Valley. In less depressing animal cruelty news, dog that was thrown from car window found alive. Is the 1994 Chargers team cursed by the Grim Reaper? Just when it looked like Blago was out of the picture, source tells the Sun-Times that “Rod can’t sleep without drinking.” The judge that sentenced him to 14 years recommends prison rehab. V.20 No.50 | 12/15/2011 A look at the inexplicable, divisive phenomenon By Michael Sanchez [ Thu Dec 15 2011 1:05 PM ] Almost everyone in the world has weighed in on Tim Tebow. His general manager—former Denver Bronco great John Elway—said a few weeks ago that he wasn't quite sold on the young gun as a franchise quarterback. Then there was Charles Barkley, coming out of the woodwork and publicly pleading the Chicago Bears to beat the Broncos. (By the way, they didn't.) The discourse even turns up in seemingly tangential corners, such as young-adult author John Green's Tumblr and the pages of Rolling Stone. So what has Tebow done to deserve, in either sense of the word, all the chatter? Let's review. Tebow, as we see him now, is a two-time national champion from the University of Florida. He is a Heisman Trophy winner, and one of the rare college athletes who succeeded so spectacularly and still played all four years— instead of making the jump to the pros early. He is enthusiastic in his love for the game, and most of his former associates, whether they be coaches or teammates, are nothing but effusive in their praise for him. He also just so happens to be over-the-top religious. This, for a lot of people, is a deal breaker. Tebow's parents were missionaries, and he was raised with those beliefs. He has given numerous interviews stating that his ultimate goal in the NFL is to make enough money so that he can live the same kind of lifestyle as his parents did. The religious viewpoint is not unique to the NFL, nor to the Denver Broncos, but Tebow seems to raise a fervent attitude to people on both sides of the issue. The real crux of The Tebow Dilemma, though, comes when examining the Broncos' record since Tebow was moved into the starting position at quarterback. In the words of DJ Khaled, all the Broncos have been doing since is winning. Often in ridiculously convoluted, dramatic fashion. The Broncos were an anemic 1-4 before Tebow was slotted in to start, and have gone 7-1 since. The schedule, derided by critics at the beginning of the win streak, has gotten more difficult. The wins, counted as lucky by those same critics, have only gotten more and more tension-filled and climactic. By most measures, Tebow is not, and should not be counted as a good quarterback in the NFL. Objectively, most scouts looked at him two years ago, before the draft, and said that he would not amount to much. (There were, of course, notable exceptions, such as Jon Gruden.) Subjectively, though, those critics, along with those who doubted his starting position or his worth to the Broncos at all, have had quite a few words to chew on in the last eight weeks. The wins keep piling up and, as of now, Denver sits alone in the top spot of the AFC West. Steering away from the personal reasons people may or may not like Tebow, it seems now is a good time to remind everyone that we truly do live in the Moneyball age. Will Tebow continue to defy the numbers, or do statistical averages rule all? Will he break the numbers, or eventually conform to them? A third path exists: Perhaps Tim Tebow is making his own numbers, improving as he goes along. For now, the most entertaining words that any football fan can hear on any given Sunday go something like this: "It's the fourth quarter. The Broncos are down. But Tebow's got the ball." Tune in. Something amazing is going to happen. V.20 No.47 | 11/24/2011 Hangover Sports Roundup UFC 139, Cowboys vs. Redskins By Justin Goodrum [ Mon Nov 21 2011 1:43 PM ] When the Ultimate Fighting Championship finally got its television deal with FOX, UFC put all its effort into making the Heavyweight championship a major event. So when UFC 139 aired a week later, most of the fighters on the card fell under the radar. Despite the lack of hype and promotion, the fighters delivered some awesome bouts for those who ordered the pay-per-view event. Dan Henderson vs. Shogun Rua was expected to end in a knockout, but instead it resulted in one of the greatest fights in MMA history. Henderson almost finished Rua several times with his signature right hand but Rua managed to survive. Shogun was bloodied and exhausted but had his moments over the former Strikeforce champion. When both men came out for the fifth round, Rua controlled Henderson with dominant positions and ground-and-pound. So when the judges rendered their verdict, most thought the epic war would result in a draw. Instead, they awarded Dan Henderson the victory and, he’s now earned a title-shot against either the Middleweight or Light Heavyweight champion. Shogun is looking for a rematch and may fight on UFC's Japan show in February. Regardless of the future, both men put on a performance that will be remembered forever in the MMA history books. The Dallas Cowboys have looked like a roller coaster ride more than a Super Bowl contender this season. But with Tony Romo regaining his confidence, “America's Team” might have their swagger back. Whenever the Redskins and Cowboys face off, records usually go out the window and the rivalry takes over. Washington had their chances to spring the upset, but when the game went to OT, a missed field goal by Graham Gano gave Dallas new life. Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey hit a 39-yard field goal and gave Dallas the 27-24 victory. With the Giants and Eagles appearing mediocre every week, the Cowboys are poised to make a run towards a division title. V.20 No.44 | 11/3/2011 Diaz retires Penn, Ravens escape Cardinals, Steelers hold off Patriots By Justin Goodrum [ Mon Oct 31 2011 2:08 PM ] Despite the UFC 137 main event changes, BJ Penn and Nick Diaz delivered an exciting bout featuring a back and forth, crowd-pleasing battle. In the first round, Penn was very aggressive by getting the better of the striking and momentarily taking Diaz' back. But in the second and third rounds Diaz' conditioning enabled him to give Penn the worst beating of his career. Diaz demonstrated pinpoint accuracy by nailing Penn with lethal combinations to the head and body. Despite Penn bleeding for the first time in his career, he still showed fighting spirit by not allowing the former Strikeforce champion to finish him. But getting beat up by Diaz forced BJ Penn to unexpectedly retire from the sport. No one knows for certain if Penn has truly retired, but if he has, Penn doesn't have anything to be ashamed about. Meanwhile Diaz’ performance was enough to convince UFC President Dana White to grant him a title shot against George St. Pierre. While GSP vs. Diaz will be a money maker for the UFC, Albuquerque fighter Carlos Condit lost his title shot and will be forced to climb the ladder again to regain his spot. It wasn't all bad news for Albuquerque fighters as Lightweight contender Donald Cerrone destroyed Dennis Siver on the Spike TV prelims. Cerrone has gone 4-0 this year and can make a case to fight for the title. But his main goal is to stay active and now is rumored to face Nate Diaz at UFC 141. Last Monday night, the Baltimore Ravens went through a nightmare when they got embarrassed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. So when the Ravens welcomed the Arizona Cardinals, many thought Joe Flacco and Ray Lewis would take out their anger on one of the worst teams in the league. Instead, the Cardinals humbled the Ravens defense by taking a 24-6 lead into halftime. But Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin’s seven receptions for 145 yards and running back Ray Rice’s three touchdowns helped fuel a 21-point comeback. The Cardinals tied up the game in the fourth quarter but Flacco’s pass to rookie Torrey Smith set up a Ravens game winning field goal. Steelers vs. Pats It's rare to see the New England Patriots get bullied by any team in the NFL. Often Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick push around and frustrate their rivals. But when New England traveled to Pittsburgh, the Steelers turned the tables and dominated the Patriots defense. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made Belichick’s defense look amateur by going 36-50 in the air with two touchdowns. Despite having long offensive drives, New England was unable to finish off their longtime AFC foe. Brady threw a red zone touchdown late in the fourth quarter to cut the lad to six. But a botched onside kick and a safety sealed Pittsburgh's 25-17 victory. With Roethlisberger finally finding his rhythm, the Steelers have recovered from their opening day disaster against the Ravens and look primed for a deep playoff run. V.20 No.40 | 10/6/2011 Hangover Sports Roundup Aggies beatdown Lobos, Brewers take 2-0 lead, Ravens swarm Jets By Michael Sanchez [ Mon Oct 3 2011 1:22 PM ] To say it’s been a difficult season for UNM is a massive understatement. With former coach Mike Locksley getting axed and battling another controversy, dealing with rival New Mexico state looked impossible, to say the least. To UNM's credit, 30,091 fans showed up to support interim coach George Barlow’s chance to salvage the rest of the season. The new-felt optimism quickly disappeared as New Mexico State quarterback Matt Christian dominated the Lobo defense with three passing touchdowns in the first half. When the second half started the Lobo offense showed some signs of life, scoring 21 points. But the defense was unable to stop NMSU as the Lobos suffered its third loss in a row to the Aggies. Despite the lopsided 42-28 loss, the Lobos showed some positive signs, with quarterback B.R Holbrook making decent decisions and moving the ball. There's not a lot of positive signs to take away from an 0-5 start to the season, but the Lobos need to focus on the fundamental basics in order salvage something out of the disaster. The Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks engaged in a slug fest during game two of the National League Divisional Series. The teams combined for 22 hits, in a game marked by shifting momentum. During the fifth inning, Arizona seemed set for a comeback victory with Justin Upton tying the game with a two-run homer. But in the sixth, a Jonathan Lucroy bunt and Nyjer Morgan's two run single contributed to the Brewers scoring five runs in that frame. With the 9-4 victory the Brewers take a commanding lead in the series as they head to Arizona on Tuesday. Milwaukee is not exactly used to success of this kind, as the 2-0 series lead is the first in franchise history. If the Brewers can pull of its first sweep in its history, it might give them the momentum needed to move toward a World Series victory. When Rex Ryan was coaching the Ravens, Baltimore was the most dangerous defense in the NFL. Ryan continued improving the defensive side of the ball with the New York Jets, but on Sunday the Jets got a rude awakening. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez looked like he was in a horror movie, suffering multiple hits and giving up three defensive touchdowns. The Ravens defense caused so much havoc, it covered up Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco’s mediocre 10-31 throwing performance. With the 34-17 loss, the Jets are now on a two-game losing streak and have a date with their heated rival the New England Patriots. The Ravens proved they're one of the top teams in the AFC, while the Jets looked terrible and should set the stage for another memorable Rex Ryan tirade. V.20 No.36 | 9/8/2011 Michael Vick signs new contract Point of Touré's ESPN piece mainly missed By Michael Sanchez [ Thu Sep 1 2011 2:41 PM ] When word broke that the Philadelphia Eagles were going to make Michael Vick a hundred million dollar man again, commenters on the Internet immediately dug into their trenches and started lobbing grenades at the other side. After all, this is Vick we're talking about. If the hype on either side is to be believed, he's either a vicious, unrepentant dog killer who deserves nothing, or he's one of the greatest quarterbacks of the modern era. All this controversy came on top of an earlier explosion, this one being totally out of Vick's control. On Thursday of last week, ESPN ran a piece that will appear in the September 5th issue of ESPN the Magazine titled "What if Michael Vick were white?". The author of that piece, Touré, says that he asked ESPN not to title it as such, but obviously that request went unfulfilled. Touré's article was actually a nuanced piece on how asking such a question is, in the world we live in, impossible. However, the title was what a vast majority of people saw. Those who did not see the title nor read the piece, though, had plenty to take away. Accompanying the piece, ESPN commissioned a photo illustration, literally depicting the titular question. All subtlety and nuance from a gifted writer went out the window. Instead what we were left with was very reminiscent of the political landscape of today. The aforementioned trenches were dug, opinions were honed to an even finer point, and pithy, five- to ten-second commentary abounded. No one's mind was changed by Touré's article, nor by the comments that followed as it was reposted on site after site. Those who thought we live in a post-racism world before reading the article still do. They hold up the article as an example of minorities harping on a problem that no longer exists. Those who were sympathetic to possibilities of racism in the world finished the piece by shaking their heads, finding yet another textbook case of proving their viewpoint right. It's difficult (nigh impossible) to honestly discuss these sorts of issues nowadays. If you want to talk sports, you've got to be able to get on TV and give a thirty-second opinion. If you're not screaming, you've got to be issuing some sort of fierce rebuttal to the person who screamed before you. If you want to discuss things at length, you're an academic: out of touch with the world and only interested in perpetuating ideas, refusing to deal in reality. There are serious questions that are raised by the Touré piece, including but not limited to: race and racism, black style and black lifestyle, the ever-changing morals of bringing up children in America—regardless of race— but keeping in mind how that race (something no person has a choice on) affects that upbringing. There are questions on the American judicial system and the penalties that any person should have to pay for any crime, whether it's against human, animal or another form of life. There are questions on how worthy any thought experiment really is. But, at the end of the day, instead of those questions being discussed, most people saw the picture, read the headline, and started screaming. V.20 No.29 | NFL lockout is officially over Despite grumbles, agreement is reached By Michael Sanchez [ Wed Jul 27 2011 1:37 PM ] On Monday morning, the good news started pouring in for fans of American football. The lockout which had threatened the country's (true, modern) pastime finally ended. The focus now turns to the actual start of the season, currently slated for September 8. When the new NFL season begins, there will be a couple important differences, but most of them will be invisible. When it comes to the changes that both sides were pushing for, there was compromise instead of hard manifestation—at least to this point. The schedule will remain a 16-game affair —for now. Owners will be getting more money than they were previously. Practices will change, and there is already grumbling from those who are attached to the old schedule. These differences, however, are inevitable when two sides are fighting for every inch. All told, in the process of negotiation, the NFL was officially locked out for more than 4 months, the longest lockout in NFL history. However, the good news is that no official games were lost to the labor dispute, save an exhibition game which had been scheduled for August 7. A great summary of the winners and losers of the draft has been written up at espn.com. In regards to that article, though, I'd defy anyone to go out and talk to a football fan. There is a reason that this was the top story on ESPN for the last three days, and why it continues to get mentioned on CNN. In times like these, when people are looking toward August 2 as a potential for the United States government defaulting on its debt, Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, took the time to point out that if football can get a deal done, certainly the bureaucrats in Washington should be able to follow suit; especially when the matter is of such increased gravity. For those who prefer their sports without politics, there's a handy comparison, too: The NFL lockout being resolved in a timely fashion gives hope to the fans of the NBA, which is still engaged in a lockout of its own. At the end of the day, though, despite lists of winners and losers and total amount of time lost to this lockout, the easiest proof is in the pudding. Next time you're out and about, ask a sports fan—whether it's at a bar, at work, or even just at a stoplight—"Hey, how do you feel that the NFL lockout is over?" Chances are, they'll gripe a bit. They'll mention how it was millionaires fighting with billionaires. And they'll say how ridiculous it was to have to slog through the news. But, at the end of that conversation, most people, as Americans who love football above all others, will smile and say, "Hey, I'm just glad it's back." V.20 No.28 | The Daily Word with Migraines, Mullah Omar and Manatees By Tom Nayder [ Wed Jul 20 2011 10:47 AM ] Taliban leader Mullah Omar may be dead. House Republicans pass a crazy Tea Party debt plan. Albuquerque judge arrested and charged with rape. Former Santa Fe county sheriff faces 250 counts of embezzlement. Check out this fake Chinese Apple Store. Photos from a ghost town in Cyprus, untouched by humans for almost 40 years. McDonald's will open a 10,000 square foot, double-decker restaurant in London, for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Your crazy wife will love these crazy milk ads. Game of Thrones adds two new cast members. 75 ex-football players sue the NFL for concealing brain injury risks. The Hubble Space Telescope discovers a new moon around Pluto. South Park will continue for at least two more seasons. Loch Ness-type cryptid sighted in Alaska. Here's the new Spike Jonze directed Beastie Boys video! V.20 No.24 | The Summer of Our Discontent In the bleakest of sports times, there may still be reason to cheer By Michael Sanchez [ Wed Jun 22 2011 5:09 PM ] This is the worst time to be a sports fan. Late June to early August has always been a tough time. There are years when we have the Summer Olympics to get us by. There's a brief respite for the Tour de France, although it's lost some of its luster recently. And yes, I am excited about both the upcoming Women's World Cup as well as the 15th WNBA Season. But there's no denying these are dark times. The NBA, NFL and NHL are all done with their seasons. MLB, for those who care, hasn't really picked up any steam yet by this point in the season. But most importantly, for now, the two behemoths of American sports, basketball and football, seem to be on a collision course with no righting in sight. The NFL is already locked out and the NBA appears to be heading in that direction. As though sports fans weren't already mired in what is traditionally the worst time of the year, that slog is now compounded by the fact that it might stretch on even longer. There's already been extensive coverage of why this is happening in both of these leagues, so for now, let's focus on the positive: There are reports that the NFL sides might be close to reconciliation. The NBA can learn from this NFL experience and perhaps avoid actually locking out. But even more importantly, we can shift our focus from those leagues to the alternatives. The aforementioned Women's World Cup features not just a strong U.S. team, but a hungry one. The Tour de France, free from those Americans that some claim the French love to hate, might have a chance to stand on its own, as opposed to being hounded by the WADA for violations; focusing on the actual sport and its real winner could prove to be a successful formula. And the WNBA is becoming a refined product on its own, not merely the little-sister-league of the NBA. The WNBA is trying to make summer–the ironic winter of sports–its time to shine: By celebrating 15 years of existence, the league gets to simultaneously advertise its product as well as remind viewers that this league is no longer an experiment. Love it or hate it, the WNBA appears to be here to stay. The human aspect of sports is really what captivates people, and the inclusion of fan voting on the top 30 WNBA players of all time seems a great place to start. Bicycling Magazine says that of the 200-plus riders who will take place in this year's Tour de France, Chris Horner and Levi Leipheimer, two Americans, are some of the most worthy riders to watch. Perhaps America will once again have riders come from seemingly out of nowhere to challenge for the yellow jersey, enabling us to focus on the sport and the will of those who participate. The Women's World Cup, taking place in Germany, presents a similar opportunity for the American women to take on the shadow that's been hanging over their program–in this case, for the last twelve years. In 1999, Brandi Chastain sealed a victory for America with her iconic penalty kick and celebration, but Team USA has been mired in mediocrity since then. The U.S. is ranked first in the world currently but needs to perform in order to maintain the enthusiasm that is beginning to dwindle. So while the millionaires of the NBA and NFL fight with their billionaire owners, take some time in this traditionally dark period to try to get back to the great storylines that make us truly care about sports. Monthly Meeting of the Mind (& Brain) at Church of the Good Shepherd, UCC Darynda Jones at Jean Cocteau CinemaMore Recommended Events ››

There is more than just cornfields in Ohio. The Ohio Paranormal Convention will feature guests from all walks of the paranormal including UFO and Cryptid Research. Our guests include Keith Age, Steven LaChance, Bill Bean, John Kachuba, and many more. Please visit our website at http://ohiocon.south...oparanormal.org for more information and tickets! Additional Information Weekend passes for the event are $50 and Daily Passes are $20 per day. Purchase your tickets online and get them early. Ohio Paranormal Convention, 14-16 Aug No replies to this topic Posted 26 June 2009 - 04:23 AM Who owns the land? Only the land knows. We mortals are passersby, and our lives are but a brief moment in the great span of time and space. We are born, we live out our lives, and most of us do the best we can with it, but the wind is forever, and the rivers flow forever to the sea, and all the seasons of the weathers will come and go after we are gone. But the Earth endures, the Earth is eternal" - Earl Hamner 0 user(s) are reading this topic 0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

The Stranger Among Us: In Search of Sasquatch by Kelly Milner Halls Twelve-year-old Montra Freitas was bored. Her parents had taken her to a remote camping site deep in the California woods, and there were no kids around. At loose ends, she strolled a down a narrow trail to play around the nearby creek. Looking behind her, she felt the hair actually stand up on the back of her neck. Something was there, partly hidden by a large tree trunk. "I could make out long fingers and very dark brown hair covering the entire arm. I thought. That's not a branch and it's not a bear paw, but it sure looks like an arm with a hand." She had pondered the thought for only a moment when a face peeked out from the other side of the large tree. "It was a very flat face, very dark brown. I couldn't make out any features, except for the eyes," she said, "and they were looking right at me." Fear bolted up her spine. She had never heard of Sasquatch. She knew only that she was alone in the woods, a full city block from the safety of her campsite, looking at something completely unknown. Without another thought, Fietas ran. Montra had just had experienced a rare sighting of the elusive Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot. Now a young woman, she still has dreams of that moment, even though she is believes that the Sasquatch was only curious. The Sasquatch, "cousin" of the Yeti and Alma, the "abominable snowmen" of Asia, has been seen in every state of the U.S. except Hawaii and all but one Canadian province. His history goes back hundreds of years before European settlers in his many names in Native American languages, stone carvings, totem poles figures, rock carvings, basketry and pottery designs, and his appearances to white settlers live on in our folktales of "The Hairy Man." Sasquatch is a genuine "cryptid," an unverified animal for which there is some physical evidence--in this case, castings of footprints which scientists type as those of a prehominid ape unlike those of humans, and in one intriguing minute of film taken in the California wilderness in 1967. Other cryptids, such as the Kraken, or giant squid, only existed in legends going back to the ancient Mediterranean and in medieval woodblock prints until recent photos made in Japanese waters proved its existence. Bigfoot hunters point to physical evidence such as "upbreaks" (single branches partially broken by an strong upward force as if to mark a trail) or ground-level dens clearly constructed of sticks and leaves big enough to be a temporary shelter for a seven-foot beast. Anthropologists agree that prehominids once existed and fossils have been found around the world which prove their existence. But where are those Sasquatch fossils? Kelly Milnar Hall's forthcoming In Search of Sasquatch: An Exercise in Zoological Evidence (Houghton Mifflin, 2011) takes another shot at the Bigfoot mystery, one which has intrigued, frustrated, and entertained Americans for over half a century. Hall succinctly summarizes the history of the Sasquatch phenomenon in a chapter augmented by a map showing the number of sightings around North America, photos of apelike stone heads made by pre-Columbian Indians, baskets with designs of giant apelike figures woven in the Southwest, and a table showing tribes, from Cherokee to Zuni.the tribal name for the Bigfoot creature, and its English translation. She then recounts the stories of early and recent Bigfoot hunters, with photos of the castings taken of footprints over the years from huge adults to smaller juveniles, all amazingly similar. Hall deftly summarizes the evidence for and against the existence of the "real" Sasquatch, but insists that despite the lack of incontrovertible documentation, many scientists still believe that there is something out there. Backmatter for In Search of Sasquatch: An Exercise in Zoological Evidence includes recent books and videos, a variety of websites, a bibliography and sources, glossary, and index.

Monday, September 28, 2009 Sunday, September 27, 2009 Saturday, September 26, 2009 Photo of Benjamin Radford Discovery.com has a slideshow provided by Benjamin Radford, managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer magazine. The slideshow is the top 10 reasons Bigfoot is bogus. Below I have paraphrased the top ten reasons below. You can see the the slideshow here and read in detail each of top ten reasons Benjamin Radford believes Bigfoot is bogus. 1.) The Empty Fossil Record. 2.) Forget Fossils, Where Are the Bodies? 3.) The breeding population would be tens of thousands. 4.) Most “evidence” are circumstantial eyewitness reports. 5.) Most photos are ambiguous, and even more recognizable ones can be faked. 6.) There no rigorous, documented, peer-reviewed evidence for Bigfoot. 7.) Bird researchers, rigorous observers and exhaustive note takers, have never spotted Bigfoot. 8.) Since the Panda 100 years ago, most new species discovered are microorganisms and insects. 9.) Virtually all the evidence either comes down to being inconclusive or a hoax. 10.) Without a body there is no standard to compare evidence to. While the Bigfoot Lunch Club would not go as far as saying Bigfoot is bogus, we agree these are all valid challenges we Bigfooters face. It is important that we recognize and embrace these challenges. As steel sharpens steel, we appreciate opposition. Thank you Mr. Radford for keeping us on our toes, while we try to keep on the heels of Bigfoot. Friday, September 25, 2009 In a breaking news report from Cryptomundo, news of a Orang Pendek Sighting. Orang Pendek (Indonesian for "short person") is the most common name given to a cryptid, or unconfirmed animal, that reportedly inhabits remote, mountainous forests on the island of Sumatra. The animal has allegedly been seen and documented for at least one hundred years by forest tribes, local villagers, Dutch colonists, and Western scientists and travelers. Consensus among witnesses is that the animal is a ground-dwelling, bipedal primate that is covered in short fur and stands between 80 centimetres (31 in) and 150 centimetres (59 in) tall. There seems to be quite a buzz in Sumatra right now. First a quote from Cryptomundo. I’m on my way to Tyler…but I just received this…so I’ll post it quickly: “Yeti sighted in Jungle !!!! Two team members have sighted the Yeti while we were in the jungle. I heard a large animal moving towards us. Subsequently the creature was then sighted by team member Dave Archer and Sahar Didmus, a forest ranger. I have a sworn affadavit from Sahar to that effect. It hid from us by a tree, before moving rapidly and bipedally through the jungle. Dave describes the OP [Orang Pendek] as looking almost chimpanzee-like. Sahar was so upset and disturbed he began sobbing, and I had to comfort him. We have taken hair samples found at the site, and bagged some rattan which it was eating. We will have these analysed by Todd Disotell. Numerous tracks also found……………!!!!!!!!” ~ Adam Davies (enroute out of Indonesia via Singapore) And then the guys at Centre for Fortean Zoology started a trip to Sumatra and have some exciting news that will posted on their website tomorrow! AN unknown species of Indonesian ape could shed light on how our human ancestors began to walk erect. The orang-pendek of Sumatra is said to be a powerfully built ape that walks on two legs like a man. Both native people and western explorers, including two noted scientists, have reported the creature from the deep jungle. This week four English scientists and explorers will brave the rainforest in search of the orang-pendek. The team from the Woolsery-based Centre for Fortean Zoology, will spend two weeks in Sumatra working with the Kubu people, the island's original inhabitants, who will help them track the mysterious ape. The expedition comes shortly after the announcement of the discovery of a fossil hominid in Georgia. The Dmansis hominids lived 1.8 million years ago and had legs like modern humans, but primitive arms. Their early occurrence has made scientists rethink how hominids moved out of Africa to colonise the rest of the world. Richard Freeman, the team's zoologist, said: "It was once thought that our ancestors became bipedal when they descended from the trees and moved onto the grass lands of East Africa in order to exploit new food sources. However, now it seems that many apes and hominids were moving 'bipedally' while they were still rainforest dwellers. "As well as being a major zoological discovery, the orang-pendek could give us some clues on how bipedalism developed." The group's trip will be recorded on the Centre for Fortean Zoology's website at Below is our listing of the Orang Pendek on the AKA Bigfoot World Map. View AKA Bigfoot World Map in a larger map Sunday, September 20, 2009 If the video doesn't show above click here. I know its not Bigfoot but this creature is truly bizarre. Loren Coleman on cryptomundo calls it the Blue Hill Horror. He's responsible for many great names by the way. Montauk Monster, Georgian Gorilla (the big 2008 hoax) and now the Blue Hill Horror. Below is a translation of Panamanian website telemetro.com The discovery of a strange creature in Cerro Azul has aroused controversy among the people, for while some say it may be a being from another planet, others simply believe that is an animal. Four teenagers aged between 14 and 16 years, met him at the Jet Blue Hill, on Saturday, while having fun in the place. According to one of them told the program code 4, they suddenly saw the creature emerging from a cave located behind the water jet. At her appearance and it began to climb over the rocks to one of them panicked and began to thrash him and throw sticks, getting killed, after which they threw into the water and ran. Saturday, September 19, 2009 New addition to the AKA Bigfoot World Map Also known as Kung-Lu,Tokand Bear-Men. Allegedly,a Asian type of giant hairy hominid that inhabits central China. According to reports the Gin-Sung has a long and shaggy black to dark gray coat, a flat head, beetling brow with a sort of upcurled bang on it, long powerful arms and huge hands, and very human-like feet that leave imprints like those of a giant man but with two subdigital pads under the first toe just like the Sasquatch The Sherpas of Tibet call this creature This is the beast that Bernard Heuvelmans (famous cryptozoologist) suggested might be a descendant of, related to, or even actually a Gigantopithecus the largest primate that ever walked the Earth which went extinct 500,000 years ago. View AKA Bigfoot World Map in a larger map Thursday, September 17, 2009 In a recent article, Scientific American reveals how primates are uniquely evolved to see in three colors, known as trichromacy. Unique not only among mammals, but unique among the entire animal kingdom. To find out why read the excerpt below. It seems, genetically, it is not such a feat to see in blues and greens (Dichromatic view), but seeing the additional red hues (Trichromatic view) requires a mutation of a gene nowhere near the other two genes. You can read the full Scientific American article here To our eyes, the world is arrayed in a seemingly infinite splendor of hues, from the sunny orange of a marigold flower to the gunmetal gray of an automobile chassis, from the buoyant blue of a midwinter sky to the sparkling green of an emerald. It is remarkable, then, that for most human beings any color can be reproduced by mixing together just three fixed wavelengths of light at certain intensities. This property of human vision, called trichromacy, arises because the retina the layer of nerve cells in the eye that captures light and transmits visual information to the brain uses only three types of light-absorbing pigments for color vision. One consequence of trichromacy is that computer and television displays can mix red, green and blue pixels to generate what we perceive as a full spectrum of color. Although trichromacy is common among primates, it is not universal in the animal kingdom. Almost all nonprimate mammals are dichromats, with color vision based on just two kinds of visual pigments. A few nocturnal mammals have only one pigment. Some birds, fish and reptiles have four visual pigments and can detect ultraviolet light invisible to humans. It seems, then, that primate trichromacy is unusual. How did it evolve? Building on decades of study, recent investigations into the genetics, molecular biology and neurophysiology of primate color vision have yielded some unexpected answers as well as surprising findings about the flexibility of the primate brain. Almost all nonprimate mammals are dichromats, with color vision based on just two kinds of visual pigments. A few nocturnal mammals have only one pigment. It seems, then, that primate trichromacy is unusual. The short-wavelength (S) pigment absorbs light maximally at wavelengths of about 430 nanometers (a nanometer is one billionth of a meter), the medium-wavelength (M) pigment maximally absorbs light at approximately 530 nanometers, and the long-wavelength (L) pigment absorbs light maximally at 560 nanometers. Although the absorption spectra of the cone pigments have long been known, it was not until the 1980s that one of us (Nathans) identified the genes for the human pigments and, from the DNA sequences of those genes, determined the sequence of amino acids that constitutes each pigment protein. The gene sequences revealed that the M and L pigments are almost identical. The S-pigment gene, in contrast, is located on chromosome 7, and its sequence shows that the encoded S pigment is related only distantly to the M and L pigments. Almost all vertebrates have genes with sequences that are very similar to that of the human S pigment, implying that some version of a shorter-wavelength pigment is an ancient element of color vision. Most nonprimate mammals have only one longer-wavelength pigment, which is similar to the longer-wavelength primate pigments. The gene for the longer-wavelength mammalian pigment is also located on the X chromosome. Those features raised the possibility, then, that the two longer-wavelength primate pigment genes first arose in the early primate lineage in this way: a longer-wavelength mammalian pigment gene was duplicated on a single X chromosome, after which mutations in either or both copies of the X-linked ancestral gene produced two quite similar pigments with different ranges of spectral sensitivity the M and L pigments. Sunday, September 13, 2009 PORTLAND, Ore. -- For decades we've trekked the depths of our world's forests following sightings and reports of a giant beast; part ape, part human. Gordon Noble greets us with excitement. "I found bigfoot right here on Ross Island!" exclaims Noble. Noble, a kayaker to the island has befriended the giant figure. Crouching down, Noble inches in and gently greets the beast. Bigfoot appears to be molting. Really soft," says Noble. If you want to waste your time with this "cute" news story and video click here The worst part of this story is they actually interview Michael McLeod, author of Anatomy of a Beast. You all know how we feel about him. PORTLAND, Ore. -- For decades we've trekked the depths of our world's forests following sightings and reports of a giant beast; part ape, part human. Now the trek ends here. Marcus Amorosa is our captain. We've received word that bigfoot is close, the northwest point of Ross Island. Motoring North from Willamette Park, we see him. In the distance emerging from the woods. Oh, that's not it. The trek continues. A short distance forward a man sits on the beach. Behind him, does he realize? Does he see? Gordon Noble greets us with excitement. "I found bigfoot right here on Ross Island!" exclaims Noble. Noble, a kayaker to the island has befriended the giant figure. He's agreed to guide us closer. "I think he's getting used to humans now I really do. He's getting comfortable," says Noble. Crouching down, Noble inches in and gently greets the beast. "How you doing? You alright today? A little windy?" Without fear, Noble reaches out a hand. Bigfoot appears to be molting. His head is bare, but his torso is a soft fur or faux fur. "Oh his fur is really soft. Really soft," says Noble. An encounter of this kind has never been filmed. Author to "Anatomy Of A Beast", bigfoot expert Michael McLeod has interviewed many who've come close. "They see something that hints at it. A tree stump or a bush. It's kind of spooky and so they just go with it," says McLeod. Though he seems fearless, his eyes fixed on all who approach, we back away. We leave sasquatch to the island. Will he be seen again? Will passing jet boats and kayakers notice? We will remember today September 10, 2009 -- bigfoot found in Portland, Oregon. Tuesday, September 8, 2009 The world is still full of mysteries and secrets. Some of those mysteries are undiscovered, unclassified, and unknown creatures that inhabit our backyards. Sometimes, by chance, we find these secrets of nature. This time it was the woolly rat, next time it may be Bigfoot. Below is an exerpt from a story in the guardian.co.uk A lost world populated by fanged frogs, grunting fish and tiny bear-like creatures has been discovered in a remote volcanic crater on the Pacific island of Papua New Guinea. A team of scientists from Britain, the United States and Papua New Guinea found more than 40 previously unidentified species when they climbed into the kilometre-deep crater of Mount Bosavi and explored a pristine jungle habitat teeming with life that has evolved in isolation since the volcano last erupted 200,000 years ago. In a remarkably rich haul from just five weeks of exploration, the biologists discovered 16 frogs which have never before been recorded by science, at least three new fish, a new bat and a giant rat, which may turn out to be the biggest in the world. The discoveries are being seen as fresh evidence of the richness of the world's rainforests and the explorers hope their finds will add weight to calls for international action to prevent the demise of similar ecosystems. They said Papua New Guinea's rainforest is currently being destroyed at the rate of 3.5% a year. "It was mind-blowing to be there and it is clearly time we pulled our finger out and decided these habitats are worth us saving," said Dr George McGavin who headed the expedition. The team of biologists included experts from Oxford University, the London Zoo and the Smithsonian Institution and are believed to be the first scientists to enter the mountainous Bosavi crater. They were joined by members of the BBC Natural History Unit which filmed the expedition for a three-part documentary which starts tomorrow night. They found the three-kilometre wide crater populated by spectacular birds of paradise and in the absence of big cats and monkeys, which are found in the remote jungles of the Amazon and Sumatra, the main predators are giant monitor lizards while kangaroos have evolved to live in trees. New species include a camouflaged gecko, a fanged frog and a fish called the Henamo grunter, named because it makes grunting noises from its swim bladder. "These discoveries are really significant," said Steve Backshall, a climber and naturalist who became so friendly with the never-before seen Bosavi silky cuscus, a marsupial that lives up trees and feeds on fruits and leaves, that it sat on his shoulder. "The world is getting an awful lot smaller and it is getting very hard to find places that are so far off the beaten track." Friday, September 4, 2009 We have tons of readers asking us about the Mexican or Latino Bigfoot. they are refering to El Chupacabra. The legend first emerged in March 1995, when eight sheep were found dead and drained of blood at a farm in Puerto Rico. All the victims – and hundreds of other farm animals and pets killed in similar circumstances on the territory in subsequent months – had three puncture wounds in their chests, which investigators struggled to explain. Locals nicknamed the unknown attacker "el chupacabra", the goat sucker, and while the beast was never captured rumours of its terrifying physical appearance began to swirl. As you can see from the photos above and the illustration below, el chupacabra looks nothing like Bigfoot. Although a famous cryptid we would never claim it to being related to bigfoot by any way. Comparisons are only warranted due to elusiveness. If, however, you do want to see other Bigfoot related species check them out at the now famous AKA Bigfoot World Map If you want to read about the taxidermist that recently caught a Chupacabra there are two links below. Thursday, September 3, 2009 Its always interesting to see search trends for Bigfoot. before in the past we have introduced you to the comparisons of search terms such as Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti. This last month we have noted a declining trend of the search for Bigfoot. The biggest spike we had seen was actually August of last year when the Georgia Hoax erupted. As seen on the graph below. Tuesday, September 1, 2009 Apparently the Native American legends characterizing Bigfoot with a fondness for the ladies has just been reinforced. A TERRIFIED teen claims a YETI spied on her as she took a dip in her bikini in a remote stream. Justyna Folger, 19, noticed the hulking ape-like beast in Poland's Tatra mountains, where there has been a spate of Bigfoot sightings in the past week. Something exciting happened in Poland a few days ago. Piotr Kowalski was walking in the Tatra Mountains located in Poland, when he noticed a mountain goat. He quickly reached for his camera and started to video tape the animal when he noticed something else walking about on the mountain. “I saw this huge ape-like form hiding behind the rocks. When I saw it, it was like being struck by a thunderbolt,” Kowalski said. Kowalski did hand the film over to the Nautilus Foundation, a group that works with unexplained phenomena. Robert Bernatowicz the President of the Foundations said “The film clearly shows “something” that moves on two legs and it is bigger than a normal man.” Yeti reports have been in Poland for centuries, now experts are on their way to Poland and expeditions are being set up to see if any types of tracks were left at the sight.

ANIME-Y HIGHSCHOOL STUPID OTAKU ADVENTURE ACTION EXPLOSIONS YAY3.87 / 5.00 5,838 Views The most mixed MMA-simulator ever!3.75 / 5.00 10,443 Views Fighting Puzzle! Defeat the enemy using your brain!3.66 / 5.00 20,201 Views My dad made a new blog entry which is focusing on the topic of the Patterson Film - Y'know.. The famous Big Foot video that was captures in the 60's. He makes a few interesting points, just thought I'd let you guys know... We've discussed it a few times in this club and I figure he wouldn't mind hearing some opinions on the subject if you guys have an interest in it all. I still don't know what to think of the video or existence of the Big Foot personally - So I'm staying out of it. PSN ID: REDSiN66 I'm not entirely sure if this counts, but I did hear every once in awhile that Slenderman was a Cryptid or something like that. And if he really is, I will say that he and Bigfoot ran into eachother, Slenderman would make him look like a total wuss. " Finding originality on newgrounds is like reaching into a fishbowl and saying that you're fishing" -Natick Check out my Reddit, dudes. At 2/19/12 03:59 AM, Amaranthus wrote: I guess i'll just leave this here http://animal.discovery.com/tv/finding-bigfoot/map/. I watched all of the videos on the map and I have to say I wasn't impressed with any of them. I'm not saying that there is no chance that the yeti (or what ever you want to call it) exists but you have to admit that most of them seem like a guy in furry one piece PJs. The problem with these sorts of things is you'll always get the guys who just want to create a hoax and see if anybody will believe it. At 5/2/12 08:14 AM, Amaranthus wrote: I'm not even thinking that it's real. But i enjoy the illusion. I enjoy reading about the crop circles in the UK that turned out to be guys with planks. Sometimes you have to laugh at what some people can make others believe. I imagine they had a good laugh at the newspapers when they read them the next day. At 5/10/14 09:34 AM, Amaranthus wrote: Bump with a Loch Ness monster picture from this year. That's been debunked or whatever. It's a boat. That may not be the best source, but just look it up for yourself. I wish it was true though, the photo looks very convincing. Until fuckers do all this shit to disprove it. PSN ID: REDSiN66

Posted by: Loren Coleman on September 22nd, 2009 What could it be? The photograph by Bridget Horvath in August of 2007 is said to be of the Cameron Lake cryptid. John Kirk confers with Adam McGirr about what lies beneath the boat. Neil Horner photo. The British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club have returned from their weekend exploration of Cameron Lake in British Columbia. John Kirk was realistic about what they might discover, as he began the weekend. As he scanned the choppy lake surface with his binoculars, he reported that it was unlikely that a body of water as small as Cameron Lake could serve as a home to a creature that has been estimated by some to be as long as 12 feet or more, which he said the number of reports seems to indicate that people are seeing something real. “When it’s choppy like that, there’s no hope for surface observation,” he said. Regarding the photograph by area resident Bridget Horvath in August of 2007, John Kirk was subdued: It could be a number of things. A bunch of otters swimming in a line can look uncannily like Ogopogo. So can swimming beavers or muskrats. Another possibility is that it could be a sterile eel, which can get up to 12-feet long. It could also be a sturgeon, although there are no reports of sturgeon being caught in this lake. Horvath, who lives in Nanaimo, said she was driving along Highway 4 on July 30, 2007, when she saw a strange semi-circle in the lake. “You could see like a serpent shape,” said Horvath, who isn’t the only person to report something strange in Cameron Lake. “It wasn’t logs,” she said. “It wasn’t waves. There were no boats in the area. It was, like, right there. You could actually see a large fish, (an) object, no, not an object, something alive.” Or it could be what’s called “windrows,” Kirk wonders, instead of a monster like the local sea serpent Cadborosaurus. [A windrow] is basically a wake that’s created by the wind. You can even get the effect of whitecaps on the font, but it’s not an animal. It’s just the wind. The lake is very small. There are lots of fish in it, but I don’t know how an apex predator could survive here, unless it can make its way to the ocean through underground tunnels. As the expedition began for Adam McGirr, the club’s technology expert, he remarked that while he didn’t expect to see a cryptid, he was hoping the underwater camera and fish finder would assist in obtaining a visual image of whatever is down there: This will help us look at the bottom of the lake in certain areas. When it gets too deep, towards the middle, it will help us see the average size of the fish here. As well, there are reports of a couple of rocks submerged in the water that could be mistaken for a creature when the wind whips up, making it look like water spraying over the back of something, so we would like to take a look at that, too. Someone staying at the Cameron Lake Resort saw a really big object on their fish finder, so we might end up getting a signature of something really big, too. There’s a rumour of there’s a plane that went down in the lake some 15 or 20 years ago, down there, so we’ll see if it shows up on the fish finder as something long and potentially monster-like. The team also included Horvath and fellow club member Sebastian Wang. The weekend was not without its curses. The first boat, supplied by the Oceanside Tourism Association, proved to be too big to launch from the beach and had to be driven back to Port Alberni and replaced with a smaller one. Then, on Saturday, they found it was blustery, bringing whitecaps to the lake and making surface observations of ripples or wakes virtually impossible. Neil Horner of Parksville Qualicum Beach News observed: Once the second boat got underway, the underwater camera search proved short-lived. Mere minutes after Kirk and McGirr lowered the camera over the side by its 50-foot cable, they found out the water was too dark to see anything much with it. Worse was to follow. As the boat made a turn to circle back to the beach to drop off one group of media and pick up another, Kirk, who was manipulating the cable, felt it jerk and pull, before going ominously slack. The cable had been sliced cleanly in two by the boat’s propeller, leaving the camera to sink to the lake bottom, some 70 feet below. Clearly disappointed with the setback, the team returned to the beach, where more trouble loomed. As the second group prepared to board, the boat swamped, forcing team members to bail frantically with whatever was at hand — from a hand pump to paddles. As the second media tour headed out into the whitecaps, McGirr was philosophical. I’m not too upset about the camera, although I’m a little disappointed. We had a good look around yesterday and we are not giving up yet. This mission was just the first exploration. It’s like fishing. If you dangle a line for just five minutes, you aren’t likely to catch anything. Patience is a virtue. Then some success near Angel Rock. Something just went ‘ping’ on the alarm on the fish finder and we saw this absolutely massive object in the midst of various fish. Just off Angel Rock we encountered a very large hit on the fish finder. It was far larger than any fish we had encountered that day. To ensure that is was not a misreading or a school of fish moving through the area, we went over that area four times in 20 minutes and each time the object was in the vicinity each time we passed over. It appears to be organic, but that is all I can tell you. We found it very unusual for there to be something that big in the lake, so it has prompted us to start making plans to return to the lake next summer — if we get the kind of sponsorship we did this time. I am still not convinced there is a cryptid in the lake, but there is something very large. It could be an eel, a sturgeon, a large fish or even a semi-waterlogged tree trunk, but it may also be a unknown animal and we are obliged to put this story to rest, one way or another. We were quite stunned that there was something that big in the lake and it was in about 60 feet of water, less than 30 yards from shore, it was quite amazing. Maybe it’s a sturgeon, maybe it’s a giant sterile eel….it could be a massive type of salamander. Or it could be something that we’re completely unaware of at this point. I’m not going to the extent to say there’s anything exotic down there, there’s just something big. Could it be Cadborosaurus? That cryptid was adopted as an unofficial tourism mascot in the Victoria area, and Kirk feels it is real because fishermen found one inside the belly of a sperm whale in 1937 and sent it to the Royal B.C. Museum for identification. “We’ve had what you might say in scientific terms is the type-specimen there,” said Kirk. “Most people describe this thing as an elongated serpent-like creature. It has a camel-like head. That description comes up over and over.” A former clerk of the B.C. legislature, Henry William Langley and provincial archivist Fred Kemp, issued a joint statement in 1922 saying they’d seen a sea creature off Chatham Island near Victoria. “These are not nut-case people. These are very serious people,” Kirk told reporter Neil Horner. In 1951, Langley died tragically when he was crushed to death under the wheels of a Nanaimo-bound train as it was pulling out of the Victoria station. But the wonder of Caddy lives on. Cadborosaurus’ range is not confined to the Victoria area, as sightings of a similar animal have come from the Gulf of Alaska to the Sea of Cortez in Mexico, says Kirk. In Oregon, the animal goes by the name Colossal Claude. In British Columbia, these cryptozoological encounters are beginning to show up in tourism brochures. “Like Moberly Lake up in the (northeast) area, the First Nations there got in touch with me and told me about the creature that they had been seeing with a horse’s head swimming around in the lake, and now they’ve given it a name,” John Kirk said. “They call it Moberly Dick.” Sources: BCSCC, Dirk Meissner/The Canadian Press, and Neil Horner/Parksville Qualicum Beach News. Please click on the button below (not the one up top) to take you to PayPal to send in your museum donation. If you wish to send in your donation via the mails, by way of an international money order or, for the USA, via a check (made out to “International Cryptozoology Museum”) or money order, please use this snail mail address: Loren Coleman, Director International Cryptozoology Museum PO Box 360 Portland, ME 04112 Thank you, and come visit the museum at 661 Congress Street, Portland, Maine 04101, beginning November 1, 2009!! This educational/scientific/natural history museum is not a 501(c)3. Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct). Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015. Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.

- Why British/American Catholic priests are the only thing standing between you and evil - How changes in geographic outlook have impacted the development of monsters - How the Irish brought Halloween to America (Short post) - Historical geography of vampires - New England pneumonia vampires - The oldest case of vampirism in American mythology - Quick cultural geography notes for Halloween movies - Werewolves - Fear of Animal Competition Chupacabra means "goat sucker." In the mid-1990s stories of a weird bipedal creature in Puerto Rico draining the blood of livestock started making news. The strange creature could best be described as a "grey alien" with a mohawk. Incidents of this creature's alleged attacks peaked near 2000 and have slowly lowered in amount since then. In the mid-2000s there was another peak of "chupacabras" attacks occurred in Texas and other parts of the American Southwest. These attacks were done by dog-like creatures. In fact, CNN acquired video of the southwestern chupacabra. The animal really does look like a dog. Now it turns out that the southwestern chupacabra is in fact a Canis animal. According to scientific studies done on the bodies of shot Southwestern chupacabras (if you want to prove a cryptid exists there is no better way then shooting it), these creatures are really coyotes with the mite called sarcoptes scabiei. These mites traditionally attack humans and domesticated dogs and only recently (biological time scale) jumped to coyotes. The mites' infection causes these coyotes to lose their hair and become so weak that they are forced to hunt domesticated animals. There is an oddity though. These coyotes look nothing like the Puerto Rican chupacabras. They also are known to leave full mouth bite marks unlike the vampire-like marks known in Puerto Rico. So why is the term used for both creatures? After doing side research the only conclusion I can reach is that Southwestern ranchers and media were unable to describe the creature and therefore looked for something equivalent. The American Southwest has a strong Mexican-based Hispanic cultural heritage so the media picked up on the Puerto Rican monster because Puerto Rico has a Hispanic-based culture. Basically, it was thought that Mexican and Puerto Rican cultures were close enough. So these two different types of creatures, one a coyote and one possibly made up, are combined into one legend.

Movie Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot (2011) download free Book Title: Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot| Directors: William Burke Genre: Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi Release Date: 2011 Runtime: 90 min Stars: Angie Bates,Albina Nahar,Michael Slade IMDb Rating: 5.5 Full movie description "Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot":Sex comedy about a group of people who are sexually adventurous and decide to spend their summer in a resort by the lake. But soon they realize they are not alone-an infamous cryptid with big feet (and that is not the only big part of his anatomy) makes his presence known. Reviews of the Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of BigfootEver wanted to see a softporn/sexcomedy featuring the legendary cryptid Bigfoot(also known as Sasquatch)? Look no further because this film contains this and so much more! This is very silly, softporn feature, with incredible stupid storyline. It is about this girl and her friend who decides to travel to summer resort owned by a hippie, where Bigfoot has been sighted. But will they be able to capture Bigfoot on film? And are they the only ones looking for Bigfoot? And will they be able to get laid? This is a surprisingly well directed soft porn film, with few pacing problems, some pretty lowbrow comedy skits that sometimes work. And of course features lots of nudity and fake sex scenes. If there are an uncut hardcore version out there, I have not been able to see it. The casting is pretty good, but remember this being a softporn film with lowbrow comedy, and with a very silly intrigue, future viewers shouldn't look for Oscar winning performances and instead just enjoy the naked bodies. And with 4 lovely girls like Albina Hussain, Angie Bates, Lynzey Patterson, Heather O'Donnell spending majority of the film naked, one shouldn't complain. Director William Burke seems to have picked girls with fairly natural bodies, without many cosmetic surgeries, and that came as surprise for me. This more natural approach makes the film look more like softporn from 1970's, 80's then any reminiscent of hardcore porn of today. The film seems to been shot on a shoestring budget, reusing the same locations, the bigfoot costume looking like cheap halloween outfit, bad audio, etc. But director William Burke manages to squeeze most out of his actors anyway, especially from the girls. From Angie Bates upbeat, perky character, Albina Hussains perfect posed coolness, Heather O'Donnells hippie chick with serenity, to Lynzey Patterson horny vixen. Another surprise is Luke Gallos comedic relief in form of cryptozoologist Dirk. He is sometimes very funny, and delivers some genuinely comedic moments in this film. Michael Slade is the cool, good looking hunk, and I suppose a lot of girls will find his appearances here exciting. But after all this is softporn, with lots of sex scenes, which I found slightly monotonous and boring. Mainly because is not hardcore, and story isn't that good to begin with, and thus at times the viewer may find themselves bored with watching yet another girl on girl encounter. However William Burke seems to know how to direct, and his cast had a good chemistry. Therefore I wish he would do another film but with a space theme, just like Galaxina (1980), Barbarella (1968). So, future viewers that likes softporn, and don't mind a crude lowbrow comedy approach, featuring some natural beauties, should watch this film. Add a review for the film Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot Movie Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot download free Free download here. - Descarga gratuita aquí. - Download gratuito aqui. - Téléchargement gratuit ici. - 在这里免费下载 - حمل مجانا من هنا. - यहां नि: शुल्क डाउनलोड।.

What do you think Nidoking and Nidoqueen are based of? Their lines seem to be inspired by bits of all sorts of animals - we git some unmistakably mammalian influences, for example from rhinos, rodents/rabbits etc. but also something archaic and reptilian - hey don’t have cheeks for example. I think that they form a unique little clade within pokémon, a distinct body plan (that includes having also similar quadruped pre-evos) that allies them with the rhydon line. Indeed the Nido royalties, Rhydon, and Rhyperior all are known as The Drill Pokémon. Also, Khangaskan shares many features of this group too. The body plan of a large, eared, bipedal, tailed, spiny, reptiley-mammal has an unmistakably gen 1 feel about it, it is so recognisable, for example it stars as the iconic gym statues, and as one of the major roster sprites in gen1/2. Rhydon like mons everywhere man. Of course, rhydon was one of the first Pokémon designed, and you can see from this early concept art that the original rhydon was even more Nido like than now. Ok I don’t know where I’m going with this, but before I had a tendency to shoehorn pokémon into definitive groups based on real life counterparts, however this often runs into difficulties where you have pokémon based on more than one unrelated real life animal, or when a real life counterpart simply doesn’t exist. Plus we have lots of game mechanic bullshit that can be just plain biological sacrilege - eggs, B̑́ͧ͐rͨͩ̇ͣ̏ͧE̷͗E͑͟d͗͆iͤͦͫ͒n͟Ǧ̃̃̄̌, evolutionary stages (though I see pokémon evolution in this sense as a form of facultative metamorphosis) etc. I think now it’s better to assume that Pokémon is an incredibly different universe, but one that does share some fundamental biological and evolutionary laws and similarities. Thus for example instead of saying that Rattata is a rat definitively, it could be better to say that Rattata is an organism that shares many morphological and ecological characteristics with a rat, and thus, since we have very limited data to go upon (we can’t properly study it’s physiology, behaviour etc., sequence DNA etc., and like,the pokedex is written by a ten year old child lol), we can infer aspects of it’s biology from rats as well as it’s evolutionary relationships to other rodent like pokémon that share a similar suite of physiological and ecological characters, from what we know about such relationships in Rodentia, and from real world character evolution. So what can we say about the Nidos? They are part of a distinguishable group of pokémon that all possess a distinct set of ecological, behavioural, and morphological characters, which have analogies to a variety of real life mammalian and reptilian real life counterparts, such as rhinos, glires (rodents and lagomorphs (hares, pikas, and rabbits), and mammal like reptiles. The variation within this group of pokemon is less than the differences between members ofthis group and other pokémon, and this unites this group as a clade. It would be a lot of work to actually work out what pokémon the drill pokémon + khangaskan are most closely related to, i.e. make a phylogenetic tree, but here is just a rough within group tree with a possible scenario of major character evolutionary events (indicated by black rectangles). (also, the breeding rules between the Nidos, and whether the king and queen are different species or this is just sexual dimorphism is completely clouded by game mechanics of having gendered pokémon before established gender mechanics, so I’m not going to into that - however, I will say for a quick example, meerkats live in a matriarchal society and the alpha female usually has most of the breeding rights - however, because she has to defend the her position, as well as the group itself from danger, she often has very high testosterone levels which reduces her fertility - perhaps nidorina and nidoqueen are extreme examples of this, changing physically to take on a more protective role, letting nidoran sisters/aunts/mothers take on breeding roles) natgeo video by @joelsartore | This Malay eagle owl was photographed at Jurong Bird Park, part of Wildlife Reserves Singapore (@wrs.ig). This species can be found in the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia and prey on large insects, birds, small mammals and reptiles. It’s likely that they mate for life and they’ve been known to become very attached to their nesting locations. In many instances the owls will return to their site year after year, and if one mate dies the other will continue to maintain the same territory. For a portrait of this owl, check out @joelsartore. Video by @joelsartore | This Malay eagle owl was photographed at Jurong Bird Park, part of Wildlife Reserves Singapore (@wrs.ig). This species can be found in the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia and prey on large insects, birds, small mammals and reptiles. It’s likely that they mate for life and they’ve been known to become very attached to their nesting locations. In many instances the owls will return to their site year after year, and if one mate dies the other will continue to maintain the same territory. It’s Dimetrodon! I can’t make up my mind whether this is supposed to be a sunset or a sunrise so let’s just call it both for now. Dimetrodon is another prehistoric animal that often gets mistaken for a dinosaur (particularly by toy companies), but it is in fact a member of the synapsid family. For those of you not up to date with your science vocabulary, synapsids are a huge group of land-living animals that include mammals. Often called mammal-like reptiles, synapsids are actually not reptiles of any kind, and instead split off from early amphibians independently of the reptiles, or sauropsids to give them their fancy scientific name. That means Dimetrodon is more closely related to bats, giraffes and humans than it is to any dinosaur or reptile, which is pretty cool. Now if only toy stores would stop putting them in their “dinosaur” bargain bins. It just now occurs to me that for a blog called I Draws Dinosaurs, I haven’t really drawn many dinosaurs for a while The duck-billed platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, is no doubt one of the world’s oddest mammals, with a suite of adaptations to its life in streams in eastern Australia and Tasmania. Its suede-like bill is packed with electro- and mechanoreceptors, which help the platypus find small invertebrates and fish in murky waters. It has webbed forefeet and hind feet and a hairy, beaver-shaped tail, all great for swimming and diving, and a lush, thick coat for insulation on cold mornings. As with other mammals, the female platypus produces milk to nurture its young. However, its young are hatched from leathery eggs! Along with the echidna or spiny anteater from Australia and New Guinea, the platypus is one of the two types of living monotremes or egg-laying mammals. This is in contrast to the other groups of extant mammals, marsupials, and placentals, which have live births. Along with egg-laying, the skeleton of the platypus is a throwback to its mammal-like reptile origin. The bones in its arms and legs, the humerus and femur, are set perpendicular to the trunk, giving the platypus a sprawling posture and a waddling gait on land. Marsupials and placentals have more upright postures with less waddling. But where is the venom? If you look closely at the ankle of the male platypus, you will see a deadly looking weapon made of keratin, just like your fingernails. This tarsal spur sticks out from the body and sits on a small, flat bone—the os calcaris. The spur is hollow and connected to a gland below the knee that produces venom during the platypus breeding season. Because of this seasonal activity, the venom is thought to be used in male-male competition For humans that make the mistake of picking up male platypuses at the wrong time of year, the venom is not deadly, but it is excruciatingly painful. One unfortunate soldier said it is worse than shrapnel! A small remnant of the spur is retained in juvenile female platypuses for only a few months after hatching, and the supporting bone, the os calcaris, without a spur occurs in the echidna. In recent years, tarsal spurs and support bones have been found in the fossil record for numerous groups of extinct primitive mammals that lived during the Age of Dinosaurs. Rather than being unique to the male platypus, venom manufactured in the leg may have been a widespread component of early mammalian weaponry for survival in the hostile Mesozoic landscape. Why this apparatus was lost in early marsupials and placentals is a mystery. One group, the bats, have reinvented a tarsal spur, where it is used in support of the wing membrane. John Wible, PhD, is the curator of the Section of Mammals at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. John’s research is focused on the tree of life of mammals, understanding the evolutionary relationships between living and extinct taxa, and how the mammalian fauna on Earth got to be the way it is today. He uses his expertise on the anatomy of living mammals to reconstruct the lifeways of extinct mammals. John lives with his wife and two sons in a house full of cats and rabbits in Ross Township. The Earth plays host to a remarkable variety of creatures all of which diverged from a single, unknown common ancestor. In the 540 million year history of complex life there have been repeated turnovers in dominant life forms, from The Age of Fishes during the Devonian to The Age of Reptiles during the Mesozoic which gave way to our current era in time, the Cenozoic, or otherwise known as The Age of Mammals. But where do mammals come from…? Pelycosaurs… The Pelycosaurs first appeared 306Ma and are the most basal synapsids. Synapsids are mammal-like reptiles; a distinguishable feature is their skull with only one post orbital fenestra, reptiles have two. The mammal-like reptiles show the earliest signs of evolution towards more mammal characteristics, Dimetrodonis a classic example. Dimetrodon had only a single temporal fenestra, this feature allowed for jaw muscle attachment to be further back providing a stronger bite force over a wider range of jaw movements, subsequently making Dimetrodon one of the most successful predators of its age. Dimetrodon quite literally means “two sets of teeth” and this refers to its elongated incisors, this is the beginnings of the mammal feature known as heterodonty (differentiated teeth). Dimetrodon also exhibits deep ridges of the inner nasal cavity providing a larger surface area for the attachment of olfactory epithelium indicating a larger reliance of the sense of smell (something that will become more important in future mammal evolution). Therapsids… Therapsids appear around 275Ma and likely evolved from pelycosaurs or a similar sort of ancestor. They are still classed as synapsids but they even more mammal-like features than their ancestors. Therapsids have less of a sprawling gait than the pelycosaurs and other reptiles (although the herbivorous kind still retain a rather sprawling gait, this is a feature that is slow to disappear). Therapsids have an even larger temporal fenestra and more elongated incisors as the teeth continue to differentiate. The skull of therapsids is also beginning to change; mammals have a single jaw bone called the dentary, this is present in synapsids along with many other jaw bones such as the quadrate and articular, but as mammal evolution gets underway the dentary expands and the quadrate and articular reduce in size and become part of the middle ear bones. Some Therapsids were apex predators throughout the permian such as Gorgonops. Cynodonts… Cynodont fossils are some of the most important fossils in the mammals evolutionary record and we are classed as part of Cynodontia. They are dog-like creatures and appear around 260Ma, they were hugely successful and diversified rapidly. One of the best examples of cynodonts in mammal evolution is Thrinaxodon. The cynodonts exhibit even greater tooth differentiation and tooth occlusion (precise tooth contact of the upper and lower teeth, a feature unique to mammals). Tooth occlusion also suggests the cynodonts had controlled tooth replacement like mammals (mammals exhibit diphyodonty meaning two sets of teeth, the milk teeth and the adult teeth). More importantly, cynodonts also show partial or complete secondary palates meaning they are able to swallow food and breathe at the same time, something reptiles cannot do. Many taxa also show absence of abdominal ribs allowing for the presence of a diaphragm which increased lung capacity. A diaphragm paired with the secondary palate and tooth occlusion suggests that cynodonts had a higher metabolism than other extant animals of the time. The cynodonts dentary continues to expand further back of the skull. Some cynodont skulls have small indentations around the nasal region which may be indicative of nerve passages towards sensitive hairs, possibly whiskers, if so, cynodonts had hair. Thrinaxodon and others also have a larger brain size in comparison to the rest of the body than other animals as well as enlarged auditory and olfactory regions suggesting they were nocturnal. The Permian extinction struck 250Ma due to extensive volcanism of the Siberian Traps leading to a runaway greenhouse effect. Between 80% and 96% of living species died out, including most of the cynodonts and the therapsids. Reasons why the reptiles battled through this extinction and rose to dominate is still debated but it may be due to the fact that reptiles can secrete nitrogenous waste as a uric paste whereas mammals must secrete is as a liquid. This allowed the reptiles to conserve water and see the extinction through. Whilst most cynodont species perished, a few individuals made it through, they were mostly small, nocturnal burrowers capable of getting water from underground root nodules and tubers. However, the cynodonts would not rise to dominance again but their descendants would, although not for another 200 million years. They would spend the Mesozoic Era in the dinosaurs shadows, their evolution driven by a nocturnal lifestyle and the need for endothermy. The evolution of our ancestors was shaped by the dominance of the dinosaurs, when their reign ended 65 million years ago our true mammalian ancestors would quickly take over the niches left behind and become some of the most spectacular creatures the world has ever seen. Above is the supposed noise that was recorded by Herman Regusters, his wife, and his team who visited the Congo’s Lake Tele back in 1981. The authenticity of this recording has been confirmed, and further mystified by sending the audio clip to a zoological source which couldn’t contribute the noise to any living animal. Regusters later changed his opinion on the topic, stating that the Mokele Mbembe didn’t have a vocal call. Instead, he says it was from an entirely different cryptid, the Emela-ntouka. Whatever the case, this certainly is an eerie sound to hear. The image I connected to the audio is a supposed image of a footprint left behind by a Mokele Mbembe, which has been circulating around the web. A short video of a plane flying over the area also features the cryptid briefly, but could easily be explained off as a canoe or anything but the Mokele mbembe basically. There’s also been another picture floating around featuring a sauropod-like creature swimming through the area: However, I’ve seen people also say this is an image of the Loch Ness Monster and what not, so the origin of this image is very debatable. Hopefully one of you can track it down. It seems fairly convincing, but also like some sort of a horse or something swimming. I don’t know, it certainly doesn’t look like the Mokele Mbembe to me, from what I can see at least. The only thing we’re left with are the eye witness testimony by the natives. Eye witnesses that live in the area all claim similar things, long neck, long tail, three toed, has spikes, and eats a certain type of plant. They also claim the population is dwindling, and by looking at all of the expeditions in order, it certainly does appear that way. The creatures are also ferociously territorial against Hippopotamus, which becomes very apparent in the reports by the natives. Reverend Eugine Thomas claims that he witnessed the natives take down a Mokele Mbembe. The natives built a fence to keep out the beast as they fished, but it somehow managed to break through and rampage. Unfortunately for the cryptid, the pygmies were able to out smart the creature. According to the writings of William Gibbons who documented what the reverend had to say, “the two pygmies mimicked the cry of the animal as it was being attacked and speared… Later, a victory feast was held, during which parts of the animal were cooked and eaten. However, those who participated in the feast eventually died, either from food poisoning or from natural causes. I also believe that the mythification (magical powers, etc) surrounding Mokèlé-mbèmbés began with this incident.”d In other words, the poisonous carcass of the sauropod-like animal caused natives to grow sick and die, adding a religious-type meaning to the creature. In my honest opinion, I have no idea what the Mokele Mbembe is. I’m not entirely convinced it is a living dinosaur, because sauropods did not swim. Movies like The Dinosaur Project claim the legend to be a plesiosaur, but what kind of plesioaur walks on land, and why in the heck would they be fighting hippos? I doubt they would be that courageous, no offense to them. A sauropod-like mammal, or giant sauropod-like reptile/lizard sounds possible, but it’s all speculation at this point. I’ve thought of everything: A new species of rhino, giraffe, giant lizard, heck, maybe even a sauropod. Stilll, none of it seems to fit! Whatever it is lurking in the Congo, I believe it’s either nearing extinction, or already is. Despite this, the legend continues through the generations remembering their existence. It wasn’t long ago that our Earth was thought to be only a few thousand years old and having been created in a matter of days. However during the scientific revolution that was taking place in the 18th and 19th centuries, minds like Darwin, Hutton and Lyell were challenging these age old theories. It was Charles Lyell that pioneered the theory that the forces of physics have remained the same throughout history, James Hutton also expressed that we can interpret the ancient past by studying modern day natural processes because the past and present are governed by the same laws. His findings reported that layers of sediment accumulated at around 2cm per year, he deduced that since mountains are sedimentary formations and thousands of metres high that the planet is more than a few thousand years old, but hundreds of millions. Our Earth is actually 4600 million years old, this staggeringly long time is almost impossible for the human mind to comprehend. As far as we know, life emerged as single celled organisms around 3800 million years ago, for the next 3 billion years it would remain as these minute unicellular organisms. This is the Precambrian, 4600 - 570 million years ago. To help us grasp the immense history of the Earth, a geological timescale was developed with each period marking a milestone in evolution and life. CAMBRIAN540 - 488 million years ago Named after Cambria, an ancient name for Wales where rocks of this age are greatly exposed. The Cambrian period sees explosive development of multicellular life with all the main modern phyla being established. Complex eyes and food chains evolve as well as active predation. Life is confined to the sea. ORDOVICIAN 488 - 440 million years ago Named for an ancient welsh tribe, the ordovices who lived in areas where rocks of this age are well exposed. Th oceans flourish with huge diversity of jawless fish, trilobites and gastropods and arthropods begin to dominate. The period ends with arthropods taking the first steps onto land. The end of the ordovician is marked by the first of the five major mass extinctions to hit the planet. SILURIAN 444 - 416 million years ago Named for another welsh tribe, the silures, who inhabited areas where rocks of this age are abundant. Life in the oceans recovered from extinctions, magnificent coral reefs thrive in warm seas. Small plants begin to colonise the land and jawed fishes evolve. DEVONIAN 416 - 359 million years ago Named after the English county of Devon which is rich in Devonian age rocks and fossils. The Devonian period is also known as the age of the fishes. Jawed fish and placoderm fish rule the oceans, trilobites still thrive. Plants move from the coastal areas deep into land and the first forests spring up. Shark species increase in numbers and early forms of amphibian begin to spend more time on land. CARBONIFEROUS 359 - 299 million years ago Known as the age of amphibians and named for the ancient coal deposits which were laid down during this time. The land is overrun with lush forests and swamps, The two main continents of the time, Eurasia and Gondwana are colliding to form the supercontinent Pangea. Winged insects take over the skies, oxygen content is much higher that today allowing insects to reach great sizes and the first true reptiles evolve, these are the first truly terrestrial vertebrates. PERMIAN 299 - 251 million years ago Named after Perm in Russia where rocks of the age are well exposed. Pangea is covered in harsh deserts, the number of species goes into decline, eventually 95% of them are wiped out in the worst mass extinction ever seen. Mammal like reptiles evolve. The first dinosaurs evolve towards the end of the Permian, they start as a few isolated groups and begin to increase rapidly in numbers. TRIASSIC 251 - 200 million years ago Named after the word “Trias” referring to 3 rock divisions in Germany called bunter, muschelkalk and keuper. The climate of Pangea is warm and dry and dinosaurs have gradually assumed dominance in the land, skies and oceans. Mammals only exist as a few small species. Ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs reign in the sea and reach phenomenal size. JURASSIC 200 - 146 million years ago Named for the Jura mountains. Dinosaurs still dominate the land and the oceans flourish with marine reptiles and ammonites. The first bird start to appear towards the end of the Jurassic. CRETACEOUS 146 - 65 million years ago Named for the latin “creta” meaning chalk which is laid down during this period and found widely now. Dinosaurs continue to dominate, the first flowering plants evolve. Sea levels are up to 300m higher than today in some areas, much of the land is covered in shallow seas. Carbon dioxide concentrations rise, slowly choking the atmosphere. The end of the cretaceous is marked by the extinction of the dinosaursdue to possible meteor impact. PALEOGENE 65 - 23 million years ago The world begins to recover, mammals and birds begin to flourish and exploit the vacant niches left behind by the dinosaurs, in doing so they grow to incredible sizes. The climate is gradually cooling and will continue to do so bringing the earth into an ice age. In these cooler conditions the first grasses evolve. NEOGENE 23 - 2.5 million years ago The climate is still cooling, ice sheets begin to spread down from the poles, as a result sea levels slowly drop. The size of forests reduce and grasslands take over resulting in vast open planes. Mammals dominate the earth due to their ability to adapt to changing environments and harsh conditions. Towards the end of the period early hominids begin to appear. QUATERNARY 2.5 million years ago to present With an enduring ice age much of the mammalian megafauna have become extinct. Hominids have continued to evolve, only the homo sapiens survive as they are able to adapt. Dimetrodon, contrary to popular belief, was not a dinosaur. It didn’t even coexist with the dinosaurs; it lived from 295 to 270 million years ago, predating the dinosaurs by over 40 million years. Dimetrodon was actually a sphenacodont. Sphenacodonts were synapsids, members of the group that contain modern mammals. As a result, sphenacodonts like Dimetrodon are frequently described as “mammal-like reptiles”, along with other varieties of non-mammalian synapsids, such as the gorgonopsids and the therocephalians - even though none of these animals were truly reptiles. considered sluggish and reptilian (as in the above reconstruction, done by Charles Knight in 1897), Dimetrodon has since undergone a paleontological brand overhaul, and is now often depicted as a more active, potentially even mammalian creature - one of the biggest predatory animals of the Permian period. There are currently thirteen accepted species of Dimetrodon, most of which were native to the southwestern United States; one species is known from Canada, and another is known from Germany. These species ranged greatly in size, from five to fifteen feet in length. Some of these species may or may not represent growth stages of the same species of That’s all well and good - but what’s up with the fin on its back? Dimetrodon is most famous for its sail. Long, thin neural spines growing from the animal’s back were connected by blood vessel-filled soft tissue, forming not just a sail of skin, but a veritable icon of prehistory – a visual shorthand for “primordial beast” that has since been erroneously applied to numerous dinosaurs over the years. However, Dimetrodon was not unique in its possession of a sail; numerous other reptiles and amphibians have sported similar sails, frills, ridges, bumps, and lumps over the eons. The purpose of Dimetrodon’s sail is not certain, but it definitely looked quite different than the usual depiction. To quote from the linked source: Although traditionally depicted with a fully skin-covered sail, the bone structure of Dimetrodon’s neural spines suggests differently. The base seems to have anchored strong back muscles… with soft-tissue webbing only extending partway up the bones. Meanwhile the upper portions of the “sail” were probably free-standing, and many fossils bends where the unsupported spines didn’t grow straight. A prevalent theory is that the sails were an important factor in the recognition of individuals, and that they played a role in visual communication. Whatever they were used for, it doesn’t change the fact that Dimetrodon was quite a visually striking animal. I’m sifting through all my fossil teeth, bones, and imprints and thinking a lot about biology and geology and chemistry. Sometimes, it strikes me as a little odd, how something scientific can have such a deep, spiritual resonance for me. But it does. The knowledge that I am made of millions, if not billions (the human brain cannot truly conceive such numbers), of tiny, disparate atoms which come together to form molecules that chain into keratin, collagen, the water in my saliva, the hydrochloric acid in my stomach, the ATP whose splitting and reforming powers the actin and myosin proteins in my muscles… all of those infinitesimally small pieces are as ancient as the universe itself, and as individual as they all are, they bond together to form a complex, sentient, sapient organism who has a hard time imagining itself (herself) to be anything but a singular entity… That knowledge staggers me. And though I sometimes feel like a failure, or that I’m not good enough, I only exist because of the successes of millions upon millions of years of my evolutionary ancestors. My own immediate family is no less important, but I cannot forget my more ancient ancestry. H. floresienses. H. neaderthalensis. H. heidelbergensis. H. ergaster. H. habilis. Down through the eons. Australopithecus. Kenyanthropus. Paranthropus. Further still. Nakalipithecus. Ouranopithecus. Oh, but the mammalian lineage–my lineage–goes back further than primates. My ancestors–Eozostrodon, Megazostrodon, Sinoconodon–walked with dinosaurs. Tiny, unobtrusive creatures with the size and look of modern mice and shrews, they went ignored by the mighty, stomping, sprinting royalty around them. They quietly burrowed in the brush and snapped up small insects to eat, and doubtless lived in constant fear of being ground into the dust by an inattentive sauropod or becoming the meal of some slightly-less-minuscule raptor. We, a species that considers itself the owner and and ultimate conqueror of the planet and the most important beings in the universe, had such modest, humble beginnings. But evolution demands prototypes: A new species, a new order, cannot simply appear overnight. To have a mammal, you must have a proto-mammal. My great-grandparents, my oft-forgotten ancestors, were the therapsids, the mammal-like reptiles. Cynodonts, dog-toothed reptiles with fewer jawbones than their parents. Funny little reptiles that look like a cross between a spaniel and an alligator. They are in my family tree, long-lost relatives of the sort that you really only see at those once-in-a-lifetime family reunions that bring in every living relative whose name you’ve never even heard before but who still, in some way or another, share blood with you. But they aren’t just my own relatives. They are kin to tigers and elephants, opossums and woolly mammoths. Every creature who has hair and a body temperature kept stable by its own metabolic heat, every organism that gives birth to live young and nourishes them with milk from its own body, can thank the therapsids for successfully surviving. With this in mind, who am I–who are we–to say that anything non-human is lesser. But those ancestral proto-mammals had to come from somewhere. Synapsids. Reptiles who came from amphibians, who came from bony fishes, who came from jawless fishes, who came from the countless invertebrates who swam the Cambrian seas (vibrant and exploding with life), who were the children of tiny single-cellular specks in the water who photosynthesized the light of a young sun and filled the skies with oxygen. I am a tiny speck in the incomprehensible ocean of the universe, and the tiny specks–the atoms–that make me up once made up one of those tinier specks in the slightly-less-tiny oceans of planet Earth. There is iron in my blood and iron in the lumpy deposits I pick up off the beach. The fossilized shark teeth I’ve plucked out from their bed of countless grains of silicon dioxide (beach sand, crumbs of quartz and all its colorful variants) are made of apatite–the same calcium phoshate that makes up my own. I have something in common with a fish that lived and died twenty million years ago? The mind boggles. There are those in this world who say that evolution runs contrary to their own spiritual beliefs, and I feel a little sad for them. What must it be like, to feel so disconnected from the world? To believe that, rather than sharing a common, tiny, primordial ancestor with all living things on earth, from pine trees to parakeets, you were created as you are and are distinct, are separate from them? Lonely, I imagine. My religion of evolution, my worship of natural and sexual selection, my veneration of change, fills me with such a sense of kinship to everything around me, to all things seen and unseen. There is iron in my blood, and iron in Calvert Cliffs, and iron in the M-type asteroids in the belt just beyond Mars. I can look at a deer or a raccoon or an eagle or a corn snake or a forty-foot maple tree and know that although our species all evolved to fill different niches, we are all on this planet together because we can trace our lineages back millions upon millions of years, through unimaginable numbers of successful generations, to the same tiny specks in the ocean. I am never alone. Everything on earth that respires is my distant cousin, made of the same ionic and covalent bonds between billions of tiny, ancient pieces of matter. And I embrace them all. Perhaps this is why I’ve fallen in love with collecting fossils. It’s my own little way of meeting my long-lost relatives. A fossilized family reunion, happening here on my bedroom floor. It’s always a good feeling to meet a goal in a timely manner. Finished my first wave of synapsid sketches (not to scale with each other, obviously). Unfortunately, this is as far as you guys are gonna get to see because these are being used for a book proposal, so it wouldn’t feel right for me to post the final artwork until either the book is a go, or more likely until the book is published. Done spamming you all with mammal-like reptiles now.

What You'll Get - $12 for four Groupons, each good for $5 worth of frozen yogurt ($20 value) - See the rotating menu of delicious flavors The Fine Print Promotional value expires Dec 1, 2015. Amount paid never expires. Limit 1 per person. Entire $5 value must be used in 1 visit. No partial redemption, no cash back. May combine vouchers. Valid only at listed locations. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services. About Yeti Yogurt Named for a legendary cryptid creature said to wander the slopes of the Himalayas, Yeti Yogurt serves up snowy bowls of frozen yogurt in a range of fruity and indulgent flavors. Each item is priced based on weight. Creamy dollops of yogurt range in flavor from the tartness of Greek lemon and raspberry to the earthy hominess of oatmeal cookie or salted caramel pretzel. Non-dairy sorbets deliver a refreshing icy burst of fruity taste, while no sugar added selections help patrons enjoy dessert without extra sucrose. A colorful array of 60 toppings wait to perch themselves on the frozen peaks of yogurt, with bins full of chocolate candies, nuts, espresso beans, and fresh-cut fruit.

On May13th, 1572 an ox cart driver claimed to have killed a “small dragon” near the city of Bologna. It would be tempting to dismiss this story as nothing more than a piece of quaint folklore except that the body of the supposed dragon was examined by one of the leading naturalists of the day who made sketches and then preserved the body and displayed it in a museum for many years. Further research indicates that similar creatures have been reported in other parts of Europe before and since the Bologna encounter. The descriptions suggest a completely unknown creature. But, just what could it have been? Was it really a dragon? Let’s take a look. Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522 – 1605) is generally recognised as the person who first formulated the concept of what we now call the study of natural history. Aldrovandi (his name is also given in contemporary documents as Aldrovandus and Aldroandi) was born to a wealthy family in Bologna in 1522. The University of Bologna opened around 1088 and received its first charter from Frederick I in 1158 making it the oldest university in the world. In 1553 Aldrovandi gained a degree from the university in Medicine and Philosophy and began teaching logic and philosophy there in 1554. By 1559 he was appointed Professor of Philosophy and in 1561 he became the first Professor of Natural Science anywhere in the world. Aldrovandi’s Theatre of Natural Science Aldrovandi was fascinated by both botany and zoology and collected a huge number of specimens which were displayed in the “Theatre of Natural Science” in his home in Bologna, an early attempt to create a natural history museum. He also oversaw the opening in 1568 of the Orto Botanico dell’Università di Bologna (Botanic Garden of the University of Bologna), one of the first public botanic gardens in the world. Much of what we now know of the life and work of Aldrovandi comes from the huge number of essays and many books he wrote which were published by the university. Many of these were attempts to describe and categorise plants, insects and animals for the first time. Only five of Aldrovandi’s books were published before his death in 1605. The remaining books were published by the university between 1605 and 1667. The frontispiece of Serpentum, et draconum historiae libri duo In 1640 the university published an illustrated reference to snakes and dragons by Aldrovandi (Serpentum, et draconum historiae libri duo – The Natural History of Snakes and Dragons). The idea of a naturalist writing about dragons may seem strange to us now, but back in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries dragons were considered to be real creatures. It’s notable that in 1642 the university published Aldrovandi’s Monstrorum historia cum Paralipomenis historiae omnium animalium (Chronicle of Monsters) which described mythical creatures such as the Harpy and the Basilisk. It’s clear that Aldrovandi was very careful to make a distinction between mythical monsters and what were supposed to be real creatures. Even in The Natural History of Snakes and Dragons, where Aldrovandi describes several types of dragons, he makes it clear that he has not personally seen or examined any of these creatures himself and that his information has come from the accounts of travelers and from earlier writers. All except for one dragon. Under the heading Draco Bononiensis (Bologna Dragon), Aldrovandi provides the following description of the killing of a small dragon the remains of which he was able to personally examine: “The dragon was first seen on May 13, 1572, hissing like a snake. He had been hiding on the small estate of Master Petronius near Dosius in a place called Malonolta. At 5 PM, he was caught on a public highway by a herdsman named Baptista of Camaldulus, near the hedge of a private farm, a mile from the remote city outskirts of Bologna. Baptista was following his ox cart home when he noticed the oxen suddenly come to a stop. He kicked them and shouted at them, but they refused to move and went down on their knees rather than move forward. At this point, the herdsman noticed a hissing sound and was startled to see this strange little dragon ahead of him. Trembling he struck it on the head with his rod and killed it.” Aldrovandi was given the body of the strange creature which he examined carefully. It was, he concluded, definitely a reptile and the first of this type that he had seen. The creature was around three feet long (leading Aldrovandi to wonder whether it was a young example), had just two legs and appeared to move by slithering like a snake and using its legs to propel it forward. It had a long, slender neck and tail and a thick body. Aldrovandi preserved the body of the creature and for some time it became one of the most celebrated exhibits in his Theatre of Natural Science. Draco bipes apteros captus in Agro Bononienfi (Two-legged dragon captured in a field near Bologna), illustration from The Natural History of Snakes and Dragons, p404. Aldrovandi classified this creature as a dragon simply because it didn’t seem to fit within any other known, existing group of animals. That’s why the events on 13th May 1572 have sometimes been referred to as “the last dragon slaying in Europe”. However, it’s notable that the creature described and illustrated in Aldrovandi’s book doesn’t have any of the attributes associated with the traditional, mythological European dragon (wings for example). I think that calling this creature a dragon was actually very unhelpful in that it caused later scholars to assume that this too was a mythological creature. But it’s clear from Aldrovandi’s book that this is something very separate from the other dragons described there in that this was a real creature which Aldrovandi himself was able to examine. The Museo di Ulisse Aldrovandi, within the Museo di Palazzo Poggi in Bologna. By the time of his death in 1605, Aldrovandi claimed that he had amassed a collection of more than 18,000 “different natural things”, including of course the remains of the Bologna Dragon. These items continued to be displayed in his home until 1617 at which time they were put on public display in the Palazzo Pubblico. The collection was moved to the Instituto delle scienze in the Palazzo Poggi in 1742, where some items remain on display to this day (the building is now the Museo di Palazzo Poggi in Bologna). However, during the nineteenth Century items from Aldrovandi’s collection were removed from the museum and many are now lost. The remains of the Bologna Dragon are not part of the current collection in the Palazzo Poggi and no-one seems to know when they were removed or what happened to them. One theory is that Aldrovandi’s Bologna Dragon was a hoax. However, it seems very unlikely that an experienced naturalist like Aldrovandi could have been taken in by such a hoax and he certainly had plenty of time to examine the dead creature before he wrote about it. So, if it was a hoax, this can only have originated from Aldrovandi himself. That isn’t quite as unlikely as it seems – respected renaissance scholars and artists certainly weren’t averse to the odd practical joke. Sometimes these were perpetrated purely for amusement – Leonardo da Vinci for example, created a tiny ‘dragon‘ by attaching fake wings, horns and eyes to a live lizard which he then used to startle his friend Pope Leo X. Other hoaxes were undertaken to humiliate competitors and colleagues – a scholar would announce some wild new discovery and then happily shout “gotcha!” when this was accepted as genuine by others (some people believe that the mysterious Voynich manuscript is just such a renaissance joke). Many of the narrow streets and grand Palazzos of modern-day Bologna haven’t changed much from Aldrovandi’s time. However, there is no evidence of Aldrovandi attempting anything of this sort. The creature was displayed in his museum for thirty years before his death – surely there would have been some hint if it was nothing but a joke? And really, Draco Bononiensis isn’t sufficiently outrageous to make sense as a practical joke. If it had wings, a triangular end-piece to its tail or any of the other traditional trappings of a dragon, or if for example it had been claimed to breathe fire, this might have made sense. But as described and illustrated in Aldrovandi’s book, the creature just isn’t sufficiently weird to make anyone look foolish for believing in it. The evidence suggests strongly that Aldrovandi was puzzled about what this creature was, but that he believed it to be a real animal. It is also notable if you take the time to look at the descriptions and drawings of snakes which appear in the same book that they are accurate, instantly reconisable and not at all fanciful. Aldrovandi was a meticulous and methodical observer of the natural world and there is no reason to suppose that his presentation of Draco Bononiensis is anything but an objective and detailed attempt to describe a completely unknown animal. This must be one of the very few occasions in history when a Professor of Natural History has had the opportunity to examine the body of an unknown cryptid! Male Viper, another drawing from The Natural History of Snakes and Dragons If it wasn’t a hoax, just what kind of animal was Draco Bononiensis? To help us consider this, we must to travel 200km north from Bologna, to the area of the Alps where Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany meet. In this area there are persistent stories about an odd creature variously known in local areas as (amongst other things) the tatzelwurm, springwurm, stollemvurm, lindwurm, praatzelwurm, bergstutzen and hockwurm. For the sake of simplicity I’ll refer to it here as the tatzelwurm (“worm with claws”) as this seems to be the most common name. I first came across mention of this creature in Bernard Heuvelmans’ 1958 book On the track of unknown animals. In this book Heuvelmans mentions the two earliest written references he found to the tatzelwurm. The first was in a German hunting and nature guide, Neues Taschenbuch für Natur, Forst und Jagdfreunde auf das Jahr 1836 (New Pocket Guide for Nature, Forest and Hunting Enthusiasts for the year 1836). This guide contains a short description of the tatzelwurm (which is treated as a real and possibly dangerous creature which hunters and walkers may encounter) and an illustration which Heuvelmans notes shows a “curious picture of a sort of scaly cigar, with formidable teeth and wretched little stumps of feet”. In the Swiss almanac for walkers and climbers Alpenrosen published in 1841, there is also a drawing which shows a tatzelwurm as a long scaly creature with two tiny front legs. Heuvelmans considered that the tatzelwurm was most probably some unknown form of salamander or possibly a Gila Monster. Der Tatzelwurm vom Dachstein. In der Gosau am Dachstein soll vor hundert Jahren dieser Tatzelwurm einen jungen Mann angegriffen und gebissen haben.(The Tatzelwurm of Dachstein. In Gosau one hundred years ago this creature attacked and bit a young man.) Illustration from Neues Taschenbuch für Natur, Forst und Jagdfreunde auf das Jahr 1836. Newspapers in Austria, Switzerland, Southern Germany and Northern Italy have carried reports of tatzelwurm sightings (though they often use local names for this creature) from the seventeen hundreds up to the present day. Below are brief excerpts giving descriptions of the tatzelwurm from some of the claimed encounters: 1811, Switzerland. A teacher saw an animal he described as around five feet long with a head like a snake and two legs. 1845, Southern Germany. Two, twelve-year old boys saw a reddish coloured creature as long and thick as a man’s arm and with a flat head. When disturbed, the creature fled, spitting. 1883, Austria. A man in an alpine restaurant watched an odd creature resembling a lizard for twenty minutes. He described it as one and a half feet long with brown or green scaly skin and two forelegs but no hind legs. 1884, Austria. A 13 year old boy saw a reddish brown creature around two feet long with two font legs but no visible hind legs. The creature spat at the boy and he ran away. 1914, Northern Italy. A farmer observed an odd animal which was 30 inches long and five inches thick with a round head and just two front legs. 1927, Austria. Three foresters described seeing an unidentified creature which was 50-60 inches long with smooth skin and two front legs only. The creature was described as hissing and spitting like a cat. 2007, Austria. A twelve year old boy claimed to have seen a brown, 50cm long lizard on the banks of the Enns River near to the town of Ternberg. 2009, Italy. Over a period of several years a number of people in the Valtelina Valley near the Swiss border reported sightings of an agile, bipedal lizard approximately five or six feet in length. There are many, many other sightings in addition to those which I have included here, but I hope these give a general flavor of what is being reported. It is notable that most tatzelwurm reports (though not all) seem to be referring to a two-legged reptile which sounds very similar to the dragon described by Aldrovandi. It’s notable that several of these sightings include reports of the creature spitting, as Aldrovandi also described. Alleged photograph of tatzelwurm taken in 1934 and published in April 1935 in the German magazine Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung. Now believed to be a fake. There have been several purported photographs of the tatzelwurm, beginning in 1934 when a photographer named Balkin claimed to have photographed a tatzelwurm near Meiringen, Switzerland. This was initially thought to be a genuine photograph (and led to at least one expedition to the area to capture the tatzelwurm), but it is now generally accepted that this photo was a faked image using a ceramic garden ornament! There have been subsequent photographs and even a claimed tatzelwurm skeleton, but none of these photographs or claimed physical evidence have stood up to detailed analysis. Claimed tatzelwurm skeleton, now thought to be a hoax. The earliest newspaper reports seemed to assume that the tatzelwurm was a real but unknown form of lizard. Later, as the creature came to be viewed as mythological, these became rather sly tongue-in-cheek reports which mocked those reporting the sightings. The most recent reports seek to find a rational explanation for sightings, the most common being that people are seeing an escaped pet lizard, perhaps some form of giant monitor lizard. However, witnesses to the recent Italian sightings are emphatic that what they have seen is much less massive and more snake-like than a monitor lizard and that it has just two legs which it can use to raise its head and neck into the air (one witness described the creature as looking like a scaly kangaroo). The lack of physical or good photographic evidence makes it tempting to write-off the tatzelwurm as nothing more than a mythical creature. However, it’s more difficult to do this with Aldrovandi’s Bologna Dragon – Aldrovandi was an experienced observer and reporter of natural science and he was able to examine the body of the dead creature at leisure. If this wasn’t a hoax (and there seems no good evidence to think that it was) then he must have been describing a real and unknown animal. If we accept this and note the similarity of Draco Bononiensis to the consistent eyewitness descriptions of the tatzelwurm over an extended period, it does appear that we may be dealing with a rare but real creature here. Seventeenth Century watercolour illustration of Draco Bononiensis One of the most notable features of Draco Bononiensis (and many tatzelwurm sightings) is the presence of only two legs, placed at the front part of the body. This looks very odd and when I started researching this article I wasn’t aware of any other creature which has only two limbs positioned in this way, which was initially made me wonder if this was a hoax? However, I discovered that there are actually a number of lizards which have only two forelegs and a fair number of the vast range of different salamanders also have just two front legs, so this feature alone doesn’t rule out this creature as possibly being real. The Mexican Mole Lizard is just one of the several lizard species that has only a single pair of limbs. What about the hissing sound that Bologna Dragon and the tatzelwurm are both reported as making? Again, this is feasible. Many large lizards such as the Gila Monster and the Goanna (an Australian Monitor Lizard) use loud hissing as a threat display to warn off potential predators. What about the fact that the Bologna Dragon seems to combine lizard and snake-like features, is that possible? It seems so. There are whole families of creatures which may look very much like snakes, but are actually legless lizards. Which makes me wonder if a slightly less legless lizard isn’t also possible? This may look like a snake, but it’s actually a legless lizard. However, there is another possibility: atavism. This is the spontaneous development by an individual creature of a morphological feature possessed by ancestral forms which is not normally found in present-day examples. There are well documented examples of horses which have developed atavistic extra toes and cetaceans such as whales which have developed rudimentary external hind limbs. The creatures from which snakes evolved had four legs but these were gradually reduced to produce today’s snakes which have no limbs at all (though some large snakes such as Boas and Pythons do have vestigial hind limbs). There have been persistent reports and the occasional photograph of snakes which appear to have developed an atavistic single set of limbs, most recently from China where photographs emerged in 2009 of what appeared to be dead snakes, one with a single limb and the other with a pair of limbs. Atavism is unusual, but it certainly exists and the photograph below of what is claimed to be a small snake with limbs does seem to bear a striking resemblance to a smaller version of Draco Bononiensis. This picture is claimed to show a snake with an atavistic single set of limbs which was discovered recently in China. I believe that and the tatzelwurm and Draco Bononiensis may be the same creature (or at least, closely related) and are either an unknown form of lizard or salamander or snakes which have developed atavistic limbs. Unlike other cryptids like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster, there is nothing here that makes me say “Whoa! Wait a minute, that can’t be right!” If Aldrovandi had chosen to classify the strange creature he examined in 1572 as a large lizard rather than a small dragon, and if he had included its description somewhere other than amongst a collection of clearly mythical creatures, I think it might have been taken much more seriously. If this was a real creature, then it is also possible that the very similar sounding tatzelwurm is also real though perhaps it’s now very rare or even extinct? The disappearance of the preserved remains of Draco Bononiensis from Aldrovandi’s collection is unfortunate, as is the lack of any physical evidence for the existence of the tatzelwurm. But then in the case of the tatzelwurm this might be explained if its habit of living in burrows under rocks (which has often been described) is accurate. If it also dies in these burrows, perhaps that’s why no-one has ever found the remains of one? So, while it may not be a dragon precisely, I’m going to mark this one down as “possible”. I think that there may really have been (or may perhaps even still be) some large, unknown lizard-like creature which lived in the Alps and surrounding areas. The Natural History of Snakes and Dragons, Ulisse Aldrovandi, 1640, has been scanned and is now available for free viewing online. On pages 402 – 404 you will find the description (in Latin) and illustration of Draco Bononiensis. On the track of unknown animals, Bernard Heuvelmans, 1958. Return of the Clawed Serpent to its Alpine Haunts. Article on the tatzelwurm by Ulrich Magin which originally appeared in the Fortean Times. Museo di Palazzo Poggi website including a description of the Aldrovandi collection (in English):

Lost Tapes was a series that aired on Animal Planet from 2008 - 2010. It was fairly short-lived, with only 14 episodes in its first season. The premise of the show is pretty simple. Each episode looks at a cryptid or monster of some kind in a "found footage" type of storytelling. The first episode, for example, is effectively an encounter with a Chupacabra, as seen through the video camera of a Mexican girl sneaking across the border into the US, and then through the body cameras of the border patrol officers that find her. Interspersed between camera shots, there is typically narration or a factoid which gives insight into current theories about the creature or the area it inhabits. (This one refers to the journey on foot of illegal immigrants from Mexico to the US.) Unfortunately, which the episodes are a list of the most well-known and popular cryptids, this is mostly an entertainment show, good for creeping you out and a few jumpscares. It's not any kind of real investigation, or even summation of these creatures. Most episodes are only around 20 minutes long too, so it's not hard to blow right through an entire season in a day. The first season was also the best, delving into such staples as the Chupacabra, Bigfoot, Megaconda, Thunderbirds, and Megalania. Unfortunately, over the second, and especially the 3rd season, they had to reach for monsters people would recognize. The 3rd season falling prey to zombies, poltergeists, and even the Mayan god Quetzalcoatl. Still, the show has a fair bit of entertainment value, and would fit right in for an October marathon if you can find it on DVD.

Okay, I am a little paranoid because this is the last day of cryptid month. So I am doing a blog about living dinos. Anyway, I will start with the Pterodactyls. They are many Pterasaurs sightings so I will focus on the two main ones. The first is Kongamoto, meaning ''overwhelmer of boats.'' He is the more aggressive of the two. It attacks people. In 1925 a native went into its teritory and was attacked and wounded by a giant flying thing. When he was shown a picture of a Pterodactyl he ran away screaming like a little girl. It has been known to kill people. The more gentle of the two is the Ropen. It glows with yellow light and does not attack anybody. It eats human flesh and dead bodies and fish. Now for Nguma-monene. While this adventurer dude was looking for Mokele-membe (see my post about Mokele-membe!) he saw it, and after a little while it left. Then some guy said he saw it kill an animal without even leaving a kill mark. It could be a Spinosaurus. And now for the Beast of Busco. It is a giant snapping turtle. In 1898 some farmer saw it and told some other people about it. But then just forgot about it altogether. Then half a centrury later some people saw it in the same lake as before. Now for the one and only Moa! When people first got to New Zealand they saw Moas but some time beween the late 1600s and the early 1800s they became extinct. But in the 1840s some bird painter saw it (go figure!). His feet desription looked exactly like a fossilized Moa's foot. And now for the grand finale...the Elwetritsh! It looks like a chicken with antlers with breasts. I cannot get much more information than that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trKqTyTjYec&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97jYngUaepA&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM4wn_xXavc&feature=related If any t-rexes are real it probably is kasai rex. In 1932 some guy and his helper saw a rhino and the helper was about to drive out of the way when a beast that looked like a t-rex attacked and killed the rhino and ate it. The servent ran away and the other guy drove away. It could be an allosaur. It could have been a t-rex frozen in ice, or maybe got burried in water and the water got frozen. (kasai rex fact: two guys took pics. One was just a picture of a dead rhino with a cut-out of a t-rex.) I'm glad to present a new thing to cryptid month- videos! I will put them on some new and old posts from cryptids month. This very post will be the first to have a video in it! Anyway, here is stuff you need to know so you are not eaten alive: They are like zombies you usually see in movies like NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEER, THE KILLER ZOMBIE BUNNIES and HELLO, YOU ARE DEAD. Of course all of those movies do not exist but just to prove my point. Anyway, they live in forests so be careful. And they are canibals: this is good if there is more then one of them. meet the cretre from the black lagoon his hollywood cousin twice ramoved the thies lake monster is one of my farites cryptieds because he looks like the creatre from the black lagoon he has been seen twice first two teens saw it and one claimed he got srached by it and the other timeoh i forgot anyway he is cool Today I was looking at the Termintor wiki (i just got a t-700 (a Terminator foot soldier) Terminator toy yesterday) and I looked at this picture and thought: ''Wow I wonder if Terminators can scream?'' because in one movie this Terminator is getting hit by a pole. It looks like it is screaming. So now I do think most of them (not including the meat grinder or spider robot) can scream. The Burmuda Beast is a beast said to live in the Burmuda Triangle. It is bigger than any artillary carriers and army jets that you see by FAR (my dad is totally obsessed with tanks, but I like the Burmuda Beast) and it can get a jet or plane right into the sea by just knocking it. i am so happy! today my mom got me a ipad i was so exited i got it i downlaoded stupeid ninjas and all kill amost rihet awae i hope i can down load more soon! i canot wait!! i also cannot wait to play more! [Drawn from Wikipedia]The Pope Lick monster has used Pope Lick River to lure pepole to their doom! (cue bloody music). Here is the Pope Lick monster's hunting ground: half-man half-goat haunts the trestle. The half-man half-goat hybrid has the grotesquely (I have no idea what this word means, please tell me) deformed body of a guy, fur-covered goat legs, an alabaster (i have no idea waht this means to) skinned face, no nose I think, and wide-set eyes, and two horns. His hair color matches his fur color. Do not look into his eyes because he can hypnotize you and mimic voices (like me, I can make great imitations of owls and wind). Do not go onto the train! If you hear the vocie of a loved one asking for help it will be most likely the Pope Lick monster. If you are dumb enough to go onto the train track, you will either be run down by a train or plunge the 100 foot height to your death. He also may attack you with a bloodstained axe or will pelt you with stones and make scary noises (Pope Lick monster tip: there is a Pope Lick Goatman too. If you want to avoid him, or see him, look at my "Know your monster: the Pope Lick Goatman" blog post coming soon to my blog!) If you see something that looks like a bat but is much bigger it may be a batsquatch! In May 1980 during the eruption of Mount Saint Helens it was seen in some clouds from the eruption. This could say that the batsquatch lives in volcanos or just likes them. In 1994 a local guy and a shop owner got some pictures of the beast. Oh, and just a tip: the batsqush has purple wings. You guys are probably thinking :''Oh wow, another blog post about paintball!!'' But I think I have paintball on the brain. Anyway let's just get on target, so here are some masks I think you might want to look at some. Like them? I think I'll tell you how to make custom paintball masks soon. Today I was siting in a chair reading a Simpsons comic and started to realize how much those cool paintballmasks look like those guys in Halo. Halo masks look like paintball masks a lot. I got the idea from a video of bigfoot with a paintball gun (I love the guy that did it and I've only watched him for one day) and I am going too have a paint ball birthday party when I turn 11 (in two years) just to tell those of you who want to attend it. Gator Man sounds like a horror movie title right? NO! It is a monster that in the summer of 1973 the people of new jersey were plagued by, which people said looked like a humanoid gator. Some guy compared it with a native legend about a man-sized fish that could not be caught and guess what -- it looked a lot like it!!! It has not been seen in a long time, but I think it is still around. The citizens of Point Pleasant, West Virginia still fear that Mothman might return. Back in 1966, a giant winged beast, its red eye's aglow, swooped to the ground more than 100 times. Its presence was accompanied by minor disasters and, finally, doom. At its last sighting a bridge collapsed killing 46 people! After this the winged beast was not seen ever again. http://animal.discovery.com/videos/lost-tapes-mothman.html Kelpies look like a seahorse. They are black and white. They will appear to be a lost pony but can be identified by its constantly dripping mane. Its skin is like a seal's, smooth, but is as cold as death when touched. They are known into transform into beautiful women to lure men into their traps. It lures humans, especially children, into the water to drown and eat them. It performs this act by encouraging children to ride on its back. Once its victims fall into its trap the kelpie's skin becomes"adhesive" and it bears them into the river, dragging them to the bottom of the water and devouring them, except the heart or liver. (do not pet it too if you do the only way to save yourself is to cut of your own hand) If any Apatosaurus is still alive mokele-mbembe is probably it. In 1776 some people saw its three-claw tracks and sightings of the animal in the green jungle swamp have been going on for more then a century. Mokele-mbembe's size is said to be between that of a hippo and an elephant. All the eyewittness agree that it has smooth grayish-brown skin tone, a long neck, a long tail like a croc's, and a small head topped of with a horn or frill like a rooster. It eats plants but will kill those who approach too near, and it is said that Mokele-mbembe sleeps on a bed of elepants tusks. (Mokele-mbembe tip: the name Mokele-mbembe means the one ''who stops the flow of the rivers.'') (top tip: PELSE do not eat it's meat in storises the natves told of fow some pepole killed one and it took days to cut apart and all that ate it died) You're at the movie theater. On the screen the mummy's standing still. A shapo is looking at some paper then suddenly!!the mummy grabs the shapo. The shapo screams loudly then the screen goes to a wall. You see the shadow of the shapo being killed on the wall! But could this dream be reality? Maybe. Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon discovered King Tut. Lord Carnarvon died after digging up Tut. They said he died of a ''mosquito bite'' and his dog died instantly and some people who helped dig King Tut up died too. And the ghost of Khufu haunts the Valley of the Kings. Yesterday I watched HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN. My favorite part was when Serious Black and Professor Lupin turn into werewolves and start attacking each other. It was awesome seeing them jump on each other, claws flashing! It was a totally awesome duel with lots of claws and blood! It only lasted about 6 minutes but still! The name bunyip sounds like a adorable pet, right? Wrong! The bunyip is a blood-thirsty beast though no one has actually seen one. Yet people have found some of their bones. In 1818 they found some, then in 1830. In 1845 was the first written use of the word bunyip. In 1847 some museum put a skeleton on display. In 1852 some wrote did a account of bunyips. Anyway I think it is cool and I hope you like it too. Aliens are really strange monsters. A lot of people have seen them. Some aliens claim to be from Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon. Some look like rats with buck teeth, some look like bug-eyed goats, and some look like a human with black hair and really buggy eyes. H.G. Wells made aliens popular with his April Fool's joke, but there have been two movies of ''The War of the Worlds.'' They are really good! The mysterious Area 51 is said to do surgery on aliens or even be an alien hang out! The Men in Black are said to take some evidence from people. Some think they are clones or aliens themselves! Are you ready for a tale of spine chilling horror? Ready? Sure? Yes? Ok! Here you go: one guy and his best friend were looking for an abandoned camp they saw from a heliocopter in the air. They walked in to a clearing and were VERY suprised at what they saw in front of them. It was a big monster! It head them and faced them. It stood up, and ran back into a bush. The two friends found only its tracks. Then in 1974 (they saw it in 1973) they went back there to hunt ducks, and they saw a trail of dead boars (cue omnious music). They followed the dead boars until they came upon a freshly killed boar (bum bum bum!) and saw foot prints that looked like the ones they saw the year before! They made cast foot prints later that night. After a little bit Ted Williams claimed he saw it a lot. Ted Williams has not been seen to this day since he disappeared in the deeper part of the Honey Island Swamp. (Honey Island Swamp monster fact: it reeks of the smell of death). the dover devil is a monster seen on three separate occasions during a 25 hour period in the town of dover (you can say the longer name if you like) on april 21 and april 22 the first sighting of it was by 3 17 year old boys near a bar the kids headlights illuminated it they thouht it was a cat or dog but on closer examanation they saw it was a gray-like alien thing crawling on a stone wall an hour later it was seen by john baxter and pete mitchell when they were waking home (i know it was so dull back then!) the next day two kids were driving and saw it on the side of the road (it got its name from reporters )

Sunday, February 22, 2015 Popobawa - Zanzibar, Africa Okay, I'm going to give a content warning here: This entry is probably not fit for younger readers, people who are sensitive to discussions of sexual assault, and it is definitely not fit for twelve-year old boys who will just use it as an excuse to crack inappropriate jokes about anal sex*. You have been warned. Also, I can see some readers getting into a racist "oh, these primitive Africans" rant, and I'll talk about why you shouldn't be so confident in the Commentary section. There is something haunting Tanzania. Called the Popobawa - a bat-like creature that is said to sexually assault people in the night. In addition to these assaults, it is also said to generally haunt the home of its chosen victims, making noise, moving objects, and trying to frighten them. Once it has gotten it's fill of terror in one home, it moves on to the next one, usually in the same neighborhood. Although the Popobawa may attack anyone in the household, it is alleged to prefer to anally rape men, and then threaten to return to repeat the action if the men do not tell others about the attack. As a result, men who have been attacked must confess the violation to others, compounding the trauma of the event. Popobawa, which appears to translate to "bat wing" in Swahili, is a shape-shifter and can appear in many forms, but it's natural form is said to be that of a large bat-like creature with one eye and a gigantic penis, though this "natural form" may be more a creation of western media than an aspect of the Tanzanian folklore regarding the creature. In Tanzanian folklore, it appears that the creature has no true shape, and that the name refers to the shadow that it casts when it appears. The creature's appearance is said to be accompanied by scraping noises on the walls and roof, and a sulfurous smell. The Popobawa prefers to attack people in their homes when they are alone, and so, during Popobawa panics, many men choose to spend their nights outdoors, sometimes in the streets (often the only open place in some of the crowded towns and cities), which has led to fatalities from automobile traffic. It is also said that the Popoabawa may be frightened away by gatherings of people, or by recitations of passages from the Koran. The origins of the Popobawa are unclear. While many people in Europe and the Americas like to think of it as a cryptid (that is, a creature not formally discovered by science but alleged by believers to exist, a'la Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster), it's pretty clear that the people of Tanzania consider it to be a spirit or demon of some sort. One story holds that a sheikh (a respected member of the community with informal authority) summoned a djinn (an spirit in Islamic folklore, in many ways comparable to the demons of Christian folklore) in order to attack neighbors with whom he was having difficulties, but that he lost control of the djinn and that it is now loose as the Popobawa. *I was a twelve-year-old boy once. I know how you work. Commentary: Okay, let's get the first thing out of the way - I know that there are people reading this and thinking "oh, those primitive/superstitious Africans/Muslims! They have such dumb beliefs!" To which I will point out that panics regarding spectral sexual assault are not in any way unique to Africa or to the Muslim world. Christian and general European folklore is filled with stories of spectral rapists - Succubi, Incubi, "old hag", and many a faerie story - not to mention more recent stories about aliens abducting people and subjecting them to various sexual probes and experiments. And massive panics regarding this sort of thing are not unheard of in the west - consider the amount of claims of "Satanic Ritual Abuse" that appeared during the late 1970s and early 1980s. So, if you are inclined to look at this as a sign of gullibility or foolishness in a poor and underdeveloped part of the world, just be aware that your own culture is perfectly capable of producing very similar things. Alright, that rant done, it's time to talk about this story. We have a story about a creature that goes about terrorizing households, and sexually assaulting members of the household (though allegedly prefering the male members). Let's assume, as I am inclined to, that this is all folklore. What does it mean? Well, a number of different hypotheses have been put forward. Including: - That this story is used to describe or cover up actual sexual assaults. - That this story simply reflects a local variation on folklore surrounding the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. - That this story reflects feelings of male inadequacies in a changing and poor region of Africa, with the metaphorical rape being used to metaphorically describe fears of emasculation.The insistence by the creature that mean admit to their violation in order to prevent further violation seems very much in line with this. - That the story reflects fears of political instability. In fact, Popobabwa panics, during which many people report encounters and men often take to sleeping outdoors, typically accompany elections. - That the story is a metaphorical discussion of Zanzibar's past as a slave market used by Arab traders. While plausible, the Popobawa first appeared on the island of Pemba in the 1970s, and so it seems unlikely that it would reflect directly the experience of 19th century slaves and slave traders. Of course, none of these explanations are exclusive of the others, and it may well be that the Popobawa is a folkloric conglomeration of the anxieties, concerns, and very real assaults experienced by people living in Tanzania. It would appear to be a way in which ghostly folklore represents real-world issues, a phenomenon known the world over. Sources: Podcast, BBC News, Wikipedia, Center for Inquiry, Cryptid Wiki, The Demon-Hunters Compendium,

The most infamous cryptid ever to capture the imagination of the planet. A man putting his life at risk. When evolutionary biology professor Dr. Zack Hitchens loses his wife in a senseless accident, he decides to follow her dreams all the way to the roof of the world - the peak of Mount Everest. On the infernal mountain, Zack and his teammates battle sickness, whiteout conditions, avalanches, the oxygen-starved minds of other climbers - and something else. Something primitive and consumed with rage. Something seeking revenge. Something downright abominable. We've sent an email with your order details. Order ID #: To access this title, visit your library in the app or on the desktop website. Entertaining Romp At the Top of World - Kim Venatries So Much More Than a Mountain and a Monster

Logo by Duncan Hopkins. The International Cryptozoology Conference 2017 (ICC17), presented by the International Cryptozoology Society and International Cryptozoology Museum, will be held in Portland, Maine, on Labor Day Weekend, specifically on Sunday, September 3, 2017. Newly confirmed: Joseph Zarzynski Joseph Zarzynski: “Lake Monsters and Ship Wrecks” Linda Godfrey: “The Dogmen of the Upper Midwest” Former journalist Linda S. Godfrey broke the original news story on sightings of southern Wisconsin’s Beast of Bray Road, 25 years ago, and immediately began receiving similar reports from around the nation and world. She has been researching and investigating cryptids of all types ever since, and with seventeen published books has become known as a foremost authority on the upright canines now often called Dogmen. She lives in southern Wisconsin near the Kettle Moraine State Forest, a unique habitat with a long tradition of Bigfoot, Dogman and even Goatman sightings. Her book, The Beast of Bray Road (2003), is the groundbreaking text on Dogmen accounts. Robert Damon Schneck: “Ape Canyon: Another View” Craig Woolheater: “Wild & Wooly in Texas: Twenty Years Searching for Bigfoot” Craig Woolheater obtained a copy of John A. Keel’s book Strange Creatures from Time & Space in 1970. He found it influential to his life. Interested in Bigfoot, he also saw the movie The Legend of Boggy Creek. He actively began his search for the hairy creatures. In 1994, his reality came crashing down, when he had a sighting of what he feels was a Bigfoot creature. It occurred while driving back to Dallas from New Orleans on May 30, 1994. He got more deeply involved in organized Bigfootery, and was a cofounder of the Texas Bigfoot Research Center in June of 1999. In 2005, he founded Cryptomundo. In January, 2007, the TBRC reorganized as a 501(c)(3), non-profit, scientific research organization. The organization’s name was then the Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy, which he resigned from in 2010, due to differences with the leadership. On December 24, 2013, Woolheater resurrected the original TBRC, the Texas Bigfoot Research Center. He has appeared on or contributed to several Bigfoot and cryptozoology television programs, documentaries and films. He has hosted the Texas Bigfoot Conferences for over a decade. Steve Bissette: “The Vermont Monster Guide” Stephen R. “Steve” Bissette is an American comics artist, editor, and publisher with a focus on the horror genre. He is known for working with writer Alan Moore and inker John Totleben on the DC comic Swamp Thing in the 1980s, as well as Neil Gaiman ‘s Midnight Days TPB (2000). He did the illustrations and cover for Joseph Citro’s The Vermont Monster Guide (2009). He teaches courses in Comic Art History, Drawing, and Film at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont, where he co-curates with Denis St. John the CCS/Main Street Museum ARTifacts Film Series. Since 2005, Bissette has also edited and published Green Mountain Cinema, a trade paperback journal devoted to the independent cinema scene in his home state of Vermont, as well as five volumes of Blur, collecting his film reviews and criticism. Joe Citro: “The Vermont Monster Guide” Joseph A. Citro is a Vermont author and folklorist. Occasionally referred as the “Bard of the Bizarre,” he has extensively researched and documented the folklore, unexplained activity and strange happenings of New England. Citro decided to make an attempt to catalogue all of the eccentric legends, folk tales, mysterious monsters, and general uncanny activity of New England. His books on these subjects are an exclusive collections of the bizarre of the region. His published work includes Weird New England: Your Guide to New England’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets, Passing Strange: True Tales of New England Hauntings and Horrors, and The Vermont Monster Guide, illustrated by his friend, Stephen Bissette. Seth Breedlove: “The Mothman of Point Pleasant” Seth Breedlove is a filmmaker who has written, edited, produced and directed shorts and features about a variety of topics but is best known for his production company and the films they’ve produced under the Small Town Monsters banner, which he began in 2013. The first chapter in the Small Town Monsters series is the film, Minerva Monster. Seth wrote and directed the film. He has since begun working on more projects under the Small Town Monsters umbrella including, including, Beast of Whitehall, Boggy Creek Monster, and the new Mothman documentary being introduced by Seth at this conference. Paul LeBlond: “Remembering the International Society of Cryptozoology” Paul H. LeBlond is an ocean scientist who specialized in the study of waves, tides, tsunamis and ocean currents. LeBlond is an emeritus professor at the University of British Columbia, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society. In parallel to his research and teaching in physical oceanography, he has also pursued an interest in marine cryptozoology, with a special focus on Cadborosaurus, including writing two books on the subject. He was one of the founders of the International Society of Cryptozoology, and a co-founder of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club. LeBlond is the first President of the new International Cryptozoology Society, founded in 2016. As a result of the First International Cryptozoology Conference 2016, he saw his translation of Bernard Heuvelmans’ book on the Minnesota Iceman published during 2016. Bruce Champagne: “Sea Serpent Types ~ An Introduction” Following the advice of earlier researchers, Bruce Champagne began to examine reports of large, unidentified marine animals, eventually proposing generic types to advance the dataset and explore a possible relationship with large, unidentified freshwater animals. Champagne has examined the Clark San Francisco Sea Serpent 2004 video, and published a marine sea serpent type proposal in the Dracontology and Elementum Bestia journals. Champagne’s recent study was published in the fourth edition of the peer-reviewed Journal of Cryptozoology (December 2016). Champagne holds an undergraduate degree in marine biology, conducting shark predatory research. Champagne has been a member of past and present cryptozoology organizations. YOUNG CRYPTOZOOLOGISTS PANEL Wen C., Andy M., Thomas M., Chloe F. and Jordan F.: “The Future of Cryptozoology” The Young Cryptozoologists Panel is made up of the upcoming cryptozoologists in America. Wen C runs a blog on cryptozoology, and Andy M. has worked on cryptozoology documentary films and runs, with his father, a Bigfoot podcast. Other young people will be on the panel. Snuffy Destefano: “Chainsawing Bigfoot” DUE TO LAST MINUTE DIFFICULTIES WITH INSURANCE, THE MONDAY CHAINSAWING DEMONSTRATION HAS BEEN CANCELLED. Mark Matze, Emcee When he was six years old, Mark Matzke read Marian T. Place’s On the Track of Bigfoot, and has been fascinated by unknown creatures ever since. At Seth Breedlove’s invitation, he became co-host of SasWhat: A Podcast about Bigfoot in 2014. Mark has served as a production assistant on two Small Town Monsters films, Boggy Creek Monster and Mothman of Point Pleasant; emceed Minerva Monster Day in 2016; and written about cinema and cryptozoology for Cryptid Culture, Nostalgia Digest, Mad Scientist and G-Fan magazines. Mark and his son Andy currently co-host two podcasts: SasWhat and Monsterland Ohio Radio. Mark earned a Masters degree from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and serves in full-time pastoral ministry in Northeast Ohio, where he lives with his family. Jeff Meuse, Assistant Director, International Cryptozoology Museum Jeff Meuse, a native of the Sea Serpent rich area of Nahant, Massachusetts, has been associated with the International Cryptozoology Museum since 2006 and is the Assistant Director. Meuse regularly gives introductions, guided tours, and media interviews, as well as soliciting artifacts, research files, and contributions for the Museum. Meuse has engaged in on-site investigations of unknown animals (from the Lake Champlain Monster, Alux, Thunderbird, Bigfoot, Loup Garu), discovered archival material (especially regarding North Shore Massachusetts Sea Serpents and Maine cryptids), conducted community charity benefits, and delivered group, school and university presentations. Meuse is, as well, a local business manager and coordinator of small businesses in southern Maine. He also is currently attending college to further his scholarship in the nonprofit business/science education field. He presently lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, the site of infrequent Sea Serpent sightings. Loren Coleman, Director, International Cryptozoology Museum Often called the “World’s Leading Living Cryptozoologist,” Loren Coleman has been investigating cryptozoological evidence and folklore since the Abominable Snowmen caught his interest in 1960. He is the author, coauthor, editor, and/or contributor of or to over 100 popular books on natural history mysteries and the media, including 40 directly of his own, such as The Field Guide to Lake Monsters and Sea Serpents, The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates, Mysterious America, Bigfoot!: The True Story of Apes in America, Cryptozoology A to Z, The Copycat Effect, Tom Slick and the Search for the Yeti, and Mothman and Other Curious Encounters. He regularly appears on and consults to documentary television programs – including MonsterQuest, In Search Of, Mysteries at the Museum, CBS News Sunday Morning, Unsolved Mysteries, Animal X, Ancient Aliens, Ancient Mysteries, Unsolved Mysteries, and other media as an authority on strange creatures and inexplicable phenomena. He is the founder in 2003, and director of the nonprofit, 501(c)3 International Cryptozoology Museum. The world’s only cryptozoology institution is routinely recognized as one of the top ten weirdest, strangest, most unique, and not-to-be missed museums on the globe.

Lon Strickler And Ken Gerhard Visit Strange Dimensions June 14th, 2017 What’s behind the giant bat/flying humanoid wave hitting the Chicago area? Cryptid experts Lon Strickler, publisher of the Phantoms & Monsters blog, and Ken Gerhard, author of “Encounters with Flying Humanoids,” analyze the reports. Are the sightings part of a bigger phenomenon? Strange Dimensions is now two hours, 8-10 PM Eastern. Drop into the chat lounge to ask the guests a question. Strange Dimensions, hosted by one of the most respected figures in the field, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, is a dynamic one-hour weekly show that airs live on http://kgraradio.com (KGRA-dB) every Wednesday starting at 9pm EST. A broad range of topics in the paranormal, ufology, cryptozoology, and metaphysical fields bring you the latest in alternative research, straight from the experts who are pushing out the frontiers. So Join us in the live interactive chatroom (http://www.kgraradio.com/chat) or send out a tweet. @GlobalRadioLive #KGRA

8/31/12 ~ Art Update ~ "What is a 'Bird of Lore' from Pop Culture?" Last art update?! I noticed that I kept listing "Birds from legends, myths, folktales, literature and pop culture," but I never explained what I meant by pop culture. So, I had a little fun: At the root, it starts with the Chinese myth of the "Winged Turtle." (You can see a bit on that here, if you like: http://karlshuker.blogspot.com/2012/06/flower-generated-birds-and-turtles-that.html ~ Thanks again, Shuker Nature!) (Yes! Winged Turtles count as "birds." My notion is that any creature with feathery wings is fair game.) As you can see, I am suggesting that this ancient myth is, in a vague way, connected to another pop culture story that happens to feature Winged Turtles. It's just an abstract "tip of the hat" to something iconic that I like. That's part of the fun of a "tongue-in-cheek" bestiary book. But, if you think about it, those famous brothers from the modern theme, can be instantly killed by those Winged Turtles! So, while the Mythologist wisely employed Mao and Longwei as Samurai guides, he had no idea how much trouble the Winged Turtle would cause, and one of the two brothers isn't going to make it! (Hint: Note Longwei's crooked landing, as he attempts to stomp the shell. What do you think will happen?) The story takes place in a castle that's been buried in an avalanche. They are suprised to find more than one horror lurking in the rubble. Note the way that a few large golden coins just happen to be stacked upright, to lure people down there! 'Fun to think about. 'Fun to draw. "Guest Illustrators" ~ 4 Guest Illustrators will be commissioned to complete a sketch only, then later, a fully realized illustration, if we make our goal. 8/24/12 ~ Guest Illustrator #4 One last illustrator has lent her brushes and pencils to the fray... "Monica Knighton" Monica specializes in folklore and story books, lending delicate brushwork to monster and mermaid. I would describe her work as sweet and skillful, yet unflinching in the face of darker subjects. Monica's pelican is already brimming with mystical charm, and the Mythologist will investigate aspects of early pelican legends. We are thrilled to have her work in Birds of Lore, as it adds a charming bird to our midst that is a thrilling subject simply "as a bird." 8/24/12 ~ Guest Illustrator #3 We have another new guest artist incoming: "David Jernigan" David is the perfect hybrid between cartoon depravity and masterful illustrative story-telling. His scenes are playful and his sense of humor leaks through, but there can be dark and creepy undertones in the details. David, like all of our fantastic illustrators, jumped at the chance to work on any bird from throughout time, and decided to start sketching several all at once! If you are a BACKER, you will be able to vote on which sketch he will further develop, and ultimately which final piece! *We love our backers!* 8/17/12 ~ Guest Illustrator #2 We have a new guest artist incoming: "Wednesday Kirwan" Wednesday is a world-class illustrator, featured in a number of children's books and fantasy projects for older audiences as well. She chose to sketch the Thai myth of the "Kinnaree." Kinnaree are mystical muses, paradigmatic lovers, and celestial musicians. I'm not sure if I've ever discussed this here, before, but we are purposely collecting together the art first, and writing the passages after, that way the illustrator truly has 100% freedom of expression. I love how Wednesday's Kinnaree struts with some attitude. She kind of looks like she's been "around the block." I wonder what will happen to the Mythologist, when he meets her? 8/9/12 ~ Guest Illustrator #1 We are proud to announce the first chosen guest illustrator, Socar Myles. Socar is an illustrator and avid birdwatcher, living in Vancouver, BC. Her birdfeeder bristles with...well, house sparrows, mostly, but let's pretend it's harpy central, out there. She has already chosen her bird for the book: "Jingwei" of Chinese mythology. She was the daughter of Emperor Yandi, who drown in the East Sea while still very young. Jingwei chose to return as a bird, and take revenge upon the sea. She would fill it with rocks and sticks until it was no more! The sea scoffs at this, but Jingwei is resolute-saying she will work for as many million years as it takes. Socar Myles is an experienced book illustrator with a penchant for breathing life into classics-not an easy feat and a testament to her prowess. When she's not improving stories, she co-hosts the fantastic fantasy illustration podcast "Ninja Mountain Scrolls." If Birds of Lore reaches its goal, we will be able to commission Socar to complete what will be a wonderous illustration! [UPDATE ~ 8-29-12] Socar felt driven to finish final work early-lest the spirit of Jingwei threaten to toss her into the sea, with stones and sticks! Behold: 8/3/12 ~ Operation: "More Birds, No Sleep" has been put into play. I have been talking to my backers about adding some fresh bird creature artwork for our cause, and now, I aim to get it done, one way or the other. I will not [ok...scarcely] rest until I add: 1) A bird cryptid. [ADDED!] For the uninitiated, the word "cryptid" means: "a creature whose existence has been suggested but has never been given scientific credit." I heard this tale on a podcast called "Mysterious Universe" that's a whole lotta fun to listen to while drawing. Here is the story told by the observer of this strange sighting: ACCOUNT: "It had bat wings which it unfolded and stretched out before folding back up again, yellow eyes and a kind of monster monkey face with a parrot's beak and was about 3 feet in height. To my 4-year-old mind, it was terrifying and I had nightmares for weeks. I did not have a name for this thing in my vocabulary and so called it The 'Bat- Winged Monkey Bird' as it seemed to be such a weird mixture of animals." ----"Shuker Nature Blog" 2) A beautiful or cute bird sketch, by Audrey.[ADDED!] 8/12/12 ~ The Cu Bird is a bird from a Mexican Folktale that is unhappy with its plain looks. According to the legend, the other birds agreed to give the Cu Bird one feather from their own plumage, and in return asked it to become the messenger of the bird council. But the bird soon started neglecting its task because instead it spent time admiring its new fancy self. As you might imagine, the forces that be unite to teach the vain bird a lesson. 3) A fierce, dragon-like bird, by me. 7/29/12 ~ We are so excited about the prospect of being able to finish this book, and sooo thankful for our backers. Without your interest, this bit of imagination will be lost forever. Please help us round the 1/4 mark. 8/9/12 ~ Backers are free to suggest their favorite illustrator, that we may contact to be a "Guest Illustrator" for Birds of Lore. 7/29/12 ~ Currently, as a backer, you are able to vote on some birds that we want to add, while the project is live. The choices are: Gandaberunda, a two-headed bird, the infamous Cockatrice, or an obscure bird described in the HP Lovecraft story, The White Ship. Conversely, Audrey is going to sketch a cute or beautiful bird. Birds of Lore is an illustrated book, about a special "Mythologist" who can, and will go to any length to catch a glimpse of the birds that he knows are more than mere legends. Audrey and I are tilting our illustration styles in a few different directions, depending on what there is to say about each bird in the story bits. The poor "Captive Harpy," above, called for a somber, realistic approach, while the Hercinia is a direct homage to medieval bestiary art, and the Chakora Birds are just otherworldly and kind of creepy, yet kind of funny. My wife and I met in art school, and have been drawing and finishing illustration professionally, side by side, ever since...but we've never really worked together on a book. While we love and appreciate our long list of clients, we have always pined to finish an illustrated book that entwined our ideas and set our imagination completely free. The years passed, and there was little time to work on the notion without a possible way to pay the bills in the meantime, as we knew our dream collaboration would take months of hard work. The hard reality is, ideas do not pay, even with some or most of the art work squeezed in here and there. What we need is a way to concentrate and muscle-through the entire production, and finish our little masterpiece once and for all. The funding will go toward: 1) 100 or more pages of highly finished, highly polished original illustration. I cannot emphasize the time, effort and cost of this between myself, Audrey and the guest illustrators. We are freelance illustrators, folks, not independently wealthy or anything close, and time away from paying contract possibilities is time without income. That money pays the bills while we concentrate on the art. ~ at least 8000.00. 2) The research and writing is going to take loads of time as well, but I'm counting that as time/$ donated from my own savings. 3) Editing for around 50 pages of short story / myths ~ apprx: 2500.00 4) The rest goes to printing, digital edition prepping, and the rewards. That does not actually leave much of a marketing budget, unfortunately. 5500.00 But we can and will make it work, and make it fantastically wonderful on this budget! We had several ideas, but Birds of Lore was the one that haunted us the most, begging to be realized. It's a book about the birds, or birdlike creatures from throughout all mythology, literature, art, folk tales or legends. We are starting with birds that are lesser known, or to which little to no art exists. If "world legends" assembled for one big dodgeball game, Birds of Lore chronicles the creatures who might be picked last. When I first sat down to write the descriptions that accompany the illustration, I found that the common approach, of listing the origin, and dissecting the myth in the usual, scholarly way, was tedious to write and tedious to read. So, the description, location and details about each creature are learned from the actions of an ever-present investigative narrator, or mysterious "Mythologist," who seemingly has the ability to travel to any length, time or dimension to find a real, living specimen of the creature of legend. Sometimes the meeting is whimsical...and sometimes very dangerous. While this page is dedicated to the book Birds of Lore, our dream goal would be to raise double, or even triple the amount (just in case the sky is the limit), to lock in the second, third or higher in a proposed series that continues the "Of Lore" concept of zeroing in on a specific branch of fantasy creatures. Our series idea goes like this: - Birds of Lore (16,000.00 in funding to complete) - Mermaids & Sea Creatures of Lore (funding total: at least close to x2, = 30,000.00. Prizes would be adjusted, etc.) - Faeries & Small Creatures of Lore (funding total: (x3)...etc.) - Dragons of Lore (and so on, if we reached any of these heights, we want you, the funders, to tell us which should be next?) - Plants & Places of Lore - Artifice of Lore - Darkest Monsters of Lore - Gods & Goddesses of Lore - And we would be able and ready to continue this work, one after the other, and hopefully several per year, if we are funded to do so, here and now. Tier prizes would be adjusted and surprises would be added (Kickstarter allows one to dream big, so why not?) ;D Team Birds of Lore loves the idea of http://kickingitforward.org The Book Itself: Is 8.5 x 11 and illustrated "to the nines," as in, we have hundreds of drawings and sketches already, and we plan on integrating them into the design, borders and just making sure this book is the kind of treasure that you want to keep on your shelf for your life. The design is heavily influenced by medieval bestiary books, illuminated manuscripts, Victorian design, and a general obsession with creating weird and memorable pages. The story bits let you look through the eyes of the Mythologist, a mysterious man who seems to be able to travel through time like Dr. Who in order to gravitate toward living specimens of legendary creatures. There will be a paperback and a hardback edition. All backers at the 25.00 mark and up will get their name added to the book as a patron of the project. Patrons of the Limited Edition Hardback book will receive a special signed copy. The Limited Edition Hardback Book: Is 8.5 x 11, and is the same as the paperback, with the following notable exceptions (and maybe more): A) There will be at least 1 more Bird of Lore and accompanying story added only to the Special Edition. B) There will be a special "tipped-in" (as in, it's an actual extra page of the book) illustrated signature page, where Audrey and I will sign the book in gold and silver ink and note the number of your copy. There will be a special illustration on the signature page. C) We hope to add a very intensive illustration to the End Sheets in the front and back. More will turn up on this later...I have an idea for that, which is very involved. D) There may be a unique surprise on the Fore Edge and even the Paste-Down! The Coloring Book: This will be a simple, but fairly large booklet, where we take final artwork (not just the sketches!) and create crisp line work from it to make nice black-and-white coloring pages, for you, or your kids to paint or color on. The Print: Will be a 12 x 16 poster. Once we have most of the finals complete (in, say, late October) we will send you thumbnails to choose which you want made into a poster. The Hand-Inked, or Hand-drawn Original Book Mark Art Piece: A wide book mark to which Audrey or I draw the actual bird creature art directly onto the paper marker, and sign it in gold or silver ink. We will also stamp a fanciful border around it. The following is a mock-up: The Digital File (FELLOW ARTISTS TIER): We will send you a collection of layered digital files. The (hopefully) useful thing here is that you are allowed to use the hand-drawn, inked drawings of page ornaments and little creatures in your own projects, royalty free. The only rule is that you cannot sell them outright, as a set. The T-Shirt: We will have at least 3 different designs to choose from, and multiple colors. Of course, you will set your size. The Necklace: Audrey is a skilled jewelry maker. She will be creating tiny portraits (prints) of choice creatures from the book, and creating a small set of unique necklaces from them. The Printed Lamp Shade: Utilizes fabric or heavy paper to capture art from the book as a tasteful wrapped lampshade. You'll understand why this is cool once you see light streaming through the artwork on your desk while you work on your Kickstarter. These will be finished by the master, the "Lampshade Lady," Judy Lake. Art Direction Tier: This is my favorite tier, and not because of the level of $, but because I honestly will be fascinated to see what bird you find for us to write about and illustrate. There are plenty of slightly more mainstream birds of legend that we intentionally left out of our master list...such as the Phoenix, the Roc, and the Thunderbird, just to name a few. But, you have the power to bring them into this book, and direct some things about the look of the art. It will work almost like a direct commission. And, if you don't want to find a bird for us, you can just have us send you some options. Project Credits: It took a lot of effort from several people just to make it this far. Of course, it's worth mentioning that Audrey and I did all of the illustration and design. I did all of the writing. Maria Villanueva directed and produced the video, with help from Jacob. David & Mindi Marshall for introducing us to Maria. Extreme encouragement from Cindy Gaulin was appreciated. Special thanks to our puglet, Roy Allen Durney, for enduring the heat. :D ~The End~ ...OR...Read the last page of the story about the pretty, captive harpy pictured at the top: In this next excerpt, the Mythologist insists on hunting the feathered Paraguayan god "Mboi Tui"... The following are excerpts of the story about the polish "Wila," a shape-shifting force of nature: Thanks for viewing! - (45 days)

Horrors of the Medieval mind Medieval woodcuts fixed some strange ideas in the popular imagination, says Reece Shearsmith Ever since I was a small boy I have been interested in the supernatural. Magic and alchemy, witches and monsters have always intrigued me. I began collecting books on horror and folklore and (as I was something of an artist and model maker myself), I would even curate my own mini exhibitions of bizarre oddities. Shrunken heads, Fiji mermaids and the bones from a witch’s hand all made up my first display. PT Barnum would have been proud. Many of my earliest encounters with these things were through representations of such peculiar matters via old woodcuts. My books on sorcery would always include a woodcut of Dr Faustus making his pact, and inevitably, come the section on witchcraft, English witchfinder Matthew Hopkins, surrounded by imps and talking familiars, would make an appearance. These remarkable images, many of them collected in Graven Images, a new book on the art of the woodcut, are printed in my mind forever. The Devil and his demonic legion torturing the damned of hell; witches in full flight on broomsticks, or boiling babies over crooked cauldrons – nothing seemed too extreme or bizarre for the Medieval mind to depict in woodcut form. In context, these woodcut illustrations are in fact a forerunner of illustrated news, often used as a means of reporting events through widely available pamphlets: exotic sea creatures, strange machinery, the trial and torture of witches. The imagery is bold, striking and unforgettable. It is easy to see how the distribution Nothing was too bizarre to depict of these images helped fuel the madness of the witch-obsessed 16th century. Suddenly the public could see the Devil himself and witness his rituals and his blasphemous minions’ jaunts to the Sabbat. There is something inherently unsettling about much of the art in woodcuts. Not only are they a form of time travel, but they represent something very strange and rather curious to consider; they give us direct access to an imagination much more ancient than our own. Collectively, they offer comment on the fervour, the horror, the obsessions of the Dark Ages and beyond. They perceive the world through eyes very different to our own, but allow us a glimpse into much that remains intriguing and unknowable to us today. We may look at some of these woodcuts and smile at their naivety, but quite quickly realise, in some instances, that not much has changed. Hell is still hot. We wouldn’t draw the Devil without his horns. Animal magic: cryptid with a human head (1658) Beastly: top left, William Bush’s ‘flying boat’ (1608); top, The famous History of the Lancashire Witches (1780); above, from Des Monstres et Prodiges (1573) Wild times: Philocothonista, or the Drunkard, Opened, Dissected and Anatomized (1635)

Legend of "Lechuza" Possibly Seen In Carrizo Springs By KGNS News The legend of the "Lechuza" has been told in this area for years. Now, a recent picture has sparked a discussion the picture is real. The picture believed to have been taken in Carrizo Springs shows two men holding a white owl with a very large wing span. Our Lauren Kendrick has more in our top story. The picture has definitely got people interested whether or not they believe in the myth. We spoke to one of the owners of Petland who tells us this picture has her baffled when it comes to classifying the type of owl. "I think people would like to believe it's real just like they'd like to believe big foot's real and the loch ness monster and all the other creatures." Owner of Petland Laredo, Laura Hatton, gives us her take on the picture that's been circulating social networking sites for the past few days. The picture was taken in Carrizo Springs. Many people are calling the big white bird "Lechuza" from the urban legend commonly told in the Mexican heritage where the spirit of a woman or a witch turns into an owl. "Those wives tales are there for a reason. They are a legend. Perhaps there at one time was a much larger species of an owl that was here." Hatton says it looks like a barn owl but is way too large. She says it's really hard to determine the exact species by the undercarriage. By looking at the picture, she says it's hard to tell if it is indeed real or fake. "The head is really out of focus so it makes you wonder about photo shop. But the wings itself look like a barn owl." “Whether people believe in the legend or not, people have been sounding off on Facebook so we decided to go out on the streets and see what people had to say about the owl" One thing Hatton says doesn't add up is the size of the bird. "The size doesn't make any sense for the species of an owl because even the largest...a great horned owl doesn't look anything like it and it's still way smaller." Just like other legends in south Texas like the chupacabra, there's no way of telling if this is a real "Lechuza" or not. "I think they'd like it to be the "Lechuza" because I find the culture here to be full of mysticism and people enjoy it." |by Mike Cox| |At night in South Texas, especially under a big moon, things start moving.| Deer begin grazing, coarse-haired feral hogs emerge from the brush to steal corn from game feeders on the big ranches, five-foot rattlesnakes slide from their lair, the sensors on their arrowhead-shaped heads looking for warm meat. And sometimes, an owl spreads its wide wings and flies from its roost looking for prey. But some people along the border believe that owls are more than big-eyed night feeders. Among that group are three Zavala County women who vividly remember an experience they had one night on their way home from a shopping trip to San Antonio. Just outside Batesville on State Highway 57, a large, dark and menacing bird suddenly appeared in the headlights of their car. The bird flew ahead of them faster than the vehicle, swinging back and forth and bobbing up and down. The woman behind the wheel pressed her foot on the gas to outdistance the bird, which at one point circled back to fly right outside the driver's window. The bird seemed to be mocking the women, but this was no mockingbird. That's when the car went dead. The lights went dark and the vehicle stalled, slowly losing speed. The driver managed to get the car off the roadway but could not restart it. The women locked themselves in the car, stuck out in the middle of nowhere. The bird, meanwhile, had disappeared. As mysteriously as it had died, the car eventually restarted. Sure, it could have been a loose battery wire, or any number of easy-explainable mechanical things. But as far as these three women were concerned, the answer could be articulated in one word: lechuza.Since Spanish colonial times, generations of children in South Texas and across the river in Mexico have grown up hearing stories of lechuzas. Despite that, an internet search shows that the tradition is mostly oral. "A lot of people believe in lechuza," says Zavala County historian and newspaper columnist Richard G. Santos. Fascinated by stories like the one told by the three women whose shopping trip ended scarily, Santos has been collecting them for several years. A couple who for obvious reasons did not want to be named told the Crystal City writer this story: They were on State Highway 191, headed toward Eagle Pass, when their vehicle's windshield wipers suddenly came on. "It must be a lechuza," said the woman's husband, who reached over and turned off the wipers. As he did that, the headlights of their vehicle illuminated a big bird sitting on a telephone pole. "It was big and it watched us as we drove by," one of them told Santos. "It was scary." Indeed, lechuzas have been scaring people in Mexico and South Texas for a long time. According to Santos, lechuzas are witches - brujas - who transform themselves into birds. In most stories, the bird is an owl, but sometimes a bruja will turn into an eagle. Another school of thought holds that not all lechuzas are brujas. Some are merely the spirits of women annoyed for a specific reason, a faithless husband or a widower who has remarried. Those frightened by the appearances of a lechuza can fall back on four basic remedies: Prayer, tying seven knots in a string or rope, engaging the services of a curandera or blasting the bird with a shotgun or rifle. One man told Santos he had heard as a boy about a lechuza being shot. No one could find the dead bird, but the next morning, someone discovered the body of a very unattractive, mature woman hanging across a tree branch. Needless to say, many saw a connection between the killing of the lechuza and the corpse. Santos, a serious historian who moved to Crystal City from San Antonio to care for his elderly parents, says he does not believe in ghosts or witches. But he definitely believes in stories of ghosts and witches. He has found that lechuzas are particularly active in Zavala County. A lechuza can appear at any time, but these feathery witches seem particularly prone to spread their wings and terrorize those who have popped a top or two or three. Cars moving down lonely highways also seem a favorite target of lechuzas. Fortunately, as they say on the border, "Las lechuzas, por regular, no son peligrosas." They are not dangerous. Normally. © Mike Cox "Texas Tales" October 22, 2003 column |Posted on July 9, 2012 at 1:10 AM| MOTHMAN AS AN OWL From the Cryptid Chronicles June 20, 2012 (Cryptozoologist's Note: While doing some follow-up research, I came across this post from the Cryptid Chronicles in which the author postulates the same identity for the so-called Mothman as I had previously—that it may be a species of giant owl, possibly a surviving species long thought to be extinct. I am presenting their post verbatim, the only addition being an illustration comparing the size of a Cuban Giant Owl or Giant Cursorial Owl (Ornimegalonyx oteroi) with that of a human. I think their article presents some interesting additional support for this theory. That said, any typographical or grammatical errors are part of their original post. ~ Crypto) Mothman as an owl has previously been discussed on Cryptid Chronicles with Mark A. Hall’s theory about “Bighoot” with his sense that Mothman/Bighoot may have developed a protective mimicry that has been utilized by the giant owls to disguise themselves as upright trees and logs lying on the ground. While I don’t believe that all Mothman sightings can be misdiagnosed as an animal, I do think with specific qualities reported in some cases such as Mothman having no head but rather a set of eyes in its upper chest and accounts of “glowing” eyes lends credence to Mothman as an owl. One of the original eyewitnesses, Linda Scarberry (1966), specifically stated that the effect was related to the car headlights. “There was no glowing about it until the lights hit it,” she said. Others echoed her statement. For example, one man, alerted by his dog, aimed his flashlight in the direction of his barn, “and it picked up two red circles, or eyes, which,” he said, “looked like bicycle reflectors” (Keel 1975, 56). The reflector-like nature of the creature’s eyes is revealing. As ornithologists well know, some birds’ eyes shine bright red at night when caught in a beam from auto headlights or a flashlight. “This ‘eyeshine’ is not the iris color,” explains an authority, “but that of the vascular membrane—the tapetum—showing through the translucent pigment layer on the surface of the retina” (Gill 1994). The TNT area is surrounded by the McClintic Wildlife Management Area—then, as now, a bird sanctuary! Owls, which exhibit crimson eyeshine, populate the area. Indeed, Steve Warner (2002), who works for West Virginia Munitions to produce .50-caliber ammunition in the TNT compound, reported to Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, that there were “owls all over this place.” Conversely, neither he nor a coworker, Duane Chatworthy (2002), had ever seen Mothman, although Warner pointed out he had lived in the region all of his life. Because of Mothman’s squeaky cry, “funny little face,” and other features, including its presence near barns and abandoned buildings, Joe Nickell identified it as the common barn owl (Nickell 2002). One Skeptical Inquirer reader (Long 2002) insisted it was instead a great horned owl which, although not matching certain features so well, does have the advantage of larger size. It seems likely that various owls and even other large birds played Mothman on occasion. Here then is the question separating the mystifiers from the skeptics: Is it more likely that there has long been a previously undiscovered giant species among the order strigiformes (owls), or that some people suddenly encountering a “monster” at night have misjudged its size? Could there be a super large owl living in the north-east at least—in the woods of West Virginia and the Appalachian Mountains which may be a genuine cryptid? There has been evidence of super large owls found in the fossil records in that area dating back several hundreds of thousands of years ago—some with a wingspan of over 40 to 50 feet! That’s an owl large enough to easily pick up a cow or a buffalo and carry it away to a giant nest to feed its young. It would be 6 feet tall while standing with its wings closed! Could you imagine coming upon that thing in the woods at night? So it is JUST possible that at least some reports of the MOTHMAN is not a monster or a demon or a extra-terrestrial after all—but a bonafide “cryptid”—a relic of evolution left over from prehistoric times which may have been living deep inside Appalachian mountain hollows for hundreds of thousands of years and has only rarely emerged to be seen by human eyes (and scare them shitless) due to some change or variability in its natural environment or food base. And if you’ll pardon the pun… Who (hoo) knows? Perhaps this giant owl has a giant brain that is telepathic and can indeed force you to stand paralyzed just with it’s piercing gaze. Maybe, as the Native Americans say, it’s even intelligent and has a memory of its history and a spirituality all it’s own. There is at least one unconfirmed report of a GIANT OWL swooping down to pick up a small boy out playing in a farm yard in the Appalachian mountains back in the 1930’s. The giant owl screeched with such a terrifying sound at the boy’s struggling and biting at its feet that the boys father and brother and farm hand heard it from the barn and came out and threw rocks and sticks at it until it dropped the boy from a height of about 15 feet into a soft earthen livestock yard relatively unhurt except for a few scratches and bruises from the giant owl’s claws (and probably some hilacious nightmares!!!!). However when the family reported the incident to the local authorities, they were ridiculed and laughed at and eventually came to wish they’d never made the report. But to further confirm their story, possibly the exact same giant owl was seen again about a hundred miles away not more than three months later by a well-respected and sober business man out on a solitary fishing and hunting trip up in the Appalachians. The shaken fellow who reported seeing the giant owl fly over head with the limp carcass of a dark brown horse dangling from it talons said it was the most terrifying moment of his entire life. He said every hair on his body stood on end when that giant bird flew over with a roaring whooosh and looked down at him for just a second with those large, piercing eyes… “I know exactly what a field mouse feels like now when he spots an owl swooping down from overhead… with those DAMNED EYES that cut right into ya and turn your blood to ice… and it ain’t a good feelin’ let me tell ya…” Enormous prehistoric owls may have migrated from Cuba to a town near you In the piney mountains and desert mesas of south central New Mexico, residents of the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation still share the legends of an enormous and evil bird: Big Owl. The Jicarilla Apaches, along the state’s northern edge, also talk of Big Owl, beneath the slickrock canyons and gray bluffs of their reservation. But in their stories, Big Owl can paralyze humans just by staring at them, and after doing so, it swallows them whole, just as smaller owls swallow mice. Such stories may actually have a basis in fact, citing accounts of an actual undocumented species of 3-to-5-foot-tall giant owl (Bighoot). Ornimegalonyx oteroi, or the Cuban giant owl, was an approximately 3-foot-tall owl that lived in what’s now western Cuba up until about 8,000 years ago. In the last few decades, three nearly intact skeletons of this bird have been found in Cuban caves, and their size and bone structure suggest this owl was similar to an oversized version of the common burrowing owl, with long legs and an ability to fly only short distances. Perhaps some giant owls survived extinction, migrated, reproduced and became part of New Mexico’s Apache oral histories—and there are a number of intriguing points that support his case. Mentions of giant owls occur throughout the mythology of American- and Canadian-Indian tribes. Many Iroquois once feared what they called Flying Heads—man-sized, bodiless, open-mouthed heads covered in ragged hair—heads that could fly in a halting way, were armed with talons and craved humans which Mark A. Hall has theorized were actually giant owls. Sightings of giant owls continued into the era of North America’s first European-American settlers. Hall said some settlers saw their livestock carried off by enormous birds they called booger owls, and such sightings have persisted into the present, across America and across the Southwest. In a chapter of Cryptozoology and the Investigation of Lesser-Known Mystery Animals, New Mexico journalist Jerry A. Padilla recounted a Taos woman’s encounter with an owl she estimated to be at least 4 1/2 feet tall. This incident reportedly took place in the 1950s, not far north of the New Mexico-Colorado state line, when Taos resident Rosa M. Lucero was a little girl. Lucero recalled the giant owl wandering silently from a cluster of willows, walking back and forth and just staring at her and her grandmother, Elena Bustos Lucero, as the two of them frantically gestured the sign of the cross. “It just walked around in the garden by the willows,” Rosa M. Lucero said in the above-mentioned book. “My grandmother was convinced it was a nagual—someone taking the form of an owl—because she herself said that in all her long life she’d never encountered an owl so large and unafraid of people.” Though generally described as making a hooting sound, owls are sometimes also said to hum. The Internet is studded with mentions of owls humming as coyotes howl, owls humming the sounds of the night and barn owls humming people to sleep. Taos Tales, by Elsie Clews Parsons, includes a northern New Mexico oral history of a coyote who “went singing and at the end of every song he said like the owl, hum! hum! (grunt).” A much better-known hum in northern New Mexico is the notorious Taos Hum—a low, pulsing throb of a sound that torments about 2 percent of Taos’s population, causing anxiety, dizziness, headaches, nosebleeds and insomnia. Many people have suggested possible explanations—a government project, aliens, mass hysteria—but the Hum’s cause remains unknown. Would it be ridiculous, though, to suggest that maybe, just maybe, the Taos Hum might be caused by man-sized owls—the Bighoot—humming throughout the New Mexico woods? This evidence presents a somewhat rational explanation for the Mothman as some giant bastard owl. Whether a mutation or relic animal, one thing is certain—happening upon one would be an unnerving encounter. Sources csicop.org/sb/show/mothman_revisitedinvestigating_on_site, blogster.com/anaibendai/mothman-mystery-solved, s8int.com/eyewit12.html, dailylobo.com/index.php/article/2007/04/enormous_prehistoric_owls_may_have_migrated_from_cuba_to_a_town_near_you Top illustration credit Copyright © Yasmin Foster I would like to thank Yasmin Foster for her generous contribution of the gorgeous artwork, it’s a very neat interepretation of Mothman as an actual owl. Please check out more of her artwork at http://yasminfoster.blogspot.com

Illogical Tactics of Scientific Pseudo-Skeptics When I started this website just one year ago I was optimistic that I could find common ground between my own efforts to create critical-thinking heavy analysis techniques and the efforts of skeptics. After a great deal of searching I continue to come up short. The idea of scientific skepticism is a good one: An organized group that promotes critical thinking and science literacy. For all the talk and parading of credentials I am very disappointed that this large and well-funded movement has generated very little in the way of paranormal research. Skeptical blogs, websites, books and magazines produce topical content that entertains their base but provides no value in the advancement of understanding these cases. What I find more shameful is that the skeptical community often chases the low-hanging fruit. They paint the field as amateurs who offer nothing in the way of hard research, but in reality this is because they either don’t know or fail to acknowledge the groups doing good work. NARCAP, Rocky Mountain Paranormal, ASSAP, Grimstone, and Loren Coleman are just a few. The hard work these people do to advance the field of the paranormal often goes unrecognized. You would imagine the skeptical community that is invested in investigation of these claims would be deeply involved in promoting and even working with these leaders of the field, but rarely if ever will you hear any of them mentioned in skeptical media. I want skepticism to succeed. I think it is an interesting and useful movement that deserves to be listened to, but only if skeptics hold themselves to their own standards. Skeptics need to stop kidding themselves by claiming believers and the rest of the field of paranormal investigators are ignoring their infallible logic. The field of skepticism is filled with logical fallacies, hypocrisy, sloppy research practices, ignorance of scientific methodology, and ad hominem attacks on their critics. Admitting the problem is the first step to overcoming it. The sooner the skeptical movement can point that high-powered perception at its own shortcomings, the stronger it will be. Books and articles by scientific skeptics is plagued by poor research practices, the omission of key facts, generalizations and mischaracterizations. I’ve pointed to some of these in my past criticism of articles by Ben Radford, Sharon Hill and Joe Nickell. There are many examples of this and for the sake of brevity I’ll only mention one more. This example highlights the disconnect between what skeptics and cryptozooligists consider scholarship. In 2013 Daniel Luxton and Donald Prothero released a book called Abominable Science that essentially debunks cryptid myths like the Yeti and Loch Ness Monster. Skeptics loved it, in fact Sharon Hill named it book of the year for 2013 on her blog. The book got rave reviews, except from some of the people dedicated to studying cryptozoology. Daniel Perez provided a less than flattering review along with comments from Loren Coleman. The primary criticisms were omissions of evidence and testimony. The author’s provided a rebuttal which can be read here. Regardless of whether or not you believe these omissions were important scholarly work demands a thorough and transparent accounting of the facts. Scientific studies do not leave out procedural details because they are boring or not as relevant as the rest of the study. Accounting for ALL of the evidence is part of making a reasoned argument. Without that the work is more topical than scholarly. And that is truly sad. We have a field that is supposed to exemplify science and scholarly efforts package topical commentary and label it as scholarly work in the field. This level of scholarship would never be acceptable in any reputable field of science. Scientific skeptics, or pseudo-skeptics have a strong following. They often protect each other in the face of controversy. For example when the Daily Grail discussed the James Randi identity theft controversy, sketpic Sharon Hill was quick to respond to the author in the comments: I understand if you don’t agree with his methods or if you dispute the claims regarding duping the media – that’s fair game. But to delve into Randi’s personal relationships and issues as a means to discredit his life’s work? That’s pretty low. I disagree that these issues have anything to do with the work of the JREF and its mission. To make such an association is not justified. This ends up being an ad hominem attack, not evidence. I daresay you are not privledged to the skeptical conversation where we all are pretty damn critical of each other. Take for example when Randi posted a misguided view on global warming. There was an outcry, he corrected himself. You mention that this issue is not discussed in the CT community. It certainly is. But, why in the world would people of the skeptical community, interested in doing positive things, want to drag up gossip and dirt about each other and throw it around in public? It’s not relevant. We have better things to discuss. If there is a case of circling the wagons, it is because these are our friends and we wish to help them through a tough PERSONAL time. Would you disown your child for a drug arrest? Would you stop admiring a influential teacher because he had a drunk driving arrest? Many of us are beyond such petty judgements of people who have made some bad choices or gotten involved in trouble. While I understand that reputation is vulnerable to attack, stick to the facts as they apply and understand why people support the JREF and the Critical Thinking community to begin with. It’s not to pick at people but pick at their claims with reason. Seeing no value in becoming morally smug about this, I continue to support the core mission of Randi and his foundation. If I look like an apologist, so be it. A life of work should not be discarded for one unconnected issue. Based on Sharon’s response you would imagine that the post was pretty vile, but actually I found it to be very evenhanded. And when we compare this to how skeptics treat controversies it is pretty clear that the Author’s criticism of James Randi was tame. This isn’t the first controversy James Randi has been involved in. He was criticized for his radical views on social Darwinism, unfair testing with his million dollar challenge, employee harassment at JREF, his controversial comments on climate change, and his statement about his million dollar challenge: I always have a way out. I’m right. And honestly I could care less about the controversy, but what I do care about is even-handed criticism. So it would be surprising if many of the controversies were omitted from a popular wiki maintained by scientific skeptics. In fact out of all of those controversies I highlighted, only the global warming controversy is mentioned. Now that on its own isn’t exceptionally incriminating. Maybe Rational Wiki doesn’t want to commit character assassination. Fair enough. But let’s look at some other entries on this same site. Winston Woo is one of the biggest critics of skeptics and what he calls the pseudo-skeptics. His entry can be viewed here. The very first line reads: The Scientific Committee Exposing Pseudo-Skeptical Cynicism of the Paranormal, or “SCEPCOP,” is a website created by “Vinstonas Wu” (aka Winston Wu), an admitted diagnosed schizophrenic, to help champion every crazy idea which lacks any corroborative evidence whatsoever. And there are more attempts at character assassination throughout the entry. Another popular controversy has to do with Loren Coleman and his use of controversial SEO (search engine optimization) tactics to boost traffic to his site. Read the criticism from Mad Skeptic here. The article is filled with numerous assumptions and the claims are questionable which Top Secret writers points out. From my own review it seems several of the “keyword stuffing” incidents were used in correct context. Even if they were using 9/11 to promote a cryptozoology book, it is a piss-poor way to get more sales. Forget that fact that modern search algorithms are pretty darn good at spotting this kind of trickery, someone searching for 9/11 material that runs onto Loren Coleman’s site will click the back button as soon as they arrive. Not a very effective SEO strategy. James Randi is defended because of a tame article on his connection with identity theft yet Loren Coleman, accused of keyword stuffing received this much attention and criticism? I searched the Mad Skeptics site for any of the James Randi controversies but oddly found no mention. If you are going to air people’s dirty laundry at least be evenhanded about it! In all my articles on TheParanormalAnalyst.com I have never discussed these controversies in the skeptical community. The reason is simple; I choose to judge skeptics based on the merits of their work. Unfortunately this courtesy does not appear mutual. Strangely though, skeptics do turn on each other quite quickly, especially when it comes to the feminist movement like Richard Dawkins and the Elavatorgate scandal. Skeptics express outrage and use character assassination when it is in their interests but point to controversies among their own and the mere mention of these topics is considered outrageous. Ignorance of Scientific Methodology Ockham’s Razor or the similar rule of parsimony is often used to justify how the skeptical explanation is superficially more likely than the paranormal. Joe Nickell uses this quite frequently. But use of these methods require more than the casual application to competing hypotheses. The fact of the matter is, these tools are often applied incorrectly and without careful attention to defining assumptions, classifying evidence, and developing criterion to weigh assumptions in competing hypotheses. I detail more of this on All About Occult. Another common skeptic argument is there is no proof that an EMF (insert whatever other meter) meter detects ghosts. They are right in this statement but it is a complete misunderstanding of scientific methodology. If we are talking fallacies this is a red herring. If we extend this logic, believers have not even proven ghosts exist, so in fact no instruments, cameras included, can detect ghosts. So skeptics want believers to prove ghosts exist without using any devices to accurately record the evidence? I don’t get it. Using your 5 senses produces anecdotal evidence that would be thrown out. In reality there is no standard like this in scientific methodology. The scientific method requires that the measuring device and method generates reproducible observations. You do not need to establish a reason to use a specific measuring device. I talk more about this on All About Occult. Generalizing and Ad Hominem Attacks Generalizing is a necessary tool. I employ generalization constantly when I refer to skeptics or believers. This is because it is unrealistic to take every believer or skeptic and refer to them specifically. Just like that infographic at the top of this post. That is an attack on skeptical fallacies in general. Not all skeptics are guilty of using those tactics, and certainly believers are guilty of using these tactics too. But when using generalizations it should always come with the caveat that this does not apply to the entire group or something to that effect. To characterize entire groups like skeptics or believers by specific traits is problematic because the fields are diverse. So I do not take issue with using generalizations when applied tactfully, but when abused they become a tool to stereotype a group or bury evidence. Take for example Joe Nickell’s “States of Mind” article. In it he analyzes three cases of UFO sightings and concludes: Like UFOlogical cases generally, these examples from Anderson are telling. They illustrate how distorting the eye of the beholder can be, and how—through credulity, pro-UFO bias, illusions and misperceptions, altered states of consciousness, personality traits, and other factors, including a UFO-mythmaking culture—it can transform mundane phenomena into perceived alien encounters. I encourage you to read the rest of the article and my analysis for context. But essentially Nickell blames altered states of consciousness and bad memory for close encounters with UFOs with little to no evidence to support this claim and a great deal of assumptions. And Nickell at least applies generalizations politely. Donald Prothero, co-author of Abominable Science, responded to criticisms of omission of data like this: Even if we had not compiled the historical record of each cryptid, the rest of the book demolishes the possibility of their existence by a whole range of biological, geological and paleontological constraints that this critic clearly never read about. As usual, he’s doing the usual creationist tactic to avoid the confrontation of hard data against his beliefs [emphasis mine]: dismiss it with an irrelevant or false argument and then ignore it. You can view the page here. What does a criticism about omission in a book have to do with creationism? That isn’t relevant at all and offers no value in addressing the criticism. Please take on the argument alone without injecting unnecessary rhetoric! Or you can examine an article by Donald Prothero on the same blog “Chemtrails” ?Really? Did You Flunk Science? This illustrates the use of generalizations and Ad Hominem attacks against believers. This is also a great example of mischaracterization of the opposition’s arguments. From reading Prothero’s blog entry you would have no idea of the scope of work that has been done by Chemtrail advocates. Dane Wigington has even claimed to capture abnormally high UVA and UVB levels. I don’t care what your view is on the issue, but if you are going to draw conclusions like Chemtrail Advocates flunked Science, or the entire notion is silly, you need to address some of the more compelling evidence. Or how about the term “woo” used by skeptics to label anyone who criticizes skeptical methodology. A more productive line of effort would be in coherently addressing these criticisms not establishing labels for common arguments. Unfortunately these terms are employed to dismiss criticisms by category instead of addressing the argument. And there are harsher examples to in the comments of many skeptical blogs and forums like JREF but I wanted to avoid taking examples from the low-hanging fruit. A little bit of Google will show you the way. The Participation Problem The participation problem – I cannot understand how a group that self-identifies as the leaders of critical-thinking frequently cries incompetence when discussing paranormal investigators and cryptozoologists yet immediately assumes this incompetent field of researchers should have generated proof of the paranormal by now. If we were to apply critical thinking to this issue there are three possible explanations I can immediately come up with: 1). Investigators lack the competence to generate actionable evidence and data 2). The phenomenon cannot be easily measured and characterized with existing tools and techniques 3). The phenomenon has a explanation based on natural and known laws of science. Why do skeptics assume number 3 when they actively acknowledge number 1 and fail to even discuss number 2? If skeptics claim the field is plagued by unscientific work then it logically follows that this unscientific work may have an effect on evidence collection and analysis. That is a perfectly reasonable explanation yet I never see it entertained by skeptics. You can read more about the burden of proof and the participation problem here. Pseudo-Skeptics vs. Believers: Resources Another glaring issue in this field is the balance of resources. The scieentific skeptic movement has big names with big donors like Micheal Shermer and Skeptic.com and Skeptic Magazine. There is CSI which also has a magazine. There is JREF which is ran in part by James Randi. These organization receive significant donations and have paid staff to help combat the pseudo-science of the believers. And there are a vast array of blogs and websites promoting skepticism. Not to mention skeptics have the support from many in the scientific community. There is even an effort dedicated to changing Wikipedia pages to promote skepticism and its big names. And this has attracted criticism from people like Rupert Sheldrake. And when Sharon Hill expressed that she was ready to stop running Doubtful news, bloggers mobilized the Skpetical community to keep the site going. Now look at the field of paranormal investigators: Paranormal investigators don’t get grants or have backing from wealthy donors to support their cause. They have limited scientific involvement, limited scientific knowledge and very limited resources. It is a bit ridiculous to claim the paranormal is not a noteworthy area of study because the haphazard arrangements of paranormal investigators have not generated any definitive evidence. And aside from a few very rare exceptions like Richard Wiseman, the majority of the the skeptical community is engaged in topical discussion of the paranormal not hard research and analysis. It is not surprising to see why the community of paranormal investigators harbors disdain for scientific skeptics and pseudo-skeptics. They face the high standard of the scientific method without the resources and knowledge to meet that standard. Their opponents are well-funded and well-organized and will employ illogical attacks and arguments and even insults to reduce the credibility of critics. While skeptics could invest their significant resources in furthering the work they continue to produce only topical commentary on paranormal topics. What amazes me is after all this why some skeptics wonder why believers don’t drop their foolish beliefs and accept the all-knowing scientific skepticism arguments… Skeptics would do well to focus more resources on providing training and helpful suggestions. Criticism is only interesting for so long: At some point the audience says “Ok we get your message so what’s your alternative?” And on that I rarely see an answer from skeptics. Skeptics, if you want to improve the field of paranormal research, provide a point-by-point guide of policies and procedures. Topical commentary is a great ego building exercise, but not terribly helpful for the advancement of the field. This is by no means a complete list of common tactics used by some skeptics in the paranormal debate, and I know believers and people all across the spectrum share guilt. But I am under no obligation to provide a complete list. I have seen some quite vile comments on my explorations into skeptical territory and don’t make it a point to save each one. For those who truly have an interest in understanding and witnessing these errors go out and look for yourself. Apply your own critical thinking and feel free to comment on your findings. You don’t have to take my word for it. The truth is out there;)

A few choice selections from the comics due out July 4th: Infernal Man-thing #1 (of 3) Description: STEVE GERBER'S FINAL MAN-THING STORY! What is the mystery behind the 'Screenplay of the Living Dead Man'? The story no one thought existed!!! NO ADS! BONUS CONTENT! By: Steve Gerber, Kevin Nowlan, Arthur Adams Hero Worship #1 (of 6) Description: The biggest superhero screen writer in the World comes to comics for the first time! Zak Penn (writer of the Avengers movie, X-Men II & III movies, and the Alphas TV show) and Scott Murphy (lead writer of Star Wars The Clone Wars) spin a tale about the ultimate celebrity, an indestructible superhero called Zenith, and the rabid fans that worship him. Legions of adoring fans follow every disaster trying to speculate where they can catch a glimpse of their modern messiah. What happens when an unhealthy obsession leads to one fan getting super powers of his own? Available with a Regular, Wraparound, and a special White Knight Incentive cover by Michael Dipascale. By: Zak Penn, Scott Murphy, Michael DiPascale Hoax Hunters #1 Description: 'DIE OFF ANOTHER DAY,' Part One The acclaimed backup begins its own series! A rash of mass animal deaths leads the Hoax Hunters to the Louisiana bayou. What they find is a mystery that harkens to Jack's past - and a dangerous cryptid bent on revenge! By: Michael Moreci, Axel Medellin, Tim Seeley Before Watchmen Ozymandias #1 (of 6) Description: 'I have goals to achieve. Dreams to make come true.' Plus, a new CRIMSON CORSAIR backup feature from writer LEN WEIN and artist JOHN HIGGINS! By: Len Wein, Jae Lee More of This Week's Comics at This Link

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A man and his son may have had a close encounter with a cryptid similar to the Mothman in their Greeley, Colorado home earlier this year. Mr. Brown, 73, was helping his son clean out the attic and had just finished climbing the ladder when he realized something was watching him. His initial thought was it was just a rat but when he got a clear line of sight to the creature, he realized it was a tall, dark figure. Startled, he swung the flashlight he was holding in the direction of the invader and heard a sound similar to chattering teeth. However, Mr. Brown reported the creature backed away from the light with what sounded like human footsteps. When Mr. Brown’s son, a 42-year-old landscaper, joined him in the attic, he initially thought his dad was joking with him until he realized that the shadow he saw in the corner of the room was not a coat or a sheet or anything else man-made. They reported the shadowy creature moved from a crouched position to its full height, which was around 7 feet, and ran through the wall; disappearing! When the Browns examined the spot the creature had vanished through, they discovered the wall had a big hole in it and the creature had gone through an area where the wall was shallow. There was a tunnel behind the hole which went down into the house. Both men described the creature has having more fingers on its hands than a normal person and each finger had claws. When the light did catch its face momentarily, the mouth was small with tiny sharp teeth like a piranha. Its eyes were completely dark with no pupils and it had smooth, dark skin. Brown junior said it reminded him of something from the Mothman film. Many people may have seen the film made around the original Mothman sightings in Point Pleasant,West Virginia, based on the 1975 John Keel book The Mothman Prophecies. In the book, Keel claimed that a range of events which took place around the area at the time, include the collapse of the Silver Bridge, were all connected to the creature. The original sightings date from 1966 when the creature was seen by gravediggers. Later, the creature was sighted again by two young couples passing the former World War II munitions site near Point Pleasant. They described it as having glowing red eyes and looking like a man with ten-foot wings. More sightings followed, including two from volunteer fireman who similarly described it as a large bird with red eyes. Local authorities tried to blame the sightings on a range of large birds such as a sandhill crane or an oddly large heron but no evidence of these birds were found. Later reports indicated around 100 sightings in the years 1966-67; though many were kept private at the time. The sightings were later seen as a herald of the coming disaster at the Silver Bridge, where 46 people died in December 1967.

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Cryptozoology is the study of creatures whose existence has yet to be—or else cannot entirely be—proved or disproved by science. These creatures, known collectively as cryptids, include examples like the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, and the Himalayan Yeti, yet these famous cases are by no means the only ones on record. In fact, practically every country and corner of the globe has its own legendary monster or mystery creature that supposedly dwells there, from giant bats in Java to enormous water hounds in Ireland. Here you will find reports of cryptid sightings from around the world. The sightings will be updated daily and new ones will be posted as they come in.

i have a gif of a stockvideo of a naked girl eating a croissant she holds it and laughs then looks at it then looks back at the camera again then laughs some more she keeps looking back and forth smiling and laughing then she finally takes one tiny bite and shes acting like its the best thing shes ever eaten and she just keeps looking at the camera like “oh yea u like that” its too big to upload and i dont want to shorten it bc every minute of it is gold A/N: @deanssweetheart23 I warned you not to tempt me… and now it’s here. This could turn into a little mini-series if you guys are interested, so let me know. (Fire photos are mine/from my local department, Dean is from google) Quick language guide for those of you who don’t live with a police scanner providing constant background noise: BOLO (be on the look-out), MVA (motor vehicle accident), ALS (advanced life support), Car 3-2 (Lieutenant’s vehicle) You are not allowed to repost my art anymore, not in instagram or facebook etc, so don’t ask for permission, If you share my art directly from my facebook or tumblr page it’s fine, I tried to be nice letting you repost my art but not anymore, I tried to be polite and kind guys, really, but they keep reposting without permission anyways, and people just keep saying my art looks like etc artist and that’s not nice, because let’s be honest, if it looks that “similar” why do you want the “same” style in the same fandom, I was trying to not make drama about it, but for what I saw so far it hurts. People don’t care, they just read the unknown in the Reunknown name and say that the art it’s from unknown source, so maybe this is not going to stop people from reposting or saying things about my art I just want you to let you know how I feel about this, and for the people who actually asked for proper permission, I’m sorry. Nap Date, send me your thoughts on this one. Find other parts Here! “Shawn!” She calls out. She waits a second for him to respond but hears nothing. “Shawn!” She calls louder. The music on goes softer and she thinks that he’s heard her. But then nothing. “Shawn.” She says one more time, out of patience. “Give me a few minutes.” He says, yelling from his studio. “No.” She says, fed up, “I need you now.” She’s standing on the counter, trying to get the china down. His parents were coming over for dinner, and she wants to impress Karen. So she’s making a big meal of Pasta with a side salad and garlic bread. “Hold on.” He calls back. “Shawn.” She says, the plates she’s holding getting heavier. “WAIT!” He growls, startling her. He’s been distant and moody lately but he hasn’t been that aggressive. The plates are getting heavier, her fingers are slipping. She can’t help it, her fingers give out and she drops the stack of plates to the ground. They crash to the floor causing a huge boom and sound of shattering ceramic. She yelps as a piece bounces off the side of the counter cutting her foot. Shawn comes tumbling out of his studio, running towards the sound she had just made. He looks scared, eyes wide searching for her. He wants to know what just happened, and more importantly that she’s okay. She stand’s there, on the counter, looking at her foot that is now bleeding. “What the fuck?” He asks breathless. “Thanks for the help.” She sneers at him. “This is my fault?” He asks, confused. “I was calling you for a fucking reason Shawn, not to just see your annoying ass face.” “Hey.” He says, gaze softening. A little hurt at what she just said. “And now all our China, fucking ruined.” She groans looking at the floor. He stares at her, she never curses as much as she is right now. But she has completely lost her patience with him. He is always in the fucking studio, and never is around when she needs him. He’s more at home when he’s on tour. “What the fuck am I going to serve our dinner on? You mom is coming for dinner, she got us the fucking China.” She wipes her face, so stressed out. The idea of Karen finding out that the super expensive China she had specially picked out and paid for is now a shattered mess on the floor is giving her anxiety. “We’ll just get some more.” He shrugs. “She’ll know Shawn, she’ll fucking know.” She hisses at him. “Why are you angry with me?” “Because you’re never fucking here!” She screams at him. “What are you talking about, I’m right here.” “Yeah? Then why is our China a fucking shattered mess on the fucking floor? Why? Oh yeah because you were here to grab it from me when I called for you four fucking times. Or when I asked you to pick up the groceries but you ‘forgot, sorry was at the studio babe’,” She mocks him. “Making me have to leave work early so I could go get the groceries.” “I’m sorry.” He shrugs. “But you’re not.” She sighs, getting even more pissed off that he doesn’t seem to care. “And then I ask you to help me make dinner because, well your mom’s coming and I wanted your help so I didn’t fuck it up myself, But it was ‘Gonna finish this song, but you got it.’ so here we are. I haven’t even started on the food, our dishes are a fucking mess on our floor and your family is gonna be here in less than twenty minutes.” “Y/n.” He says looking up at her, she’s still standing on the counter, foot still bleeding. “Can you help me down, my foot is fucking killing me.” She says, eyes fierce. “Christ Babe, you’re bleeding.” He says finally looking down at her foot. He walks over, shoes still on, walking over the dishes on the floor. He picks her up bridal style taking her to the bathroom so she doesn’t bleed on the carpet. He starts to tend to her foot but she is still pissed. “Don’t fucking touch me.” She hisses. “You’re bleeding.” He says like that fixes everything. Like is magically makes her anger go away. “I need you to get the fuck out of this bathroom.” She says staring up at him, he looks at her with concern in his eyes. “I need you to figure out dinner, I honestly don’t care anymore. Your mom can think I’m the biggest fuck up of a wife, that’s cool. I just need five minutes.” “You are not a fuck up of a wife.” He immediately says with hurt eyes. “Well it feels like it, can you please just leave me alone.” “No way am I leaving you alone, Babe what did you say?” “Shawn.” She says growing frustrated again. “We need to at least have food for your family. We don’t have time for you to sit here and try to make me feel better because that’s not gonna fucking work. If you don’t get food then at least clean up the kitchen.” “Y/n.” He lingers, she can tell that he’s not sure what to do. He hates when she feels bad about herself, and does whatever he can to make her feel better, but she’s telling him to leave. He just looks so lost. “GO Shawn!” She says pointing at the door. He takes a little bit but walks out of the bathroom. She sighs and hangs her head, really wanting to cry. She almost let yourself cry, she almost let a tear fall. She doesn’t cry though. She knows that if she starts crying she’ll be seen as weak and not strong enough for him. She tries to attempt to stop the bleeding from her foot, wrapping it with bandages. She can hear the Mendes clan walk into the house, asking about her. She stands to go greet them but when she does she starts to feel faint. She leans against the door, taking in deep breaths, trying to get the black that’s crowding her vision to go away. “Y/n?” Aaliyah asks, trying to find her. She doesn’t have enough energy to call out to her. But she finds Y/n anyway. “Y/n?” She asks, more worried now. She rushes to Y/n’s side. “Liyah.” She choke out, her head now pounding. “What’s wrong? Why is there blood on the floor?” “Liyah I don’t feel good.” She’s nauseous now. “Y/n?” Aaliyah asks. She can feel yourself slipping. The grip on reality starting to fade away. She starts leaning into Liyah, not being able to support herself anymore. “Shawn!” Aaliyah calls out, as she stumbles with Y/n to the ground. She’s moving the hair out of Y/n’s face, fanning her. “SHAWN!” She screams, as Y/n closes her eyes, suddenly super tired. “What? What’s wrong? Y/n?” He asks. He rushes to her side. “What the fuck happened?” “I don’t know, I walked in and she was like barely standing and then told me she wasn’t feeling good. Shawn why is there blood on the floor?” “Jesus, we need to go to the hospital. Tell dad to start my jeep.” He says barking orders. “Baby, I’m here. I’m here now.” He says to her. She can feel him start to pick her up, holding her to his chest. He’s whispering that she’s okay, but she can’t tell if its for her or for him. “Shawn? What’s going on? Oh my god Y/n” She can hear Karen. She clutches Shawn’s shirt, trying to stay awake. “I’ve got you Baby. I’ve got you.” He says, now in the backseat of a car, stroking her hair. “Y/n? Can you look at me?” He whispers. She pries her eyes open to look into his brown ones. “I’m tired.” She whines. “Just keep looking at me Baby.” He says, eyes so scared and worried. When she wakes Shawn is not by her side, Karen is. She smiles when she sees that Y/n has opened her eyes. “Hey.” She whispers looking over at Shawn, who’s asleep on another chair in the corner of the room. “Let him sleep.” Y/n says softly. “He’s been up all night watching you.” “I’m sorry for such the scare.” “You’re okay, we’re glad you’re okay.” “I don’t even really know what happened?” “You were bleeding out.” “Can I talk to you for a quick second?” “Yeah.” She nods, sitting up. Karen takes her hand. “Honey, I am not going to think you are a fuck up of a wife. I don’t care if you serve me dinner on paper plates. I don’t care if we have take out pizza. I just want you to be happy.” “Karen.” She sighs. “Shawn told me how stressed out you were, and you don’t need to be.” “Thanks.” She smiles, squeezing her hand. She was about to tell Karen about the small depressed state she has been in but Shawn interrupts. “Hey, you’re up.” Shawn says sitting up. “I’ll give you a second.” Karen says getting up and walking out. Shawn gets up and takes the seat next to the bed. “How are you feeling?” “Good, better.” She nods. “You didn’t have to tell your mom that I was stressed out.” “I’m sorry, I just needed to get the thoughts out of my head. I’ve been sort of freaking out.” “I’m sorry, I didn’t know this was going to happen.” “It’s not, but thanks for lying.” “Can you talk to me about how you’re feeling?” “I said was good.” “Not about that, why do you think you’re a fuck up of a wife?” “I don’t know, you’re never home and I had just broken all of our China.” “What do you mean I’m never home?” “I mean, you’re physically in the house, but you’re never with me.” “I’m still confused.” “Shawn, I feel as if the music is more,” “Don’t even finish that sentence.” He cuts her off. “You are so much more important than the music. You know that.” “I would hope so.” “It hasn’t seemed like it lately.” “Wow okay, I’m sorry. It’s me being the fuck up.” “Shawn.” She sighs. “No, I’ve fucked up, majorly. But not anymore. You always come first, always. I talked to Andrew, I’m on break.” “Shawn, don’t do that.” “It’s already taken care of.” “No Shawn, the album is more important than my insecure feelings.” “No it isn’t. If your feeling insecure it’s my job to help you through it. You don’t have any reason to be insecure. And you are not a fuck up of a wife. You are the best fucking wife, I can’t picture my life without you. Don’t ever think that you are not important to me, you are the most important thing in my life.” “I love you.” She cries holding his hand. “I love you so much.” He says, standing to kiss her on her head. “I was so fucking scared. You were so pale, and you’re eyes were not the same. The beautiful life in your eyes, it was gone. You could barely keep your eyes open, and I was so scared I was going to lose you. You were so out of it when we got here, and I couldn’t stop the thoughts in my head. I was freaking the fuck out.” “I’m right here.” She says taking his face into her hands. “And I’m so happy that you are.” “I’m happy that you’re here.” “But Aaliyah is really freaked out because she was the one to find you, so can I got get her?” “Can I just be with you for a second?” She asks as he sits down. “Yeah Baby, I’m right here.” “I know, I just need a few minutes.” “I’ve got you.” He says resting his on the bed, forehead touching hers. “I’ve always got you.” Warnings: SMUT. Metal arm porn, fingering, dirty talk, Bucky being a cocky lil shit. Me loving my Buck-Buck. Word Count: 2631. So… @sexylibrarian1 once wrote me something about Bucky’s hands and I had this floating around (obviously what she wrote is 1000% better than this, go read it) and I decided to post it. My wife is inspiring, if I was John Legend she’d be one of my Chrissy’s because @thecrownedrose would be the other. had a fucked up dream where my parents were in on some cryptid conspiaracy shit and couldnt tell me about it but one night they seemed really sad and they told me they were going to collect footage of cougars and we drove into the woods and my mom handed me a mirror and was almost crying but she had to pretend nothing was wrong and she said “ok honey. look at yourself in the mirror and laugh. just keeping looking at yourself and laughing and smiling ok? if anything makes you look away just remember to always look back at the mirror and just dont forget the look of your face ok?” and while she was saying that the car door opened and an elderly woman opened the door. she was super dark (not in skin tone, but as if someone had wrapped her up in a shadow) and made me physically uncomfortable. she immediately ripped my head towards her face and looked me in the eyes. her face was absolutelty putrid. not in a traditionally “ugly” way but in a “this is not a human” way. then the fucked up part happened: she kissed me and i could feel her trying to suck out my soul. the reason this is fucked up is because i could FEEL it. like, not just in my dream, but in real life. it took like 4 seconds of it before i cringed myself awake and it took me a couple minutes to STOP feeling it. it felt like i almost died and whatever chemical that was being released in my brain to make me feel that way felt like something that should only be released in the most extreme and threatening fight or flight situations. and the fact that something in my DREAM had the power to control it is fucked up. it was like. the most afraid i have ever felt of the physical ramifications of a dream. and i still feel icky. Pidge and Matt walk into the main room on the castle so he can meet everyone Matt, upon seeming Kuron: ummmm Katie, not to alarm you or anything but that is 100% not shiro Pidge, whispering behind her hand: we know, and have for a while. The only one who doesn’t is “Shiro”, but honestly he tries so hard so we’re just going to continue to ignore it for now SO LIKE BRACE YOURSELVES BECAUSE THIS IS FUCKING LONG AND I WOULD APOLOGISE BUT MY OTP IS ONLY GETTING MARRIED ONCE SO FUCK IT RIGHT? OK FIRST OF ALL HELLA TRANSITION AND SECOND OF ALL I LOVE WHAT HE’S WEARING AND THIRD OF ALL HE WORE THE FUCKING EARRING OF MY DEMISE I HATE HIM AND HIS STUPID PERFECT EYES AND HIS STUPID PERFECT JAWLINE AND HIS STUPID PERFECT EVERYTHING GOD I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT WE GET TO SEE THIS RELATIONSHIP AND LOOK HOW FAR THEY’VE COME. STEP FATHER AND BEST MAN LIKE SO MANY FUCKING TEARS ALREADY YOU KNOW HE’S SEEN HER. LOOK AT HIS DAMNED FACE. AND SHE’S FUCKING STUNNNINGGGG IN HER DRESS SO I DON’T BLAME HIM AT ALL FOR THIS REACTION LOL AND THEN FUCKING LOOK AT THIS RIGHT? SNOW IS TAKING DEEP BREATHS, CHARMING IS JUST HAPPY AF AND EMMA FUCKING SWAN IS LOOKING AT KILLIAN JONES AND SHE CAN’T TAKE HER EYES OFF HIM ANYMORE THAN HE CAN TAKE HIS EYES OFF HER LOOK AT THIS LOVE DAMNIT I CANNOT BELIEVE WE’RE GETTING TO SEE THIS FUCK LOOK AT THIS DUMB LITTLE FAMILY AND HOW FAR THEY’VE COME. I LOVE THAT THEY’RE BOTH WALKING HER DOWN THE AISLE AND BOTH HOLDING HER AS SHE GOES AND I’M JUST SO DAMN HAPPY LOOK AT THIS. FUCKING WHAT IS THIS WITH THE SMILING AND THE KISSING THE CHEEKS WHAT IS THIS WHO AUTHORISED THIS? TAKE IT AWAY IMMEDIATELY AND THIS FUCKING HANDSHAKE?! REMEMBER WHEN HE WAS ALL YOU CAN’T EVER DATE MY DAUGHTER EVERRRRR EVER EVER EVER AND NOW FUCKING LOOK. THEY’RE BROS. SUCH BROS. THIS IS RIDICULOUS HOW MANY EMOTIONS I HAVE RN OMFG LOOK HOW HAPPY HE IS THAT HE’S GOT HER HAND IN HIS. THAT DAMN SMILE THAT WON’T QUIT AND OK WHEN ARCHIE SAYS THAT THEY SHOULD RECITE THEIR VOWS KILLIAN LOOKS AT WHO I’M ASSUMING IS CHARMING OR HENRY, OR PERHAPS THE WHOLE FAMILY, JUST GIVING THEM A SMILE AND IT KILLS ME BECAUSE NOT ONLY DID EMMA SWAN FIND A FAMILY, KILLIAN JONES DID TOOOO LOOK AT THEM DAMNIT, LOOK AT HOW FUCKING HAPPY ARE OMFGGG AND THE VOWS, THE DAMNED FUCKING VOWS OMFG THE WAY HE FUCKING LOOKS AT HER AND THE WAY SHE FUCKING LOOKS AT HIM AND THE FUCKING AWE IN HIS FACE WHEN HE’S LIKE YOU TAUGHT ME THAT A HEART FULL OF LOVE WAS MORE PRECIOUS THAN ANY TREASURE LIKE HE NEVER THOUGHT IN HIS WILDEST DREAMS THAT THIS COULD EVER FUCKING HAPPEN FOR HIM AND NOW THAT HE HAS IT, HE WILL NEVER FUCKING LET IT GO AND I AM DEAD AND GONE, A SPIRIT IS TYPING THIS RN AND FUCK LOOK AT HIM TELLING HER HIS HEART IS HERS LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY ARE OMG I AM SO EMOTIONAL *THROWS THINGS* *THROWS ALLL THE FUCKING THINGS* I AM GONNA THROW MY COUCH AT SOMEONE NOW BECAUSE DID YOU HEAR HOW SHE SAYS KILLIAN? ALL SOFT AND TENDER AND LIKE SHE LOVES HIM. AND OMG HENRY FOUND HER AND THE WAY SHE LOOKS AT HENRY TOO. THERE’S JUST SO MUCH LOVE IN THIS ROOM THAT I AM IN PAIN AND FUCKING LOOK AT THE SOFT WAY THAT KILLIAN LOOKS AT HENRY TOO LIKE WHAT THE FUCK AND HENRY GOD HENRYYY I AM SO PROUD OF HIM AND I LOVE HIM SO MUCH AND HE JUST BELIEVED AND LOOK HOW FAR THEY’VE ALL COME FUCK ME AND SHE FOUND THE REST OF HER FAMILY TOO BECAUSE OF HENRY AND THEY’RE HERE ON HER FUCKING WEDDING DAY TO HER FUCKING TRUE LOVE OMFG I AM OVERWHELMED AND SHE LOOKS AT HIM RIGHT AND SHE’S TELLING HIM THESE THINGS ABOUT TRUE LOVE AND FAMILIES AND FUCK ME IF KILLIAN JONES ISN’T COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY IN AWE OF THE WOMAN IN FRONT OF HIM. I AM OF THE OPINION THAT KILLIAN JONES THINKS THAT EMMA SWAN IS MAGIC AND HE IS BESOTTED WITH HER ANEW EVERY SECOND THAT HE LOOKS AT HER AND THIS MOMENT AND EMMA’S VOWS AND OMFG JUST BECAUSE YOU LEARN THAT YOU COME FROM TRUE LOVE DOESN’T MEAN THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL FIND IT AND YET HERE HE IS AND HERE SHE IS AND IT TOOK CENTURIES AND CURSES AND ADVENTURES THROUGH TIME AND REALMS AND FUCKING NOW THEY STAND HERE AND SHE SMILES AT HIM THIS WAY AND HE SMILES BACK AND THEY HAVE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEM YOU KNOW? ALL YOU EVER REALLY WANT IS FOR SOMEONE TO KNOW YOU, TO SEE YOU, TO KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS AND YOUR WEAKNESSES, YOUR FAILURES, YOUR SUCCESSES AND TO LOVE YOU ANYWAY. AND THEY HAVE THAT AND THEY’RE PROMISING TO NEVER LEAVE AND GODDDDAMN EVERYTHING HELLLLP BECAUSE HONESTLY WHAT THE FUCK MY EMOTIONS ARE SO CRAZY RIGHT NOW I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO WITH MYSELF I LOVE THEM SO FUCKING MUCH AND OK SHE’S PUTTING THE DAMN RING ON AND HE CAN’T STOP STARING AT HER. LIKE HE JUST KEEPS LOOKING AT HER AND SHE IS FUCKING STUNNING, I DON’T BLAME HIM HANDSSS HANDS ARE THE REASON FOR MY BEING A PUDDLE ON THE FLOOR HANDS AND THE WAY THEY’RE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER AND THE WAY HE SAYS I DO, HIS EYES UNWAVERING FROM HERS AND THE WAY SHE DOES THE FUCKING SAME *SLAMS KEYBOARD* WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS NONSENSE LOOK AT THIS SMILE, IT WON’T FUCKING STOP LIKE OMFGGGGGG ARCHIE IS ME HERE. HE GETS ME. HE TOO IS MARVELLING AT THE PERFECTION THAT IS THE JOY OF CAPTAIN SWAN. HUSBAND. AND. WIFE. THE. FUCK. WHAT. HOW. I. CANNOT. BELIEVE THIS FUCKING PERFECTION I CANNOT DAMN BELIEVE DAMN FUCK AND I THOUGHT I HAD DIED ENOUGH BUT NO, THERE WAS A FUCKING DIP, HIS HAND CLEAR FUCKING AROUND HER WAIST AND COMING BACK AROUND AND THEN FUCKING YOU GOT YOUR HAPPY ENDING SWAN LIKE KILLIAN FUCKING JONES AND FUCKING EARRING AND THEN OK, LEAVING ALONE THE DEVASTATING SMILES AND THE CONTENTMENT RADIATING OFF THEM AND THE ARMS AROUND EACH OTHER AND THE FUCKING FUCKING EARRING LEAVING ALONE ALL THIS, YOU HIT ME WITH A HAPPY BEGINNING?! THIS IS UNFAIR AND I AM IN TEARS AND I LOVE THEM SO FUCKING MUCH. I DON’T HAVE THE WORDS i decided to write something fun for them,,,,,so take this wonderland au (it also got the most votes in my poll!!)~~~~ps: it probably makes no sense Shownu : Caterpillar lays shirtless in a huge canopy made of woven flowers and is usually not the type to answer if someone comes looking for him like minhyuk will stop by and hang off a branch and try to pester shownu who just waves him off with one hand on his back are large tattooed wings in beautiful bright colors but he rarely lets people close enough to see them talks sort of slowly so it’s hard to keep a long conversation with him without feeling sleepy or hypnotized you’re trying to find a specific kind of potion that’ll help you grow taller and hatter kihyun told you the person to ask is shownu and so when you find him ,,,,,,,,,,, you call out but there’s no response so you decide to climb your way up into the canopy and to shownu’s surprise you manage your way in and slowly he begins to ask you who are you but you just dig around in your pocket and go “hatter said you’d have this potion?” and you hold up the paper in front of shownu’s face but he simply tilts his head and asks again, who you are and you start telling him but something begins to shake the canopy and for a moment you think you see the tail of cheshire minhyuk but then you’re like no,,,,it must be the wind??? what’s happening??? and the canopy swings back and forth and you look to shownu,,,,,,,only to see he’s as confused as you until you lose your balance and all forward,,,,right into shownu’s chest and you’re like soRRy,,,,,but you can’t help it your face is against his bare skin and shownu,,,,,,,whose reflex was quick enough to catch you,,,,,,,is taking very very vERY slowly to let you go and you’re like blushing because uM AnYWAY thE PotION and shownu takes a moment but tells you that you’ll need to get the potion from the red queens garden and you’re like ???? whose and shownu mumbles something and lays back down,,, turning onto his side and you see the wings on his back and you’re like,,,,,,,,well you need to leave but you’re also like,,,,staring at him because,,,,,,wow,,,,but also,,,,,seriously does he just sleep all day Jooheon : White Rabbit jooheon in big round glasses, a white button down, and suspenders,,,,,,,,,a pocket watch he keeps fretting over around his neck??? bunny ears that twitch whenever someone mentions the time and he realizes he’s late keeps trying to escape the clutches of minhyuk who likes to tease him and purposely take up his time with silly riddles always runs past you when you want to ask him something and at some point you get annoyed because you reALLY need to know why he was in your backyard checking his watch because if he hadn’t been you wouldn’t have fallen down this damn hole and so you finally catch him when you spot him sitting under a tree in the queens garden and you’re like jOOHEON and he jumps up,,,,completely red in the face,,,on suspender falling off his shoulder and he’s like I-I-I- HAVE to bE GOING !!! iM LATE to SEE HyunGWON- and you’re like no no no and you end up having to chase him through the queens garden,,,which is more like a maze than anything,,,,and when you finally both end up at a dead end you panting with your hands on your knees and jooheon nervously fidgeting his ears you go whY do you keep running from me??? and he’s like “i can’t be seen with you!! if changk- i mean the red queen sees he’ll have my head!” and you’re like why???? and jooheon just keeps looking around like he’s scared a guard will come through the bushes so you stretch your hands out to put on his cheeks and you’re like “hey,,,look at me! calm down ok?” and he locks eyes with you,,,,and you smile softly and that somehow seems to get him settled but also you can feel his cheeks getting hotter under your touch and you’re like ??? are you ok and he’s like fIne,,,,and you’re like “ok i have a question then what were you doing in my backyard?” and jooheon twitches his nose ,,,you know the way rabbits do,,, and he’s like “im not sure,,,,but yo-you made me late!!!” and you’re shocked because huh??? you made him late??? and jooheon pulls up the loose suspender and is like “i,,,,,got caught up staring at you,,,,,,anD i couldn’t make it to tea,,,” and you’re like wait staring at me? and he’s like you,,,,you’re quite- i hadn’t ever seen someone so - – p–r–pret- but he doesn’t finish the sentence because his watch goes off and he makes a sound of surprise and dashes off out of the maze again and you’re like DAMMIT but what?????? was he going to say?????? Kihyun : Mad Hatter keeps throwing parties every three or so hours because he forgets about the party from before wears the bright, big top hot with a mismatched colored suit and if you look directly into his eyes you can see that one is brown and the other is ,,,, green breaks out into song whenever he can (to the unfortunate luck of hyungwon) and can drink tea upside down is overall confusing,,,,loud,,,,and a little sensitive when you ask him what day it is,,,,but other than that he’s really fun and flirty which you know because whenever you pass by his place he’s always rushing out the door to get you to join him and the others,,,,,,that being literally hyungwon asleep at the table and wonho watching kihyun gleefully and you’re always like “kihyun,,,,you still didn’t clean the dishes from the last party????” and he’s like what last party???? but even so as you’re watching him pour tea into three different cups and sing about the weather you can’t help but,,,,be happy around him,,,,,even if he’s a little weird but what you don’t expect is for him to pull you up out of your chair and onto the table and you’ve never??? stood up on a table before??? and you’re clinging to kihyun’s lapels because oh no if you take another step you might step on one of the plates and you want to return to your seat but kihyun seizes the chance and spins you around and cups and plates and sugar cubes go flying everywhere but kihyun swoops you up before you can kick the teapot over and it’s almost like,,,,there’s magic,,,,,in the way kihyun dances with you on this table and you look up ,,,,,to see him grinning ,,,,, two different colored eyes sparkling and you’re like “kihyun- hatter- i can’t danc-” and he just says noNSENSE and keeps spinning you around and hyungwon and wonho watch from their seats,,,,wonho clapping and hyungwon yawning as kihyun waltz you up and down the table,,,,dipping you at one point so you’re almost at risk of being dropped off the table,,,but then he pulls you back up and again you’re looking into that smiling,,,,,,,,ever so mischievous smirk and you want to say something but you’d rather just let kihyun lead you in this whimsical dance because what’s a party without any dancing right~ Minhyuk : Cheshire Cat purple striped ears and tail that match the purple collar around his neck he’s super acrobatic and likes laying on branches and hanging off random things keeps showing up above your head and disappearing in the blink of an eye???? the last thing you see are his sharp, white teeth but if you scratch behind his ears he basically melts which is pretty cute makes lots of jokes that kind of don’t make sense but you laugh anyway because he looks kinda cute making a fool out of himself,,,,,,,,,,and you don’t really know but he does it for the sake of your entertainment hehe and a lot of the time you find yourself only seeing him when you’re alone like you’ll walk through the dark forest and you’ll suddenly hear a familiar laugh and minhyuk will lean his chin on your shoulder out of nowhere or wrap his tail around your wrist and it always surprises you,,,,,but he’s alway nice to see because when he’s there,,,,,you don’t feel so lonely in this new place and one evening,,,,as you’re dining with the queen you almost spit out your drink because you see minhyuk show up behind him, picking up the crown off his head and twirling it around and you’re trying not to laugh but ,,,,,even when minhyuk hops up onto the table in front of the queen??? like he still can’t see him???? and you excuse yourself for a moment,,,,,,,minhyuk disappearing from the table and reappearing beside you when you get back into the hall and you’re like “????why can’t the queen see you???” and minhyuk shrugs and says something about his ‘oddness’ not matching up to the queen’s ‘madness’ and you roll your eyes because whY does everyone speak in riddles here but you also lean up a bit to fix the collar around minhyuk’s neck because it seems like it’s lopsided and minhyuk,,,,for the first time,,,,,,his teasing smile wavers and he puts his hand over yours and is like,,,,what are you doing and you’re like because of your shenanigans back there your collar got turned!!! im fixing it and minhyuk,,,,,,,,he,,,,,,,keeps his hand over yours and you don’t really notice it but it’s actually been a long time since minhyuk has been able to touch someone physically most of the time he plays pranks and disappears but you’re here ,,,, in front of him,,,,,,,,,,,,warm,,,,,, and before he can control himself he nuzzles his nose against the side of your hair and you freeze up and ,,,,,,, it’s gentle,,,,you’re not scared but?? the door opens suddenly and the queen comes barrelling in asking whAT is taking you so long and you’re like “i was with the cat- oh he’s gone?” Hyungwon : Dormouse his suit always has tea stains on it and his hat is practically falling off his head hatter kihyun always puts hyungwon’s hands in teacups so when he wakes up he always scratches at his nose and he ends up with a wet hand in his face which kihyun thinks is HILARIOUS and hyungwon just murmurs about how he really should find somewhere else to take his naps his mouse ears are hidden in his messy hair but if he puts his head down on the table you can see them peeking out you end up trying to clean up after another unbirthday party for the hatter and march hare,,,,,those two had escaped back into the forest saying something about a trial at the queens court so you and hyungwon are left alone and as you’re stacking dinner plates and saucers you notice his hand is,,,,literally in a cup of cold tea and you mutter that kihyun is at it again so you go over and take his hand out and you use the edge of the tablecloth to dry off his long fingers when suddenly you hear a sleepy voice ask you what is going on and you tell hyungwon that you’re just trying to make sure kihyun’s prank doesn’t work again and he seems to nod, but puts up his other hand to rub his eye and you grab it like WAIT i didn’t dry that one yet and you sit there,,,,,looking up to see hyungwon slouching over you and you’re like “wait,,,,how tall are you?” and he gets up on shakey legs and you’re like WOAH and hyungwon is like “not,,,,that tall i fit into a teapot if i tr-” and you’re like in what teapot do those legs even manage to get into it??? and you notice when he shakes his head a bit his ears and the tail that sways behind him and you’re like “are you a-,,,,,,,,,,,,,mouse?” and he shrugs and says that he doesn’t care what he is, but he knows he’s sleepy and you’re like ok but don’t sleep at the table hatter kihyun will comeback to prank you again and hyungwon suddenly offers you his hand and is like “i know a good nap,,,,,,spot,,,,,the flowers near shownu’s canopy are ,,,,,,, extra soft,,,,,,,want to go nap there - together?” Wonho : March Hare absolutely adores everything hatter kihyun does unlike jooheon’s ears which are always at attention and alert,,,wonho’s lay against the side of his head and are kinda floppy when he gets up to dance wears a different color bow tie every day and he claims it’s because you need a different bowtie for every unbirthday party you’ve seen him speaking with the flowers and trees before and you thought he was just mad,,,,,until the flowers spoke to you too he once told you his favorite tea is super rare because it comes from the red petals from the queen’s garden which commoners can’t have you meet him when he’s actually not at the table with hatter kihyun and dormouse hyungwon and he’s explaining to you that someone told him he could find the queen’s red roses on the path toward the white rabbit’s house and so you’re walking together and you notice how much more reserved he is when kihyun isn’t around and you want to ask something when suddenly something falls into your hands and???? it’s a red rose and you look up and cheshire minhyuk is lounging on a branch and is like “why hare,,,,,,,you haven’t said more then three words to our traveler,,,,,,,,cat got your tongue?” and wonho wants to say something but minhyuk drops down from the branch and picks up the rose in your hand and puts it behind your ear and is like “i know why ,,,,,,,,,,the hare is all embarrassed~” and wonho reaches out to try and take a hold of minhyuk but the other vanishes while laughing only to reappear back on the branch this time hanging upside down off it and he’s like “the march hare has a crush~ a crush on you~ and it’s his birthday not his unbirthday ~~~ don’t you think he deserves a gift~~~” and with a wink sent your way minhyuk is gone and you’re standing there looking at wonho like it’s—-it’s your birthday???? and blushing,,,,using his ears to cover the bottom half of his face wonho nods and you’re like aw,,,,well it’s your birthday you should have this and you take the rose from behind your ear and give it to wonho,,,,who seems to still be a little embarrassed and you’re like “oh! and take this-” as you reach up to kiss his cheek which leaves his ears standing up straight for the first time heheh Changkyun: Red Queen doesn’t like being called the red king because in games the king never does anything but get protected,,,,,the queen on the other hand is powerful so if anyone calls him ‘king’ , ‘prince’, etc. well,,,,,,off with their heads wears a red cape,,,,red crown,,,,red nail polish,,,,,,,,and most people say that the red that underlines his eyes is actually the blood of those he beheads,,,,,, BUT those are all rumors so what do we know (they are,,,most of the time no one actually gets hurt because jooheon spends hours writing pardons for every little thing changkyun gets mad over) likes to play croquet and likes it when you tell him he’s right,,, the moment you stumble upon him,,,changkyun takes a liking to you because you compliment how he looks in his cape and before you know it you find yourself at his side for his croquet game,,,even calming him down after he sentences minhyuk to be captured for making a fool out of him again which is something no one in wonderland has ever been able to do,,,,like changkyun’s temper cannot be calmed, but all you had to do was touch his hand and smile and it seemed like all the anger just fizzled out and changkyun just smiled back and people keep saying that sooner or later you’ll be the queen’s chosen one,,,,,,,and you’re like he doesn’t like me like THAT MUCH but say that to the fact that during a royal feast instead of having you sit in the chair beside his changkyun had straight up just pulled you into his lap feeding you the reddest of cherries and draping his favorite cape of your shoulders and hatter kihyun had come over for the ball and jokingly asked for a dance to which changkyun told him if he ever wanted to drink tea again he better bet it or else that mouth of his would be- changkyun spent the rest of the night telling you all about how he was planning on painting every white flower in the garden red and when you’d asked him if maybe you should change your clothing from blue to red changkyun had immediately ordered you a new,,,completely red,,,,,wardrobe changkyun: “off with their-” you: “here eat this red apple and kiss me instead ok?” So uhhh how about Stan with a flower crown (THE LOSERS ARE SHOOK, PICTURES TAKEN LEFT AND RIGHT, GEORGIE IS ALIVE AND WELL AND IS CONVINCED THAT STAN IS THE PRETTIEST ANGEL EVER) ✿ bill’s mom wasn’t too keen on the idea for bill borrowing the car to take stan out on a date, but he assured that they were taking georgie to the park, and stan was just gonna help look after him! so she finally gave in and handed him the keys ✿ stan and bill were suppose to go bird watching, but stan didn’t mind georgie coming along! they went out a lot so he was glad to spend time w his favorite sailor ✿ when they arrive, stan tries to bond with georgie and show him all his favorite birds and the ones he’s gonna try to spot today in his field guide, but georgie is excited about all the different flowers! there’s so many shades of pinks and purples and even blues, and blue was his favorite ✿ georgie begged begged begged, almost on his knees for stan, to let him put flowers in his hair. he said they don’t stay in his and bill’s hair correctly, and he saw a curly haired girl at school do it and she looked “really pretty, i promise”. bill helped his brother beg too, and stan couldn’t say no to the denbrough boys ✿ georgie picked the flowers and bill put them in stan’s hair, arranging them in a halo above his ears. the flowers alternated from pretty pink sweet peas to white lilys. bill vouched for georgie, and agreed that stan looked very pretty. georgie said, voice in awe, “pretty? no, bill, he’s perfect” ✿ stan was flattered of course but he forgot all about the flowers in his hair when he branched off from the boys to continue bird watching from a greater height. when he went up hill, he bumped into his group of friends, having a make-sift lunch picnic with all the boxes of pizza they chipped in to buy together. he thought “wow, what a surprise, let me get bill and georgie real quick,” but his friends wanted him to hang around just a little longer ✿ beverly muttered curses under her breath every time stan moved, ruining on off her sneaky off guard pictures of him with the flowers in his hair ✿ ben was convinced that the sight of stan with flowers in his hair is what people wrote poetry about ✿ eddie and richie had to restrain from reaching out and touching it because, “wow, when did stan’s hair look so soft?” ✿ mike was going to speak up, let him know he had something in his hair, but beverly sent him one of the deadliest stares he’s ever received in his life, so he decided to stay quiet ✿ the losers had stan stare off in some direction away from them in the promise that there’s definitely a blue jay over there as they all snapped pictures of him ✿ normally they would’ve been excited to see bill and georgie, but they were sure he would ruin their fun when they saw the two walk hand in hand up the hill ✿ bill said simply, “babe, there’s no blue jay over there,” ✿ and stan turned to him with the cutest confused, annoyed expression, head of curls full of beautiful flowers and the sun light hit him just perfect ✿ bill just had to grab his phone from his back pocket and join in, “it’s not a b-buh-blue jay, babe. it’s a steller’s jay. you know, that one from your book? yeah, you gotta squint though it’s real far, just keep looking,” so a lot of people say their favorite Clexa scene/moment is either The Kiss™, the Nose Boop™, or The Bow and Vow™, but I’m about to tell you why The Awkward Dinner Table™ is my favorite Clexa scene. the first time I saw this scene, i didn’t quite notice how hilariously awkward it is for everyone except probably Lexa. it starts off with Kane offering Lexa alcohol (like that’s not creepy at all) and then speaking Trigedasleng with some bizarre accent. But wait, that’s not even the best part– Awkward Moment #1: There’s like (let me count) a good twenty other people in this room, yet Lexa only has eyes for Clarke. Like, literally. She stares at Clarke for eight seconds straight (i counted) while Gustus sets the glasses down on the table. but i think the funniest part is that everyone’s got this look on their face like, this is so fucking awk. Even Gustus! He looks at Lexa like, wtf is she doing?? now i really must poison myself bc heda’s bout to fall in love again, this shit can’t happen Awkward Moment #2: Lexa’s STILL fucking staring she’s like, i can do this all day don’t try me And Indra’s like, jfc heda, you’re being so damn obvs, even my second can tell you’re digging the sky girl And Octavia’s like: shit, i hope i didn’t leave the oven on… Awkward Moment #3: Also didn’t notice this the first time around, but as soon as they cut away from Lexa’s super stare… …Abby’s side-eyeing Clarke like, why the fuck is Lexa looking at you like that??? And this is when I absolutely lost it I was laughing so hard. Clarke blatantly AVOIDS her mom’s eye contact by turning away. Awkward Moment #4: Whoops, awkward eye contact with Kane And fucking christ, Kane just keeps looking at her like, i know what you did last summer, while Clarke glances away a$ap rocky Awkward Moment #902: Meanwhile… Lexa’s taking her own sweet time pouring out TWO drinks for herself and Clarke when there’s a whole shit ton of other thirsty people at the table, like could you BE anymore obvious, Lexa?? Jesus. BUT WAIT. Yes this entire scene is super duper awkward in the best of ways, but at the very end, when Lexa’s finally finished pouring those never-ending glasses, we get a short glimpse of Clarke looking at Lexa with the most endearing expression. What’s even more heart-wrenching, our oblivious raccoon is not even looking up to catch Clarke’s look. It happens so quick that it’s easy to miss but if you’re like me and overanalyze everything, it’s def the best catch ever. FEEEEEELS <3<3 GAAAH my Clexa heart. Anyway, sorry. Thought this was important. Carry on with your day please. (x) Summary: Due to the premature death of the King of your clan, his son, the alpha James Barnes, must assume his destiny and lead his people. As the tradition commands, he must choose some worthy omegas to make their his wives and with which he will ensure the subsistence of your clan. All the omega women are obliged to appear before their king, including you. Luckily for you, you would never be chosen… right? It’s a sunny day and the streets of your city are exactly as you love them: full of life. People chatting animatedly next to stands full of fruit from which their grangers boast, children running through the crowd and mothers behind them yelling to the kids to behave. Inhaling deeply you are pleasantly surprised by the sweet smell of your favorite buns fresh from the oven. Decided, that will be your next stop. Just before you mislead the two guards James especially chose to follow you around all day, of course. Looking at them from the corner of your eye you see how bored they are, one of them can’t stop yawning while the other seems to want to nail himself with something sharp just to feel something. You smile to yourself, that’s part of your plan. You’ve been wandering around the market for hours, looking around, buying here and there but not really doing anything interesting, just making the two poor soldiers dizzy and waiting for they to get their guard down, so you can “get lost” and visit Nat once for all.

I haven’t read too much about Claire Boucher, the woman behind Grimes. I’m a little worried that excessive knowledge will render her too tangible, as though she might take over my understanding of her as a cryptid and/or my queer twin sister and replace it with something much more mundane and potentially disappointing. I have, however, read that she learned how to write songs after listening–just once–to Panda Bear’s album Person Pitch, which came out when Claire and I were in our senior year of high school. (I’m assuming that last bit, because we’re nearly the same age. But doesn’t it sound like we knew each other, when I put it like that?) And indeed, there’s lots to compare between Panda Bear and Grimes. Both operate in the realm of gregorian chants crossed with pop and electronica, a plane of existence as much influenced by Enya as by Queen. For Boucher, Person Pitch deconstructed songwriting. For me, Grimes deconstructed resistance. John Durgee for Fuse I have this innate, unshakable conviction that the Grimes song “Flesh Without Blood” from the album Art Angels is about her relationship with a woman. I can’t even remember if I read that somewhere, perhaps in an interview, but it doesn’t really matter. The first time I heard it, at the beginning of what would become a string of months where I listened to nothing but Grimes, it hooked right into the emotional center of my brain and the twilight space of my psyche. The words “flesh without blood” imply an unsustainable yet visceral materiality, and the song is, in fact, about the deterioration of the narrator’s relationship with someone whose insatiable hunger for power is becoming unbearable to live with. Narratives about women in mutually fulfilling relationships with other women are important and incredibly needed today, but those kinds of narratives never quite take hold of me, perhaps because I’m fortunate enough to already be in a loving relationship. Those kinds of narratives don’t reach out and spin me around and force me to look at the shadow my body makes in the full face of the sun. “For me, Grimes deconstructed resistance.” I have a long-documented history of cathecting onto queer-coded antagonists in literature and media. They’re the characters who unapologetically take up space, who talk–and, frequently, fight–back. They’re allowed to resist the status quo. The fictional dynamics I become invested in are also most often defined by a certain level of antagonism–rivals, enemies. I was, and remain, as drawn to conflict in fictional relationships as I avoid it in my personal life. In reality, I am almost hilariously conflict-averse. As a schoolchild, I developed a self-protective technique where I would carefully spin a given conversation towards my companions’ interests so that I could tailor my opinions to theirs. I haven’t managed to fully give that up, even though it’s not serving me well in my adult life. I find even minor disagreement extremely uncomfortable, and the discomfort shifts into distress whenever it becomes clear that my conversational partner’s beliefs and values stand in direct opposition to my own. As a white person, I’ve prioritized my own comfort for far too long, often coming up with excuses to end the conversation or answering noncommittally instead of engaging productively with, say, a fellow white person who believes the lies of white supremacy. I understand that being complacent and removed in these kinds of situations only reinforces institutionalized racism, and that I’ve been avoiding my own responsibility to do this work. In the mystical Jewish system known as Kabbalah, the word tzimtzum refers to the seemingly paradoxical way in which God contracted His infinite light in order to create the space necessary to birth the universe. My whole life has felt like a folding-in–without the subsequent and necessary flowering of creation. Now that we are in the Days of Awe, the expanse of time between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, it’s time to think about what resistance means to me. The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes Rosh HaShanah, the New Year, is the month of ma’aseh–the month of deeds, or the month of story. The slippage between the meanings is instructive. What you do is just as significant as the narratives unspooling from your mouth; from your fingertips against the keys. A key concept that emerges during this particular month is Teshuvah–(re)turn, repentance. This turning signifies a form of creativity as we rework the narratives that have taken hold about us in the world. Throughout this time, the shofar–a ram’s horn, twisted like a snake–is blown, producing a sound akin to both wailing and laughter. We cling to this doubleness, this paradox, the slip-slide of boundaries unfolding, and we understand that this is the human condition. from Rebekah Erev’s Moon Angels Oracle Deck And oh, but the things that want us in this capitalist, white supremacist, cisheteropatriarchal world. I can no longer be the complacent girl I’ve spent my whole life obsessively being once I’ve realized that the things that want us, really just want us dead. As Grimes sings in “Kill V. Maim,” “B-E-H-A-V-E / Never more / You gave up being good when you declared a state of war.” Erev was ordained as a priestess by the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute, a program under the auspices of which I’m currently training. The teachers at the Institute, which focuses on embodied, earth-based feminist Judaism, prefer to conceptualize priestessing as a verb, so as to keep it from stagnating. My roots as an emerging Kohenet thus require watering through a kind of becoming. As part of their Institute graduation requirements, Erev created the aforementioned oracle deck, which I use in my daily devotional practice. I can’t help but see generative parallels unfurling like constellations between the deck’s titular Moon Angels and Grimes’ album Art Angels. As noted in the deck’s guidebook, “In Judaism angels are feelings. Feelings are seen as helpers, as guides along a path.” Angels, for Grimes, would seem to be more ambivalent–the dreamy chamber pop is often overlaid with lyrics that drift into darkness. In “Belly of the Beat,” for instance, Grimes sings about suicidal ideation and plumbing the depths of music for a world bereft of heaviness. And yet, Erev doesn’t specify positive feelings in their definition of angels, indeed, one of the cards is entitled “Wave of Mutilation,” after the Pixies song. Angels, for both Grimes and Erev, seem to function as the connective tissue between the worlds, the ultimate impetus for movement and change. While it would perhaps make sense for me to understand the sense of stagnation that has developed, like groundwater, around me over the course of my life, remaining even through my accomplishments, as a type of resistance, that would imply my having taken any sort of stand or position against movement. In fact, the almost overpowering feeling–angel?–of stasis that I experience is a direct result of not having made a choice, and thus letting the choice be made for me. This can, of course, lead to an insidious denial of my having any responsibility in the matter, which is why I believe it’s taken so long to come to terms with the problem. It’s choosing the path of least resistance. I believe that this is another manifestation of my conflict-averse tendencies. Whenever I feel the smallest inkling of resistance moving against me, I back off. I develop a self-care practice that’s really an excuse for me to stay home and do nothing. I cultivate a seemingly irrational hatred of turning out of driveways when other cars are behind me, because I don’t want to inconvenience them by waiting until it is safe to go. I treat myself like the most delicate glass, which is of course what I’ve become, having rarely allowed myself to be tested against any sort of vibrant challenge. I couldn’t bring myself to conceptualize that in order to move, you first have to resist, to work against inertia. “I treat myself like the most delicate glass, which is of course what I’ve become.” I first felt things start to shift back in March, the earth still cold and hard under the wheels of my car as I drove back from a Kohenet training week, yelling along with Grimes’ otherworldly howls in “Scream (ft. Aristophanes)”. Something had cracked within me that week, and Grimes was widening the gap. Half a year later, a solar eclipse heralded the month of Elul, and the Jewish community was consumed by debate–though, when are we not–over whether to bless this celestial event. Historically, eclipses have been considered bad omens, and the Talmud even blames them upon homosexuality. While many Jews chose not to engage with the eclipse for these reasons, I decided to reframe the Rabbinical negativity towards LGBT people by writing an eclipse prayer elevating us as a community, with a particular focus on those who are most marginalized–queer and trans women of color. I read the prayer aloud in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, as I watched the eclipse cast a multiplicity of shadows on my notebook through the leaves of nearby trees. A few days later, I attended a planning meeting in support of Hate Free Zones at Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, to support my prayer through active work in the world. The Hebrew root for ‘to be willing’ is similar in its combination of letters to the word Elul. Resistance is fundamentally dependent on willingness. Grimes has operated for me as a modern-day mystic, the cyclical drone of her music like feverish prayer. “I got a big dream, small world in between / Me and everything I can’t do,” is the opening line of “World Princess, Pt. II,” which features a few measures of counterpoint that sound straight out of a Nintendo 64 soundtrack. Her voice, wrenched somewhere between girlhood and agelessness, sings her confessional poetics in the operatic trill of a woodland sprite who got saved by punk rock. “I have no idea what she’s saying,” said my dad in wonderment when I played Art Angels over my tinny iPhone speaker as we drove over the Oregon/California border a couple months back, full moon rising over Mt. Shasta in the distance. “I know,” I replied, “isn’t it perfect?” In this way, Grimes reminds me of the Zohar, the thirteenth century work of Jewish mysticism that has been called the jewel in the crown of Kabbalah. Famously impenetrable to all but the initiated, the Zohar nevertheless revels in the ocean of its poetic vision. Similarly, it’s easy to be drawn into Grimes’ mesmerizing musical phrases, following the feelings/angels through, and only later going online to lose yourself in the lyrics, in an entirely different sort of meditation. Resistance through mysticism. But, what of those shadows, that residue of conflict I fall into so easily with Grimes? Isn’t that an unhealthy way to frame resistance? Perhaps. And I might not suggest it as an ultimate pathway to transformative liberation. But the movement in those songs, that pure kinetic energy–it uncages my sense of self and gifts me with potential. The shofar that is Boucher’s voice strikes me apart, and I am ready for my unfolding. • Featured image © Rankin Ryn is a Ph.D. candidate in Cultural Studies at Stony Brook University, where her dissertation explores the speculative potential of detection. She’s working on a science fiction/fantasy/detective novel about antagonists in love, and lives in Brooklyn with her wife and one very fat, very old cat. She spends too much time on twitter.

Need some Summer Reading? Melissa is sure to have something you'll like! Bigfoot Chronicles, (A true story) Bigfoot Chronicles 2, (A true story) Sasquatch, The Native Truth. (A true story) Sasquatch, The Native Truth. Kecleh-Kudleh Mountain (A true story) The True Haunting of A Paranormal Investigator DogMan, A True Encounter Black Eyed Kids. My Three Months of Hell (A true story) Family Ties (Fiction) Female Bigfoot Encounters. True Stories Our Paranormal Reality, A True Haunting. Book 1 The Early Years Our Paranormal Reality, A True Haunting. Book 2 The Investigation Bigfoot, A New Reality. A True Story The Birth of a Psychic with Telekinesis. A True Story Lifting the Veil on All Things Paranormal, True Stories Melissa's books can be found online at Barnes and Noble Books a Million and your local bookstore. Follow Melissa on, Melissa was born and raised in a small town in upstate South Carolina.She first became a well-known Blogger and later decided to take her writing a step further. Her first book, My Paranormal Life, A True Haunting started out as her own private journal of her family dealing with a dark entity. But it doesn't stop there, Melissa took it even further and let her experiences help her to co-found a paranormal team and a cryptid team.She enjoys being able to reach out and help others.She has made many new friends in both of these fields, which has also led her to help others to have their story told.Melissa realizes first hand that these people have a very passionate and unique story that needs to be told.In getting these powerful stories out to the public, she hopes it will help further research in both of these fields and just maybe the individual that shares their story with her may find some closure to their own personal nightmare. Melissa feels honored to be able to bring you true stories of the unexplained.

Welcome to ParaNorthern.ca The North's Premiere Paranormal Exploration Website “Paranormal is a general term (coined ca. 1915–1920) that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure.” - Wikipedia ParaNorthern.ca is a place for you to share your stories of strange, unexplained and otherwordly occurences. The admins at ParaNorthern.ca are looking for unexplained stories, photos and video clips of: - supernatural events - cryptid incidents - run ins with unidentified creatures - extraterrestrial and unidentified object encounters - ghost and other spiritual experiences - anything else related to these activities that you think is interesting. In our travels, we have visited to many communities, and have met a great deal of people who have shared their stories of the unexplained with us. The goal of this paranormal focused website is to create a place on the web for you to share your experiences. Northern Ontario has a long history of unexplained events, paranormal activity, encounters with ghosts and spirits, unidentifed flying objects and even a cryptid or two. Now's your chance to share your story. We've had stories from Sudbury, South Porcupine, Blind River and are looking forward to hearing from people in Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and the Parry Sound/Muskoka area. There is much more of their website to come including stories and facts about the paranormal and unexplained. The site will grow as your stories come in so let's get started. Click the link and Tell Us Your Story.

Posted by: Loren Coleman on August 29th, 2007 Bernard Heuvelmans and some friends. Once again, I’m on the road soon, so today might be a great time to send along some material for the new people that are now coming here. It is always good to have everyone on the same page with definitions, and many people are surprised to hear who invented some of the words in our field. Most of the time when one coins words, such as I did for the “Dover Demon,” it is because you are in the heat of the pursuit. Or the new term could be a media construction, such as the origins of “Mothman” from an Ohio copyeditor who liked the “Batman” program on television in 1966. But for some words, it is a more thoughtful process. People are always asking questions about the origins of “cryptozoology.” Since I have written often and frequently in the last few years about the revisionist view that it was Sanderson, not Heuvelmans, perhaps it is time to repost/revise/reveal once again my writings in one place on the big three – cryptozoology, cryptid, and hominology. So leap in to the wonderful world of these words with me. Cryptozoology, as everyone reading here probably knows, means “the study of hidden animal.” Do these hidden, unknown, or yet-to-be discovered animals have to be bigger than say a cat? Do they have to have an impact on humans? These are items up for debate under the term “cryptid,” below. But what of the origins of “cryptozoology.” In 1955, Belgian zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans wrote a groundbreaking book in French, a now classic opus entitled (in English) On the Track of Unknown Animals. But in the 1955 French and the 1958 English editions, you will not find the word “cryptozoology,” in any language. The first published use of the word “cryptozoology” in French, occurred in 1959 in a book by wildlife biologist Lucien Blancou, dedicated to “Bernard Heuvelmans, master of cryptozoology.” At least, that is as far as we know. But who used any form of the word first in print? And who invented it? The premiere utilization of the term “cryptozoological,” in English, was in 1961, in Abominable Snowmen: Legend Come to Life by Ivan T. Sanderson. In Heuvelmans’s 1968 book In the Wake of the Sea Serpents, it is clear that the word “cryptozoology” had been around for perhaps over twenty years before it came into print in 1959. Speaking of two articles on water monsters written in 1947 and 1948 by Ivan T. Sanderson, Heuvelmans wrote: “When [Sanderson] was still a student he invented the word ‘cryptozoology,’ or the science of hidden animals, which I was to coin later, quite unaware that he had already done so.” Intriguingly, Heuvelmans apparently left this paragraph out of later French (and English?) editions of this same Sea Serpent book. Here are the research questions of the day? Are there other early uses of “cryptozoology” in print between 1947-1959, undiscovered by myself and French colleagues Michel Raynal and Jean-Luc Rivera? When? Where? By whom? Are there other published examples, in English, from Sanderson or anyone else, of the use of “cryptozoology” before 1961? The following definition is adapted from the one I wrote for my 1999 book, co-authored with Jerome Clark, Cryptozoology A to Z. I share it with those on Cryptomundo that are not aware of the full meaning. And throw it out for discussion and debate by those that feel it has expanded or shrunk. “Cryptid” is a relatively new word used among professionals and laypeople to denote an animal of interest to cryptozoology. John E. Wall of Manitoba coined it in a letter published in the summer 1983 issue of the ISC Newsletter (vol. 2, no. 2, p. 10), published by the International Society of Cryptozoology. Recently “cryptid” was recognized by the lexicographers at Merriam-Webster as a word of legitimate coinage, though it has yet to appear in their dictionary, as of 1999. Cryptids are either unknown species of animals or animals which, though thought to be extinct, may have survived into modern times and await rediscovery by scientists. “Cryptid” is derived from “crypt,” from the Greek kryptos (hidden); “id,” from the Latin ides, a patronymic suffix; and the Greek “ides,” which means “in sense.” When the suffix id is used it typically applies to an implied lineage or similar usages, as in “perseid” (meteors appearing to originate from Perseus, typically around August 11). Bernard Heuvelmans’s definition of cryptozoology itself was exact: “The scientific study of hidden animals, i.e., of still unknown animal forms about which only testimonial and circumstantial evidence is available, or material evidence considered insufficient by some!” Over the pre-turn-of-the-century decade (i.e. 1989-1999) some have suggested that the science of cryptozoology should be expanded to include many animals as “cryptids,” specifically including the study of out-of-place animals, feral animals, and even animal ghosts and apparitions. In the journal Cryptozoology, Heuvelmans rejects such notions with typical thoroughness, and not a little wry humor: Admittedly, a definition need not conform necessarily to the exact etymology of a word. But it is always preferable when it really does so which I carefully endeavored to achieve when I coined the term “cryptozoology.” All the same being a very tolerant person, even in the strict realm of science, I have never prevented anybody from creating new disciplines of zoology quite distinct from cryptozoology. How could I, in any case? So, let people who are interested in founding a science of “unexpected animals,” feel free to do so, and if they have a smattering of Greek and are not repelled by jaw breakers they may call it”aprosbletozoology” or “apronoeozoology” or even “anelistozoology.” Let those who would rather be searching for “bizarre animals” create a “paradoozoology,” and those who prefer to go a hunting for “monstrous animals,” or just plain “monsters,” build up a “teratozoology” or more simply a “pelorology.” But for heavens sake, let cryptozoology be what it is, and what I meant it to be when I gave it its name over thirty years ago! Unfortunately, many of the creatures of most interest to cryptozoologists do not, in themselves, fall under the blanket heading of cryptozoology. Thus, many who are interested in such phenomena as the so-called Beasts of Bodmin Moor (not unknown species but a known species albeit in an alien environment) and the Devonshire/Cornwall “devil dogs” (not “animals” or even “animate” in the accepted sense of the word, and thus only of marginal interest to scientific cryptozoologists) think of these creatures as cryptids. More broadly, then, we do not know whether a cryptid is an unknown species of animal, or a supposedly extinct animal, or a misidentification, or anything more than myth until evidence is gathered and accepted one way or another. Until that proof is found, the supposed animal carries the label “cryptid,” regardless of the potential outcome and regardless of various debates concerning its true identity. When it is precisely identified, it is no longer a cryptid, because it is no longer hidden. While Heuvelmans created cryptozoology (independently, and later than the coining of the word by Ivan T. Sanderson – shown at left) as a goal-oriented discipline (endeavoring to prove the existence of hidden animals), the fact that some of these cryptids will turn out not to be new species does not invalidate the process by which that conclusion is reached and does not retroactively discard their prior status as cryptids. For example, the large unknown “monster” in a local lake is a cryptid until it is caught and shown to be a known species such as an alligator. It is no longer hidden and no longer carries the label “cryptid,” but that doesn’t mean it never was a cryptid. It is often impossible to tell which category an unknown animal actually inhabits until you catch it. Until then, it is a cryptid. The definition (with new notes) is from Cryptozoology A to Z (NY: Fireside/Simon and Schuster, 1999) pp. 75-77. “Russian researcher Dmitri Bayanov coined the word ‘hominology’ around 1973, to denote those investigations that study humanity’s as yet-undiscovered near-relatives, including Almas, Yeti, Bigfoot/Sasquatch, and other unknown hominoids. He further defined hominology as a ‘branch of primatology, called upon to bridge the gap between zoology and anthropology’ in a 1973 letter to the London primatologist John Napier. His English paper on the subject was a major breakthrough contribution after decades of unpublicized Russian research and expeditions. The paper, ‘A Hominologist View from Moscow, USSR,’ appeared in Northwest Anthropological Research Notes, (Moscow, Idaho), vol. 11, no. 1, 1977.”- Loren Coleman, in Jerome Clark’s and Loren Coleman’s Cryptozoology A to Z The words above were mostly written in the 1990s. Today, I have modified them slightly, but also would add that the Russians consider their study that of unknown or hidden hominids only, not of unknown hominoids, because they are not interested, allegedly, in any unknown hairy pongids that may be into the mix. While some non-Russian Bigfoot hunters agree with the Russians that only hominids are under consideration, for myself and most other Americans and non-Russian hominologists, we include all hominoids, thus being inclusive of pongids, anthropoids, and hominids. Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct). Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015. Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.

Title: The Mongoose Conspiracy By: Mog and Tidia Disclaimer: This is a Brotherhood Fic, and thank you to Ridley. Thank you to Eric Kripke for his creation of Supernatural Mog's Author's Notes: I discovered the story of Geoff the Talking Mongoose while researching something for another fic, and knew his tale had to be told. There are a few lines that I took directly from the original article. Other than that, this is all just comic relief from me and my great writing partner. Tidia's Author's Note: So, we laughed are head off and then I wrote something, and Mog fluffed then I added and Mog added more and made it so incredibly, I can't catch my breath because I laughed so hard, wonderful. And we see our girls this week, which is totally awesome-- shout out to Ridley, Wills and Gatorpez who we see on Thursday! "Oh, this has got to be a joke." Dean grinned as he laid the latest issue of The Weekly World News down on Pastor Jim's kitchen table. "What?" Caleb closed the refrigerator door, balancing two slices of cold pizza, one atop the other, in his hand. Dean pointed to a quarter-page article in the upper corner of one sheet. "The News. Ya know, it's usually the most accurate source for us to find cases, but this one… check it out." Caleb leaned over his friend's shoulder, eating as he read. He managed two paragraphs before a laugh threatened to spray half-chewed crust and pepperoni across the newspaper. Forcing himself to swallow, he read aloud a sentence from the article. " 'He claims to have been born in New Delhi, India in 1852.' Let's see that would make him… how old?" "155," Sam answered. The fifteen-year-old walked into the kitchen in time to hear Caleb speak. "Somebody is saying they're 155?" "Not somebody," Dean said with a grin, "something." Sam pulled a glass from the cupboard. "Some thing?" He shot his brother a confused look while filling the glass with water from the tap. Dean pushed the open paper toward his brother. "A talking mongoose." "Mongoose? Like Rikki-Tikki-Tavi?" Sam moved to look at the grainy photo that accompanied the article. A weasel-like animal with a long, slender body, pointed face, and bushy tail lay curled on a huge pillow. Sam still looked puzzled and Dean and Caleb listened as he read. " 'He claims to have been born in New Delhi, India in 1852. He works a sideshow act with Stewart Carnivals reciting dialogue from classic American movies. And he's a mongoose who calls himself Jeff.' " Sam paused and looked up; his expression covered a range of emotions. "Keep reading," Dean said. A wide grin was plastered across his face. "It gets better." Sam continued. "Wilson Wallace, 64, carnival employee and Jeff's caretaker says the mongoose is friendly with kids who come to see him but has gotten surly in regards to some members of the press. "Wallace said there was one reporter that the mongoose especially had issue with. 'Jeff became angry and shouted, "Tell him not to come. He doesn't believe. I won't speak if he does come. I'll blow his brains out with a thrupenny cartridge!"' " Dean's brow furrowed despite his laughter. "What the hell is a thrupenny cartridge?" "I dunno," Caleb said, also laughing. "But, you have to admit, if ever there was an argument for gun control, it's an irate, talking mongoose with an itchy trigger finger." Dean pulled the paper back toward himself to read more. "Get this - it's been quoting Citizen Cane and Gone with the Wind." Caleb talked through a mouthful of pizza. "It's like that old Warner Brothers cartoon with the frog who sings but only to the guy who found him, and the guy ends up going broke and insane trying to prove it sings. Then, like, a hundred years later it's found again and starts singing." Caleb dropped his voice to a nasally timbre and began singing. "Hullo, mah huhney - hullo, mah baby…" Sam grinned and shook his head. The look on his face indicated he had no idea what Caleb was talking about. "You are so weird." "Oh my god, Damien is right," Dean said. "Listen to this part… 'He's also developed a flair for singing and knows the words to a good many popular songs.' " The three boys were still laughing when Jim, John and Mackland entered the house. John eyed them suspiciously. Pranks often followed when the boys got together. John asked the question the other two men were thinking. "And what exactly are you three up to?" Dean struggled to put on a mask of seriousness. "I think I have our next hunt." Caleb interrupted with his own somber attempt. "Could be a poltergeist in physical form." Dean nodded. "Or a demon. It has shown hostility." Sam piped in with his own theory, but couldn't hold a straight face. "A unique cryptid, maybe. An unexplained, anomalous animal." Dean tapped the newspaper article with the tip of his index finger. "A talking mongoose." "His name is Jeff," Sam said, and the boys began laughing in earnest again. Jim, John and Mac said nothing. Had the boys been paying attention, they may have noticed the taut expression shared by The Triad. Caleb looked at his father in time to see a jittery smile spread across the man's face. "Talking mongoose?" Mac managed a weak laugh and looked at Jim and John, as if encouraging them to follow suit. "Where, uh, where did you see that?" Dean pushed the paper toward the three men. "Hey, you guys told us that since things were quiet me and Caleb should research leads on potential hunts, that's what we were doing. I found this one in The News." John leaned forward to scan the article; however, he seemed unwilling to look at the photo. He coughed out a laugh and a stiff smile found its way to his lips. "Well, ya know, boys, you, uh, can't believe everything you read…." "C'mon, dad," said Dean, again trying to play a somber role, "we all know The Weekly World News has the most accurate info for hunters. I think this could be a hot one." Caleb glanced at John, sensing an underlying seriousness in his mentor. However, the opportunity to analyze it slipped away when Bobby burst through the door, panting and wide-eyed. He slammed the door and pressed his back against it with his arms splayed out as if the hounds of Hell followed. Jim stepped forward. "What's wrong? You okay?" Still breathing hard, Bobby inhaled deeply through his nose in an effort to regain control. He pulled a rolled newspaper from the back pocket of his jeans. "It's back!" He thrust the paper at his three associates. John snatched it away and unrolled it to reveal the same edition of The Weekly World News that lay on the kitchen table. The page they looked at showed a picture of a staid mongoose sitting on a large pillow. Jim and Mac scanned the article over John's shoulder. "It can't be," Jim whispered. He seemed to finally be acknowledging a horrible truth. "That was over 200 miles away," Mac said, as he more thoroughly read the article. John shook his head. "It's gotta be dead by now!" "How long does a mongoose live?!" Bobby asked. A rising panic pushed his voice out at a higher pitch. "The average lifespan of a mongoose is about 10 years," Sam answered. "And there was an American Box Turtle in captivity that lived to be 123." The fifteen-year-old crossed his arms, proud of his knowledge. Caleb gave the youngest Winchester a shove. "This isn't an American Box Turtle." Sam shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just sayin'." There was only a momentary lull in the conversation between the four older hunters. John closed the newspaper. "It can't be the same one." Bobby ripped the paper away from his friend and shook it. " 'Gone With the Wind', man! How many mongooses do you know that can quote classic movies?!" Several seconds passed as the others in the room stared at Bobby, processing the absurdity of his question. Caleb spoke slowly, as if trying to communicate with a young child. "I'm not sure I know a mongoose that can quote any kind of movie. Do you, Bobby?" The four older men stared with blank expressions at their wards. Bobby suddenly shifted focus to The Triad, wholly ignoring the presence of the younger hunters. "The article says it belonged to an elderly deaf woman who died, and then it ended up with this carnie." Bobby related the article's information from memory. "An elderly deaf woman!" He slammed the newspaper down on the table, not noticing the current issue already there. His voice dropped to almost a whisper. "Now fellas, there's coincidence, and then there's just unholy design." Jim's lips pressed together in a tight line and he looked at the older hunters. He gave Bobby a nod. "You have to go check it out." "Hold up," Dean said, still smiling, "you guys are serious about this?" None of the adults acknowledged him. Bobby took a step back, looking in disbelief at his associates. "I got stuck with it the first time the last time this happened! Hell no! I ain't going. I'll give the ring back before I go!" He grabbed at the finger of his right hand that bore the ring and attempted to pull off the silver band. "You're the one who brought it home!" Jim exclaimed. The boys shared speculative, wide-eyed glances. There was definitely an undercurrent of unholy design if the kind minister was raising his voice to a fellow hunter. Mac interrupted. "Now let's just wait a minute, we're logical men." He folded his arms across his chest and stroked one hand along his chin in contemplation. Caleb and Dean stepped forward, with Dean pulling Sam along too. "We'll go," the older boys said in unison. "No!" blurted Mac, Jim and John. Bobby, however, nodded before looking at The Triad. "These boys gotta face the real world sometime." John's eyes flitted to his sons. "There're plenty of other things in the world they can deal with first." Caleb cocked his head. "Okay, what are you guys trying to hide? Oh so well, I might add." "Nothing!" the older hunters answered. Sam gave each man a serious look. "You guys know what this is," he said. Jim and Mac flinched under the boy's scrutiny. John and Bobby just looked away. Dean began to laugh. "You're telling us you've dealt with a talking mongoose?" His amusement increased as he pressed the adults further. "Was it a hunt… or an interview?!" He spoke through his laughter and nudged Caleb. "I can't believe they kept this a secret. This is classic." Caleb grinned and crossed his arms. "They're good at keeping secrets." Sam interrupted Caleb with a question for the adults. "What's so scary about a talking mongoose?" The query was sincere and Jim opened his mouth to answer, but closed it after a few seconds. John looked trapped on the parental line between explaining, and simply telling his son never he mind and go do some chores. Mac tried to reply. "You see, Sam, it's… I mean… you have to understand-" Bobby gazed at the youngest hunter and spoke in a low tone. "It's what it said, son. It's what it said." Sam's eyes widened with honest curiosity. His mentors seemed genuinely rattled. "What? Did it predict the future? Could it read minds?" Dean nudged Caleb. "Better watch out, Damien, your job may be in danger." Caleb returned the push and looked to the older men. "So, ignoring the fact that you still have to tell us the rest of the story – if it spooked you so bad, why didn't you just kill it?" John felt all eyes on him. The boys saw him as the former Marine, and The Knight. The adults, however, seemed to be looking at him in a different way. "We posed the same question to him," said Mac, shooting John a sideways glance. John's eyes narrowed and he stared at his associates. "You guys sayin' you're so quick to forget?" He let the question hang in the air before adding two words. "Old. Yeller." Like dogs being challenged by an alpha leader, the three other men looked away. Dean frowned. "The movie with the dog? I don't get it…." John pointed a finger at his son. "You don't need to get it, Dean. Got that?" Dean nodded, gauging his father's mood as serious. Caleb shook his head; he was still having trouble wrapping his mind around the perceived threat. He picked up the wrinkled newspaper that Bobby had dropped on the table. "Talking mongoose, okay. I can see where that could freak a man out. But Dad, you're always saying face your fears. Let's find this carnival, let's go up there." Mac pulled himself up to his full height. A shift in his stance moved him a bit closer to the rest of The Triad. "I am not afraid of a talking mongoose, Caleb." Bobby gave the three hunters a sidelong glance. "I am," he muttered. "And I'm happy to let the mighty Triad deal with that damned thing. 'sides, we all won't fit in one car. I'll just stay behind--" Jim cleared his throat. "We are going." He gave Bobby a pointed look. "All of us. We can take the church van." The older men had the self control to keep themselves in check. The boys, however, groaned audibly. None of them liked the church van. They questioned how a religious institution could own something that was so clearly spat up from Hell. Both sides of the white van displayed a neon-colored rainbow. The paint shades were exceptionally bright and the thick black lines separating the colors were drawn with a jagged freehand. Bouncing along on worn suspension, the van's rainbows could induce motion sickness on select passersby. The vinyl-covered chairs and bench seats were avocado green with white stripes and had hardened and cracked due to years of exposure to extreme temperatures. Small tears in the edges of the upholstery had wounded many a passenger with tiny scratches that lingered and stung like paper cuts. It was as if the van was determined to deliver little, personal injuries that parishioners could bear as remembrances that Jesus withstood crucifixion for them. As far as the boys were concerned, just because the church van could fit a total of eight people, didn't mean eight people should ever be forced to ride in it. Sam crossed his arms. It was a Friday night and he had homework to do over that weekend. He certainly didn't want to waste a Saturday for a silly mongoose. "Pastor Jim, you said we shouldn't use the van unless it was church business." Jim narrowed his eyes, quickly rising to the challenge. "This is holy business, Samuel." Sam looked to his brother but Dean just shrugged. It was rare to hear a stern tone from Pastor Jim, especially directed at Sam. The young boy nodded. "Yes, sir." Seven a.m. saw the crew of hunters loaded into Pastor Jim's church van. John had secured a duffle bag in the back but no one asked what was in it, and he didn't offer information. The boys did little talking thanks to the early hour, and the men each seemed lost in their own thoughts. Forty-five miles blurred past the van's large, rectangular windows before a coffee break infused the dull group with a few degrees of life. With hot caffeine in hand, Jim and John reclaimed their positions in the front while Caleb and Dean settled in the rear. Sam hopped in the side door with a cup of coffee; wanting the drink not for the energy but for the feeling of maturity and adult bonding it gave him. "Bobby and Mac should be back in a minute," Sam said. Rather than taking his seat in the back, he slipped an arm between Jim and John to reach the radio. His dad gave him a serious look. "No." "The radio stays off." John was already looking straight ahead; it indicated the end of the discussion. Sam held off from rolling his eyes until he shuffled back to the rear bench seat and dropped down next to his brother. Caleb yawned as he pulled his long hair back and secured it into a ponytail. Leaning forward, he caught Sam's eye. "You could sing… I know you like The Partridge Family." He bobbed his head in an overtly happy fashion and imitated David Cassidy. "I think I love you, so what am I so afraid of--" Dean interrupted. "The Partridge Family?" "Yeah," Caleb said, "I caught the runt watching it on reruns last night. He thinks Mrs. Partridge is hot." Sam glared at Caleb. "I do not. I was flipping through the channels, stupid." He reached around Dean's shoulder and pulled Caleb's ponytail. "Ow!" Caleb also stretched an arm behind Dean and smacked Sam on the back of the head. Mac and Bobby returned to the van in time to be caught between a deadly look from Jim toward the boys. Dean spoke up quickly, hoping to allay vocalized irritation. "Hey Sammy, didn't you do some research last night on those crypt animals you were talking about yesterday?" "Cryptid," Mac corrected. Jim got the van back on the road as Sam spoke. "I found a bunch of stuff on mongooses and UMA's. Did you know they're illegal to bring into the United States?" Dean's brow wrinkled with confusion. "The government regulates unidentified mysterious animals? Oh, you meant the… never mind." "Duh," Caleb said, punching Dean lightly on the arm. Dean returned the hit as Sam continued. "There were a few reported cases of animals, like dogs and cats, that were supposed to be able to speak – but those aren't really UMA's because they're… well, dogs and cats, and everybody knows what those are. Charles Fort and Ken Gerhard have theories about poltergeists or demons being responsible for animal vocalizations." "It wasn't anything like that," Jim said. "Yeah," muttered John, "no evil spirit could handle that much holy water." "What did dad say?" Sam asked Dean. His brother shrugged. "I dunno, I couldn't hear him." Caleb peeled the thin plastic lid off the Styrofoam cup in his hand and blew on the hot coffee. "So how did this all start? The boys noticed the attention of The Triad shift to Bobby, but it was Jim who spoke. "I'd say the trouble started when it was let loose in the church. Bobby." Jim shook his head and glanced in the rearview mirror at Bobby. "A church, a place of worship. The House of God." The preacher's tone rose, as if he was building up for a fire and brimstone sermon. Sam, Dean and Caleb exchanged looks. This was a side of Pastor Jim they never recalled seeing. Bobby quickly spoke up. "Oh, no you don't. If this story is gonna be told – it's gonna be told right."

A werewolf and the tentacle demon get loose and run wild. CHAPTER 14: WOLF The phone woke her up. Claire sighed, another night of sleep cut short. She picked up the receiver and put it to her ear. "Hello." "Dr. Thompson, it’s Colonel Jeffers. We've got an inbound lycanthrope for you." "Oh really? Haven't seen one of those in a while," Claire said. "Okay, I'll meet you there." Of course real werewolves bear little resemblance to the popular Hollywoodized version of the lore (and vampire lore was even more inaccurate). The cryptid shape-shifting gene had somehow attached itself to a retrovirus, and then it managed to pick up a large portion of the genome of a predatory animal. The wolf, naturally, but in other areas of the world the process had duplicated itself with a few big cats, giving rise to African legends of werepanthers and the like. Now, certainly wolves are nocturnal predators, but the full moon has no bearing on anything, just like bats and other bloodsucking fauna aren't harmed by sunlight and show up in mirrors perfectly well. Werewolfism usually manifests itself in an infected individual as a sort of sleep disorder. Rather than a human sleep walking, they would become the beast, go out prowling, and wake up in the morning remembering almost nothing, like a dream. More rarely it worked on an emotional trigger, similar to the Incredible Hulk of comic book fame. Extreme agitation, anger, fear or pain could bring on the transformation. The Institute scientists had wondered if a man afflicted long enough could ever attain conscious control over his wolf side, but no example of this had yet been found. Once they developed a treatment to block the virus and the military trackers figured out what signs to look for in media and police reports for an active werewolf, none ever lasted long enough to even attempt that sort of control. A new werewolf popped up on their radar every now and then, so a supply of the counteragent was kept ready to go in cold storage in the Institute lab. One injection and the wolfman would be "cured", although procedure was to keep them overnight for observation before sending them home with a warning to never talk about what happened to them with anybody, save the government-provided counselor. The treatment had to be re administered every six months to keep the virus in check, something that was strictly overseen by the military. The afflicted also could never donate blood, though fortunately the virus was not sexually transmitted nor passed to offspring, and saliva-borne only while in wolf form. - - - Claire had stopped in the lab to prepare the syringe of counteragent while Jeffers and his men delivered their gurney to Containment Room 2. Suddenly she heard shots being fired and a loud roar. Shit. Those idiots, she thought they'd learned their lesson about giving an extra dose of tranquilizer to the ones that look like they could rip your head off. Now they'd fucked it up royally. If they were lucky, they would manage to pump the creature full of enough bullets to bring it down before it got loose in the building, and she would have a corpse to deal with rather than a catch and release. Failing that, her best chance to survive intact was to get to the armory and gear up as soon as the injection was ready. She emerged from the lab into the hallway and made a dash for the gun supply. She stopped short as the werewolf leapt out from around the corner at the end of the hall and turned to face her. Claire's scent must have led it straight to her. Bloodthirsty eyes stared at her over a furry snout. Wolfmen stand erect like the human they turn from, but the legs are restructured in a way that greatly enhances running speed. Outrunning a werewolf is not an option. "Shit!" Claire hissed, then started slowly backing away. The werewolf followed, walking towards her. Claire started moving faster, then turned and started running, and the wolf followed suit. The end of the hallway she was running towards had a security door though. There wasn't time to get through it, it may as well have been a dead end. She realized she was going to die. She held up her arms to brace her sudden stop against the door, then spun around and dropped to the floor, arms still up in an instinctual protective position even though they weren't going to do any good. The werewolf was right in front of her now, she saw it pounce, leaping into the air with sharp claws forwards and its mouth, full of sharper teeth, wide open. She shut her eyes and cringed in preparation for the jaws that were about to clamp down into her flesh. A second went by. Then another. She should be screaming in pain by now. She opened her eyes. The deadly jaws snapped at nothing but air mere inches away from her, while the wolf snarled in frustration at being denied its prey. She realized it couldn't reach her for some reason. Her eyes looked to the side and saw a familiar tentacle wrapped around the wolf's furry wrist, pulling its arm back. In fact both arms and both legs were restrained by tentacles. Another tentacle circled the monster's midsection, pulled tight, and plucked it off the ground into the air. "Gruthsorik!" she called out in grateful surprise, finally having processed why she wasn't dead. "Thank Satan I reached you in time," Gruthsorik said, visibly relieved. "But... how did you...?" Claire stammered. "After the gunfire stopped, wolfy here broke down the door into my room and tried to attack me," the demon said. "Oh, you're a feisty one! It's actually difficult to keep you spread!" Claire could see that the werewolf was putting up quite a fight. Gruthsorik wasn't losing his grip, but was evenly matched in the tug of war between limbs and tentacles. She watched as another tentacle disappeared into the wolf's furry crotch. The beast roared in protest. "It's a female!" Claire realized. "Of course she is. You didn't know?" Gruthsorik said. "Anyway, when she discovered she couldn't get to me she started to attack my cell with the door she had smashed in. She was actually making progress, but she gave up and took off down the hallway. I managed to finish the job and followed her. This is incredible! I'm getting sheer hunger and rage off of her, nothing else. And yet it's somehow faint, like it's behind a wall or something." Another tentacle maneuvered in under the wolf's tail and entered her asshole. She roared again. "The human consciousness is obviously submerged when the werewolf is active. Maybe you need that acting as a conduit when you feed," Claire said. Things like fear, pain, and lust are lower brain functions common to most of the animal kingdom. But if Gruthsorik was unable to tap into that directly, it explained his limited choice of prey. "That's why you only attack humans. It wouldn't work on animals." She couldn't keep her eyes off the werewolf as it was raped by the tentacles. It was probably the most unlikely thing she would ever see in a lifetime of unlikely things. The wolf was actually struggling a little less now, and its snarling had settled into a regular rhythm. Then she threw her head back and howled. "That's a good girl," Gruthsorik said. "And here I thought we were done learning new things about me. If you'd asked me about it before, I would have just said that only human girls are sexy enough." "What about her?" Claire asked. "Nah. Are you kidding? She's a real dog. Woof woof." They both smiled at that. However, just then the wolf began to change. The snout shrank back into a normal human nose and chin. The large, pointed predator's ears returned to a small and rounded shape. Her tail vanished back into her rear and her animalistic digitigrade feet returned to normal. The roars and snarls gave way to screams and moans. The gray fur covering her body faded away, leaving a beautiful young woman. "I take it back, she's very fuckable after all," Gruthsorik said. Her screams became muffled as a tentacle dove into her mouth. Not long after that, her body shook as she came, followed by Gruthsorik, who gave a roar of his own and filled and sprayed the former wolfgirl with his cum. The woman whimpered and promptly passed out, and Gruthsorik laid her down on the floor. Claire wiped a spot on her arm clean, pulled the syringe from her pocket, and administered the treatment. With the excitement over, Claire leaned back against the wall and started to process the enormity of the situation. "You... you saved me. Thank you," she said, sounding astonished. "How could I do otherwise? You've been so nice to me here. I would have hated seeing you torn up like those soldiers," Gruthsorik replied. "Oh God, the soldiers!" Claire said. "If any of them survived they need medical attention immediately. I need to go help them!" She stood up and started towards the Containment wing, then stopped short. She had just realized something. She turned back to Gruthsorik. "You have to leave now, don't you," she said, crestfallen. Now that he was out of the cell, the rest of the doors and the fence outside wouldn't be able to hold him in. Gruthsorik stepped closer and got down on one knee to speak to her face to face. "I wish... that I could have stayed here... with you, for a long, long time." "Me too. But I won't be here forever, while you don't age, and you may never have this good an opportunity to escape again," Claire said regretfully. Her retirement was so far off that she hadn't even thought about what it meant for him. Her replacement might not be so accommodating, or possibly not even a woman. Odds were he would end up headed for the dissection table, or worse. She would have protested to no avail and then probably would have done something stupid like trying to stage an escape for him, and they probably would have been ready for it, dooming Claire as well as Gruthsorik. No, he had to take the opportunity now while it was available. Gruthsorik put his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "Claire Thompson, I will remember you fondly, always." "And I you," she replied wistfully. A long moment passed between them, then the demon stood. "Go to them, they need you," he said. Claire nodded and ran down the hallway. Before turning the corner she stopped to look back. He was already gone. Only the cum-covered girl on the floor remained. Continued in Chapter 15: Houseguest - - - This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

They call him Mah-teh. The Yeti. The Abominable Snowman (not to be confused with the equally-terrifying-but-more-sit-up-based Abdominal Snowman). But the most mysterious mystery of this cryptic cryptid, is how exactly the Yeti passes time when not rescuing Tin-Tin's friends or trolling Yukon Cornelius. According to Oh Snow!, a platform game by GameShot, that ol' Yeti spends his days being pursued by an angry anthropomorphic snowball. Well, we all have our troubles. Oh Snow plays like the ultimate anti-escort mission. Run and jump around the Himalayan caverns with the [WASD] or [arrow] keys, avoiding obstacles and Angry Penguins as you make your way to the exit. The snowball will follow you as you move, and it's game over if he tags you. The snowball is just a tad quicker than you, but since he has momentum to deal with, running yourself back and forth can shake him a bit from your path. He can also help you out by mowing over those darn penguins. Bonus points can be scored by collecting golden suns. Oh Snow! is one of the few platform game where the action and puzzle elements are split right down the middle. You'll need both fast fingers and a strategic mind to blitz your way through all twenty-four levels. Some of the levels don't quite feel altogether fair, requiring at least a few deaths while exploring the game's mechanics (like how holding up while bouncing on a trampoline gives you a big boost of height). Still, even if Oh Snow! is occasionally frustrating, it never stops being a flurry of fun.

- Explore more great deals on thousands of titles in our Deals in Books store. Getting the download link through email is temporarily not available. Please check back later. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. Cryptid Hunters Hardcover – Bargain Price, December 27, 2004 Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed Special Offers and Product Promotions From School Library Journal Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Top Customer Reviews On a trip to find the last living dinosaur on earth, they run into big problems. They have to fight to survive out in the middle of the jungle. Throughout there journey, Grace and Marty reveal some long hidden secrets about there Uncle Travis. Brave and daring, they end up leaving the jungle safely, with the bad guys left behind. I really liked this book because it keeps you reading. You get to some good parts in the book and you don't want to stop. This would be a great book to come out with a sequel. Another reason I really like this book is because I really like adventure books, and this book is full of adventure. I'm on the fence as to whether not to recommend Cryptid Hunters. If you're a fan of Roland Smith, then you'll probably like Cryptid Hunters, but I think Sasquatch, one of his other books, is a lot more entertaining and has a lot more believable action. I will probably re-read Cryptid Hunters, but I will take my time getting around to it. Then they find out that their parents have been lost in a plane crash. No, really lost, Sylvia and Timothy O'Hara's globetrotting and adventuring parent's bodies are missing from the crash site. And since their parent's bodies can't be found, and they aren't paying the tuition, Grace and Marty are eventually dismissed from the Omega Opportunity Prepatory School to be sent t to live with their new legal guardian Travis Wolfe, cryptid hunter and founder of eWolfe. Marty can't wait to go, while Grace just plain doesn't want to go. Travis is in a rush to go on an expedition to the Congolese jungle to look for the remnants of a dinosaur species long since thought to be extinct, and he doesn't want to take the two thirteen year olds along with him. Long story short, the kids end up going, and they end up lost, through some unbelievable circumstances that could only happen in a novel, in the Congolese jungle.Read more › This book was like the Magic Treehouse kids all grown up and taking on Jurassic Park or Journey to the Center of the Earth. It begins with Grace and Marty at a boarding school for gifted or wealthy kids--and it's a great peek into their personalities. The author does an amazing job with presenting them as being kids like any other kids even while they're very unusual and interesting. Marty has a photographic memory, loves extreme adventures, and is curious beyond his control--and often gets into trouble for that. Grace is very, very intelligent but with a healthy dose of phobias. Their parents go missing on a photo-journalism expedition and they're sent to live with their uncle on Cryptos Island. After a few adventures on the island, the two kids are accidentally parachute-dropped into the Congo where the excitement ratchets up to the point that you only breathe every third page. Mambas, dinosaurs, and leeches... oh my. What stood out in this book is that while the kids were constantly getting into trouble or chaos--they were intelligent and recognition was paid to when they were disobeying the adults around them. Also, I genuinely liked these kids. As an adult reading kids' books, sometimes the characters annoy me. I just want to shake them and tell them to listen to the adults around them--especially when they put themselves in danger. I really liked Grace and Marty. Their personalities were fun and real and the relationship between them was really great to see in a modern-day book.Read more › Most Recent Customer Reviews If you like dinosaurs this is the book for you!This book is about two kids that loss their parents in a airplane crash.then there uncle that they did not know he existed. Read morePublished 15 months ago by Glenn David Campanella This story reminded me quite a bit of "Jurrasic Park". I wish there would have been more focus on the monster but I enjoyed the main storyline of the kids. Read morePublished 22 months ago by 224perweek This book moves along swiftly with many unexpected turns. The characters come alive and make Science interesting. The conflicts are alive as today's headlines. Read morePublished on May 16, 2014 by Concerned about kids

Tuesdays with Morzant: Getting to Know an Author or The Case of the Purloined Interview MORZANT: Zulko, humans. Join me in welcoming Colleen AF Venable, the author Bigfoot names as the person he’d most like to partner with in a Scrabble tournament. Zulko, Colleen. COLLEEN AF VENABLE: Thank you so much, Morzant. It’s wonderful to be here. MORZANT: Before we begin, I’d like to apologize. I meant to speak with you several months ago, but I inexcusably allowed myself to become distracted with my studies regarding the tensile properties of Rice Krispies Treats. I hope you’ll forgive me. Please also forgive these notes I’ll be referring to. I don’t normally rely on prepared notes when I conduct an interview; however, the thrill of my recent Rice Krispies Treats-related breakthrough has agitated my brain and left me uncharacteristically unfocused. CAFV: I completely understand. Once I got lost in a Kit Kat bar for five minutes. OH THE THINGS I COULD HAVE DONE IN THOSE FIVE MINUTES. I could have invented teleportation…cured cancer…maybe even eaten two Kit Kat bars at twice the speed. Sigh. I guess we’ll never know. MORZANT: The key is to develop better multitasking skills. But who has the time? My first note pertains to your unusual name. Where I come from, middle names are only bestowed upon descendants of Zeenton’s Great Math Ancients. Given that you have two middle initials, I’m left to conclude that you’re a highly advanced mathematician. Norman the Half-Invisible Turtle told me that the “AF” stands for “Alien Friendly.” Norman has a penchant for feeding me bogus information, so I realize there’s a high probability that’s not true. On the other hand, I find your demeanor toward me to be quite congenial. CAFV: The real reason I have two middle names is that I have an evil twin, who weirdly enough, is neither evil nor my twin. In 1980, two months apart, two girls named Colleen Venable were born. One you already know and the other is my first cousin. Our dads, two brothers, were not happy about the name accident and while “colleen” was not a family name with no significance, both were too stubborn to change. So I was forced to go by Colleen Ann growing up. BELATED SPOILER ALERT: The A stands for Ann. UNBELATED SPOILER ALERT: The F stands for something I explain next paragraph. If you want to see the film version of how my name came to be and don’t want to ruin the ending, feel free to skip over this part. I hated that name though because it always sounded like they were in the middle of a sentence. “Colleen ann…” “And what? AND WHAT?! TELL MEEEEE!” When I turned 14 I picked a second middle name, Felicity, because that is the sort of cheesy girly name you pick for yourself when you are 14. While it made my full name translate to “Happy Little Truthful Girl,” I got over calling myself the long-winded Colleen Ann Felicity, and shortened it to Colleen AF. Reason for no periods between the initials? I was bad at typing. REALLY bad at typing. I kept accidentally hitting the coma key instead and while Colleen AF Venable was mysterious and memorable looking, Colleen A,F, Venable was not. My lack of ability to hit the period key drove me crazy enough to decide the world could deal with my weird middle name sans punctuation. I was eco-friendly before it was trendy. I’m sure those periods I’ve saved have gone to much needier sentences. Maybe even this one. Please note I am a very fast typer now. Want to know how fast? This fast! Lkfjasdofijaoekrfjwelfkjoijnvodaivjldkfj I totally just did that in under three minutes. I’m sure you are very impressed. MORZANT: Your swift typing ability brings to mind the snail, a magnificent Earth creature who knows that rushing is overrated. Which brings me to my next question… Your GUINEA PIG, PET SHOP PRIVATE EYE series is much loved by my lab assistant, Mortimer. Mortimer is a guinea pig as is the main character of the series, Sasspants. Sasspants resides at Mr. Venezi’s pet shop along with a variety of other Earth species commonly kept as pets by humans. Notably absent from the menagerie are any type of gastropod. I calculated the likely exponential increase in book sales that would result from the inclusion of snails. It’s significant. Financial considerations aside, don’t you think a snail or two, or twelve, would make a marvelous addition to the cast of characters from a creative standpoint? CAFV: I tried to write a volume starring all snails called COME SNAIL AWAY, but the band Styx threatened a lawsuit. MORZANT: I imagine they’d be equally irate if you published a book titled TOO MUCH SLIME ON MY HANDS. What a pity. One of your stated influences for a character in the GUINEA PIG, PET SHOP PRIVATE EYE series is an imaginary friend from your childhood. You’re the second author I’ve spoken to who grew up with an imaginary friend. Yours was a hamster named Hamisher, which is the name of the hamster who plays Sasspant’s assistant. Was the real imaginary Hamisher as lovably exuberant as the fictional Hamisher is portrayed? CAFV: The real Hamisher…or should I say the real imaginary, as opposed to the real fictional….um, my brain hurts. I have that problem in common with both Hamishers. They get overwhelmed easily. The imaginary Hamisher I had growing up was a bit more of a troublemaker, always getting me yelled at for knocking things over while spinning ballet turns in the living room. Geez, Hamisher! Watch those hamster legs! The imaginary Hamisher also didn’t have as many friends as Hamisher from the books. It’s almost as if no one other than me could see him! MORZANT: Highly plausible. In each book Hamisher provides supplemental information about the animal species mentioned in the books. Because the mystery genre is a mystery to me, I especially appreciated the additional supplemental information provided at the back of the third book, THE FERRET’S A FOOT. There I became better acquainted with mystery terminology such as purloin, alibi, deduce, red herring, scapegoat, and denouement. I learned that a red herring is essentially a writer’s attempt to lead the reader to incorrect conclusions, thereby making the mystery more difficult for the reader to solve. As a scientist, my life’s work is to illuminate the truth while yours, as a mystery writer, seems to be to obfuscate it. Does that realization ever cause you to suffer moral qualms? CAFV: It probably would, but I’m still too busy being upset about that Kit Kat. MORZANT: Red herrings often lead to an innocent person—or in your books, an innocent animal—being blamed for the crime. That animal is called a “scapegoat” regardless of the animal’s actual species. Hamisher makes a startling observation about the nature of scapegoats relative to a mystery story’s guilty party. He says: “If it’s obvious that a certain person did the crime, that person didn’t do it.” That statement is counterintuitive, but it does seem to coincide with a mystery writer’s goal to befuddle the reader. Not to dwell on this, but, as a writer, what is your motivation for wanting to trick your readers into believing falsities? Alternatively, what do you think the appeal of mysteries is for readers? CAFV: I loved loved loved (copy and paste that a million more times…or please don’t because I’d be sad if I broke your blog) mysteries growing up. I read everything I could get my hands on. All of Agatha Christie’s books. All of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. My favorite book on the planet when I was 10 was THE WESTING GAME. My favorite book on the planet, and possibly even other planets, like yours, is still THE WESTING GAME. There’s this amazing feeling when everything comes together, and the best writers leave clues throughout. One of the greatest things about writing the Guinea Pig books as graphic novels is Stephanie and I can hide those clues visually. We pride ourselves in making mysteries where it isn’t the pull-the-mask-off-the-ghost Scooby-Doo endings. I want the readers to have as much fun figuring out the mystery as Hamisher, and even sometimes Sasspants, have. (Though she’d never admit she liked it.) MORZANT: I see. Essentially mystery readers are like scientists in that they’re inquisitive, they examine evidence and develop a hypothesis, and they delight in discovery. And as a mystery writer, you’re responsible for helping the reader experience the exhilaration that accompanies the search for knowledge. I’ve amended my opinion of the mystery genre. Next to writers of non-fiction, mystery writers may be the most meritorious writers of all. Thank you for introducing me to this type of fiction, Colleen. I should also thank you for introducing me to a literary device I was previously unacquainted with—puns. The title of each of the GUINEA PIG, PET SHOP PRIVATE EYE books is a pun. At least, I believe that to be the case. I haven’t grasped the concept of puns as confidently as I’d like. Are those titles considered puns? CAFV: Those are absolutely puns. The original title for book one in my series proposal was the almost cringe-worthy LEAVE ME PROVOLONE, which still makes me giggle and think of cheese, two of my favorite pastimes. MORZANT: Apparently your family wages “pun wars” with each other. Presuming that pun wars don’t involve physical violence, would you be so good as to engage in a pun war with me now? Perhaps firsthand experience using puns would give me a more substantial understanding of that particular literary device. CAFV: My dad is the King of Puns. He tells so many jokes, that I am confused when he says real sentences. MORZANT: I had no idea puns held such high literary regard as to necessitate a royal representative. I’m even more eager to learn all I can about puns. Shall we begin our battle? CAFV: Okay! A pun war! Often it starts with a subject, which we run pun after pun until someone runs out or one makes us groan so loudly we fall down dead. Since I am still thinking about cheese, let’s do that. So if I said “Morzant, it is so gouda to brie here.” You would reply… MORZANT: Let me think a moment. Hmm…how about this? Cheese be honest—teleme what you think of cryptids. CAFV: I swiss I knew you guys a whole lot cheddar. MORZANT: We’re often mistaken for muensters, but you’d find we’re actually quite slice. CAFV: Wow! Ewe caught on to this game of curd play very quickly. Keep practicing dairy and you’ll get even feta! MORZANT: I had no idea puns were so cheesy. Zeentonians tend to be lactose intolerant, so I must surrender. You’ve udderly defeated me. Your father must have hearty intestinal fortitude. Before we move on to other topics, I must address an urgent pet-related matter. You can see on my interview notes that I’ve underlined this particular point in red and marked it with urgent-looking stars and exclamation points. On your Web site I viewed a photograph of your pet Emilio who you believe is a type of Earth eel. CAFV: Yup! He’s the best non-imaginary pet I’ve ever had. Eleven years old and I do believe him to be the smartest fish in the world. You’ve heard of crazy cat ladies, I’m sure. I’m a crazy fish lady. I walk around with videos and pictures of him on my phone and force them on strangers on buses. I’m actually kinda not kidding. MORZANT: Although it’s impossible to ascertain solely from the photo I saw, I’m fairly certain Emilio is a Epomolo from my own home planet. They’re not unlike Earth barnacles. Emilio was very likely a stowaway on my ship’s hull. I don’t wish to alarm you, but it would be wise for you to avoid humming, whistling, or fastening an article of clothing with a zipper, such as a jacket, while in his presence. Those sounds have been known to send Epomolos into a carnivorous rage. CAFV: OH NO! I didn’t mean to start humming outside of my brain! MORZANT: That’s not an Epomolo alarm. Something is amiss in the Hortozapher containment chamber. CAFV: Phew. I was just humming INSIDE my brain. Oh no! That’s so much more dangerous! I hope I didn’t break anything too important. MORZANT: If you’re speaking of the Hortozapher and not of your brain, you needn’t worry. It’s highly unlikely that you could damage any of the equipment on this ship. Even if you were telepathic, your internal humming’s acoustic resonance would—wait. You can hum internally? I’ve never met anybody whose brain has lips. Astonishing! Please excuse me. I really must check the Hortozapher. [Morzant exits. Enter Norman the Half-Invisible Turtle.] NORMAN: We haven’t met before, but I know who you are. I don’t have a lot of time, so I’ll get right to the point. Notice how I can do that. Get to the point. Quickly. Even though I’m a turtle. Unlike your character Herbert, the dopey turtle who rambles on and on. What’s that about? The turtle should be the suave star. He should be the one solving the mysteries. And he should have a cool car to ride around in. Gotta go. Notice how fast I’m moving. Because real turtles aren’t slow. CAFV: That was the fastest turtle I’ve ever met. It only took him two hours to ask me that question! I’m impressed. NORMAN: Very funny, Venable. [Norman exits. Enter Morzant.] MORZANT: My apologies, Colleen. I wonder what set off the alarm. CAFV: It wasn’t me. I definitely wasn’t humming inside of my brain. Nope. MORZANT: In any case, the Hortozapher was not on fire or overrun by rats like last time. If it were, it would have been a devastating setback to my research into the tensile properties of Rice Krispies Treats. I’m three months into an experiment designed to determine under what conditions a Rice Krispies Treat will lose it’s tensility. The Hortozapher provides a contained environment where I can control such factors as humidity and pressure and—oh, dear, what you must think of me! Here I’m talking endlessly about Rice Krispies Treats without having offered you any. Mortimer, would you please come keep Ms. Venable company while I fetch her a refreshment? And bring the CPT so you can converse with her. [Morzant exits. Enter Mortimer.] MORTIMER: Hi, Ms. Venable. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time. I want to know if there’s a difference between a comic book and a graphic novel? CAFV: Both names are pretty interchangeable. If I want people take me seriously I say I write graphic novels. If I want kids to actually pick up my books I say I write comic books. Comic books in general are much shorter, like the difference between a weekly stapled SUPERMAN or a longer story that’s all bound together pretty and has a spine on a bookshelf. Since the Guinea Pig books are 48 pages, they kinda lie between the two terms, so I just like to say I write silly fuzzy books, and leave the category making up to awesome librarian and bookstore pros who are the smartest people in the world. I fear playing them in that Scrabble tournament I just entered with Bigfoot. MORTIMER: Do dandelions heckle pickles when the rain hits garbage at the airport? CAFV: Only on Thursdays. * SECRET AGENT HANDSHAKE * MORZANT: That’s unfortunate. It seems that the Cavia porcellus translator is malfunctioning again. MORTIMER: Tomorrow’s freckles smack the moon jackal when singing the ice pencil dollops. Rutabaga! Football! Kaleidoscope! MORZANT: We can’t understand you at the moment, Mortimer. What’s that you’re doing? I’m terribly sorry, but we don’t have time to interpret your pantomime. Please don’t be angry. We really must continue. [Mortimer exits in a huff.] MORZANT: I’ve never seen Mortimer in such a state. He’s usually extremely even-tempered. He even kept his wits during the Hortozapher rat infestation. I’ll make it up to him later. Here, please help yourself to a Rice Krispies Treat. Tell me, are you able to discern anything unusual about the consistency of the marshmallows? I added three grams of alaria esc— MORZANT: I apologize, Colleen. I don’t know who that could be. [Enter Penny C. Monster.] PENNY: Hi, Morzant. You said I could stop by after your interview with Colleen AF Venable to pick up that scrap paper, so here I am. MORZANT: I’m not finished with the interview. Would you mind coming back later? PENNY: I can’t. I promised the puppies I’d take them for snow cones. MORZANT: Very well. Please excuse me again, Colleen. This will just take a moment. PENNY: I’m so sorry! I waited and waited and I really thought it would be safe to come over by now. But, you know, I’m glad you’re still here because I have a question for you. See, I want to throw a party, but it’s nobody’s birthday and it’s not a holiday. I know you and your friend invented Lumberjack Day. Would you help me do that? Invent a whole new holiday? Something that would call for confetti but wouldn’t make me have to wear any sort of false facial hair? I have such sensitive skin, I’d get a rash. CAFV: Sure! Hmmm…how about Dandruff Day! Everyone can wear white confetti in their hair. Not only would it be super fun, but it would bring awareness to people with dry scalps in the Before people in commercials. They always seem like more fun than those boring After people. PENNY: That’s kind of gross. But I like that the confetti gets to be two things at once, like how chocolate coins are dessert and money. MORZANT: This is all the scrap paper I have. PENNY: Thank you so much, Morzant! And you’re invited to my party to celebrate Dandruff Day. MORZANT: Dandruff Day? I’ve never heard of that. PENNY: That’s because it’s new. Colleen just helped me invent it. MORZANT: You can invent a holiday? Without a permit? Is that legal? CAFV: My friend Marianne Ways and I DID invent a holiday a few years ago. Lumberjack Day, celebrated every Sept 26. It’s not legal to invent a holiday but as long as they never find out my full name (Colleen Ann Felicity Venable) or Marianne’s full name (Marianne Knifefight Ways) they’ll never catch us! PENNY: And nobody can ever find any of us cryptids. [Enter Oliver the Telepathic Puppy, Lenny the Levitating Puppy, and Violet the Telekinetic Puppy.] LENNY: Oliver, follow me! I smell Rice Krispies Treats! MORZANT: Puppies! I’ve told you before. This is a laboratory, not a puppy playground. Come back here! And stay away from the Hortozapher! [Oliver chases Lenny deeper into the ship. Morzant follows.] VIOLET: Penny, can we go for snow cones now? And after we go for snow cones can we go down to the creek and watch the tadpoles and then after we watch the tadpoles can we go for another snow cone? And can we get three different flavors all smooshed together in one snow cone? Who’s that lady and what’s all that paper for? PENNY: It’s to make confetti. VIOLET: What’s combetty? PENNY: Well, see, I tear up the paper into little pieces like this and then later I’ll throw it up in the air to celebrate Dandruff Day. VIOLET: Can I make combetty too and throw it up into the air to celebrate Dandruff Day? PENNY: First we’ll eat our three-flavored snow cones and visit the tadpoles, then you can help me make lots of confetti for the party. After Morzant rounds up Oliver and Lenny, bring them down to the clearing with you. I’ll be waiting for you there. Thanks again, Colleen. Bye! VIOLET: Hey! You’re the guinea pig lady who writes the books about Hamisher and Sasspants and Mr. Venezi and the chinchillas who are really funny and the snake who is scary except when he’s funny and the turtle named Herbert who makes Norman mad and the rabbits who eat books instead of reading them. I love your books and I read them all the time and I can’t wait until there are more stories about Hamisher because he’s so funny and he can draw and when Hamisher came up with a catchphrase in the third book Lenny and Oliver and I decided to come up with a catchphrase for Lenny and the catchphrase we came up with for him is “flying saucers away!” and he says it right before he levitates and it makes us laugh. Is that a connect-the-dot puzzle on your leg because I love connect-dot-puzzles. Can I connect the dots on your leg? CAFV: Wow. The entire plot of my books just all flashed before my eyes so quickly. I’m just gonna lie down for a bit. Feel free to connect my giraffe while I nap. I hope I don’t hum the Kit Kat theme song in my sleep. VIOLET: One two three…this is fun…ten…what a long neck…eleven twelve thirteen…I think maybe this a Penny picture and not a giraffe picture…sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen…oh there’s a giraffe-y spot…twenty-five twenty-six…the guinea pig lady is a heavy sleeper…forty…and she snores really loudly…another spot…sixty-two sixty-three…giraffe antlers! And I’d better add a tail and some binoculars so he can read the book I’m drawing in his hooves and this giraffe looks thirsty so I’ll draw a vanilla milkshake because giraffes love vanilla milkshakes and he needs a scarf because Morzant’s ship is always cold and I’ll draw in fangs because I like fangs and I bet guinea pig lady does too. You can wake up now guinea pig lady! I like your giraffe tattoo and I liked drawing on your leg and I drew some extra stuff so you probably won’t want to take any more baths or my drawings will come off and that will probably make you sad. And you know what? I can’t levitate like Lenny can and I’m not telepathic like Oliver but I can make things move with my mind and I’ll show you. Watch me make that paper float and I’m going to stop talking for a minute because I can’t make things move with my mind while I’m talking……see?……watch how high I can make it go……do you have any special abilities? I bet you do because you’re so nice and I bet you can do lots of things. CAFV: I can move things with my mind too, but only on very windy days. Um…other magic talents. Oooh! I’m really great at jumping rope. When I was 18 I held a national record. It was even a coed record. TAKE THAT BOYS! It was how fast could you jump 100 jumps with a six-pound weight between your ankles. It was a very weird record, but I did it in under 35 seconds! Unfortunately as adulthood hit, this talent did not help me get me any jobs. There is a shortage of professions that require non-stop hyperactive jumping. [Enter Lenny and Oliver with Morzant.] MORZANT: Okay, puppies. Time to go. Don’t forget Penny is taking you for conical frozen vapor confections. VIOLET: Good-bye guinea pig lady with a giraffe tattoo that looks like Penny who is our friend who is waiting for us in the clearing. Don’t forget to write more books! LENNY: Flying saucers away! OLIVER: Last one to the clearing is a Herbert! [Oliver, Lenny, and Violet exit.] MORZANT: Now, where were we? MORZANT: For the love of Krakatoa! Now what? [Enter Briar the Psychic Beagle.] BRIAR: I know you’ve already had several interruptions to your interview, Morzant. But you need to know that in three minutes Mortimer is going to cause an explosion while preparing a new marshmallow concoction. You should take care of that or…well, just trust me. MORZANT: Colleen, again, forgive me. BRIAR: Nice to meet you, Ms. Venable. Don’t worry about the explosion. Morzant will stop it from happening. I saw it all in my dream, including you being here and me asking you about the dream journal you keep. Do your dreams foretell future events like mine sometimes do? CAFV: My dream journal! I forget sometimes to keep that secret. Ninety percent of my dreams are ridiculous and I love to share with the world and the other 10 percent is that same recurring dream about finding out I didn’t actually graduate high school and my entire career is taken away because I never passed Chemistry. NOTE: I got an 85 percent in Chemistry. My worst grade ever. Excuse me while I adjust the white tape on the brim of my nerd glasses. Yes I’ve been keeping a dream journal since I was 15. Sometimes the dreams are frightfully close to something that later happens in reality, at which point the Twilight Zone music starts to swell up in the background out of nowhere. But unfortunately all of the best ones, like a group of my friends and I starting an all Garfield cover band that plays at a Garfield theme park where the rides include THE NAP ride, and the SQUASH THE SPIDER ride…have yet to become true. BRIAR: Sometimes events from my psychic dreams take so long to happen, I start to think the dreams were just regular dreams. But then the dream thing happens. That’s why you should never give up on your dreams. About that secret new project you’re working on with Stephanie Yue, the artist for the GUINEA PIG, PET SHOP PRIVATE EYE series? I love it. CAFV: I won’t say much, but I love it, too! Hopefully in the next few months I can speak about it, but I’ll tell you what it’s about in code: A _______ who goes to _______ and then ______ and ______ while at the same time a _______ and ________ join forces with a ________ to ______! BRIAR: I’m really looking forward to reading it, and to the peanut butter cookies I’ll be eating when I do. Congratulations, too, on the future success of your young adult graphic novel, KISS NUMBER EIGHT. And I see big success for the young adult novel you’re working on now, too. One thing. When you’re at the book signing in Spokane, don’t shake hands with the man in the green turtleneck. He has the flu. I mean, he will. CAFV: Turtlenecks! Why would someone wear a turtle on their neck!? I’ll be sure to look out for that weirdo! Thanks Briar. You saved me! BRIAR: Um, that’s not— MORZANT: I don’t know what Mortimer was thinking. I’ve told him eight times not to conduct experiments that require using the Bunsen burner when I’m not present. Colleen, I promise that will be the last interruption. BRIAR: Um, I wouldn’t necessarily say that. MORZANT: What do you mean? BRIAR: You’ll see. Nice to meet you, Colleen. Watch out for that gum on the sidewalk in front of your building next Tuesday. MORZANT: What do you suppose she meant about— MORZANT: Oh. Of course. She’s psychic. I’ll try to encourage whoever that is to leave. BIGFOOT: Hi, Morzant. I was hoping I could pick up that hat. I’m going to try taking some photographs this afternoon. MORZANT: Certainly, certainly. Introduce yourself to your future Scrabble partner while I retrieve it. I may have finally solved the mystery of your photography impediment. The special transmitters in the hat should act to cancel out the unusual force that you seem to— BIGFOOT: That’s great, Morzant, but you already explained all that to me. In excruciating detail. Remember? MORZANT: Yes, quite right. I’ll be right back. BIGFOOT: Hi, Colleen. I’m Bigfoot. My hand’s a little sticky from the glazed donut I just ate or I’d shake your hand. I guess I could wipe my hand on this paper. CAFV: Or we can just shake in place. Dancing when you meet someone is a lot more fun than boring handshakes. Let’s shake! My you are a good dancer, Bigfoot! BIGFOOT: You really think so? I’ve been told I have two big left feet. You know, I’ve seen some of your photography work. I like it. Like Morzant was saying, every photo I take turns out blurry. No matter what. My friend Beverly tells me that my blurry photos have artistic merit, but I think she’s just being nice. Although, she usually isn’t nice at all, so it’s hard to tell. Oh, look. Here’s one of Morzant’s notebooks. He’s probably got some of my photos in it. Yeah, here we go. What do you think of this one? Be honest. I can take it. CAFV: It’s…blue and original and whoa…dizzy. I think I need to lay down again. [Enter Beverly the Other Half-Invisible Turtle.] BEVERLY: Hurry it up, Bigfoot. I don’t have all day. BIGFOOT: Beverly, this is Colleen AF Venable. She’s a writer, and a photographer, too. I was just asking her what she thought of this photo I took. BEVERLY: I guess my opinion doesn’t count. BIGFOOT: It’s not like that. I just wanted— BEVERLY: Forget it. I don’t care. Hey, Colleen. I heard you work as a book designer. So, are you the type of person who thinks it’s a good idea to judge a book by its cover? CAFV: I will still buy a great book with a hideous cover. Actually I will be a lot more inclined to buy it if it has a hideous cover. Nothing makes me happier than the ridiculous covers of books from the 1980s. You know the ones, with the pink borders and the bad oil paintings where everyone is wearing pants up to their chins. I have bookshelves full of those, and also other covers I love. BEVERLY: Let me get this straight. You actually buy books because they have tacky covers? And people think cryptids are strange. CAFV: While a bad cover won’t detract me from buying a good book, the opposite is also true. Even when a book is not amazing, if it has an amazing cover I will buy it. I don’t really judge books by their covers, but there is something amazing about the feeling when an incredible book has an equally incredible jacket. Few things (other than Kit Kats, naps, and the idea of Garfield-themed cover bands) make me as happy. MORZANT: What’s that about a Garfield-themed cover band? Does it perform Golden Odies? BIGFOOT: Morzant, what the heck was that? MORZANT: It appears that my newfound understanding of puns has resulted in a condition of reflexive pun verbalization. I feel queasy. I’ll have no choice but to set aside my studies regarding the tensile properties of Rice Krispies Treats while I work to develop a cure. BIGFOOT: It’ll be a snap. I’m sure once you take a crackle at it, the solution will pop right up. MORZANT: Colleen, you didn’t warn me that word play is contagious. BEVERLY: Bigfoot, get your hat and let’s get out of here before Morzant tries to quarantine us. MORANT: Beverly? What are you doing here? Never mind. I don’t want to be inhospitable, but it’s best if you leave before you’re exposed any further. Plus, I’d like to continue my interview with Colleen. BEVERLY: Fine. But first give me the recipe for Rice Krispies Treats. Penny just asked me to make some for a weird party she’s throwing. MORZANT: The recipe’s on the cereal box. BEVERLY: The puppies chewed up the box. It’ll only take a second. Jot it on this. MORZANT: Fine. Melted butter…six cups…marshmallows…alaria esculenta— BEVERLY: No improvising. Just the regular recipe. MORZANT: Are you sure? The alaria esculenta adds a pleasant texture and increases the tensile— BEVERLY: No improvising. MORZANT: Fine. Here it is. And Bigfoot, don’t forget your hat. I hope it fits. Not only should it help counteract your photography impediment, its stylish brim will keep the sun out of your eyes. Now, dear friends, please get out. [Bigfoot and Beverly exit.] MORZANT: Finally. Every single one of my cryptid friends has stopped by and the cablevision repair individual isn’t due to come until noon to six tomorrow, so any further interruptions are unlikely. I’ll simply pick up where I left off in my notes…where…I left them right here. They’re gone. My interview notes have been purloined! But who would do such a thing? Norman! I’m sure it was Norman. He delights in agitating me. The moment I heard the Hortozapher alarm I should have realized he was executing a shenanigan. He most certainly set off the alarm, and then, when I was out of the room, he purloined my interview notes! CAFV: Once I ate a purloined steak. It was delicious. MORZANT: I find that impossible to believe. What I mean is, I don’t doubt the steak was delicious, but now that I’ve gotten to know you, it’s inconceivable that you would steal anything. Wait. I can’t forget the lesson taught to me by the mystery genre and, more specifically, Hamisher. He says the most apparent suspect is always innocent. That means Norman didn’t take my notes. I feel terrible for assuming the worse about him. He’s a prankster, and often an irritant, but he’s not a thief. Colleen, did you notice if the notes were still here after Mortimer stormed out? He was upset about the CPT malfunctioning, but was he upset to the point of breaking the special bond of trust between a scientist and his assistant? CAFV: I can’t speak much about my time with Mortimer. Secret Agent stuff and all that. Um..not that we are secret agents. Because we aren’t. And if we were that would be secret. Um… hey look over there! MORZANT: Where? On the floor? What is that? Little scraps of paper. That must be it! Penny must have made confetti from my interview notes for the Dandruff Day celebration. How careless of her! CAFV: Well, when you get excited about Dandruff it’s hard to focus on anything else! Woo Dandruff! MORZANT: Unless…it might not have been Penny at all. Remember what Beverly said about the puppies chewing up the Rice Krispies cereal box? It’s widely known that puppies love to chew papery items. Lenny and Oliver were never out of my sight. Did you witness Violet shredding my interview notes? CAFV: Oh, I’m sure that’s what happened. MORZANT: I’m mistaken. Those little pieces can’t be the remnants of my interview notes. My notes were written on blue paper. Furthermore, those little white pieces aren’t bits of torn paper, they’re crumbs. And not from Rice Krispies Treats. They appear to be donut crumbs. Bigfoot! He’s always eating donuts. When Bigfoot entered, I observed that his hands were sticky as if he had recently eaten a glazed donut. However, when I returned with the hat designed to counteract his photography impediment, I noticed that his hands were no longer sticky. I didn’t think much about it at the time. Now I’m forced to consider that Bigfoot thoughtlessly used my interview notes as a napkin so that he could politely offer you a hand in greeting. But he didn’t come here alone, did he? Beverly was with him. And she insisted I give her the recipe for Rice Krispies Treats. I wonder. In my haste, did I absentmindedly write down the recipe on the back of my interview notes? CAFV: Oh, no wait. THAT’S what happened. Yes, I’m sure of it. I thought I was sure before but now I’m like sure times two. MORZANT: Colleen, in your expert opinion, as a mystery writer, who absconded with my interview notes? CAFV: I mean you had a lot of really good theories. It was most likely all of them. Or Miss Scarlet in the Conservatory, with the candlestick. Notes probably got too close to the candle when she was trying to play her violin… MORZANT: I don’t have my interview notes and I’ve already taken enough of your time, so I’ll improvise one final question. BIGFOOT READS followers know that I usually ask the authors I interview a hypothetical question. My question for you is, if you could commit the perfect crime—meaning you wouldn’t be punished for your wayward behavior—what crime would you commit? CAFV: Oooh I think about this all the time! Hold on I have the plans right here in my pocket! See first I’d get those suction cup shoes and then… MORZANT: Colleen? What’s that bit of blue sticking out of your pocket? Is it paper? It is! My interview notes! You’re the culprit? But why? True, you had ample opportunity, but what was your motive? CAFV: Sigh. Alright. It was me. I did it. I stole your notes. But I had to! You see…I made a promise to Penny. I promised her a holiday, but my scalp was too moisturized and you just can’t host Dandruff Day without dandruff! Err…and I have blue dandruff. That’s why I needed your notes. It runs in my family. All of the Colleen Venables have it. Also, I was worried if you kept asking me questions I’d miss my next book deadline. MORZANT: I certainly wouldn’t want to be responsible for keeping you from producing more books. Mortimer is already cross with me. As to your blue dandruff…that’s truly fascinating. Would you consider submitting to a semi-invasive study of your scalp? My attention is already excessively fractured by my multitudinous studies, but I just can’t resist a good mystery. Good-bye for now, humans. Multitasking is difficult, so drop absolutely everything you’re doing to read these books by my new, blue-dandruffed friend, Colleen AF VENABLE: GUINEA PIG, PET SHOP PRIVATE EYE #3: THE FERRET’S AFOOT GUINEA PIG, PET SHOP PRIVATE EYE #4: FISH YOU WERE HERE FUTURE SILLY FUZZY BOOK (as predicted by Briar the Psychic Beagle) GUINEA PIG, PET SHOP PRIVATE EYE #5: RAINING CATS AND DETECTIVES FUTURE YOUNG ADULT GRAPHIC NOVEL (as predicted by Briar the Psychic Beagle) KISS NUMBER EIGHT A SUPER SECRET BOOK IN COLLABORATION WITH STEPHANIE YUE (as predicted by Briar the Psychic Beagle) Colleen has asked that Briar not yet reveal the details.

Charlie Sheen seems to really have an interest in Cryptozoology as he is once again on the hunt. Only a little more then a month after Sheen took a trip to Loch Ness in search of Nessie he is once again on another cryptid hunt. Sheen told TMZ that he recently flew to Sitka , Alaska with a group of friends in search of the mystic creature known as Kushtaka. Loosely translated Kushtaka means “Land Otter Man” and stories have been around for years originating among local Southeastern Alaska natives. The creature is known as a shape shifter who is half man and half otter. Sheen told TMZ that the mythical creature is said to lure prospective prey from camp sites by mimicking the sounds of a crying baby only to kill them and takes on their form returning to the scene for more prey. But much like the trip to Loch Ness Sheen left with disappointing results not being able to locate or make any type of contact with the creature. Sheen said “Its obviously knew our group was far too snowed in this fashion so it stayed hidden like a sissy”. Sheen and his group has since flown back to civilization and one can only imagine where the next Charlie Sheen cryptid adventure will end up.

Posted by: Loren Coleman on August 18th, 2007 Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster). Photograph courtesy of Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife Service. There’s been nothing new on the Mystery Kangaroos in Mississippi seen along I-90, but that doesn’t mean people haven’t still been sighting them. We just haven’t heard about it. So what else has been going on? Here’s a weekend roundup of other recent appearances and sightings from around the world of cryptic animals and cryptids. Ignoring the more mundane news of big blue whale sightings off the coast of California, shark sightings near Cornwall, UK, and hundreds of Australian jellyfish encounters in the Gulf of Mexico, how about an overview of Cryptomundo-intriguing news in recent days? Around Barrie, Ontario, Canada, where they are not suppose to be, cougars (mountain lions/pumas) have been seen since March. In today’s August 18, 2007 article, in “Cougar sightings expand; More cats seen north of Barrie”, it is noted that “since a story earlier this week about sightings in Severn Township, a number of people have contacted the Osprey News describing their own sightings of the elusive feline. A woman who drives to work along Monck Road said she has seen a cougar crossing the road near the Scottish Hills Golf Course on four occasions this summer, usually just after dawn.” Meanwhile, over in the UK, eyewitnesses have been dealing with a “Big cat mystery on the A4.” The August 17th article says, “A man was left stunned after seeing what he believes is the same cat described as the size of a ‘mini-leopard’ twice in a month on the A4. His claims will raise speculation that a mystery beast is loose in Berkshire. William Barnard, 30, a nurse from Maidenhead, saw the cat while pointing out to a friend where he had originally seen the first one….Stuart Lamb, 44, of Kimmaird Close, Burnham, said: “It was powerful and slender and looked to be the size of a mini-leopard….Linda Long, Berkshire sightings coordinator for Big Cats in Britain Research Group, said sightings are not as rare as one might expect.” Cryptomundo does not discriminate against the popular cultural interest in albino animals, and I’ve focussed on white squirrels in the past, of course. So why should I ignore white-tailed squirrels? 🙂 Indeed, Dekalb County, Illinois, has had a rcent wave of activity regarding the sightings of such animals. On August 14, The MidWeek’s Diane Strand summarized her area’s white-tailed squirrel sightings. People are talking about more than one white-tailed squirrel, and Elizabeth Mehren photographed two seen together there. Only about 200 orange-bellied parrots exist in the world, with reported (until now?) only six in all of south Australia, as most live in Tasmania. But now: “Nine orange-bellied parrots have been seen around the Yambuk wetlands, sparking hopes numbers of the critically endangered birds are on the rise. The parrot is considered one of the rarest kinds of bird in the world.” These new sightings of nine at once, as mentioned on August 17, in The Warrnambool Standard, has excited many people. Spanning the globe, Cryptomundo will be there to give you the latest cryptic animal news, as well as the more clearly cryptid news too. Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct). Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015. Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.

What's that dark shadow fluttering up above us in the Appalachian twilight? Is it an alien? A supernatural being? A previously unknown species? Who knows! Mothman is one enigmatic dude! Haunting the backwoods of West Virginia and beyond, this adorable little cryptid may be trying to warn us of some imminent catastrophe...or he may just be super excited about his new chocolate chip muffin recipe! I bet it's the chocolate chip muffin recipe. Yeah. 15 squishy inches of unidentified adorable object, poly fill, ages 3 and up! Squishers who bought the Squishable Mothman also got:

Buy one for yourself and one for your auntie. Or just one for yourself! Who am I to judge. Contains rants about art, explanations of various tattoo things, stories about tattooing, about squatting, and about zines. Also contains some taxidermy info, essays about madness, and more. A ton more! 166 glorious pages! My next book will likely be the horror/cryptid coloring book. You can find individual downloads of the pages here if you like.

The World Yamizukan Produced by: TV Tokyo Genre(s): Horror, Suspense Episode length: 4 minutes Synopsis: The anime will be in an omnibus short format that will tell stories of the strange and bizarre in our world, including UFOs, cryptids, curses, ancient civilizations, supernatural powers, spiritual experiences, bizarre cases, different dimensions, and urban legends, told in a picture show style. The anime seeks to evoke the retro atmosphere of pulp horror stories that were popular in the ’60s and ’70s in magazines. – MyAnimeList With only one episode of the 4-minute per episode anime series The World Yamizukan (aka Sekai no Yami Zukan in Japanese) there isn’t much to go on. But by way of first impressions I must say that I am not impressed. I was already weary of the animation style going in but after watching the first episode and finding that even the initial story’s intrigue a bit lacking I don’t know if I’ll continue watching this series after its third episode. I don’t mind short-format series at all as the short-form anime series I Can’t Understand What My Husband is Saying (Danna ga Nani o Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken in Japanese) is one of my favorite anime series of the past decade. But The World Yamizukan just hasn’t done anything in the first four minutes to convince me to invest my time and emotions into this series. And that’s kind of sad seeing as how the series is going to focus on some fun science fiction and horror stories featuring aliens, cryptid monsters, ghost, demons, and the like, and that is something that I would really enjoy exploring though this series. But if this first episode is any indication of what to expect from the series I’m really going to be disappointed is what is presented. The animation style didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would as I generally hate those “motion comics” styles of animation, but the story and what happened in episode one was the biggest disappointment of it all. So, couple that with an animation style that I already didn’t like and you have a series that just isn’t impressing me in the slightest.

First of all, I apologise for the impromptu month-long hiatus I’ve just taken from the blog. My grand intentions of knocking out an update every Monday have dwindled like a fading erection, due in part to my own work schedule and also because my laptop has been so entirely unreliable recently that every time I’ve turned it on I’ve come close to a Hulk-like rage and nearly smashed the fucking thing into dust. Thankfully I’ve now managed to strip it of all the malware crap that was hoofing so much metaphorical sand into my vagina and with any luck, I can rinse myself out and reasonably normal service can resume. Although it would be obvious nonsense of me to say I can definitely stick to a new blog every Monday, as I’m evidently as reliable as a British Gas engineer (who, coincidentally, have recently been attempting to fit an entire rockery in my vagina), I promise I’ll at least try to get a blog out at some point every week, but they might not be as regular as they once were. If you’re desperate to get them as soon as I put them up there’s a Follow button somewhere on the page, why don’t you shitting well click that? Now CAN WE PLEASE JUST GET ON WITH OUR LIVES? One of the more famous cryptids thanks to the 2002 movie The Mothman Prophecies, the strange occurrences and historical sightings that spawned the Mothman legend began in the Point Pleasant area of West Virginia in the mid-1960s. Motorists reported encountering a seven-foot figure on the roads with enormous wings that would take to the air as they approached. A woman living near the Ohio River reported that her son claimed to have seen an angel when out playing. Another witness claimed to have encountered a giant butterfly. And because apparently digging a grave isn’t a creepy enough exercise in itself, the Mothman also decided to be a total dick and terrify five men working in a cemetery near Clenendin by swooping down from the trees and flying close overhead, before presumably heading off to either defecate on a child’s birthday cake or take a hot piss on the roof of a bus full of nuns. As is often the case with cryptid sightings, the Mothman is also tied up with all sorts of reports of bizarre supernatural activity and UFO sightings. Over the year or so that the creature was most active radios and television sets cut out or behaved bizarrely, strange lights were seen in the sky and dogs went missing. The seven-foot monster with the glowing red eyes set in its neck was seen most often in an area of West Point known as the “TNT Area”, because hey, if you’re a supernatural demon-bastard, you may as well live somewhere entirely sinister for good measure: A large tract of land adjacent to a 3,500 acre wildlife park covered in forests and steep hills, the TNT area is littered with concrete igloos used to store ammunition in World War 2 and honeycombed with the sort of subterranean tunnels you’d have to be a suicidal fruitcake to want to go exploring in. In short, it’s a horror-story orgasm, and the perfect place for a monster to make its home. The Mothman apparently wasn’t content with simply nesting down or making a nuisance of itself, however, and the legend became forever linked with the tragic collapse of the nearby Silver Bridge in November 1967. 31 cars plunged into the icy waters of the river that day and 46 people lost their lives. Sightings of the creature faded pretty abruptly following the tragedy, leading to speculation that the Mothman was either directly responsible (presumably as preemptive revenge for the invention of the bug-zapper) or simply an omen of death warning of the collapse. On the other side of the argument there are plenty of sceptical explanations for the creature, ranging from a hoax by construction workers who attached red lights to helium balloons at the height of the panic, or a disoriented sandhill crane, a bird which has characteristic red patches around its eyes and an enormous six-foot wingspan: Whatever the explanation, the Mothman is now a tourist attraction, complete with its own park, statue and annual festival featuring hayride tours of the TNT area. And of course the aforementioned movie, which went all-out in order to secure a major Hollywood star. And then failed and hired Richard Gere instead.

Mountain Monsters and Moonshine My latest guilty pleasure is the cryptid-hunting ‘reality’ show, Mountain Monsters, that can be seen on both the History Channel and Destination America. Every time I turn it on, I just picture myself on a log cabin’s front porch with a bunch of good old boys, sipping fire water and spinning yarns. These proclaimed Sons of West Virginia travel the Appalachians searching for mythical beasts and deadly creatures of yore hiding in the dense forests and mountains. Do I believe they’re really hot on the trail of actual cryptids, from the Mothman to the Hogzilla of Hocking Hills and Fire Dragon of Pocahontas County? Hello no! Is there even the slightest chance I think any of the filmed evidence that they or their eyewitnesses present are anything but CGI, smoke and mirrors? Not a chance. Truth be told, I don’t need to know the truth. When I watch Mountain Monsters, I just want to be entertained, and on that level, they deliver. I’ve written about America’s newfound fascination with hillbillys and reality TV. Mountain Monster is just another entry in a growing video library of redneck home cooking. So, what makes this show work? Well, for me, I get to discover a host of new monsters supposedly roaming our land. I may be a New Yorker but I’m a freaking monster addict. Even I never heard of the Kentucky Hellhound (and I have relatives in Kentucky) or Ohio Grass Man (another take on Bigfoot). Gvie me a monter and you have my attention. The cast is downright amusing. These are good old boys of the highest order. I get beard envy every time I watch. Wild Bill is the standout for me. He mumbles better than Boomhauer from King of the Hill and looks capable of wrestling a Bigfoot to the mat. Dude is 50 shades of loco. I worry about portly Buck having a stroke running through the woods in the dead of night. Willy, who could be Rob Zombie’s demented uncle, builds homegrown traps that look straight out of Wile E Coyote’s playbook. Trapper is the elder statesman and leader with hulking Huckleberry as his muscle and FLIR camera wielding Jeff the brains (when he’s not playing Santa Claus). Scareist of all, these boys all carry some big ass guns and aren’t afraid to pull the trigger. With all their running around in the dark, I hope they’re shooting blanks. Plus, I want my Sheepsquatch alive, dammit! There is not an ounce of skepticism in the bunch. If they see bones, hell, a wolfman must be feeding on cattle. When they zero in on a monster, everything they see has to be related to that monster. It reminds me of when my friends and I were kids, searching for creatures we made up and convinced ourselves lived around the reservoir by my house. My advice to you. Suspend belief, kick back with the cocktail of your choice, and just have some fun. Want to take your fun up to a whole ‘nother level? I have a drinking game for you. Take a shot of your favorite beverage every time you hear the word ‘sumbitch’ or when Wild Bill grunts ‘huh’. You’ll be crawling on your hands and knees by the end of the show. And tell me what you think of the show. Guns up or down?

Time Doesn't Matter This book can be downloaded and read in Apple Books on your Mac or iOS device. Is this real? For years, Victoria Custer thought she was dreaming. While big game hunting in Africa, Victoria discovers her powerful and savage past and remembers her soul mate from 1000 generations ago. Her alter ego or avatar of that life - the cave girl - “moves in” so to speak. Refusing to accept that true love dies she begins the search for her lost love, and finds the modern world may hold as many dangers as her stone age life! That’s OK, because she vividly recalls that primitive life when there was no such thing as “have a bad day” because they were all bad. Life was a continuous grueling struggle to survive. That new attitude comes in handy, too. It doesn’t matter whether it is the indwelling avatar that attracts them or something else, Vic runs into bad guys and monsters everywhere she travels. Then Vic takes her first trip as a travel writer. She visits the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. It wasn’t quite the tourist destination it is today. Vic is attacked by the wildlife, battles heartless slavers, and meets her first hungry cryptid. One lesson learned: you don’t need to be brave, you just need to do what needs done - which becomes Vic’s motto. Fast paced and unpredictable, action adventure in the tradition of the adventure pulps of the early 20th Century. If you like Doc Savage, The Avenger (Dick Benson), Nancy Drew, or Tarzan or any other novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs you will love Vic Challlenger. What reviewers think of the series: "Vic Challenger personifies every sword or ax wielding heroine ever drawn by any heroic fantasy artist. "the female answer to Indiana Jones" "Great Campy Multi-Genre Book" "I have recommended the Vic Challenger books to my wife and to all of my children" "Any of these novels would make a really good movie." "if you like Clive Cussler or James Rollins, these are definitely the books for you". “The Incredible Adventures of Vic Challenger” series is inspired by writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs, H. Rider Haggard, Jules Verne, Arthur Conan Doyle and H. G. Wells; and by characters like Nancy Drew, Lara Croft, Alan Quatermain, Doc Savage and his cousin Patricia Savage, and Dick Benson and his assistant Nellie Gray. The writing style has been compared to Burroughs and is also reminiscent of early action driven horror novels by Graham Masterton,The series is set in the 1920’s and considerable research adds to the “realism” You will find yourself effortlessly learning bits of history, some of which may amaze you. Vic’s travels are woven into the history of the time, so you may be asking yourself “Is this real?”

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If a disc is placed, that means the location could be where the creature is. If a cube is placed, then the creature is definitely not there based on that player’s clue. The active player must then also place a cube on the board based upon his clue. Only one cube may be placed on a given location while multiple discs could be placed upon a location. Searching has the player place the pawn token on a location and declare he is searching. Doing so requires him to also place a disc on the location to indicate that it could be where the cryptid is. In order around the table, the other players must place a disc or cube on that location. Placing tokens stops when a cube is put down by another player. If no other player puts a cube down, that is the location of the creature and you win! For the game to work, players must be honest about where they place pieces as the clues relies on human interpretation and the logic of deduction for the responses to the questions asked. If you find that you made a mistake, you must correct the mistake as soon as possible, outside your turn if need be. There are over 90 clues with the game which everyone has access to and they fall into one of six general clues: - One of two types of terrain - Within one space of a type of terrain - Within one space of either animal territory - Within two spaces of a type of structure - Within two spaces of a type of animal territory - Within three spaces of a color of structure There are hints available based upon the map if the players are stuck on where to go with their questions because there are only so many tokens for players to use. *Editor Note* These are your ONLY two options. This makes this game quite elegant, as it generally dissolves analysis paralysis, based on your ability to do many things. This certainly wasn’t a game I was expecting. You could liken the game to Clue with its investigative and deduction aspects but that’s where the similarities stop. This game relies on the use of deductive reasoning and a bit of luck. It took some time getting used to it as a shift away from the strategy board games my group is used to playing. What? You really want me to *think* when *playing* the game? Game Build Quality The components and packaging for the game are of very good quality. The map tiles are a heavy cardboard. The Map/Clue card deck are of typical card stock. The tokens are made of wood, thick pieces that should stand the test of many game sessions. There are no intricate designs where pieces could break off easily. The Clue books and rulebook are glossy pamphlet paper. I like the artwork even though there are like two different styles of presentation. The style of the rulebooks and cards are reminiscent of old scientific or explorer’s journals. The map work is simple, kind of cartoonish, for the terrains depicted but follows with the style of how specifically the cryptids are drawn throughout the Clue books and rulebook. The tokens are designed for utilitarian purposes only, there are no special designs or artwork on them. *Editor Note* Kwanchai Moriya is everywhere it seems, with good reason. His art is superb, and paint brush kung fu is strong. It blows me away that even his choice of coloring, makes the game stand out. This game took a little time for my group to really grok, but we got there. Once we understood how to frame our questioning, especially without giving our own clue away, there was some serious competition going on. But this game is one of finite solutions and it can be over quickly if someone happens to inadvertently pick the cryptid’s location on the first try. Age Range & Weight The game states that its age range is 10+. I wouldn’t try any younger than that, probably older. I believe that 10 year old could understand the rules of the game as they are but the concepts of deductive reasoning and the use of strategy. Where and when to ask questions begs for more mature players. This isn’t a heavy game by any means but it’s a deep game that require skills that some might feel are more like work than play. As I mentioned before, this game wasn’t what any of us were expecting. The setup wasn’t taxing but it took us awhile to understand how to approach the turn actions. I don’t think my group would want to play this again (especially since I won a game on my second turn) but I could heartily recommend this game to schools for helping understand logic and reasoning – math, logic, philosophy, or any types of classes that deal with these concepts.

Long ago I signed up for the Ten on Tuesday emails. Sometimes the topics are interesting, sometimes they don't appeal to me, but either way I never get around to writing a Ten on Tuesday post. Remember yesterday, I said blogging sounds great in the abstract? I often think of great topics to write about, but then never get around to it? Yeah, the 10 on Tuesday topics tend to fall into that category. The post gets written, but only in my head. Not this week. For one day anyway, I'm going to keep my resolution to participate more in online communities. Today's Ten on Tuesday topic is the last 10 books you've read. I read a lot and track what I read (and want to read) on Goodreads. Two of my favorite Ravelry groups are book related, Audiobook Knitters and 52 Books in 52 Weeks (a lot of us read way more than 52 books a year, some way less, it's just a personal challenge). Both groups are fantastic for recommendations, although be warned, your to-read list will grow exponentially, to match that SABLE yarn stash (Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy). The good thing is that with audiobooks, you can knit and read at the same time. The last 10 books I've read: 1) California by Edan Lepucki - audiobook (Audible), 2 stars I got this free from the Goodreads Ford Audiobook Club. Sponsored by the auto manufacturer, this group offered a few free audiobooks last year but seems to have gone dormant. I really didn't enjoy this book. It's set in a near-future semi-dystopia. No zombies or pandemic, just a continuation of current negative trends (crazy weather, extreme income inequality, political dysfunction). I normally like dystopian novels, but the characters have to be well-written and these weren't. A lot of the drama was manufactured because characters didn't talk to each other. I didn't much care for the narrator, Emma Galvin. Her voice sounds whiny to me, making me dislike the main character. She also narrated the Divergent series, and I thought Tris was whiny too. Maybe I would have liked California better on paper. 2) 14 by Peter Clines -audiobook (on CD from my library), 4 stars A classic-style mystery/horror story. Nate moves into a new apartment in a strange building. As he and his fellow tenants investigate, things get continually weirder and scarier. A really enjoyable listen. 3) Kiss of Steel by Bec Mcmaster - audiobook (Audible), 3 stars A good paranormal/adventure/romance/steampunk novel. Set in an alternate London, sort of Victorian Era, with vampire-like creatures. I enjoyed the story and cared what happened to the characters, although it is pretty much fluff. The narrator was good, but I think I would have liked it better on paper. Be forewarned: there's explicit sex. A lot of it. That goes on. And on. And on. I don't think I'm a prude and I don't object to sex scenes that fit well into the plot. But here I just wanted to get back to the story. In paper I would have skimmed ahead through some of it, not so easy to skim in audio form. 4) Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire - paperback (library), 4 stars Third in the Incryptid series. Set in the modern world, except all sorts of cryptid creatures are real. The series follows the adventures of the Prices, a family of cryptozoologists. Lots of fun. Escapist, light-hearted fluff, but really well-done escapist, light-hearted fluff. I want my own Aeslin mice. 5) Roseanna by Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö - audiobook (OverDrive), 3 stars First in the classic Martin Beck series about a police inspector in Stockholm, Sweden. I didn't really enjoy this book, but I think that was largely due to the poor narration of the audiobook. The story itself is okay, although the writing, attitudes and style are a bit dated. It was written in the early 1960s. I think it's in that in-between territory, too recent to read as a period classic, but too long ago to read as modern. 6) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - audiobook (SYNC), 4 stars I got this book from SYNC, a great YA program that gives away two complete audiobook downloads each week during the summer - a current Young Adult title paired thematically with a Classic or Required Summer Reading title. This year starts May 7. The books are each only available for a week, so grab them while they're there. Code Name Verity is a fantastic WWII spy story, very well narrated. I'm very much looking forward to the second in this series, which is one of this summer's SYNC books. 7) Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen - hardcover (library), 4 stars Eighth in the Her Royal Spyness series. Fun spy/mysteries set in the 1930s. Silly, light-hearted, often laugh-out-loud funny. 8) Hush by Laura Lippman - audiobook (Overdrive), 3 stars Twelfth in the Tess Monaghan series about a Baltimore PI. I used to really love this series, but the last couple entries haven't been as good as the early ones. In this one, Tess is juggling being a detective with raising her toddler. I think the author may have recently had a child in real life, because the story often gets side-tracked by motherhood. If you have a toddler, you may enjoy this. If you're looking for a good mystery, not so much. 9) The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan - audiobook (on CD from my library), 3 stars The story of an Australian survivor of a WWII Japanese POW camp in the jungles of Thailand. The book jumps around in time and it took me quite a while to get involved or care about the characters. Parts of the book are really good, parts aren't. Parts come across as a bit sexist or misogynistic - not badly so, but definitely a male viewpoint book. And be forewarned, there's graphic violence and torture. The conditions in the POW camp are atrocious and described in great detail. I might have liked this better on paper where I could more easily have skimmed past the goriest parts. 10) Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood - audiobook (on CD from my library), 4 stars First in the Phryne Fisher mystery series about a woman PI in 1920s Melbourne, Australia. There's a tv show based on this series with fantastic fashions. I've watched the first season and a bit of the second and would recommend it. This was my first venture into the novels. I enjoyed it, nothing fantastic, but a pleasant listen while doing household chores. Didn't leave me desperate for the next installment, but I expect I'll read it sooner or later. That's the 10 last books I've read. What are you reading? And don't forget to check out what everyone else is reading in the links from Carole's blog,

A few weeks ago, I was wandering along the venerable street-side walkway on York Street in downtown Colombo, savouring its old-worldly atmosphere – old-worldly atmospheres are becoming something of a rarity in ever-changing, ever-modernising Colombo – and snapping pictures of the antiquated shop signs that hang there: Millers Ltd (Groceries, Wines, Tobaccos and Fancy Goods), Cargills Ltd (Dispensing Drugs, Toilet Requisites, Perfumery and Optical Goods) and, um, Kentucky Fried Chicken. Then I noticed this shop frontage. Its window was murky with reflected light. But did I see a strange figure in there, standing just behind the glass? I approached the window and discovered a massive ape-like creature glowering out and, indeed, glowering down at me. A yeti. Yes, here was an abominable snowman, not in its normal abode of the Himalayan Mountains but in a shop on York Street in central Colombo. Well, obviously, it wasn’t a real yeti but a mock-up of one presumably made of fibreglass. The thing had been created as an eye-catching advertising gimmick for a product called Yeti Isotonic Energy, a rehydrating sports drink that the Internet tells me has been “developed in collaboration by Austrian and Sri Lankan scientists.” Bottles of it were on display elsewhere in the shop. Like its North American counterpart Big Foot, the yeti is a cryptid, i.e. an animal whose evidence has not been scientifically proven. It might exist, and some people claim it exists, but that’s all we can say. I had an overactive imagination when I was a kid and, predictably, I loved the idea that fantastical beasties such as the yeti and Big Foot might be skulking undetected in the world’s less charted regions. So how disappointed I was when, in 1980, British television aired a show about unexplained phenomena called Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World and I excitedly tuned in one evening to an episode of it devoted to cryptid apes – only to hear its host, the science-fiction writer (and coincidently a long-term resident of Sri Lanka) Arthur C. Clarke, pour cold water over the existence of such creatures. For instance, Clarke was unmoved by the famous 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film footage allegedly showing Big Foot because he and Stanley Kubrick had shown in their 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey that it was possible to film very realistic-looking ape scenes using human actors in make-up and hairy costumes. At the end of the episode he opined that if that he had a hundred pounds to bet, he’d forty pounds on the yeti existing, ten pounds on Big Foot existing and “keep the other fifty pounds for myself.” While the yeti and Big Foot are by far the most famous examples, there have been reports of cryptid apes, anthropoids and Neanderthal-like beings all over the world. These include the Skunk Ape of the Florida Everglades; the Almas of central Asia; the Australian Yowie; the Chinese Yeren; and the Japanese Hibagon, said to live around Mount Hiba near Hiroshima. Even Scotland has one, the Big Grey Man of Ben Macdui (Am Fear Liath Mòr in Gaelic), a huge, hairy creature that’s supposed to stalk and loom up terrifyingly in the mist behind lone hikers and climbers on Scotland’s second-highest peak, Ben Macdui in the Cairngorm Mountains. Nice though the idea of ape creatures hiding out in the Cairngorms is, I’m inclined to attribute the sightings of the Big Grey Man to the sun / cloud-generated optical effect known as the Brocken Spectre. (Yes, I’m now a total, killjoy sceptic about such things. Blame Arthur C. Clarke.) My curiosity piqued, I did some research to find out if Sri Lanka can claim to have any cryptid apes of its own. And it can, apparently. The Nittaewo were said to be a species of bipedal, tailless primates dwelling in the nation’s forests, with talon-like fingers and a strange language that resembled the twittering of birds. According to the traditions of the Vedda people – who are believed to be Sri Lanka’s oldest human inhabitants – the Vedda fought against and finally destroyed the Nittaewo in the 18th century. All the same, there have been alleged sightings of the Nittaewo since then, indeed, as late as 1984. Still, if you go down to the Sri Lankan woods today and hear strange rustlings and twittering sounds coming through the undergrowth towards you, you needn’t be too alarmed. The Nittaewo were said to be three feet tall at most, so if they did exist they would probably have resembled Hobbits – and not their giant-sized Himalayan cousin in the shop window on York Street.

| The woo is out there| |Aliens did it...| |... and ran away| | Some dare call it| |What THEY don't want| you to know! | Part of RationalWiki's| Cryptid Petting Zoo |Hiding with Schrödinger's cat| “”Was it an UFO in the terms of a flying saucer? Or what is an UFO in the sense of it was just something in the sky that wasn't identified? |—Nick Redfern, a ufologist who apparently never bothered to find out what the UFO acronym stands for| Some of his books: - Bloodline of the Gods, where he claims that humans are the product of ancient aliens, and that humans are "periodically modified and refined as a species" and that human civilization is "one big lab experiment". Sounds slightly familiar, doesn't it? - Secret History: Conspiracies from Ancient Aliens to the New World Order, we'll let the title speak for itself. - FINAL EVENTS and the Secret Government Group on Demonic UFOs and the Afterlife, from the blurb: "our purported alien visitors are, in reality, deceptive demons and fallen angels. They are the minions of Satan, who are reaping and enslaving our very souls, and paving the way for Armageddon and Judgment Day". Also claims Aleister Crowley is connected to UFO's (which is almost believable). - Man Monkey: In Search of the British Bigfoot, Bigfoot … again … PRATT.

With the addition of the limited-time Kulve Taroth siege and the Caverns of El Dorado, at least two new rare pets have been added: - The Tsuchinoko is a flat, snake-lizard like animal based on a real-life cryptid. You can find it in area 2 or 3 scuttling out of the tunnels Kulve Taroth creates along with the Callabros. - The Golden Calappa is a much larger, golden variant of the bronze crabs that scuttle around on the floor. Seems like it will spawn where-ever the regular Bronze Calappa do. The four trophy related pets are: - Downy Crake (Snuggles for All): A fuzzy bird that rides on the back of Aptonoths or Apceros in the Ancient Forest of Wildspire Waste. - Bristly Crake (Bristles for All): Only available in the Rotten Vale in a single location, start at Area 11 and move towards Vaal Hazak's lair. There is a blue pond with goldenfish that sometimes has the Piscine Researcher or First Wyverian; the Bristly Crake will be seen riding on the back of the Mosswine on the cliff above. - Petricanths (A Living Fossil): Attainable in the game quite rarely, in a blue lake in the Rotten Vale past some rocks or camp 8 in Elder's Recess. A quick walk from Area 11's camp, and past the Bristly Crake spawn. - Prism Hercudrome (Rainbow Bright): As the guide lists, this beetle only appears at dawn or dusk in the Ancient Forest or the Wildspire Waste. I caught it in the Waste, twice, on a tree overlooking Jyuratodus' regular spawn point. Also on dead tree in northeastern-most overlook in Ancient Forest. Here's a decent video guide for visuals of where to find these four and what they look like. In addition to these four, there are many forms of endemic life that have unique borders in the Hunter's Notes, designating them as rare variants. I'll list the ones I have after 110 hours of gameplay. Among these are: - Pilot Hare, a pink variant of the regular Hare that spawns in the starting area of Wildspire Waste and also near a northern camp in the Ancient Forest - Giant Vigorwasp, a huge Vigorwasp carrying a massive payload; this doesn't have a special border but seems to be fairly uncommon - Forest Pteryx, an emerald Woodland Pteryx with a red crest rarely found on the trees in the Ancient Forest - King Marlin, a giant marlin found off of the coast of the Ancient Forest where the Kestodon lounge. - Emerald Helmcrab, a larger, green iron Helmcrab found on the floor of the Rotten Vale and Wildspire Waste - Moonlight Gecko, a larger gecko from the Rotten Vale that frequently spawns near the Area 11 camp. Very noticeable, glows in the dark. Purple and blue spotted. - Augurfly, an emerald Omenfly that seems to appear where-ever Omenflies can. I've caught them in the Ancient Forest, Wildspire Waste, and Rotten Vale. - Wiggler Queen, a bright orange Wiggler from the Coral Highlands. Notes say they spawn at night. Hard to miss. From digging around online, there also appears to be: - Dapper Coralbird from the Coral Highlands (probably found among the regular kind) - Phantom Flutterfly, a large prismatic yellow Flutterfly in the Ancient Forest. - Grandfather Mantagrell, the large manta-ray type insect from the Coral Highlands near Sector 11 with the Grimalkynes - Gold Hercudrome, found near Area 5 in the Wildspire Waste I wouldn't be surprised if there were a rare variant of the Golden Helmcrabs either, considering every other Helmcrab location seems to have a rare variant. Here is a video showing some of the rare pet locations across the Ancient Forest, Wildspire Waste, and Coral Highlands.

An Interesting, Detailed Report Of A Woman's Yowie Encounters An Australian woman named Claire was a guest on a local podcast, and told an interesting story. One detailing her chilling experience with a Yowie. To those of you who don't know what a yowie is, its a cryptid, either hominid or hominin (no one knows), is similar to a Bigfoot, and is exclusive to Australia. At the time, she was living in Nanango, eastern Australia, with her two young children. Her elderly mother was residing in a nearby senior home. At some point, Claire's children began telling her fearful stories of something strange stalking outside of their bedroom window on multiple occasions. Although she assumed the children were imagining things, she would dutifully come to their aid, and investigate the 'monster' whenever they would cry out. "They were quite young and scared but by the time I got into the room and put the light on outside, there was nothing ever there." When claims such as these are made by children, they're easily written off as simply being a figment of their imagination. However, when her mother also began reporting some strange happenings, Claire wondered what about what could be really going on. During some of her visits to the nursing home, her mother mentioned hearing strange noises. "She kept saying to me all the time that there was something running over the roof out there and something running past the doors at night. I asked a couple of nurses about it but they dismissed it." But Claire's mother stuck to her story. "Her story never altered and she kept telling me that there was something out there. She kept saying that she was seeing this strange thing running past her door at night." Claire continued to hear the strange stories from both her mother and children, but had not seen or heard anything herself that might validate their claims. Then one evening, as she was leaving the nursing home after a visit, she experienced something that she says haunts her to this very day. "I was walking out into the carpark and it was pitch black because the lights in the carpark had blown. I shut the gate and started walking towards my car when I heard a gut-wrenching howl. It was like nothing I'd ever, ever heard before. It made all the hairs on the back of my neck and on my arms stand up. I got a knot in my stomach - it was fear. It makes me shake now just talking about it. I heard it three times in total that night. From then on, I started hearing it regularly in the town. It seemed to come from the edge of town at about 11pm. All the dogs in town would go absolutely crazy." Claire questioned her neighbors and area residents about the noises, but couldn't get any answers. She described another unnerving experience... "One time I was in the kitchen, late at night, making a cup of tea and something growled at me through the window. I put everything down and backed away from the window and turned off the light and went around the corner to where I wasn't in view of the kitchen window. I know possums, and koalas and I know all those sounds, I'm accustomed to those noises but this was something different. It was absolutely terrifying." She continued to experience similar events over a period of months. Claire mentioned noticing behavioral changes in her pet dog and cat during this period. The cat became on guard and nervous, while the dog would 'go crazy, barking at the window" as if someone were there. Also of interest, is that Claire noted a very strong, offensive odor around her property that would trigger the dog's ire. After some while, Claire came to the conclusion that she wasn't being tormented by humans, but what she believes to be a yowie. "I thought we were being visited by a yowie. I'd hear the crunch around the house and I'd get that feeling in my stomach, like a sixth sense that something was there." Claire and her family have since left Nanango, but she'll never forget her experience with what she is certain was a yowie. The interview Claire gave is available here. Be advised that the audio quality isn't great.

It was held every year in a different place with a different theme. Nessie hosted the ‘96 con with help from her three seamonster girlfriends, and Mothman’s con in ’04 was decorated with thousands of multi-coloured lamps. The cons were always well attended, with famous cryptids mingling with attendees, signing autographs and giving advice to those starting out. Every year someone would claim to have seen Bigfoot and their boyfriend, but those rumours were always unconfirmed. The Jersey Devil had originally attended the con to get photos with his idols, but instead had found the greatest cryptid of all: love.

I didn’t go out trick or treating on Halloween night. I didn’t watch a horror movie marathon or attend any haunted houses… I re-watched the best episode of The X-Files event series from last year: “Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster.” As previously mentioned, Season 10 was not good for The X-Files. There were so many badly written and poorly directed episodes, it was not worth the 14-year wait to bring back the once-proud TV show. The ratings were great, because people previously enjoyed watching Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully experience unexplained incidents and supernatural phenomena throughout the years. Clearly, nostalgia is a powerful thing. Filled with an offbeat storyline, quirky dialogue, dark themes and so many Easter eggs(!), this was still the best episode from last year, although it wasn’t as good as I previously remembered watching it. In fact, there’s so many in-jokes crammed into the episode, it treads dangerously close to being considered fan-service. This Monster of the Week episode is a story told from a cryptid creature’s perspective. Originally a story for Frank Spotnitz’s Night Stalker reboot, Morgan re-worked “The M Word” to function within The X-Files Universe and it became an instant classic. That this was Morgan’s first time writing an episode since “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space” aired in 1996 for Season 3 is unbelievable and a terrible shame! Darin Morgan has crafted some of the absolute best episodes throughout the years, from his Emmy-winning script, “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” to “Humbug” to episodes of Millennium and even appearing as the Flukeman and Eddie Van Blundht in different episodes. Darin has done a lot to prove he’s more than just Glen Morgan’s little brother. In this episode, Mulder feels disillusioned with his life and his career, although his faith is renewed after his discussion with the “Were-Monster.” It’s a great episode and worth saving on your DVR, but not really the only reason for bringing back the entire series for only six episodes (and five really bad, groan-worthy ones). There’s great references to past filmmakers who had previously worked on the show (as well as other 1013 productions) in the graveyard and after watching the episode, I dare you to immediately look up all the Easter eggs that you surely missed. Because of the goodwill shown toward this episode by X-Philes and TV critics alike, it’s wonderful news to hear that Darin will be back to write and direct another episode in Season 11. Hopefully, Chris Carter will learn a thing or two from him. It seems Chris’ stale writing, directing and even producing style is the same as it ever was and hasn’t changed since the show’s original series finale, back on May 19, 2002. That is unfortunate, to say the least. Will Season 11 of The X-Files be Worth the Wait? Maybe. Or maybe not. But one thing is crystal clear: This episode showcased the elements that originally helped turn The X-Files into one of the all-time greatest science-fiction and fantasy TV shows to air on the small screen. And that is a good thing. Keep it spooky, y’all.

Among the variety of non-financial use cases, blockchain technology can be applied to identity applications in areas such as digital identities, passports, e-residency, birth certificates, wedding certificates, IDs, online account logins, etc. Creating an identity on blockchain can give individuals greater control over who has their personal information and how they access it. By combining the decentralized blockchain principle with identity verification, a digital ID can be created to act as a digital watermark which can be assigned to every online transaction of any asset. Here are some of the pioneers in building blockchain-based identity management and authentication solutions for cross-industry applications: 2WAY.IO effectively transforms public nodes into private nodes by adding a permissions layer. Private nodes can connect information silos & secure communication channels. They’re user-in-control (privacy-by-design & security-by-design) and require no trade-off between security and UX. These systems are both trusted third-party- and blockchain-agnostic; they only require an intermediary or blockchain when both parties agree to add one to their interaction. Atencoin is a first-generation, identity-based compliant digital currency. It is headed up by the National Aten Coin (NAC) Foundation, an organization that supports the identification of blockchain-based technology and digital currencies. BlockAuth enables users to own and operate their own identity registrar that allows them to submit their information for verification. Blockstack provides a decentralized domain name system (DNS), decentralized public key distribution system, and registry for apps and user identities. Personal user APIs ship with the Blockstack app and handle everything from identity and authentication to data storage. Applications can request permissions from users and then gain read-and-write access to user resources. Bitnation is a governance 2.0 platform that is powered by blockchain technology. Its goal is to provide the same services that governments provide, but in a decentralized and voluntary manner, unbound by geography. Bitnation has worked out an identification solution such as blockchain passport and a marriage certificate. BlockVerify provides blockchain-based anti-counterfeit solutions. It uses blockchain technology to improve anti-counterfeit measures in different industries such as pharmaceuticals, luxury items, diamonds and electronics. Cambridge Blockchain LLC is developing its digital identity software with several leading global financial institutions, with commercial deployments planned for late 2017. The company’s distributed architecture resolves the competing challenges of transparency and privacy, resulting in faster customer onboarding, lower costs, and enhanced compliance through a single, trusted and consistent view of customer reference data. Cambridge Blockchain has won FinTech competitions including BBVA Open Talent 2016 and the Santander InnoVentures Distributed Ledger Challenge. Cambridge Blockchain graduated from the 2016 FinTech Innovation Lab – run by the Partnership Fund for New York City and Accenture. Civic is a blockchain-based identity management platform that allows users to register and validate their personal identity information and lock their identity in order to prevent identity theft and fraudulent activity on their credit reports. Civic aims to tackle the problem of consumer identity theft and reducing online identity fraud. Credits platform enables enterprises to quickly and easily build robust blockchains that address the challenges of establishing provenance, authentication and reconciliation faced by many industries. The platform allows to create encrypted digital identities to substitute dozens of usernames and passwords while offering greater security features would save enterprises, institutions, governments and customers, time, energy and money. A golden record for identity which would work not only at a bank level but across the globe in all electronic environments. CredyCo provides document verification SaaS, which uses a smart contracts and identity technology built on top of the blockchain to ensure the credibility and irrefutability of all statements. Cryptid eliminates the possibility of counterfeit identification by adding factors of identification and encryption. Cryptid takes the data provided in the form and package it into a compact format readable by our systems and generate your Cryptid identification data. All of the data is encrypted with the provided password after which it is permanently transferred to the blockchain. The customer is then given a unique identification number that points to the information on the block chain and can be stored on almost anything from magnetic stripes to QR codes. Evernym is a global, fully open-source, attribute-based, self-sovereign identity graph network built on an advanced, dedicated, privacy-enhancing, public permissioned distributed ledger. ExistenceID is a secure digital identity system for safe storage and sharing of valuable identity documents. A private identity capsule rates users’ total identity so they can prove that they are real. Only users choose who and when can access different parts of their identity. At the same time, ExistenceID has zero knowledge of users’ personal account. Guardtime’s BLT – Blockchain Standard for Digital Identity – is an authentication and signature protocol meant to replace RSA as the standard for digital signatures. In contrast to RSA’s reliance on quantum-vulnerable asymmetric key cryptography, BLT is based on Guardtime’s quantum-secure Keyless Signature Infrastructure (KSI) technology, which uses only hash function cryptography. HYPR biometric security suite provides enterprises a fully interoperable solution to secure users across mobile, desktop and IoT systems. HYPR enhances the user experience by allowing you to choose from voice, face, touch and eye recognition. Our decentralized authentication platform allows enterprises to leverage biometrics without worrying about hackers attacking a biometric server or centralized password database. Identifi is a blockchain-based startup creating address book where users can link their personal profiles and identifiers to form a trusted identity. In addition to keeping contact details such as phone number or bitcoin address up-to-date, the user can give other users trust ratings and feedback. Open Identity Exchange (OIX) is a non-profit, technology agnostic, collaborative cross-sector membership organization with the purpose of accelerating the adoption of digital identity services based on open standards. OIX’s OIXNet is a registry. It is an official online and publicly-accessible repository of documents and information relating to identity systems and identity system participants. Referred to as a “registry,” it functions as an official and centralized source of such documents and information, much like a government-operated recorder of deeds. That is, individuals and entities can register documents and information with the OIXnet Registry to provide notice of their contents to the public, and members of the public seeking access to such documents or information can go to that single authoritative location to find them. KYC-Chain is a novel platform built over the convenience and security of DLT, allowing users to manage their digital identity securely, while businesses and financial institutions are able to manage customer data in a reliable and easy manner. Netki provides open source and open standard-based digital identity solutions that allow financial service companies to meet their compliance requirements on both public and private blockchains. Netki Wallet Name Service (WNS) translates easy-to-remember names like “wallet.myname.me” into bitcoin (and other cryptocurrency) wallet addresses. ShoCard is a digital identity that protects consumer privacy and is as easy to understand and use as showing one’s driver’s license. It’s optimized for mobile and so secure that even a bank can rely on it. A user’s identity is encrypted, hashed and then written to the blockchain, where it can be called up when needed. Users would, in effect, give banks temporary access to the private side of this blockchain record in order to verify identity. Once that is done, the bank creates its own record that can be consulted in the future to determine that a certain Joe Smith is really Joe Smith. UniquID provides secure identity management, integrated with fingerprint and other biometry on personal devices. Ready to be deployed on custom hardware, servers, personal computers or smartphones and tablets, UniquID Wallet runs also on battery and low-powered devices, providing integrity and interoperability at the edge of one’s infrastructure. uPort, developed by ConsenSys, is building a secure, easy-to-use system for self-sovereign identity, built on Ethereum. The uPort technology consists of three main components: smart contracts, developer libraries, and a mobile app. The mobile app holds the user’s keys. Ethereum smart contracts form the core of the identity and contain logic that lets the user recover their identity if their mobile device is lost. Finally, the developer libraries are how third-party app developers would integrate support for uPort into their apps.

Jolt Country is proud to announce that "Cryptozookeeper", the graphical text adventure by Robb Sherwin, is now shipping. A science fiction/comedy piece of interactive fiction set in New Mexico, "Cryptozookeeper" is a blend of classic text game puzzles, cryptid creation and animal fighting. With over 60 creatures of cryptozoology like Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster and the fur-bearing trout, "Cryptozookeeper" has been described as a cross between "Zork," "Monster Hunter" and a really good call on Coast-to-Coast AM. It has a full soundtrack and hundreds of characters to meet and places to go. While a deluxe version is for sale with extras, the entire game is available for download thanks to the Internet Archive, in lieu of any sort of crippled demo. "Cryptozookeeper" is the eighth work of interactive fiction by award-winning designer and programmer Robb Sherwin. It is available for Windows, Linux and OS-X. Contact: Robb Sherwin ( [email protected])

Astroworks is a 3d fast-paced arcade space combat action game. Project is Rev-Share. *display img by IonfluxDA/DeviantArt* A post-apocalyptic card game with survival elements and base building. The project is revenue share, each of the members will receive a percentage when the game is on steam and selling. We already have a team of 8 people working on the project at this moment. More information will be available once you get accepted. What is DreamLand? DreamLand is a Fantasy-RPG inspired by Undertale, Mother/Earthbound series, Paper Mario and Taiko no Tatsujin: Chibi Dragon to Fushigi na orb & Stepmania. This game is based on the decisions that the player wants to do, the catchphrase of the game itself is "A world where the illusion of choice doesn't exists", "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" This game will actually make you decide, if you decide something there's a counter of that decision you took, maybe not after 10 minutes after you decide or 20, but it will haunt you overtime, on you first walkthrough you can't erase your data! If you ruined it, then live with it, you can't erase your own live if you took a bad decision in the past, right? After you finish the game 1 time, you can unlock additional saveslots so you can try different desicions! This game is based on desicions the more you take the more the game knows about you, if you aren't a good person the game will not have any mercy on you, on the other side if you are a good person the game will not punish you as hard as a bad person, but it will do anyway, no matter what you do the game will remember anything, even if you erase your own file. How the art has changed overtime? In DreamLand we actually are really pending on the aesthetics of it! actually we did more than 5 generations (redos) of the characters for have the best experience for the player, there's an example of the evolution from generation to generation of the art style down below, feel free to check it anytime!. -Which will be the cast for the game? RPG's are characteraized for having good characters in a good story development. This is the evolution on the cast over the creation of art itself, here you can see a detailed explanation of the characters: Oott, the male protagonist of the game!, you can give him the personality you like, after all... you are him!. Camellia, the female protagonist of the game!, you can give her the personality you like, after all you are her!. Mila, a shy girl that doesn't has any friends, she always have been rejected by everyone even by her own blood, her mother and father..., but you never see her sad or depressed about it, she feels happy how she is, but those kind of things hurt her feelings like every normal person, she joins to your team because she wants to know what is having a friend for her very first time. Exe, A scientist guy that wants some attention from his father. Exe is always alone at home, his dad is always working and his mother died long time ago... even if he shows his father the most elaborate system on the whole island, his father never notices him... He actually create things his bare hands! His bare hands!, Exe tries to catch his father's attention but he never accomplish it..., he joins to the team for impress his father. Sarah, A deportist girl that do not wants to be the shadow of her sister, Sarah's mother always compare Sarah with her sister, she says that Sarah's sister is "Femenine" and "It's a true lady", she joins to the team because she wants to her mother seem her with a new perspective. A pet, in DreamLand we give the liberty to the player of adopt a pet from the streets or buy a mascot from a pet shop, If you adopt one, their will be stronger than a bought pet, but if you bought one that pet will have 2 extra lives, if the pet dies 1 or 2 times it will die forever, a system of perma-death -How the game will be and what mechanics you are going to introduce? This game is not a conventional Fantasy-RPG, this RPG will use things of the real life such as hippies or robots as enemies and instead using swords and magic, you will use baseball bats and mentai! Mentai are psychic habilities that some characters can have such as Exe and Mila! The game will grow with you, if you level up the game will level up in difficulty with you, no matter what keep your team flushed, now you know that this game will be hard for a "normal" Western-RPG. If you reclute someone the game will get harder and the game will do damage based on the damage you can do. The overworld will be the same as Paper Mario, but the battles will have a twist, every monster has something different, new music and new patterns. Yes patterns, the game itself will use a "Dance"-like mechanic, just like this! : Credits to: Puurokulho This will be an idea of how will be the battle but it will be more variated, because every pattern changes if the monster changes. The battles will become really variated if we talk about options, you can choose between attack, use an item, mentai powers, check the monster, guard, bond and run! I will keep this a mystery for those ones that want to know more about it~ -How will be the narrative? because is a really important thing to have in mind while doing a game... The game will have a really good sense of humour, exagerated/ hilarious and even cruel sometimes! We will not use pop culture jokes, like memes or passing fads for the game, because if you play the game 20 years after it's release you are not going to understand any joke that the game will present you, because it was a passing fad or a dead meme. Also the game will be extremely emotional because it relates things that actually happened to me, actual experiences, and i can say that this game will be extremely emotional and sad, from the character development to the characters backstories... - What aesthetics do you want in your game? The aesthetics, I want something like paper mario, easy to draw, looks good and it doesn't takes too much time, i don't want to use pixels this time, i want to use handrawn sprites. - What if i don't want to join to the project but i want to see your process in the game? If you want to join us in discord here's the link to it, with that you can see what we've done so far and follow the game by yourself even you can chat with another invites! and if you think that you can colaborate with something feel free to do it! also You will be in the credits! You can play the demo early, before everyone else! and also know more about the team or just chat with random people that were interested in the project! so many benefits and just a click away! and we will make sure that you don't theft the idea if you just got an idea about it~: - Wow, this is a really ambitious project are you sure that you are not going to leave it halfway through? No actually, i've worked with this idea for 3 years now and i think that it's the time for work with teammates, so i will not leave this project incomplete if you are worried about that, and the game will not be that long i want at least 10 hours of gameplay, so i think that, that is correct for this kind of game, if the game gets longer while development, then will be more hours of pure fun and joy! Evolver is a 2D fighter & metroidvania beat'em up reaching a state of code completion, and as a result we are in need of an artist to work on the project. Please PM me if you're interested. More info about the game below. Log Line: Evolver is a 2D platform fighter with unique combat styles and input mechanics that allow for limitlessly diverse game play. With 16 characters each with over a dozen possible character setups, there are more than 200 ways to play the game. That diversity of gameplay combined with deep resource management and high speed gameplay make Evolver a fun, hype-filled fighter like no other. Plot, gameplay, and how they work together: Similar in impact to the discovery of nuclear energy, people mathematically solve for the human soul and create a process to harness it's energy which they call deviation. However, draining ones own soul, whether for war/violence or medicine, talents, etc, causes deterioration of the mind and body leading to psychosis and physical decay. As a response, a special kind of a weapon (called a Totem) is created that users can permanently store a small portion of their Senergy (the current term I'm using for the energy the soul produces) in, allowing them to proliferate on that energy without suffering illness. Shortly before the great war, true AI is discovered and used to create a new kind of Totem called a Sceptre. Sentient AI (though they themselves don't have souls outside of the Senergy from their masters) are housed in the Sceptres allowing for more advanced weapon techniques. Sceptres are very loyal and usually have personalities that compliment their masters. Additionally, people who channel their Senergy, aka Deviants, also generally have unique soul data, something specific to their genetic makeup that manifests as what we might think of as a unique super power. However, some people do not have unique soul data and as a result, are able to store and process external data as soul data. These people are called Evolvers. The plot of the game centers around a terrorist called the Veiled Maiden. In the game world, it is possible to steal the unique data of others using an illegal kind of mod chip in a Sceptre called a RipChip. RipChips aren't commonly used as anyone with unique soul data can store two, maybe three additional unique sets of other people's data before they start to experience physical and mental deterioration. The Veiled Maiden, however, is an Evolver, and is seemingly the most powerful at that. Even strong Evolvers can't store more than a few dozen powers without beginning to deteriorate, but the Veiled Maiden uses a mod chip she created that emits a blanket rip signal allowing her to steal data from crowds of people at once showing no signs of deterioration (though this is assumed to be because she is already insane). She acts as the main antagonist against our hero, Thadeo Kayunimura, who is also an Evolver. The story mode is centered around his conquest to defeat the Veiled Maiden, though his motives for doing so aren't at all because he is a hero. These same factors also fuel the gameplay for the multiplayer modes of the game. Each character has 3 fighting Styles, and each Style has a light and a heavy Stance, which each of them in turn of a special move or Stance Burst. Each character has a hand-to-hand Style, a weapon Style using their Sceptre, and Power Style using their unique data. (In the story mode, Thadeo starts off with his CopterBlades, and picks up Soul Data for a Storm Caller unique data stance as well as data for a big hand melee stance, and these are the stances he has as a multiplayer character.) On the character select menu, players choose their character, and then map the 4 action keys to the 4 (of 6) stances they want to use. That means 16 possible stance combinations for each of 15 characters equates to 240 possible ways to play the game from character choice alone. Additionally, the single player modes provide for the use of mod chips which add passive abilities e.g bleed damage, life steal, etc to be added to stances. Combined with the coding system which will allow players to create their own mod chips using code snippets (for example: the snippet "if projectile" may be combined with the snippet "deal ice damage") and then apply them to stances, it may be the most customizable beat'em up metroidvania in creation. The story is full, complete, and contains all of the playable characters. The cast is pretty diverse and the moves/weapons/fight styles are designed to be relatively unique e.g Thadeo using helicopter blades as swords. Some other examples of fighting styles include the Veiled Maiden's Swan's Fury stance which is essentially ballet fighting, Gorbral Oswald's Echokinesis in which he creates sound waves as his means of attacking including snapping and using the sound waves as bullets, and Parker & Archy's slapstick stance in which they behave as sketch comedians seeming to swing at each other but moving around each other to dodge each others attacks to hit the enemy instead. Survival horror game with typical FPS combat, item management, puzzles and environmental story telling. Influenced by old Resident Evil and Silent Hill games. The game will be set in a rural town in the US, where the hero of the game get stuck after stopping to rest from a long road trip with his wife. You battle fanatic town folks and unravel the town mystery as you make your way to escape this nightmare. The game will offer a sense of vulnerability in a way of controlling an average Joe, wielding non-automatic guns with limited supplies and ammo. It will feature a forgotten gameplay aspects such as item management and puzzle solving. The combat will be a typical FPS, minus the fast movement, quick reloading and endless supply of ammo, The guns will play a big role of empowering you and making you vulnerable at the same time. The guns will range from pistols, shotguns, and rifles all of which are non-automatic and with small magazines to make sure that no matter how many bullets you have, you will always be threatened by the enemies. To put emphasis on survival, there won't be any checkpoints, you will have to save manually every now and then by a fixed saving stations. As a designer for 3 years in a construction company, I've had a lot of experience in architecture and 3D modeling, I'll be using those skills in designing the entire game world/map (buildings, interiors, streets, 3D assets, etc...) while also collaborating with other team members on a story that drives the gameplay forward, also on characters & their motives and writing dialogue. Sirrossae is an RPG that combines the world setting of Dungeons and Dragons into the gameplay of X-COM. Looking for an artist willing to team up The artist will get a 10% of the profits earned from sales once the game has launched, unless otherwise specified. Total Manager is a web-based online football manager game where the Business Development is a major aspect of it. Thanks a lot for stopping by. We are working on the online football management game and looking for a game developer who could help us to develop the live match simulation with babylonjs or threejs or any other similar 3d game engine. You will be working closely with the back-end developer on live match simulation based on the generated data you will get from the database (player skills, team skills, weather and other factors). We offer you a 10% to 15% share from a profit. If you are interested in the project, you can read the overview here: http://totalmanager.ziyafenn.com Get in touch with me if you are interested or have any questions. Thanks in advance! We are an international group of Independent VR developers(1 Programmer, 1 Artist, 1 Composer) soon to be forming a company and looking for some new team members. We are all self-funded (I own www.bathosstudios.com / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRmL9NvIe-QKo-pIca_C_HQ as an artist and like-wise our current Programmer & Composer each also have their own separate companies) and we are looking for new team members in similar situations. This would be Revenue Share and Company Share. We are trying to form a core team of specialists for the percentage divisions in the company. Our goal is to have a company/team focused on future growth. This is a serious commitment(but less risk if you already have income) so please only reach out if you are serious about breaking into the VR industry with us. We are in need of a 2nd Programmer, as our project requirements demand more then just one programmer. If interested you must have an HTC Vive to develop with. Experience with VR programming is helpful but not required. Our current planned distribution platform is Steam (VR content bypasses Green-light requirements). We are in need of a 2nd Artist. Particularly if you are good with 3d Meshes, Rigging, and 3D Animation (but personal drive is more important than anything). If interested you must have access to the proper art software (blender mostly) to develop with. The current IP/Project is an Educational VR title aimed for completion in ~4-6 months. It is being made in Unity. It has already been designed and the Game Design Document has been in use. We are already in production of game assets and are on our way to a solid game. More details of this particular IP will be given once we start a dialog, should you have interest. We also have a few future IPs/ Titles(non-educational too) already designed (with GDDs) and they would be lined up for production right after release of our first title. There will be a good deal of creative freedom once we get established in the industry. The first couple of projects are already decided on, but as a team we will brainstorm on changes and such. Future IPs can be designed together as a team, as it should be, once we have a good foundation in the industry and can afford to take more risks in design. This is a good opportunity if you happen to already have some part-time income and have enough extra time to help develop a VR game. Or perhaps your financially supported – this could be a great way to follow your passion. Thanks for reading and please PM me if you are interested! ANDi Games Ltd is a London based start up. Our first project; ANDi, is your personal mobile games assistant out now (for Android) and coming soon to iOS and other mobile platforms. ANDi Games Ltd have plans to expand into console, PC and VR development in the near future. ANDi is your new, personalised gaming assistant. ANDi helps you choose the next game you’ll want to play from your current games as well as finding you new games. Games live in one place, in the main app and are available from a home screen launcher widget. All to make launching your favourite game easier! ANDi introduces the world’s first Tinder for Games. Learning your preferences as you swipe, this new feature recommends new games, based on previous choices. Google Play Store - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samdroid.andi&hl=en_GB Mr. Rhino existence is far from serene: An unsatisfying job, a society in which he feels marginalized, a tormented past. One evening, on his way back from work, his life is turned upside down. After an accident on the metro, a vicious zombie sheep appears before him, which marks the beginning of a spree of chaos. The city of Modena transforms into a projection of his mind, the rot of his psyche materialize into monstrous creatures that invade his city and the protagonist is left with no option but to fight. This is how Mr.Rhino's journey begins searching for the root of his madness, the essence of his tormented existence, in the hope of overcoming the oblivion. Exit limbo is in under development by “Virtual Craft” and "Twisted Mirror" and inspired by celebrated beat 'em ups of the 80's/90's, in particular the “Street Fighter” and “Streets of Rage" series, reinterpreting the genre with a fresh and updated look, fruit of contemporary tools and techniques. The soundtrack is in the hands of the “Exit Limbo Band”, a music band which is affiliated and have been inspirational to the project, giving the game their mascot, Mr. Rhino. For more information visit : www.exitlimbo.com By: Robin Andblom & Ross Terry 2016 Welcome to the 9th dimension! Use weather effects, electricity and dimension shifts to solve puzzles. Your mission is to connect all contacts to plugins of the correpsonding color. To do this, you will use B.O.B (Binary Organized Bot). CURRENT VERSION: DEMO 1.1 Amber Crown Games Homepage: This game is a zombie outbreak survival game. You walk and the player moves. Walk around to find weapons. Zombies can appear and when you tap them you start a battle. Stop around parks and tap on stops to get gear and health aids. I have an idea. Lets take a raspberry PI and make a custom portable block that runs minecraft! We have to design the block to do this. I would like for people who know and are familiar with using raspberry Pis, design and build the block and make it out of plastic or some other material that will be discussed later. All other detail will be discussed later when you've been added to the team! DRIFT INTO ETERNITY (D.I.E.) is an immersive First Person Survival Game. Trapped in a wrecked ship, you have to struggle to stay alive: salvage what you need to repair the damaged systems, close the many breaches slowly riping the hull open, and try to withstand your thirst and hunger while keeping your spirits up. Staying alive will be hard and this game won't go easy on you, you better bring all you got! WARNING! There is no Zombies in this game! Turn Based Strategy game with lots of creatures to summon. The project is Free and Open Source, playable from the browser. Two brothers working on Stupid Stones Adventure for PC, Mac, 3DS, PS4, Xbox One, PS Vita, Android and iOS. Classic arcade shooter - with a colorful twist! Its a mix of tactical shooter and RTS. You can see this game on Steam http://store.steampowered.com/app/363490 Inititally it was made with Flash ActionScript and now its remade with Unreal Engine and we are looking for an Unreal Engine developer. I am offering revenue share. An adventure RPG that revolves around the journey of a prisoner on a legendary, with a great quest of finding an ancient relic in order to clear his name and bring glory to his empire. My first actual game in Unity. The prototype is pretty much finished but I need some art done. A game about the planned invasion of Japan at the end of World War 2 which didn't happen due to the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Stick Life 2 has been in making for about more than a year! But I need some help! I would love someone to play the game and make a 20 x 32 sprite of a stick man, I'm only good at coding in Game Maker: Studio. Here is the link: Currently working on ArcTap, it is a very simple but fun and challenging game with unique mechanics. DEMO IS NOW AVAIALBLE: http://bit.ly/1FKPZcM DEMO IS NOW AVAIALBLE: http://bit.ly/1FKPZcM DEMO IS NOW AVAIALBLE: http://bit.ly/1FKPZcM Work in progress. Follow on twitter @ArclightApps It’s the year 2200 A.D. You’ve found yourself stranded on the other side of a black hole, severing any ties to home in the process. Feelings of isolation quickly disappear as it’s made clear that you are not alone. The Final Frontier is an isometric action role-playing shooter that takes place on different planets in the distant future. Interactivity is done primarily through the mouse (for movement, attacking, etc) while the keyboard is used for hotkey commands and accessing the menu. Interesting note: the strength of the player will be dependent on his or her own skill and by the equipment he or she has. We feel this is a more tangible and familiar approach as opposed to the abstract notion of a leveling system. Our project’s goal is to create a prototype that demonstrates the game’s core features. With this in mind, our project’s scope will be small. The prototype will only include three maps for the player to explore. However, we intend for each map to be well-designed and enjoyable. While exploring, the player will fight enemies, acquire items, learn new skills, and talk to NPCs. Pheugo is an ancient greek word which means "Escape" or "Flee" which exactly what this game is about. You play the role of several heroes who can jump, grab and throw objects. You are imprisoned in an intergalactic zoo of sorts. One day the close proximity of an rouge star causes the gate to glitch the lock on your prison cell giving you just enough time to make your ESCAPE. Unfortunately from that point on alarm bells ring and prison drones try their utmost to foil your escape. They themselves do not attack you but they laser out enemies who's only program is to subdue you one way or another (usually by pushing you off the platform into space). To make your escape you have to run down to the nearest jump gate and jump in. This will then take you to the next world which is actually worse than the one before it. Eventually you make it your way to the character's home world which has been overrun by evil dudes and you must do your utmost to reverse that situation! Ryan, goes into a abandon manor, to search for his friends, after getting into a deadly car crash. Our goal is to give this game, the Resident Evil 4 style, but with more horror. Using Unreal 4 Engine. Shinobi Densetsu is what happens when you cross RPG, Platformer, Fighter and Stealth. Taking the role of young ninja Hokusaki Michio in an adventure to find the truth about his parents, both revered as legendary ninjas who went misteriously missing, you will eventually uncover the treacherous conspiracy of a man who wants to dominate all lands with help of dark forces. Unlike typical RPGs which predetermin or let you choose how your character develops, in SD your character is an extension of yourself, and will develop according to your gameplay. Two playthroughs from the same player can lead to two completely different characters. Fighting is done much like in typical 2D 1 on 1 fighters and street brawlers, with the added perk of weapons, shots and hand-to-hand combat being totally independent of each other and combineable. The platforming aspect lets you do the most common platforming movements like double jumps, wall jumps, and such, but adds unique physics because, well, ninjas don't obey to regular physics! The game is being rebuilt from scratch in every aspect, that's why the videos are so old. Stay tuned for more soon, or give us a shout if you'd like to know something! Combine fast-paced card action with tactical positioning! Shattered Worlds merges the excitement of modern collectible card games with the glory days of hex-based SciFi wargaming. Outthink your opponent on different hex maps filled with space hazards! "Eddy is from the 21st century and travels in time to find a remedy to his illness that turned him into a vampire when he tried to find a cure for the cancer he has, Dr Jekyll makes remedies for him, but keeps failing at it. At some point you have to fight Hyde. We can see werewolves as well, vampire hunters, ghouls, zombies, Countess Bathory, Frankenstein… He has to travel to get ingredients for Jekyll. Hyde could be the final boss and the reason why Jekyll kept messing up, leaving Eddy is his state, never finding the remedy. He could meet Jean-Baptiste Grenouille and he would have to fight people bewitched by his perfume. Travel to France, Romania, Germany..." Are you a fan of Rayman, Metal Slug and Castlevania? Do you like Super Meat Boy, Teslagrad, Eggnogg or Trine and would like to blend all of them together to make something REALLY epic? This game will feature several mechanics from the games above to create a unique experience never seen before, such as transformations, limited lives, and different weapons according to the character, fencing, and lots of other combat techniques! Supports a XBOX 360 controller. Would be released at $15. Hello, this project will be aimed at aviation lovers as this will give users the experience to fly around the world (in real world countries) in the game. This would obviously not be as complex and realistic as FSX, hence the Low poly style that we've decided to incorporate. There will be different roles in the game such as pilots (fly from small Cessna planes to big 747 jets), ATC (guide planes to land at desired airports) and ground crew... This game will take the whole social aspect of multiplayer games to a whole new level! Fight for sheer survival in this Multiplayer Post-Apocalyptic Rogue-like game made with the Unity Game Engine. To The Last Breath is a Top-Down perspective, rogue-like game that emphasizes the challenges of surviving under the constraint of having very limited resources. As a rogue-like with the perma-death feature, the survival aspect becomes even more emphasized, as players have to constantly analyze their environment and their strategies in order to traverse the world safely and keep their unique weapons, gear, and experience that have been earned along the way. Players that seek a greater challenge and variety, will have the option to play the game with other players. Friend and Foes are equally likely outcomes in every encounter, and players must be doubly prepared for the dangers that await. The game will come with changing environments for each play through, and a good emphasis will be placed in making the experience varied and fresh throughout. I have previously developed a rogue-like game for a University project, along with a group of other developers. This new project will use some of the functionality that I, and another programmer (who is also joining in) worked on in the previous game, including the random room generation and the tools associated with it and other parts of the game. I will be guiding the team as a producer and as a designer throughout development, and I will do my best to make sure that the project is finished to completion. Until there is money available from the Kickstarter campaign, this project will be strictly on a volunteer basis. Risks & challenges One of the challenges is not knowing entirely how long this project will take or who will be willing to work or what situations will arise that will prevent one from continuing development. If you are not accepted into the project, but if you are still a good fit, we will try to keep you informed for open positions. Complete volunteers are always welcome, and if your work makes it into the final game, credit will be given to you appropriately. There is also the risk of the game not being able to be funded, but this is a risk that every project has, and I hope everyone will take their part in sharing the work once the game is ready to be shown. Please contact me at: email@example.com THE SHORT VERSION: This is like classic Resident Evil set in Victorian Ireland, following an æsthetic of German expressionism in silent films and telling a simple story in a complex way with attention to characterisation. Our engine is Unreal Engine 4. Here are videos: THE LONG VERSION: Instead of explaining the plot, which is rather tired by now, we'll explain the ideology. We wanted to make the game we were hoping we would get in 2005 when Resident Evil 4 came out. We love RE4, but we wanted survival horror, which we didn't get. We love fixed cameras and tank controls as well, which we didn't get (well, we got tank controls, but not fixed cameras). In order to make this rather different from our inspiration and do it all legal, we've adopted a new setting for the game: Ireland in 1898. This setting introduces fears that would be artificial in a world of electricity and mobile phones and automatic weapons. In Road Fever, for example, most weapons take too long to reload in combat and as such the player is not given this option (reloading for these weapons is done when the player is in a safe location). The game is named after a combination of diseases that ran rampant during the Great Famine in mid-19th-century Ireland. The symptoms were similar to the famous Black Plague. These diseases were carried by lice and victims would be veritable skeletons for their hunger, staggering along the roads in search of food, in tattered clothes and nigh decaying as they walked. The majority failed to reach any destination and would drop dead in heaps on these roads, sometimes half-alive but too weak to move. No-one knew lice were the carriers, and people came to associate going anywhere near the road with contracting the diseases. Hence, 'road fever'. In this game, our protagonist Ned Lyons has survived the Famine and when he sees the roads littered with corpses, some of them stumbling about with only vague senses of direction, this is what it reminds him of. The æsthetic we're using is inspired mostly by silent films. We intend to use subtle spotlights to help players see important items, not unlike the techniques used in the classic film industry. Though not a silent film, Citizen Kane is visually a huge influence on the design of the mansion. Aiding in this, all sounds are put through a 1930s vinyl simulator. In some cases we'll hold back on the bass to add some power, but to the average ear it will sound very old, and this is what we want. Another interesting thing is that in using limited saves and no continue options, the style of horror shifts dramatically. More akin to the horrors of real life, this style of horror is about *nearly* dying, not actually dying. In real life, the fear of death and the desperation to survive are very strong, and following the onset of death, one is no longer capable of fear. In a computer game, this is true as well, and after a few attempts at a particular section, the fear becomes an appreciation for hardship at best or a nuisance at worst. But in any case, the fear dissipates as a player becomes accustomed to dying. Not good for horror. The threat of this virtual death must be strong. The player must be immersed enough to forget for that moment, that death is simply reloading your game. The goal of this horror is to build a game that overcomes those that do not push themselves, but rewards true struggle with a tension cycle which culminates in a series of near-death experiences. The plan is to have something of a minimalist but moving story. There is a great focus on characterisation, as the plot outline itself is honestly quite simple. In this way a balance can be attained such that cutscenes are not so long that they bore the player, nor are they so brief or otherwise lacking as to be ineffective. Plot developments can be established in seconds, and the rest of any cutscene can be devoted to the effects of these plot developments on the characters in question. We have the opening cutscene scripted. There will be about five major cutscenes in the game. There will be several smaller ones as well, but these will mostly be short voiceovers, as a monologue style is the idea we have, and the game's events are treated as Ned's memories. The game opens in 1898 in rural Kerry, Ireland, with Ned in his cottage listening to a music box from his first wife. He reminisces for a moment. A few scenes later and Ned is walking in the middle of the night to an abandoned manor where he suspects his son's sneaked off to with his friends. Ned's son and friends believe it's haunted and think this would be fun. Ned explains in a voiceover he's far more worried about the revolutionaries using it as meeting/fomenting/squatting grounds (this is how we account for finding random stashes of ammunition and firearms, obviously). Then Ned sees some zombies and runs the other way, back to his wife (second wife, who in the story is revealed to be more like a friend, as he still misses his first wife and she still misses her first husband, both of whom have died), who's now missing. Ned picks up a Webley six-shooter and a knife, looks about, and leaves through the exit least populated by zombies. Play begins here. First few minutes, you've six bullets and a knife and you're trying to survive long enough to make it to the manor. When you succeed there's the cutscene that gives the game its name, as explained in the ·TITLE· section of this description. 'Skibbereen' is played on a lone violin during this scene, which ends with Ned running into the manor to escape from an undead throng. It becomes apparent that when it comes time to go, Ned will need to leave a different way. So your time in the manor is spent looking for your son and an exit. The manor section will consist of finding keys, solving puzzles, and dealing with enemies (see the ·ENEMIES· section below), and it will probably be half of the game or so. Ned escapes through an underground passage to a railway station, and he goes by train to Dublin, where his older son (from his previous marriage) lives. The journey reveals that the whole country are zombies, from what Ned can see looking out the window of the train. Now in Dublin you encounter a new enemy. There's a brief bit of gameplay outside, moving through Temple Bar and such, and we find ourselves in an old factory. We've a few story-related ideas for what causes Ned to go there, but as of now we have not decided on one. The remainder of the game is spent in this factory. A lot of interesting stuff happens that we've glossed over so's to avoid spoiling the story. There's an ending of course, and this is followed by an epilogue, which is presented as a recording by Ned's grandson in the 1940s, explaining some of the game's story that science in 1898 would not have facilitated. The game plays very like old Resident Evil titles. Fixed cameras and tank controls are both present, as will be the auto-aim function as it was used in these games. Zombies will be slow and numerous, whilst ammo will be in short supply. Avoiding enemies is thus encouraged. Body-burning as in the Remake will be used in this game, though the specifics are not finalised. Many of the new features we're including involve realistic treatment of Victorian firearms. Reloading is allowed only when away from enemies, with certain weapons. Speedloaders will be found for the handguns in the game as well. The shotgun is a weapon that reloads one shell at a time, which is fast enough to do in combat, but to refill it completely from an empty gun, you must engage the reload function five times. In combat, if you reload in the middle of your clip/magazine with other weapons, you will drop that clip on the ground to be picked up afterwards. One consideration is later in the game to have a dump pouch. Another feature is a bleeding status. Certain enemies can smell blood. So, you'd rather not be bleeding in that case, or they may find you. Health will be managed via a somewhat complex chemical-mixing system which is in this story a new discovery in the medical field. In the story you find that Ned survives owing to being clever and good with firearms, but more important, having a somewhat rare resistance to the virus (need to research but it could be something like a rare blood type). Things like the bleeding status are responses to physical damage, but Ned's health metre is more indicative of his resistance to the virus, though as in the real world, lower resistance will contribute to greater susceptibility to physical damage. These things will be handled by a number of different chemicals, some of which can only be got by mixing others, and the player will use a syringe to administer the medicine. After receiving complaints about the old RE games' puzzles, it seems it would be ideal to include a puzzle difficulty level option. At the higher end it would be something like The Room or the Sherlock Holmes games. The lower difficulty would be, you know, less difficult. Another plan is for the harder difficulty (overall difficulty, not just puzzles) to be unlockable. On this difficulty, which is by definition a second playthrough, certain things will be different in order to play on your expectations, and a hunger system will be unlocked as well. That will probably be a separate mode that can be turned on, and now we're considering making it a 'thirst' metre instead. Makes a bit more sense than finding large amounts of food in a supposedly abandoned manor, although perhaps the squatters had some brought. Things to think about. Like Resident Evil, there will be fixed cameras, tank controls, rudimentary auto-aim, limited inventory space, limited save items that must be used in save rooms, and body-burning (as in the Remake). Some features we've considered are oil management between body-burning and lighting dark rooms, a bit where you need to travel through a pitch-black cellar or something (no, the game will not be dark in general; we find that breaks immersion and annoys both us and Jim Sterling) infested with deadly bugs and you can only tell how close you are to them by the intensity of the music, checking bodies for information about who they were and how that can help you to survive, and having the game saves be written notes you can read in your inventory. Probably other things we're forgetting just now. Kitchen knife. You start with this weapon. Weak but it has 'infinite ammo', so it may be useful for that. There will be an opportunity to use a grindstone somewhere in the manor, and this will slightly increase the damage it does. Combat knife. Later in the game the player can find a combat knife, which is slightly stronger than the kitchen knife after the kitchen knife's been sharpened. The combat knife is probably able to be sharpened as well but we haven't decided. Webley revolver. Six-shooter you start with. This gun can be reloaded in combat with a speedloader. Otherwise the chamber must be filled one bullet at a time, which probably means it'll be done only when not in combat, but as it's the starting handgun we may need to work on that. Mauser C96. Semi-auto, holds ten-round clip/magazine (not sure which yet), may be reloaded in combat. This gun is slightly weaker than the Webley but much easier to use. 1887 Winchester shotgun. Holds five individually loaded rounds. Can be reloaded in combat, but each time the player initiates the reload function, only one bullet is placed in the gun. Lee-Metford rifle. Ten rounds, can't be reloaded in combat. You find only the one magazine, and any other bullets you find must be combined with it outside of combat, though bullets will be very rare. This rifle is like your magnum in later games, in that it is extremely high-powered and will kill low-level enemies with one bullet. Grenades. There is a plan to include grenades made from items the player must find. These are bottles, nails and other sharp metal bits, powder, and a makeshift fuse. They need to be lighted as well of course. Hand mortar. Highly experimental, archaïc grenade launcher. Very powerful, with rare ammunition. Can-not be reloaded in combat. Considering adding a chance to cause the player damage (this danger is the reason grenade launchers were not adopted until the 20th century), but this may be more of a nuisance than any thing, with ammunition so rare. Madsen light machine gun. This is a tentative consideration that may not appear in the game. It holds 25 or 40 rounds. If you have the magazines it can be reloaded in combat (3-5 second reload in real life). But we could limit the number of magazines. Though, one thought is to make it the weapon needed for the final boss, in which case we'd want to think about it a bit differently. Zombies. These are traditional, walking zombies. Their strength is more in numbers and tight spaces than any thing else. They do moderate damage to the player and can take a fair pounding before they die, but they're overall less of a threat than some things you'll encounter. When they do die, you'll want them either beheaded or burned, because otherwise they'll lie there for a decent amount of time and then come back stronger. Similar to the idea of the crimsons in the RE Remake but not precisely the same. Bleeders/bleeding bats. These are based on the flying foxes in Australia. They're already bats the size of people in actual real life. But in Road Fever they'll be slightly more humanoid in their lower bodies especially, giving the appearance of a man-bat. The virus decays their flesh, similar to the zombies. They're dubbed 'bleeding' bats because they drool constantly, and in many cases when a person sees them the blood of their previous meal is not totally dispersed, which causes the saliva to be coloured red. In-game there will be trails of this burgundy saliva left behind them as they roam the halls like skulking mad hunchbacked drunkard beasts. Dobhar-chú. Mythical Irish beasts bear the same name, and it is for that particular creäture that the enemy in Road Fever is named. It is not precisely the same, but similar enough that Ned sees fit to call this monster after the one in the old stories. The design in the stories ranges from a monstrous dog-otter to a more crocodile-like form. It can bear resemblance to the Loch Ness Monster in some depictions as well. It tends to have dog-like or otter-like features, as the word 'dobhar-chú' means 'water-dog' in Irish and is a term sometimes used in the Irish language to refer to an otter. The design (and especially size) we'll use is dependent on many, many things, but one of the things we like about the legends is they say that if a dobhar-chú should be killed, it lets out an eerie whistling sound and its spouse will come to seek its killer. This gives the player the choice of attempting to evade the monster, or killing it to leave the room briefly clear to traverse. But if you're bleeding, the spouse may just follow after you by your scent... Bunyip. The bunyip is another cryptid, and it was once presumed native to Australia. Its depicted forms are far more variable than our other cryptid, the dobhar-chú. In our game we have yet to settle on a design, but its existence in the game is a certainty. Licker-inspired enemy. The lickers in Resident Evil 2 are among the best designed enemies in any game regarding their ability to terrify a player. Their visual design is simply a man with no flesh and no eyes, with claws and a long spear-like tongue. What's creepy is just about everything else. It breathes hoarsely as it waits for something to kill. It drools and the spit drips. It makes sounds that seem to walk a line between man and dæmon. It climbs upside down on ceilings and walls and perches there. It's blind. This makes you want to walk past it instead of running, and this draws out the fear, because if you walk too close to it or touch it it will indeed hear you. You could shoot it but they're not easy to kill, moreover without taking a hit or two yourself, or once there's more than one there, and you mayn't be able to spare all that ammo and health. It always crawls and never stands. But when it *thinks* it's heard something worth killing, it will squat, lift its head at attention, and sway like a right mental thing. If you move at-all when it's in this state, it will immediately be aware of your position and do its best to kill you, something it is very much equipped to do. In Road Fever, we can't be sure just what this enemy will look like, or what we'll do in order to design an enemy that constitutes an homage instead of a shameless and unoriginal copy, but the danger is something we are aware of and will overcome. There's been consideration of designing the bunyip to fulfil this need. The very last thing to consider is bosses. We will certainly have them, but we have none concretely planned at the moment. We're considering the ideas of either many different bosses, or most boss fights being against a single enemy that mutates over the course of the game and follows the player. Perhaps a combination were best. The immediate short-term goal is to produce something worthy of crowdfunding. Ideally this would be done within the next couple of months. The trouble there is some necessary roles are not filled, and to fill them we may need to rely on crowdfunding, but as I've just said, we're missing some members we need for this, and this cycle goes on. Perhaps some interest will be got here. The first very major goal following this is to have the game complete for the PC. When to expect this done is too contingent on team-mates we haven't even met as yet. It would be logical at that time to pursue selling this on Steam. This sort of game works best on a console, and many of our most vocal supporters are not PC gamers so far. As such, it would be fantastic to work towards getting this onto consoles as well, but PC is necessarily the priority. Thanks for reading. We hope this has you as intrigued and excited as we are. You may not be interested or able to work on this game with us, but even leaving a link to this page anywhere it would be appreciated, would be an immense help. Cheers. I just happen to come across an idea of a MOBA game with WASD movement instead of point and click movement. Characters are to have no more than 2 abilities, 1 passive, and 1 ultimate( I don't know if I should allow characters to have an ultimate ) . All I need is people to help animate this idea, hopefully people like you. My Role: I intend to be a Programmer and a Concept Artist. I am a intermediate at Ruby. I am learning Assembly and D at the moment. Programmers- You can apply for Engine Scripter( requires knowledge of Ruby ) or a Engine Programmer ( requires knowledge of D, if you know C++, D is very similar to it ) The engine will of course be custom. Knowledge of OpenGL API is needed to work on the Engine. I will need 3D Artist, 2D Vector Artist, Concept Artist, and Texture Artist. As I have no taste in Music, I would hate for the game to be in absolute silence. So composers of all types are ok. I plan for the game to be on Windows, Linux and Mac. Game profit is TBD. Game is to be Free to play and this includes most maps, all characters and gamemodes. This may change, but it is guranteed that atleast all characters are to be free to play. Tiberian Dawn: The First Strike is a free, standalone, first and third-person shooter based on Westwood Studios' classic real-time strategy, Command & Conquer. Control one of the many units from the original game, and defeat your enemies in an epic base-oriented combat environment built on the beautiful Unreal Engine 4. Artfunkel is a loot-based pseudo-dungeon-crawler, in which the players are art collectors trying to build their collection. They can then display their pieces in customizable, upgradeable galleries for other players to see. Players can find more works for their collection by buying random crates from the store, trading in an online auction house, or visiting other galleries in hopes of finding an NPC that is willing to trade, sell, or donate something from their collection. The game engines are built entirely in C++, and I'm using OpenGL to handle rendering. Primarily I'm looking for 3D artists that could start generating more assets for the gallery spaces. Specifically, I need more gallery templates for the players to purchase, as well as furniture and other ambiance items players can use to customize their spaces. Copy and pasted from the document. Hello Community Forums, I am no stranger here, but today I want to tell you a little about a game I am creating right now. First off I'll tell you about it. I was hired by WillingShade Studios to create them a prequel to their game, Grimore Vengeance.This game will be called Grimore: Awakening. We already have started the small developments of the game such as sound, concept mockup art, logo, storyline, and dialogue. We have a team of highly experienced game developers. Our team right now is: Game Developers: Eli Ward (semi-expert programmer) ETHproductions (expert programmer) TheeSeaverShow (semi-expert programmer) Artists: Jesse Knight Concept Artist: Jesse Knight Dialogue Writer: Sk3letor Bob Bob Voice Actors: Logan Byers Musicians: Logan Byers Marc Chait As you may see we are very low on artists; if you can help with that part, please drop me an email or PM on the forums or comment. My email is firstname.lastname@example.org. However we also need another programmer, if you would like to join on that part, please do the same as the instructions above. What are we looking for? As you may see we are very low on artists. We need artists as soon as possible so if you can help us with this part of the game, that would be a huge blessing, and you will be able to get portfolio rights and be put in the credits of the game. If you can help with that part, please drop me an email or PM on the forums or comment. My email is email@example.com. What's the game going to be like? Our game is going to be a 2D story-based game, featuring platforming and combat elements. When finished, it will take an hour to an hour and a half to beat. Due to the violence involved, it will be rated T for Teen. What's the game about? You are the leader of the Templars, and you are following a decree that forces the magical animals of the forests (demons, skeletons, undead, dragons) to be killed. You have to go through nine terrains killing the animals, and finish the project under a time limit. Every time you die, you will spawn back with a goblin beside you saying a dialogue such as, "You're back already? I thought it would be longer than that." There will be an XP system, therefore every time you kill a vicious magical enemy you will be rewarded a certain amount of XP to become a higher rank, but watch out for your hunger and water bar, if it falls to low, you will start to lose health rapidly and after some time you will die. Are you going to make this game very unique and special? Yes! We have a sound artist that has made over 120+ sounds for the game, and we got so detailed that we even did sounds like torch lit, and water dropping. We made sounds for when you slash you sword, to make you feel like you are actually in the game and put you on the battlefield yourself. What is finished on the game so far? I have attached a few of the SFX sounds, voice dialogue, footsteps, and ambiences. Also attached is the first prototype for the game, as you can see it is very low in development, but has some nice effects to it such as running-hold X, walking- hold or press the left or right keys, and jumping- press Z. https://www.dropbox.com/s/dgqyh90x1prf0w2/Demon%20Concept.png?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/h0u0rrer5a7f2qn/Background%20Concept.png?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/lx3iwate6an5yqt/Grimoire_Heart_Mark_Image.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/995k65ukwjqxggo/Spinning%20Light-Cut%20Version.mp3?raw=1 (This song is a cut version of the full song. It’s just a little taste of what it will sound like) Place : Unknown Object : Finding village Player: mmh hmm?.. * waking up noises * Whata heck happened? stands up * Where are my troops? Hello? Anyone here? * quick rasp * Above we have included a small section of the dialogue to show you a quick glance of what it is like. https://www.dropbox.com/s/fcl6f8oa7rl8zdt/Demon_4.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/uend190i938mtwe/Demon_die.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/wwm6rfpz8sbg1dn/Hit_4.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/ayipzozwultp1xj/Male_grunt_3.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/pdgwn5yyle0hm1p/Scream_dying_4.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/s4tdpukvglk7m0p/Sword_stab_3.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/q1jmsqt81954flg/Zombie_3.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/wyhtcotznwmcpww/DEMON_SCRIBE_3.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/6gtt8ksbnviguf3/PLAYER_5.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/526x04ezbrwxgu6/TEMPLAR_2.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/qrpg60zuakdrhwi/TEMPLAR_SHOUTING.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/20vw5nqvu2d03u8/Dirt_run.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/gllr3qojzhtgpps/Grass_run.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/lnl86yz510xlbmc/Leaves_walk.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/v5o3ucquu6ixp41/Mud_run.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/xddo4vhpkbl0e0q/Wood_run.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/1kramn0xrxhkhyy/Birds_chirping.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/cas98dfrh6jt4q1/WINTER_BLIZZARD_OUTSIDE.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/nxrzltzvivjj8mc/WINTER_WINDY.mp3?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/xy4w98ujol93zwv/Woods_loud.mp3?raw=1 Will there be boss fights? Correct, we will have a few boss fights, where you will need to use your resources to kill and defeat the magical beast. Many bosses will laugh at you during the fight, and will think you are nothing more than trash, whereas if you are good enough, you will prove him wrong and kill him Here I have attached the IndieGoGo project for the full game Grimore: Vengeance ( indiedb.com/games/grimore-vengeance ), as you can see it’s only been up for a few days and has earned a good little amount of money. When is the game's deadline? The game's deadline is eight months from now, due to very large game with spectacular gameplay. We need more artists to help out with the project. We would love to see you help on this project. Are you being sponsored? We are sponsored by a group called BlackShell Media. Their team has promoted many popular TV shows and Steam games, including Overture and Sanctuary RPG Black Edition, on sites such as ABC News, Yahoo News, and PC Gamer. \http://blackshellmedia.com How can you join this project? Without our fans and continuous viewers of the game this would not be possible, but for this game to actually take place we need a team of well-trained game designers, programmers, artists, storyline writers, dialogue writer, etc. At this time in the project we have a good sized team of around ten people, but we cannot stop there. We are continuously striving to get move artists. We are set in almost every other part of the team except the following jobs, artists and musicians. Without art the game is nothing, that’s why we need good vector artists or non-pixel artists to join and help out with their part. If you can help with this, then please read the Support section of this document below! Would you like to know more about the game or help support? If this is true, you can add me on Skype: EliteGamesIndustries, send me an email: firstname.lastname@example.org, comment on this post, send me a PM on the forums if you are interested in helping with the named jobs available above then follow the following way to contact us above. I look forward to hearing from you! Thanks in advance for reading this and I am excited about this project, and hope you are also. Captain - Eli Ward Co-Captain - ETHproductions I'm building a tower defense game. The code is already completed and i'm looking for a great artist to put his style and makes something different. You will have no limit, you will be able to unleash your creativity. You will be invited into the Google Play and Apple developer account and will be paid with the revenue the game generate. contact by PM or email: email@example.com We are also looking for more positions; check the website: 2D Production Artist We are working on two projects. Project 1 is planned to be released for free alongside a kickstarter. We are purchasing Unity at that time and beginning payment of team members. Anyone who works now will be paid quite well and will receive lifetime payments from project 2’s sales. I am confident our kickstarter will succeed. If you join after the kickstarter we will only do per-job payments for non-creative work. Project 1 is a point and click adventure. It uses a single unique game mechanic and is comprised of about 50 screens, 15 characters, and 1-4 hours of gameplay. We will have the design finalized by the 20th of this month. Please contact me if you want to know more. Project 2 is a large 30-50 hour turn based RPG that has an emphasis on other types of game play instead of fighting. The battle system is more like a puzzle system that gets applied to almost anything. This system has many real-time, skill based elements, and non-turn-based combat plays a large part in the game as well. Project 2 is more developed than project 1, but that is a necessity due to the size and scope of project 2. Project 2 will have online PvP with only one character to make balancing easy on us developers. The next two characters are going to be released as DLC with other large additions to the game. In addition we have very large sub-games that add the extra 20 hours to the 30 hour RPG. The game is designed to be a challenge to speed runners but still enjoyable for all gamers, and even non-gamers, for the first 10 hours of gameplay. After that the difficulty rapidly increases. The extra sub-game content is always available, but the last 20 hours of the RPG are somewhat inaccessible for non-hardcore gamers. Project 1 has already started. Coding for project 2 begins in November. All deadlines are tentative, but we haven't had any need to change them yet. Thanks for reading. Good luck to all those who are looking for per-job payment. We can't employ you until Feb 2016, but I wish you all the best. I'm thinking about creating a tycoon game, I have a few idea's but I was hoping that it would be a team decision in which people would pitch idea's and we choose together. I think it will be fun to get a team together, with people of all skill levels. This would be good for both beginners and experts, as beginners would be learning from the more advanced team members and the experienced members would hopefully learn something too. I'm not proposing a complete production ready game, nor am I requesting people to work on this full time. Work on it as you have free time, or for a bit of fun, either way I don't mind :) I am a programmer and we have space for all individuals, whether that be a designer, artist, programmer, sound engineer etc. HOP ON BOARD IT WILL BE FUN!! thanks for reading :) There are currently no comments, add yours! The game is built using Unity for the IOS Blobbies adventure will feature simple platforming mechanics similar to those seen in Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie, only simplified for a mobile space. The player will be jumping and rolling by tapping and swiping the touch screen. They will be collecting objects through out the environment that are important to progression in game play. The game will feature only one level atm, which is very small, but the game is focused around vertical movement. The player will be performing massive jumps and landing on coins which will give the feel of a 2D coin jumper. Much of the game is finished already but I have lost my main programmer. Im in search for a new programmer and possibly an artist to help. "'The Incomplete Quest' is a side-scrolling adventure game (I think) with some unintentional puzzles and a lot of bugs." DevBlog - http://andrewsnycollas.blogspot.com.br/ 1st Draft Demo of the game ! The game is only a 1 Map Roma Arena style very well designed and details. It's a 1 vs 1 Player combat tournament in third person view. Only one class,skill,character style will be available. Each player will have a 2 hand melee sword (or sword and shield is to discuss about it) The combat is face to face like Zelda U64 style. (Make the character realistic or toony is one of the subects to discuss) It's possible to parry, hit in different directions, kick hit with low damage but push back oponement, flip back left right, special attack and combo. It's a multiplayer game so it will have some lobbies with different categories, novice, expert, etc... The other players will be added in queue and can watch the combat a bit like counter strike style, they sit in the spectator arena seats and here a great idear come with but i'll tell you when you will be a team mate. When a player loose, a waiting player remplace him and all will be ranked with statistics and so on, even on web platform if possible. Off course more maps,class,skills,weapons,characters,bonus items,options, etc... can be added much later, but 1st thing 1st... Make it simple we can maybe sell add on or we can discuss this point later. Innovative Character controls. Third person view point. Oculus Rift support. (if it's possible) Multi platform (if it's possible) Blood or non blood option. 3D Character designer and animator Programmer Network oriented to make interface with UE4 and Web and other features. Other talents, feel free to ask then we talk about it. More informations and contact : Safari Frenzi is a tapping game were you have to keep your elephants safe from lions. The game is a for-profit project but also looks to raise money for the African elephants through The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. We have a full design document you can read if youre interested! APOCALYPSE NEIGHBORS is a 2D game with turn-based artillery shooting, inspired by the dueling fun of Worms and the addictive physics of Angry Birds. The game is already out on the App Store, but we still need to port to Android and create the multiplayer. We can't work with the previous contractors as they were far too expensive and have drained our resources. We also need help with marketing. Fling a variety of wacky over-sized ammo at your evil neighbors using catapults and cannons mounted on your house! Destroy the demonic objects in the evil houses and free Murica from evil. Protect the holy relics stashed in your house by building and adding defenses. Play with dozens of characters each with unique ammo and earn points to spend on upgrades and wacky special attacks and ammo. Progress through hundreds of increasingly difficult levels, 251 total levels! - Large Campaign map – 251 levels! - Physics based artillery dueling – take pleasure in watching enemy houses collapse after a great shot. - 24 comedic characters each with their own crazy ammo and punchlines - Dozens of wacky special ammo and crazy special attacks - Build mad houses, sky's the limit what will you build? - 2D cartoon anime look – colorful graphics and each level background is unique - Easy controls – Graphical touch screen interface, drag drop controls for action - 36 achievements – some very hard to get! - Replay levels with different characters and unlock all the secrets The purpose of this session is to experiment and playtest. We’re looking for people who are dedicated and are willing to work hard. As such, participation is voluntary. Participation is determined every two weeks at the beginning of the game selection. If you would like to opt out, let us know and we will understand. Otherwise, you’re committed to whatever game is chosen. We’re all adults here. No need to be a child and be grumpy when your game is not chosen. With that said, anyone in the group can pitch an idea, in fact, it is welcomed! Any and all ideas are welcome. During each meeting we will look through the design documents and the person who created the idea will pitch the idea to everyone in the meeting. At the end of the meeting, we will hold a vote on which idea will be created. From there, we will build the game over two weeks and see where we are then! Read here for a more extensive description : https://docs.google.com/document/d/13wvNTD9-Rpd5FSGZFoQA4yJgohhTK5Fh5z8OrOjXE94/edit?usp=sharing Brandi: Summer Adventure is a little difficult to explain. The idea came to me after watching JonTron for a while. He was playing B___ie games from the past and showing how the games themselves were pure garbage simply created to compliment the toys (with accidental comedic effect). The idea is to create a realistic imitation of a "girl game" with makeup and dressup and positivity and healthy lifestyle choices with a sinister twist. Brandi walks a line between her perceived reality and the holes in her world. She is the latest addition to the Brandi line and at any point the black hole could consume it all in an instant. No one can help her, she is alone against a mysterious figure that hunts her and her friends through rifts in time/space as she slowly uncovers the truth about her world and the stability of their idyllic lifestyle. I am looking specifically for artists and animators as well as a writer for dialog and object text. I can provide some payment, though not much. Not sure how big this project will be in the end, I do intend to sell it at some point and percentages of the revenue can be divided amongst those involved. Questions/Comments/Requests? Email me at firstname.lastname@example.org. An asymmetrical, multiplayer real-time strategy game in which one player commands the police in an effort to thwart crime and the other tries to establish a ruthless criminal empire. The Criminals must be deceitful, blend in with the public, and drive inconspicuous vehicles to terrorize the city without being caught by the Police. They can increase their cash flow and reduce the Police’s public support by robbing banks and stores and dealing drugs. The Criminal HQ starts at a random location within the city and can be moved later on to prevent detection. Want to relocate near the Police HQ? No problem; just make sure the Police don’t find out! As the game progresses, the Criminals gain access to a variety of specialized vehicles that allow them to crush anyone who gets in their way. The Police’s main goal is to locate the Criminal HQ. In the process, they must counter as many crimes as they possibly can, including robberies, shootings, and drug deals. Successfully stopping crimes and apprehending criminals will help gain public support; however, if they fail to do so, their public support will diminish. As Criminal activity increases, the Police gain access to advanced units like armored vehicles and SWAT teams. Deploying SWAT in public areas reduces public support and therefore must be considered carefully before use. The Police also have access to Undercover Cops, which provide tactical information about the Criminals’ hideouts and gangs. A long time friend of mine, Chubzdoomer, and I have been developing this concept for a little while now. As neither of us possesses intricate knowledge of every aspect of game development, we are relying on the community to assist us in this endeavor. Yobi Team is working on a 2D mobile game called Yobi : The Dream, an adventure puzzle game suitable for all ages, The player have to flick a monster and eat candies to Help the monster reach his dream : dicovering what's beyond his planet : The Universe ! We try to provide awesome levels with unique contents, we make sure that everything in the game is designed to be truely unique and original, we hate game clones and that's why we try to do our best to shine among other big games, We are looking for a talented game dev, that share this vision with us , someone who can work for at least 10 hours a week . We also have a gameplay trailer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LiwYkyvjy4 Please if you are interested contact us here : email@example.com Note : This offer is a revshare one ! More on the castlevania side of metroidvania set in the wild west. I've been doing all of the coding and art/animation, but I'm looking for someone to take the reigns for the art because my work is not of professional quality. I have concept sketches, and an idea for where I want this to go, but I'm also looking for someone to help me flesh out those ideas and brainstorm. I'm not married to one particular art style, so all is welcome. I'm also looking for a sound designer/musician to do the music/sound effects. This project is aimed at developing an adventure/puzzle game much like the old point and click games. Examples of this would be Myst and Riven. Except this project will be using all the technologies we have today. That means it will be in 3D and first person, unlike the still images that were used back then. The game is being developed in Unity 3D. The game is set on a couple of uninhabited and uncharted islands that broke off from a mythical island called Atlantis during the earthquakes. You play as a person who was shipwrecked on the island and has to find a way off. During your stay on the island you discover that it was recently inhabited in the 70's by a big science initiative, while it seems like they disappeared they left many things behind. The story is a lot more complex, you will learn more about it if you join the team. The gameplay will be about exploring the islands and solving puzzles like gathering objects to complete contraptions, which in turn open up new places you can explore. For instance, activating complex mechanisms to power some transportation vehicles. Your goal will be to get back to civilization but you discover that it's not that easy. Here is our game project GARDEN GETAWAY (I'n very early stages of design), I'm currently working on preliminary designs and looking for others to collaborate with. Here is a concept sketch for the start up screen, a mock up of the game play and a concept of the game over screen. Synopsis: A cheeky bird flies into an old ladies garden and steals all the bird seed and gets so rather fat. The bird must escape before he meets his end, at the hands of the angry old lady or the rather hungry cats. 1. Numerous levels (Garden/warehouse....) 2. Upgrades (Jetpacks, gliders and weapons. Purchased through points in store) 3. In app purchases 4. Amusing props (Funny Billboards and other background props) For Game updates have a look at the Toon Shack Studios Facebook page *All illustrations within these images/gameplay are still extremely rough and are not representative of the final standard; some are not even coloured. This is both our first title in the series and our initial original title. This is the introduction to the world that is Grizzly Bay. This is a game of discovery and self- acceptance, while finding your place in the world. It is a mix of elements from Minecraft, the Sims, and an RPG. With nods to titles like Animal Crossing. It is being developed in unity with the following Unity Store Assets: Love/Hate - emotion based relationship system proBuilder 2 - to do in-game structure building. ORK framework - RPG system framework The game itself is a blend of player/event driven story guided by the narrative. You'll be able to develop various levels of relationships among the NPCs which will be dynamic. You'll be able to design and build your own cabin or choose a pre-built from a selection. • HTML5 Canvas Strategy Role-playing Game • Gameplay and art direction is similar to games like Fire Emblem, FFTA, and Tactics Ogre • Places large emphasis on character development and story-guided missions • Can compensate for work Game is a 1st/3rd Person Platformer. The game is being developed in Unreal Engine 4, so far I'm getting around all the key character mechanics, making them as fluid as possible. Game usp's include: Sci-fi platform shooter with some Tron visual Level USP’s include stamina sprint, dash, double jump, Platforms [Destructible/movable], Enemy turrets, Puzzle Elements [door combinations, platform combinations]. Just to name a few. *Brief intro to level 1: Level 1, after INTRO level, will start as A set of box type structures. Some can be traversed with single jump, some can be climbed. Others can only be accessed later when charge jump is achieved. At the end a keypad must be entered in order to get to the next section. Once at the top, a section of platforms takes you to the next part, like a bridge way, with platforms that are destructible so care must be taken when getting across. At the end of this section have a laser security door with camera which will slam shut if player is detected. If not the player can pass, if player is detected then a swarm of enemies must be defeated, 1 will provide the means to gain access to the first door, which will give the player access to the next level, which one is up to the player to find! As you can see there are many elements to this game to keep any FPS enthusiast keen to explore the whole game. So if you are interested in learning more, and lending a helping hand, drop me a line and let make this happen, sooner rather than later. There are a few key features I want to implement to the character, so first and foremost I am in desperate need of a Programmer for the game mechanics and especially for the AI. I've attached some images of the layout of the intro level Im using to test the gameplay mechanics. Survive in the shifting sprawls of A.I. controlled interstellar space where chaos and adventure run rampant. It's here you'll chart the depths of unknown quadrants, discover lost secrets, and forge the ever-searching platform of humanity's last hope. Sol-Ark is a 2D Space RTS with sandbox and rougue-like components. Expect gameplay mechanics designed with player choice in mind and an immense universe to make those decisions in. Missions and storylines drift from seriously somber to hilariously violent with every new area explored, and random events punctuate these encounters to make a dynamic experience that's part procedural, part handcrafted indie space. Sol-Ark official website - solark-game.com Sol-Ark's page on IndieDB - http://www.indiedb.com/games/sol-ark-2d-space-rts-sandbox-rogue-like Sol-Ark's blog with devlogs - http://solarkindiegame.blogspot.com/ Let's just say this is the love child of Doom, Hotline Miami and Binding of Isaac. If you want to try the Prototype just drop me a line. Rubber & Lead is an homage to AutoDuel and other vehicle combat games. It features top down 2D vehicle combat, that I am blending with RPG elements. you can play the current build at http://www.rubberandlead.com dev comments on each build at www.rubberandlead.com/devblog Right now it is me and an artist working on it, many features are still being worked on. I could use some help with sound/music, and social media/promotion. An RPG with unique companions and turn-based combat that takes place on isometric hex-grid battlefields. A rich fantasy world with relatively modern technology coexisting with magic. * Game is still relatively early in development, currently there is little to show. Currently being developed with the Godot Engine. First of all, this is a hobby project, so I'm sorry that I can't offer you salary or guaranteed publishing/greenlighting. Imitheos is a 2D top-down RPG with a fantasy setting. It took a lot of inspiration from the Souls series and tries to focus on the same points, a small number of memorable NPCs each with their own story, a background story told in bits and pieces and a challenging gameplay that doesn't hold your hand. You can download the alpha here: Burden Of Command [name WIP] is a tactical RPG allowing you to dispatch units under your control to fight enemies and conquer fortresses. Build friendships among the allies you find along the way. However, you must be careful how your units are dispatched; your friends may die in battle because of your careless mistakes. A game about love and how it feels like an endless circle. iOS and Android. A resistance fighter. A part-time employee. A squad of Combine Soldiers. A chase gone wrong. Explore a post-GLaDOS Enrichment Centre, from the surface to it's murky depths. As Arin Spencer, together with Second Technician Jenn Wells, uncover a cavalcade of new environments, puzzle elements, tests and hazards, all while preventing the Combine from phoning home about what they've found down there. Remember, a lot of people are counting on you. Outside Influence is a mod for the original Portal; a new story set within the shared Half-Life/Portal universe, with new testing elements, environments and music. Contains additional features, such as fully voiced audio logs that tell the stories of those who worked at Aperture Science in its last days, a togglable hint system and a zoom scope a la Portal 2. Turnstile Football is a turn based strategy game based on the beautiful game of football! There is already a playable version available at www.turnstile-football.com but we want to push ahead and make it bigger and better! I'm currently looking for a sound engineer, let me know if you have some spare time. Landflix Odissey is a 2D platformer that ranges from classical to other typical run and gun and metroidvania gameplay types, in a delightful retro style pixel art. Play as Larry, a big lazy boy TV series watcher, who ends up in a dimension based on his favourite Landflix's shows (a video-on-demand parody). Make him travel through many environments to gather new powers, while helping the TV series characters defeating an evil genius who is trying to conquer their world. Help him gather blueprints for his scientist relative, “Uncle Doc”, to power up his own skills and win the battle. You are a scientist who was working on the development of a time machine. When the experiment began, a wormhole was formed and mankind and most of wildlife disappeared. Now you are humanity's last hope because you the last man alive. Your mission is to find the time machine .Therefore you will have to explore Russia, Germany, Norway, Egypt, U.S. ,Mars and Moon. Use portals because these can teleport you in differents ages from the Age of the Dinosaurs to our Era. But a problem that you will face is to survive. You will have to find resources like fish, fruits, beer , vodka, water because these will help you to stay alive. Also transport like cars, boats, airplanes and rockets will help you to travel faster. Save the mankind and became it's president! • Travel through different Eras of time; • Find resources like fruits,fish,beer,water and more that will help you to stay alive; • Explore countries like Germany,Russia,US,Norway,Egypt,United Kingdom; • Travel with the rocket through space especially on Moon and Mars; • Be pilot,driver or sailor; • Face different kinds of creatures; • Save the mankind and become its president. • Beautiful soundtrack(each country include up to 6 music specify to that country) The Steamers is set during the Renaissance Punk era of a steam rich world in a solar system far away. Through a series of very affordable 3 to 4 hours long episodes, players will explore the world of Esporia and live the many events that shaped its history. Each scenario will focus on the story of specific characters as they wade through the coups, invasions and political intrigues that mar the Republic of Esporia. Those characters will have very different backgrounds and will allow for many different gameplay experiences. Expect to command large scale armies in open battles, manage a small band of thieves as a guild Master or navigate large airships in sky battles... The game will allow players to command their troops from a bird's eye view in typical real time strategy fashion; while also making it possible for them to jump right into the skin of their character and tip the scale during an enemy encouter. Tactics and planning are of prime importance and commanders will have to learn how to use and support their squads through the use of cover and special abilities. Rushing headfirst and alone into combat will only result in disaster! Strategic locations such as hospitals, villages or heavy weapon emplacements will also provide added strategic depth. Tactically minded players will use them to choke their opponents, access special units or upgrade their defences. Vehicles will be available for commandeering and players can expect to fly in Da Vinci's inspired gliders and Airships, assault castles and forts in steam powered tanks or even ride ostrich as light cavalry support. The Steamers is aiming to be a franchise that never stops to grow, each episode will introduce fresh gameplay elements that will build upon each other and enrich the Esporian world and how the players interact with it. Overland Blast is an iOS-only (SpriteKit) 2.5D, arcade-style action defense game. Luna Dark Games are proud to present our first release; Rolling Orange. Rolling Orange is a rolling ball arcade game OUT NOW for Android. The Orange is rolling, you can't stop it, all you can do is try and control where the Orange goes steering it safely to the end of level. Avoid obstacles and enemies, pass through rings and collect stars to get the highest score possible and unlock new levels. Roll your Orange through 3 different and challenging chapters in this easy to learn but hard to master arcade classic. For all press enquiries & promo codes please visit: http://www.kriswbennett.co.uk/rolling-orange Press all the buttons to win. Each button has it's own cooldown. Find the correct order to have all buttons pressed at the same time. My very first attempt at a game. Features Venom from Spiderman using borrowed sprites from old games. It was made on gamemaker and is very clunky and some of the super moves are overpowered. However, the two bosses are good and some of the regular enemies have some interesting design that I would iterate on when making "A Warrior's Prologue". Sorry for the awful backgrounds. Inspired by Devil May Cry 3, Castlevania and a few others this game delivers some action packed stylistic combat. It features grappling hook based movement allowing freedom unprecedented in other games in the genre. Unfortunately however, it was developed with Microsoft XNA and Silverlight, which fails to run and install on many computers so development was halted to pursue Unity development. If demanded the game might be remade on Unity. The game is playable free at greygods.com and features several levels, enemies, an NPC partner,and two boss fights although development was halted before the learning curve could be smoothed out. An infinite runner where the goal is to reach a certain speed by avoiding, bouncing, and pulling off of objects. The game is being developed by me alone and so is very precise in what it is delivering, no superfluous features, only smooth concise gameplay. The story is a strange journey through a dream like self-prescribed afterlife and is quite unique. Release: February 2016 Music is done by Structural Fault. Want to compete again your friends, country and world in a fast-paced exciting game? Challenge your friends, your country and the world! Compete against everyone to see who goes farther! Avoid hitting the squares and drive your ship to the infinity! Be the best of the world! A Multiplayer First Person Shooter with 5 game modes: Survival MMO, Team Deathmatch, Capture The Point and Co-op Mission and Battle Royale game modes. Experience a unique Mobile Shooter in 40 Player Game Servers. Organize your team with 8 Player Voice Chat. Group up with your friends in Clans or join one of the existing 13,324 clans. Create a custom map with the Map Builder or play on 2,141 User Created maps. Lord Of Decay is a fantasy RPG video game for PC being developed by SandboxD7 that allows players to command an undead army and wield dark magic. You are destined to save humanity, or die trying. A game original created to,make a revenue stream to pay for full time engine developers for the bge. Game feature many new mechanics like in game building of robotics , vehicles, and puzzle solitions. A mix of many new ideas, as well as old classics. Imagine a monster movie (the B quality kind), combined with Pokemon. The majority of the game we are taking very seriously. However, we really want to capture that horrible B movie feel during combat. This will be done with ridiculous animations as seen in the photos areas. We've got a pretty solid design doc going ,but we're not looking to spoil all the details :). Cave In is a story-driven science fiction puzzle adventure game in development by Nitrous Butterfly. As Felicia Knight you stumble upon an old abandoned underground facility while out on a hike. As you push further into the facility discover what became of the inhabitants and uncover an ancient secret. The Space Marines were pretty clever. With their advanced science, they simply beamed their dead off the battlefield to be recycled into another wave of soldiers. A gruesome and morally questionable mechanism of war, but one that led them to unstoppable success against any threat. The enemy Xenomorphs would prove to be quite a different story. Wild, violent, but spectacularly intelligent, the alien creatures found they could simply nest inside their attacker's chests. This allowed them to follow the dead soldier as they're recycled into new, fresh men... behind enemy lines! Luckily, this cunning tactic was discovered early on. That's where you come in... Bucking the theme for Ludum Dare 31, I wanted to create a tank battle game inspired by the original 'Battle Zone' arcade game. It started out that way, and got...christmassy early on. You're a tank in a pit of abandoned Christmas junk! Are those rocks? Are they coal? It doesn't matter: everyone is naughty in the pit. And the Snowmen are about to judge you harder than an anonymous teenager on the internet. Download the game at: http://gamejolt.com/games/alptraum-nightmare/88796 Alptraum: An exploration game of cat-and-mouse. You play as an audacious explorer, seeking out valuable ancient artifacts scattered across neighboring islands. However, a fierce guardian of the islands, Alptraum, does not take kindly to your raiding and is determined to impale you with his stinger. Can you collect all the artifacts and escape Alptraum's wraith? After two and a half weeks of work and some sleepless nights I finished Alptraum. While I've done some small games in the past, this is my first big 3d project. I wanted the game to have a distinct look and a feel as well as a unique antagonist. Escape from the clutches of an angry monster who's rage grows stronger with every artifact you take. 5 islands to explore Custom 3d models 4 Small in-game cut-scenes An atmospheric 24 minute soundtrack Game Guru was the engine I developed the game on. All assets (Art, levels, the monster, 3d models, and music) are created by me, with the exception of some foliage, ruins, and a bridge that are stock models and come with Game Guru. I modified these models to match the game environment Update Aug 6: Thankfully I had some time to make some fixes before the deadline -Removed motion blur from the game -Changed the number of lives from 3 to 6. -Removed fall damage . -Fixed some texture glitches in high mode -Fixed small fixes to the second island If the game runs choppy on your computer, you can speed up performence by changing the graphics settings to low or medium (press ESC during the game, select 'graphics settings') Minimum System Requirements: OS: XP, Vista, 7, 8 Processor: Intel Dual-Core 2GHz or AMD Dual-Core 2GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 400 series or AMD Radeon HD 6000 series, 1GB Video Card (Minimum Shader Model 2.0) Integrated graphics cards are very slow. DirectX: Version 9.0c Hard Drive: 400 MB available space Sound Card: DirectX Compatible Sound Card with latest drivers This app uses parse.com as database and highly communicate with it. Stay connected to the Forex market from anywhere with regular updates about major currency pairs. Traders at all levels will benefit from Forex news, professional technical and fundamental analysis, and free Forex signals. A story-driven puzzle platform adventure made by one man, straight from the heart, as his indie game debut. A peaceful way of life in a small village in the mountains was thrown into disorder. Someone has kidnapped most of it’s residents. A couple of brave hearts tried to rescue their friends but none of them has returned. Little Toby didn’t want to just sit and wait so he decided to find them by himself. He went to the near deep forest but he soon realized this is just a beginning. Go with Toby on an eerie adventure in a dark and creepy world full of dangerous situations, enemies and challenging puzzles in this game made as tribute to masterpieces like Limbo, Nihilumbra or Type:Rider. Get lost in the shadows and pray you find your way out. The game is currently in progress. Available in Q3 2015. Check out the demo for The Last Time, an indie adventure game I'm working on. Please find the demo link on the Kickstarter page, as well as a trailer and more info: This game is a non-profit parody of the NES universe and any representation of existing characters, games and companies is meant purely for parody and tribute to that which is probably the best age in video game history. In SeD you take the role of Ike Hill, a retired war veteran who served in more than 20 missions, and is a foul-mouthed cold-blooded gun nut. After the announcement that Nocando would release a console after the Nocando Entertainment System, everyone rejoiced, except Mario. Mario was pissed, because with this new console the company wanted to end all the old franchises. Mario then gathers an army of his own and engages in terrorist acts. Ike's mission is to find and kill Mario. But can he do it? and what is Mario's motive? Who is behind all this? A magnet-themed sliding puzzle game. The player can swipe in one of four directions to magnetically roll a metal ball across the stage, but the catch is you can't move the ball again until it's come to a stop. Each level is a short collection of blocks that the player must navigate the metal ball through to reach a goal tile. The puzzles start out simple but the game quickly and steadily introduces obstacles that change the ball's trajectory, moving tiles that slide when the ball hits them, mechanisms that change the layout of blocks in the level, and much more. Play Store link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stdev.magnemaze.android iTunes link coming soon! The game is very near finished and is currently available on Google Play, but its currently under a revamp in both graphics and sound effects. Check out our progress by following us on twitter (twitter.com/shower_dev) or liking the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/magnemaze). The game is a plaformer beat 'em up in which you can play wih 4 friends. The story mode currently has four campaign scenarios that tangentially relate to each other, each featuring it's own set of characters, levels and stories. Dark Recon is an action-puzzle game in 3rd person based in a futuristic dystopian environment. Ever seen the purge? If you haven't, it's a movie where on a specific day, the government sanctions all crimes, including murder. Recently I watched the movie again, and I had an idea, what if someone created a game about the purge? You could go around breaking into people's houses and killing people. Of course, you could also design your own house and see how it tests to other purgers. Reikon Dungeon is a rouguelike dungeon crawler, with real time action, where the player has to explore infinite dungeons and hunt down deadly monsters. Each death is permanent, but the player will be able to reincarnate in one of the monsters or the other, discovering always new combinations of skills and creatures. Hey, we're making this game. Well it's already out on google play store. What we're looking for is an Artist/Designer to join up forces with, could be improving this game. Could be working on a new game... Song of Horror is an old school inspired, third person survival horror, evocative of the eternal fear of what cannot be understood. Take control of up to 16 characters who have been dragged, throughout time, into a story for which they are not prepared. The game is being made for PC/Mac currently, but we aim to reach as many platforms as we can reasonably reach. It’s an ordinary Friday in the life of Daniel Noyer, washed-up advertiser and former entrepreneur who has fallen on hard times lately. Currently the lowest of the low at a publishing house, you receive an urgent, yet seemingly straightforward assignment: to find the company’s most important client, the renowned writer Sebastian P. Husher, who hasn’t been heard from in weeks. Upon your arrival at Husher’s mansion, you realize something’s wrong. The lights, still turned off at the onset of nightfall, reveal that no one is home. The dog, warned about at the entrance, is nowhere to be found. The main door, left ajar, hints at a hallway drowned in shadows. And an eerie, haunting melody, pierces a thundering silence. -A Thrilling, Movie-Like Experience Join Daniel in a spine-chilling tale of horrors. Unravel a dreadful mystery of deep, unknown roots, a mystery threatening to destroy him. -Automated Cinematic Cameras The use of automated mobile cameras along with a collection of unsettling music themes ensure that the tension remains constant and relentless. -16 Playable Characters Control Daniel as well as several other men and women, both acquaintances and strangers. They will explore an array of locations, designed by actual architects, solving riddles while avoiding an untimely end. How far will each of them go? Who will continue their tale alongside Daniel? That is up to you. -Normal, Everyday People No heroes, no supermen, no superwomen. Real-life, ordinary folks. From the advertiser to the sales director, from the alarms technician to the doctor and the shop clerk. None of them can make it on their own. The devil’s in the details, or so they say. Each clue might have a meaning; every observation can be crucial. There is no prize for first arrival at the end line; the prize is to arrive at all. -Life is Fleeting There is no health nor sanity bar. The only thing that matters is: can you continue? If you crumble midway, will the next character make it? -Death Has Many Doors There are no combats, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to fight. There are no enemies, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t being hunted. There are no defenses, and yes, that does mean you must run, hide, and do whatever it takes to survive. You are the Exiled, once of the Banana Moon but sent Down Below for the ultimate heresy. Vowing to return at all costs, you set on a journey across the many Realms, discovering more about your former home... The Mountain: Memories of Guilt is our current WIP title and is expected finished in late 2015/early 2016. It's a first person horror game, developed using the Unreal Engine 4. The Mountain is a 3D First Person Horror Game set in an alternate reality of the past. In a time where technology evolved faster than culture and never really left the 40's. You are the mountain climber, Thomas who has set out to take on the Himalayas but this journey comes to a halt as you fall down through the glacier snow and into an old mine shaft. Why is it there? Who was there before you? And most important of all...why did they all disappear..? Fantasy Shift is an arcade platform game with retro gameplay and graphics. It was a small project I created for college and to get to grips with the ins and outs of basic game development. Whilst it is short, it is has very challenging gameplay in the form of difficult jumping puzzles and obstacles. It comes packed with 6 levels, a boss fight, a brief tutorial and a chiptune soundtrack! All assets were designed and produced by me. Thanks for playing! Discover the secrets that lurk through more than twenty biomes, tame monsters and make them your allies , save the Chloriniens from the Night Walkers , create a community and protect it , create your own weapons, your own armor, your own magic and make the planet Centauri the cradle of a new civilization or your tomb! Each Monster, Weapon and armor is unique! Dynamic gameplay & movement Craft your own magic spells! Catch them all! Capture and tame monsters 100,000 ++ physical combinations and more than 500 clothes 2 play modes, Scenario and Sandbox and 3 difficulties mode Achievements are real impact in the game Agriculture and Cooking Create your weapons and armors Create a village and give a job to the people Create an advanced network system! Set the behavior of the NPC and Robots God Saucer - A lot of mini games and challenges Mods, Mods everywhere - use many editors to create your own dungeons, biomes, monsters etc... ***Pairs is a game that most of us have played from a very young age. It’s good for child development, plus it’s kind of fun. DUO! takes that concept and makes it that bit harder and more entertaining.*** 148apps DUO! is a refreshing reinvention of memory where making pairs is not enough any more. DUO! is both fun and relaxing. Take a journey through multiple worlds to explore new challenges and solve mind-stimulating puzzles. To advance, stay concentrated and remember each move you make. Good memory and strategy will lead to new levels packed with wild cards, bonuses and more. Cards will get shuffled, blown up and frozen. Literally! No worries though, there are also boosters to help you along the way for when the journey gets a bit too rough. * Logic and memory improvement * Fun for kids from 5 to 95 * 80+ unique levels * Sleek 2D graphics and animations * Relaxing game that encourages concentration * Lots of exciting bonuses * Challenge family and friends * 18 cool badges to collect * Optimized for iPhone 4 and newer Like DUO! on Facebook: Follow DUO! on Twitter: COMING SOON : We are working hard to bring you FREE new levels and updates soon! SEEP Universe is an action-platform game for the PC inspired by the 8-16 bit era created by SEEP. Originally we released SEEP World, a free indie fan game inspired by 8 bit games. After achieving a good response with that, we decided to make a really professional game with a similiar concept to create a new brand. For full info go to: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/seep-universe/x/ Moore's Folly is a experimental horror experience that can be described as a lovecraftian tamagachi meets puzzle game. The game is intentionally opaque requiring players to use patience and the included instruction manual to figure out what exactly is going on. Game can be downloaded here: Exile Saga is the tale of a brand new game with promising traditional RPG aspects such as leveling, different classes, challenging puzzles, and intense combat. The encounters in Exile Saga are far from random; enemies wander the world seeking vulnerable (and tasty) morsels and they will often chase you down. In a dangerous wilderness in what remains of the world you go dungeon crawling with only a flashlight to lead you through danger. Some encounters need to be fought, other times encounters require sneaking past. Many challenges await you outside the safety of the monastery where the story begins. Kickstarting the creation of Exile Saga - a JRPG created by Meraki Games A young woman has given up, given in. She can't stand the helping hands that try to bind and the nagging words of her mother. She breaks away and tries to spread her wings, only to be grounded by heavy rains. Looking for shelter instead she finds a ghost from a hazy past. A woman dressed in all white holding a little blue, polka dotted umbrella. They stand around, they sit and chat and the rain keeps pouring... yet the young woman, for the life of her, can't seem to piece together the whys, whens and, where. Who is this strange woman? Why does she seem so very...familiar? She must make a choice to open up her heart, open up her past and, accept a little polka dotted umbrella. Her life forever changed by a simple act of kindness. Only the truth shall set you free... A commercial visual novel we're working on! Smash Hit Plunder lets players explore and wreck a dungeon, looking for as much treasure as possible. Rediscover the joy of smashing things, making a mess, and finding money down the back of your sofa, all without the job of cleaning up afterwards. Stand up, sit down, multiple game modes, smashing and crashing, and play without a controller – Smash Hit Plunder is designed and developed for Gear VR. The ExBawx (better name coming) is a project I've been working on-and-off on for the past few months (exams are coming hard and fast). It's a wonderful little program that takes a regular webcam and cheap home-made headset to control video games with little dots (much like how the Oculus rift does but without the infrared). You can plug it into your phone and play almost instantly (after installing an app) and all rendering is done on the computer. Being GPU-accelerated, it shouldn't have such a large effect on games you play. > PC Support (Other platforms coming soon) > Runs at 30-70 FPS depending on your computer/game > Android and WP support (for display though they screens are awfully small compared to mainstream VR headsets) > Some GPU-acceleration (More to come) > Unity, Flash, CryEngine integration (and pretty-much-any-other-engine-with-basic-IO-functions) > Voice control > Depth detection The Huntsman is a Horror Survival adventure game based on Folk Tale's. You play as Little Red Riding hood on your way to grandma's house, and because your only 14 years old your imagination can Run wild, while there may be real Predators out there, we combined a few tales with an amazing heartwarming story, Our main component in the game is a system we designed that work a lot like The Insanity system from Amnesia, this is called your madness,but events are driven from your madness, the main Bad guy (The Huntsman) will change form based on your madness and levels will change each time you play and your madness is at a different level.secret doors may open and find more hidden clue's about our world... Some art from projects/commissions that I've released in the past, just in case anyone's interested in what kind of work I mainly produce. I'll update this as I come up with stronger/more up-to-date content. Luckslinger is a hip hop infused spaghetti western action platformer with a lucky twist. In Luckslinger, the player's luck has an impact on events in the game world. ARGH-P-G is a fast-paced rogue-like touch-friendly dungeon crawler. Simple game-play that will offer the player depth if they so choose. A game that tries not to hinder the player. Play at http://liamtwose.itch.io/arghpg/ A game of life is a game about life. I originally crafted this game for Ludum Dare 31 and ironically while I was doing so life managed to inevitably get in the way. Welcome to UMOGA, the Skill Funded platform for indie games! We offer a free ethical platform that allow video game creatives from all over the world to connect and collaborate . This version of UMOGA is the second version of UMOGA. You will find a redesign, new social function such as our forum and an asset store. Look at us as a pre KickStarter stage, we are here to help you assemble you own independent studio. A lot of change is set to come in the following weeks and we are eager to hear back from you. Have a feature idea? Spotted something wrong? contact us and we'll start working on a fix. The UMOGA team

March 20, 2017 by phicks2012 In recent years I’ve stumbled across rather a HUGE number of TV programs where teams of people wander around in the darkness whispering, looking for “cryptids” — creatures whose existence has yet to be—or else cannot entirely be—proved or disproved by science — and finding absolutely nothing. I’ve actually watched some of these shows when there was nothing else on TV that I had any remote interest in watching. However…..;-) I know as soon as the show starts that they will find nothing. They will, of course, interpret “nothing” as “something”, but you will never actually see a cryptid, or clear evidence of one, and the teams will never get a remotely identifiable photograph or any other sort of concrete evidence of ANYthing. They will shout a lot, making sure anything in a five mile radius knows they are coming. They will claim as fact things that are only wild speculation — like such-and-such being a “known behavior” of the given cryptid, or that the creature is “definitely there”. They will shout “Oh my God! There it is!!!” but the camera will stay focused on “them” rather than making ANY attempt to shift toward the “creature” they supposedly are seeing, and if they get a still photo of something it will be an unidentifiable blur. Sheeesh! Just ONCE, might it not be nice if SOMEthing was found? Oh, maybe not the particular outrageous D&D Monster (like the Mapinguari, or the Aswang, or the Subteralien from “Monsters Underground) that they’re looking for in that episode, but SOMETHING? Really, folks! Just how long can a TV series like this persist when NOTHING is EVER found or proven? Well, a LONG time, evidentally, because some of these programs keep getting renewed over and over again — or replaced by others with the same sort of format. Hint to the “search teams”: Just for once, take the right equipment to do the job right! Take extra batteries, flashlights powerful enough to illuminate more than a single square foot, cameras that actually work well in low light and have shutter speeds high enough to stop motion, and equipment to collect samples. Don’t find “mysterious slime” in a cave, or “mysterious hair” on a bush, and neglect to take samples of it — or to tell us what it turns out to be! I mentioned “Monsters Underground” earlier because at least it’s interesting watching them work their way through caves and caverns even if the “creatures” they tend to look for more closely resemble comic book aliens than anything remotely likely to exist on earth. However, there are literally DOZENS of similar shows: Monsterquest, Mountain Monsters (what a JOKE), Beast Hunter, Is It Real?, Weird or What?, Destinantion Truth (Really?), Finding Bigfoot, Killing Bigfoot, Swamp Monsters and Mystery Quest, just to name a few. Let’s face it, it’s NOT impossible that we (meaning mankind) will discover new species in the deep oceans, deep underground, or in other largely inaccessible areas. Species thought to have been extinct for millions of years (like the coelacanth) sometimes show up again in places other than in episodes of “Primeval”. The Giant Squid has finally been photographed alive, and it’s not entirely impossible that some specimens of meglodon (though NOT large enough to swallow a submarine) might still exist. But honestly, I’d rather see serious scientists exploring such possibilities rather than watching rednecks (those who aren’t funny enough to be on Duck Dynasty) run around in the dark making enough noise to wake the dead while supposedly trying to sneak up on Sasquatch.

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Results for - The Loch Ness Monster 2,189 voters participated in this survey Everyone has heard of the loch Ness monster, or water horse. But how much do you know about this strange sea cryptid? 1. The Loch Ness monster is a famous cryptic living in the Loch Ness, as its name suggests. It's said to be a relative of the plesiosaur, and has been allegedly sighted and photographed many times. Have you heard of this cryptid? 2. Many explanations have been said for the monster's existance. Some say it's just an optical illusion, caused by what people want to see, and others say it's just a misinterpreted fish. Have you ever believed in the Loch Ness monster? 3. The Loch Ness monster isn't the only mythical lake creature. The ogopogo is said to be a snakelike monster living in BC's Okanagan lake, and the Mokele-mbembe is a dinosaur-like water entity living in the Congo river basin. Have you heard of these other water-dwelling cryptids? Yes, both of them I've heard of one of them I've heard of none of them 02/08/2019 Trivia 2189 30 By: annabeLily

Mothman returns to Point Pleasant. SETI breaks through! Disclosure on disclosure has been disclosed. Consciousness is one step closer to being defined. New Zealand earthquake blamed on technology. The Earth has a fever, and the only prescription is a solar minimum! Life, uh, finds a way and we’ll find out how plants can talk to us. The Book of the Week, "Cryptid Culture Magazine Issue #4, November 2016" November 23, 2016

What inspired you to write your first book? I started writing in the 1980s, but gave it up for family and fun. Then I got bored one winter, at 48 years of age, plus I had technology that surpassed anything in the 1980s. This one is a trunk novel today. It was a western steampunk story with ice age mammals running around. My newest book is called Will O’ the Wisp. It’s the story of a teenage girl coming face to face with an ancient family curse. How did you come up with the title? Will O’ the Wisp is a natural phenomenon, that has become a cryptid. It is a mysterious floating light. People all over the world made up legends about them, so I did too. Is this your first book? How many books have you written (published or unpublished)? My first two novels are trunk novels that nobody will ever see. I have five books available on Amazon. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? I can firmly answer no. I read to escape, and believe there are others out there like me. My stories are pure entertainment. How much of the book is realistic? The story takes place in the 1970s, and I went to great lengths to make sure it was an accurate reflection. (Anyone remember Quisp cereal, Montgomery Wards, International Harvester?) my main character, Patty, is fifteen. She has a love/hate relationship with her mother. She also has to face a few teenage coming of age moments. That part is realistic. Are your characters based on someone you know, or events in your own life? They are not. I created the characters and tried to really get into them. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? I’m sure every author would. I believe there is a time to stop picking at it and set it free. I’m very happy with this story, and the reviewers appear to be too. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? This story is suitable for young adults. Not all of my tales are, but your own teenagers can enjoy this one too. What is your favorite part/chapter of your book/project? I’m really happy with the climax in this one. It stitched together some supernatural elements with a coming of age moment and a big dose of fear. It just worked out really well. What is your favorite theme/genre to write? I write speculative fiction, and don’t limit myself to one corner. My stories are science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy. Will O’ the Wisp is a paranormal story. Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it? We never really think about it, but if a topic doesn’t interest me I won’t force a story. There are too many things that do interest me to worry about it. What book are you reading now? As I type this, I’m between books. I have Beginning of a Hero, by Charles Yallowitz up next on my iPad. I may start it by the time this posts. I just finished Maplecroft by Cheri Priest. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? Yes, and I’m loathe to name names. If I forget someone, I’ll hurt someone’s feelings. These are all indie authors, and I’m really cheering for them. Do you see writing as a career? In some kind of dream world, sure. The realities of the 21st Century are that I have a full time job. An FTJ with paid vacation, insurance, and retirement. Where do you see yourself in ten years? Hopefully, continuing to do the things I love. At 64 I expect to still be working, and putting out books. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? There is a huge learning curve here. I learn and adapt, just like anyone else. It’s part of what appeals to me about writing. Perfection cannot be attained, only improvement. Have you ever hated something you wrote? No. I like everything I’ve ever written. I’m a better writer today than I once was, but I still like my characters and stories. What book do you wish you had written? What is your best marketing tip? I wish I had one. Marketing is just so foreign to me. I think the best thing I can do is to write my next book. There is stability in volume, provided the product is good. What genre is your next project? What is it about? My next book is another paranormal piece with science fiction spicing. It’s about social media gone horribly wrong. Can you tell us about your upcoming book? I released Will O’ the Wisp yesterday, (as I’m typing this out). I’d rather focus on that. I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever written so far. I’d really appreciate it if your readers would check it out. How do we find your books, blog and bio? Follow my blog: http://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com Check out my novels here: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00ILXBXUY Will O’ the Wisp can be found at these sites: Thank you for the invitation, Mandy. It was a pleasure answering your questions. I’ll make sure to surf back through and participate in the comments.

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Review by KEN KORCZAK I’ll cut right to the chase and say I enjoyed this Kindle ebook. That’s probably because the subject matter interests me greatly. So for its intended audience – folks like me who are fascinated with strange creatures and the eerie phenomenon that surround them – this is a can’t miss selection. I’m not going to give it my top recommendation, however, for reasons I’ll explain in just a bit. But first, a brief summary for those who want to know what’s in the book: PHANTOMS AND MOSTERS: CRYPTID ENCOUNTERS is a collection of raw eyewitness accounts of legendary beasties: Bigfoot, mothman, and there’s a few serpent-like river monsters and a “little people” encounter thrown in for good measure. Here you will find mostly raw or only minimally edited email letters from average folks who were astounded to encountered strange creatures in their everyday lives. I should say there is also a number of reports of some really weird sightings – bizzare, peculiar creatures — some of which I have never heard of before, and for that I add extra praise. However, the buyer should be aware of what they’re getting here: This is not so much a formal book but a series of “cut-and-paste” selections from author LON STRICKLER’S, popular BLOG. And here is where I have some mild quibbles, based mostly on formatting: The text is not well-edited. Granted, the author wanted to retain the exact flavor of the original reports of folks on the ground, and I applaud him for that. But the dicey production values go beyond just lack of editing to other factors, especially a constantly shifting text size. Sometimes the font size goes from bigger to smaller from page to page, and this makes little sense to me – and for many it will be distracting. There are also some raw reports that should have been edited a bit more rigorously – the most intriguing and fascinating report involves an Ohio man’s encounter with the famous mothman entity — made even more interesting because his story relates to the famous Silver Bridge collapse disaster of 1967, which killed 46 people. This entry is exceedingly bizarre, frightening and gripping – but I had to stop and re-read many passages several times to be clear about what they guy was trying to say because his writing was so muddy. If it was me, I would have provided additional editing or perhaps inserted commentary to help the reader understand this man’s amazing story. So, this is an ebook created mostly from a “raw dump” from a blog with minimal formal editing – yet, it still gets a sky-high recommendation from me because the content is so interesting, and contributes valuable information to the record. Ken Korczak is the author of: MINNESOTA PARANORMALA

by Robert Waltz Not for the faint of art. A complex number is expressed in the standard form a + bi, where a and b are real numbers and i is defined by i^2 = -1 (that is, i is the square root of -1). For example, 3 + 2i is a complex number. The bi term is often referred to as an imaginary number (though this may be misleading, as it is no more "imaginary" than the symbolic abstractions we know as the "real" numbers). Thus, every complex number has a real part, a, and an imaginary part, bi. Complex numbers are often represented on a graph known as the "complex plane," where the horizontal axis represents the infinity of real numbers, and the vertical axis represents the infinity of imaginary numbers. Thus, each complex number has a unique representation on the complex plane: some closer to real; others, more imaginary. If a = b, the number is equal parts real and imaginary. Very simple transformations applied to numbers in the complex plane can lead to fractal structures of enormous intricacy and astonishing beauty. |Today's blast from the past is a short entry I wrote near the end of August, 2008: "I can't get no..." I've been trying to put words to the malaise that seems to have overtaken my life. It's not that I'm not happy, or I'm severely lacking in anything (except maybe motivation). I don't think I wallow in self-pity to that degree anymore. If I do, I don't write about it, because that leads to a) people shunning you even more; b) advice that doesn't work for me (as per some of the comments on that entry); or c) people being happy about it because at least they're not you. Anyway, I did finally figure out what was bugging me, I think: work. The fact that I had to do it. It was interfering with my video game time. What I want to focus on, though, is the first comment, from someone I sadly haven't seen in a while but used to comment here a lot: It's "midlife crisis," buddy. I've experienced it and know men who experience it until either they self destruct or they do something to sate it. Some people treat a midlife crisis, especially in dudes, as a joke. And to be fair, sometimes it really is funny, like when someone goes out and blows all their money and credit on a Porsche and a 21-year-old hooker (neither of which I've ever done). But that shit's real, and as much as society pushes men to squash their emotions, doing so is generally a Bad Idea. That shit can ruin lives. I had an uncle who had an affair with a grad student, and ended up destroying his family. Fortunately, the kids reconciled with him before he croaked, and he expressed regret at his actions. Anyway, I don't think that was one; I've always been prone to depressive episodes, regardless of age. And even if it was, I didn't have a family to ruin. Sure, I ended up getting divorced the following year, something which was in no way my fault [Narrator: It was a little bit his fault]. But having glanced at a few of the intervening blog entries, they weren't all gloom. Some of them were about my epidural for back pain, and anyone who's experienced chronic back pain can tell you it definitely affects one's mental health. And then there was a vacation, which apparently helped, too. I did end up, over the following year, buying a new car, retiring, and traveling (in that general order). But the car was a Subaru, not a Porsche, and traveling is something I'd always wanted to do but was difficult while working full-time. Whilst out and about yesterday in my new-to-me Subaru—after over a year without a car, I wanted to see what changes happened in my town, and besides, it was sunny and 70 damn degrees outside—I saw that we now have a Porsche dealership in my town. I wasn't even the slightest bit tempted. |I've done entries about avocados before. Here are a couple: "The Devil's Avocat" and "Another Avocado Article" . This one's not about the fruit so much as it is about the product. How Marketing Changed the Way We See Avocados Once upon a time, Americans didn't know what to do with "alligator pears." Now we can't get enough I have a confession to make: When I was a kid, I hated avocados. "Zaboca" as they are called in Trinidad (and maybe elsewhere in the Caribbean) were mushy and gross, in my young, uninformed opinion. They just didn’t taste like anything. Plus, I believed my parents ate some weird things in general. I'm pretty sure all kids, from all cultures, have different approaches to food than adults. Hell, most of 'em probably don't like beer, even. But we usually grow up to actually like some of those yucky things mom and/or dad tried to shove down our gullets when we were little. In the beginning of the 20th-century, they were called “alligator pears.” Their bumpy, olive skin connected them to those denizens of the swamp, and it’s shape resembled, well, a pear. They had a marketing problem. In addition to already discussing avocados, I've mentioned a few marketing problems in here before. Can't be arsed to find those entries, but I vaguely remember something about orange juice. And maybe chicken wings. Along these lines, the California Avocado Grower’s Exchange launched a petition to change the name of the fruit, formally. They were pushing to get back to the cultural roots of avocados: The word “avocado” is derived from the Aztec “ahuacacuahatl.” This renaming was meant to further exoticize the product, lending credence to the idea that it was a special treat. Another source puts it as āhuacatl. I don't know enough about the Aztec language to know if someone made a mistake or if maybe they used both words, or the one was a shortening of the other. Doesn't matter much, I suppose, but I do like to get these things right. That was all well and good until nutrition experts began to promote a low-fat diet. Wait, I thought that wasn't a thing until like the 1990s. Is this article skipping whole decades? The public didn’t differentiate between saturated fats, which were target of this movement, and monounsaturated fats, which are “good” fats. Avocados came under fire. Avocados under fire are disgusting. No, seriously, nothing's worse than a heated avocado. So the avocado growers rallied. They funded research and put out studies meant to extoll the virtues of the fruit. This. This is why people don't trust nutrition science. The turning point for avocados was their integration with the [name of copyrighted sportsball game that takes place in Feburary redacted]. With enough money, anyone can advertise anything during that game and people will flock to it. If you put a halftime ad there selling boxes of unprocessed human shit, your shit supply would run out the next day. The public’s investment and interest in the Su[bleep]wl cemented guacamole as a snack item, giving the avocado a foothold it needed. Access to avocados also increased as the previous ban on the import of this item was lifted in 1997, and fruits from Michoacan began to flow across the border. Then why do I remember avocados from way back in the 70s? It's possible my memory is faulty, or maybe I shifted timelines. At the end of the day, avocados have a place on today’s table thanks in part to a tireless campaign to redefine and redraft their identity. Some of it was misguided, some of it was weird and some of it was good. That is the nature of advertising. I put up marketing articles here from time to time because many writers need to know how to do marketing. I mean, I would, but no matter how much I learn about it, I'm utterly incompetent at marketing (maybe because I won't pay for an ad spot during the game-that-shall-not-be-named). Doesn't stop me from reading about it, though. |Wrong time of year for this, but that's never stopped me before. The Ancient Math That Sets the Date of Easter and Passover Why don’t the two holidays always coincide? It is, to some degree, the moon’s fault. And yes the headline uses the M word. Passover is a springtime Jewish festival celebrating the early Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and freedom from slavery. Jews observe it by hosting a ritual dinner, called a seder, and then by abstaining from eating all leavened bread for about a week. Hey, it's the yeast we could do. Easter is a springtime Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ and freedom from sin and death. It is preceded by a series of holidays commemorating Jesus’s path to the cross. One of these holidays is Maundy Thursday, which, aside from being a great name for a holiday, is a remembrance of the Last Supper, which was a seder. In the United States, many Christians observe Easter by attending a ritual meal between breakfast and lunch, called a brunch. That part cracked me up. These holidays have a lot in common: They share themes of liberation and triumph; they both involve buying a lot of eggs; they were both a pretty big deal for Jesus. To acknowledge that I'm writing this in late November, just when the winter holiday marketing season is gearing into overdrive and rolling coal at our collective Priuses, I'll note that there is something of a parallel here with Christmas and Hanukkah. There is, however, one incredibly important difference: while Easter was built off of Passover (and both holidays stole from Pagans), Hanukkah and Christmas (also stolen from Pagans) have fuck-all to do with each other, apart from generally happening when it's way too bloody damn cold in the northern hemisphere. Without going into detail, Hanukkah isn't "Jewish Christmas" (my friend likes to call it "Blue and Silver Christmas"). But, like the holidays in the article, sometimes they happen to overlap (like this year), and sometimes they don't. In the Gospels, the existential drama of Easter happens against the backdrop of Passover. Yet about 15 percent of the time, the two holidays actually occur a month apart. Those are good years for me. See, my cousin usually wants me to travel for Passover. Which is fine. Except when Passover falls on Easter, in which case traveling up the Northeast Corridor is the First Circle of Hell. Anyway, the rest of the article goes into the differences between the Hebrew lunisolar calendar and the Christian solar calendar. During the month of Adar (which directly precedes the Passover month of Nisan), the ancient rabbinical court would decide if it was springy enough outside for Passover. If spring seemed to be on track, Nisan could occur. But if it wasn’t warm enough outside yet, the rabbis would tack on another month of Adar. They called this leap month Adar II. Early Rabbinical Judaism was very creative with names. Today Roman Catholics and most Protestant traditions now celebrate Easter after March 21 on the Gregorian calendar. But the Eastern Orthodox Church uses the older version of that calendar, known as the Julian, to determine the date of Easter and other festivals. So it's not just different religions' calendars that cause issues, but that of different sects of the same religion. This in no way surprises me. Thanks to tiny wobbles in Earth’s orbit, some years are a second or two longer or shorter than others. So every year, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service announces whether to add a leap second in order to align Earth time with solar time. Yeah, it looks like they're abandoning, or at least pausing, this practice. And as it happens, the first night of Passover can never fall on Maundy Thursday, even though that holiday commemorates a seder. That’s because Passover can never begin on Thursday, ever. “The calendar is rigged so that [seder] can fall only on certain days of the week,” Dreyfus told me. “If Passover started Thursday night, it would push Rosh Hashanah the following year to start on Saturday night.” And neither Rosh Hashanah nor Yom Kippur, the two High Holidays of the Jewish year, can fall the day after Shabbat. Just in case you thought it wasn't complicated enough. But no, to directly address the article's subhead, it's not the moon's fault at all. Nor is it the sun's. "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings. Might you become master of your fate through choice—no matter what the stars say?" When it comes to holidays and observances, we're all servants of the calendar, and the calendar—any calendar—is purely arbitrary. I could argue that the Hebrew calendar, tied as it is to lunar cycles, is somewhat less arbitrary than the Gregorian, which is tied to nothing (well, sort of, mostly). But it's still arbitrary: Hebrew calendar months start on new moons. Why not full? Or half? Sometimes I think we should just abandon the whole thing and adopt the Tranquility Calendar. Other times I go in the complete opposite direction and want a calendar more obviously tied to actual astronomical observations: solstices, equinoxes, moon phases. Hardly matters, though. Inertia favors the Gregorian. We can't even agree on stopping this Daylight Saving Time nonsense; calendars ain't gonna change. Well. Eventually they will, because even the orbits of the Earth and Moon are, over a long enough timescale, chaotic. Or we could disappear, along with our calendars. But we're stuck with these complicated things for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, you don't have to make any of the observations and computations yourselves; someone else will tell you when it's time to celebrate whatever. Because yesterday was Thanksgiving, I had nothing better to do than go to the movies. One-Sentence Movie Review: Bones and All: A meaty movie with a side of mashed metaphors and symbolism sauce, this story of two fine young cannibals in the 1980s was filling Thanksgiving Day fare for me. |You've certainly heard the cliché, "the greatest thing since sliced bread," which implies that sliced bread was the greatest invention. This is obviously false, as beer was invented before sliced bread. Sometimes it takes a lack of something to truly appreciated it. This was true during Prohibition, and apparently, also true during World War II. Remembering When America Banned Sliced Bread During World War II, the U.S. government turned to drastic rationing measures. The year was 1943, and Americans were in crisis. Across the Atlantic, war with Germany was raging. On the home front, homemakers were facing a very different sort of challenge: a nationwide ban on sliced bread. While it's true that there were far worse things in WWII than a lack of sliced bread, I can see how that would be frustrating. The ban on sliced bread was just one of many resource-conserving campaigns during World War II. In May 1942, Americans received their first ration booklets and, within the year, commodities ranging from rubber tires to sugar were in short supply. These days, of course, such measures would be "government overreach," "tyranny," "an attack on muh freedumbz," and "cause for riots in the streets." So by January 18, 1943, when Claude R. Wickard, the secretary of agriculture and head of the War Foods Administration, declared the selling of sliced bread illegal, patience was already running thin. Since sliced bread required thicker wrapping to stay fresh, Wickard reasoned that the move would save wax paper, not to mention tons of alloyed steel used to make bread-slicing machines. Okay, so I can see the wax paper thing (plastic wasn't much used then), but didn't the slicers already exist? Sliced bread was invented in 1928 , and pretty much everywhere five years later—ten years before the ban. On July 7, 1928, the Chillicothe Baking Company in Missouri first put his invention to use, saying it was “the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped.” So, really, the expression should be "the greatest thing since wrapped bread." As an aside, I'm picky enough to get my bread from a local bakery rather than the supermarket. They'll slice it right there upon request, and slide it into a plastic bag with a twist tie. Since it's fresh bakery bread without preservatives, if it's not wrapped, it becomes a rock within 24 hours. Sliced bread really took off in 1930, when the Continental Baking Company’s pre-sliced Wonder Bread made its way into American homes. Ugh. Foul. Disgusting. After a few years of aggressive marketing, the pillowy, preservative-laced loaves were synonymous with modernity and convenience. They're synonymous with American lack of taste, along with American cheese and light beer. On January 24, less than a week after the ban, the whole thing began to unravel. New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia made a public announcement that bakeries that already had bread-slicing machines could carry on using them. No wonder he got an airport named after him. One baker by the name of Fink, who also happened to be a member of the New York City Bakers Advisory Committee, publicly advocated for the ban, then was fined $1,000 (more than $14,000 today) for sneakily violating it. Tempting as it may be to claim that his name was the source of the verb "to fink," no, it wasn't. By March 8, the government decided to abandon the wildly unpopular measure. “Housewives who have risked thumbs and tempers slicing bread at home for nearly two months will find sliced loaves back on the grocery store shelves tomorrow in most places,” noted the Associated Press. Government overreach, tyranny, muh freedumbz. In the end, no thumbs were severed and Americans were reunited with the sliced bread they had learned to hold so dear. Once you get used to an invention, especially one that saves time and work, it's very, very hard to do without it. If necessity is the mother of invention, laziness is the milkman. Also, fuck Wonder Bread. |This one's been hanging out in my queue since October, but whatever. Poe is timeless. Article is from Cracked, so take it with a grain of gothic black salt. As the original goth boi, it’s only fitting that Edgar Allan Poe’s death was as mysterious and haunting as one of his stories. Just before he died at age 40, he seemed to drop off the face of the Earth for a week, and his death has been attributed to everything from low blood sugar to murder. There was a movie called The Raven about 10 years ago, starring John Cusack as Poe. Critically panned and engendering lukewarm audience response at best, I felt like it was severely underrated. Not that it was a great movie, but it didn't suck, either. I think most people missed the point. The movie makes the most sense, I think, if you remember the Poe quote, "All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." Or maybe I'm enough of a fan of both Poe and Cusack to have enjoyed it anyway. 15. Missing Poe-son Oh, how clever. A Poe pun. Well, I shouldn't complain too much; I have every intention of adopting a tomcat just so I can name him Edgar Allan Purr. Bonus points if I can find a black one. On September 27, 1849, Poe left Richmond, Virginia, where he’d been busy talking his childhood sweetheart into marrying him, for Philadelphia for a job editing a poetry collection (it needed more symbolism or something), after which he intended to head back to New York, where he lived. Lots of places claim Poe, and for good reason. He belongs to everywhere, but really, he was a Virginian. 14. October 3, 1849 Four days before his death, Poe resurfaced in Baltimore, if you can call the gutter a surface. Isn't that just basically Baltimore? 13. Poe’s Death According to the most likely account, he never got it together long enough to explain how a business trip turned into a disoriented game of dress-up before he died on October 7. Of course it was October. For we knew not the month was October, And we marked not the night of the year 12. Poe’s Cause of Death Cracked's attempts to fit this story into its usual bite-sized countdown chunks seems forced here, so I'm skipping a few; basically, the next several points involve the various ideas about what might have led to his death. There are a lot of them, and as far as I can tell, none of them really fit. My personal theory? He fell ill from gothic ennui. The only person who saw Poe alive after he was brought to the hospital was Dr. John Moran, who kept changing his story. Keep writing unreliable narrators and you, too, can have your last days confounded by an unreliable narrator. You know what would be really helpful here? An autopsy. A death certificate. Any records of any kind. None have survived, if they ever existed, and no autopsy was ever performed on a famous writer who died a bizarrely mysterious death. We don’t know, guys. Our money’s on the hospital administration. Well, this is America we're talking about. Most likely he died of shock after seeing the hospital bill. To die laughing must be the most glorious of all glorious deaths! —E. A. Poe I Spent the Winter Solstice in One of the Darkest Places on Earth During the phenomenon of polar night, parts of the Arctic don’t see the sun for weeks or months at a time. The darkness drives some people insane, but for others, it opens a gateway into wonder and peace. Well. A qualified "nope," anyway. About eight years ago, I stepped through the unlocked door of a 1915 cabin-turned-chapel in Wiseman, Alaska, an Arctic settlement of about a dozen people roughly seven hours north of Fairbanks. I looked up Wiseman when I found this article. The "dozen people" thing appears to be true, though some sources say less. Oddly, there is a bed and breakfast there, called Arctic Getaway. It is quite literally in the middle of nowhere. The pastor, who had lived in Wiseman for decades, described the inexorable march of darkness as a force both terrifying and beautiful. She spoke of chopping wood, preserving berries, and squeezing the joy out of every moment of daylight before a winter in which, for more than a month, the sun never rises above the horizon. That's the actual definition of "existing north of the Arctic Circle." You also get a month or so of permanent daylight in the summer. Given my complicated relationship with the accursed daystar, I'm not sure which is worse. The notion of such sustained darkness in a remote corner of the planet unnerved me. Residents of the Arctic tell stories of people losing their minds in the black of polar night. But I also felt strangely curious—and drawn to return one day. I, too, admit to some curiosity. But not enough for me to actually go haring off to the Arctic. It's cold and there's probably no internet. On the plus side, there's the aurora borealis. I wouldn't mind seeing that once. It’s not exactly easy to get to at any time of year and services like hotels and transport are few. Well, there is that B&B. And being Alaska, don't they all get around by small aircraft? Also, Maps shows an actual state road going through it (apparently built to support the Alaska Pipeline), but I can't be arsed to see if it's passable in the winter. I did, however, note that there's a place just south of Wiseman called Coldfoot. I immediately assumed that this referred to frostbite, but Wikipedia has other ideas: Coldfoot is a census-designated place in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. The population was 34 at the 2020 census. It is said that the name was derived from travelers getting "cold feet" about making the 240-some-mile journey north to Deadhorse. So apparently there is also a town (or whatever you want to call it) named Deadhorse. Okay, Alaska. But last summer, a friend forwarded me an email about a tiny off-grid six-person retreat center that had just opened outside of Wiseman. The owners were hosting a week-long trip that included yoga and exploring the Arctic wild with skis, snowshoes, and dogsleds, and the dates fell right on the winter solstice. Nope, nope, nope, and nope. Also nope. But at least it's (probably) not hot yoga, though I'm not sure if freezing-your-ass-off yoga would be any better. I’m not exactly a cold-resistant creature: I’ve suffered from hypothermia multiple times and frostbite that turned my feet white and wooden. I’m generally dressed in a sweater and jeans when my friends are wearing shorts and flip flops. Even at much more temperate latitudes, seasonal affective disorder runs in my family. I consider anything below 70F to be "cold." Anything below about 60F is "too damn cold." Like, tonight, it was around 40F and in order to take my recycling to the curb, I had to put on my battery-powered vest, scarf, heavy coat, and ushanka hat. I experience seasonal depression, too, but it's not the darkness that would stop me; it's the temperature, and, again, I can't emphasize this enough, no fucking internet. I also contemplated the wisdom of traveling during a pandemic, and the carbon emissions of flying long distances. Look how virtuous I wanted to be, but I did it anyway, tee hee. Soon after arriving, I tugged my snowpants over my jeans, donned both my down jacket and an insulated parka, and pulled on my warmest hat for a short walk. The cold blew through it all in seconds. My eyelashes froze and my nose hairs crinkled. The liquid on my eyeballs felt like it was turning to slush. Even the slightest breeze lacerated my cheeks, and my mind felt tight with a barely concealed panic. Look, I'm not going to berate anyone for stepping outside their comfort zone. I need to do it myself, from time to time. But there's leaving your comfort zone, and then there's going to goddamn Alaska in cocksucking December. Between November 30 and January 9, the residents of Wiseman, Alaska, do not see the sun. They lose about 12 to 15 minutes of light each day until the solstice and then gain it back just as quickly. The future always looks scarier from the confines of imagination, and polar night was not so unnerving once I was in it. It was actually brighter than I anticipated—locals like to say that on the winter solstice, there are still five hours when it’s light enough that you can’t see the stars. That's the thing a lot of people don't get about the Arctic Circle (or its southern counterpart). Sure, there are stretches of time when the sun is below the horizon, but depending on how far toward the pole you are, this can be basically a really long twilight. Not that I've ever ventured that close, myself. The furthest north I've ever been was southern Scotland, unless you count the path my plane took to get there (which happened much closer to the summer solstice, so I could see the midnight sun shining through the plane's windows). Anyway. The rest of the article attempts to wax poetic about the author's experience and, while I can appreciate the language, every other sentence just made me yelp "nope" again. One night, I wandered out of my cabin, wrapped in a sleeping bag I had brought just in case, and watched slack-jawed as the northern lights whirled across the dome overhead like a luminous river. After many days, the formidable peaks of the Brooks Range finally disrobed from their mantle of clouds and shone resplendent in the moonlight. That bit, though... that almost makes me want to visit. At least there's pictures and descriptions that I can see and read because I have a freakin' internet connection in a heated house. |One of the more interesting branches of folklore is kidlore. Why Did We All Have the Same Childhood? Children have a folklore all their own, and the games, rhymes, trends, and legends that catch on spread to many kids across time and space. Though I'm pretty sure some of the stuff circulating in school when I was a kid would get someone in huge trouble nowadays. For example, we had a song we sang to the tune of "Battle Hymn of the Republic:" Mine eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the school We have wiped out all the teachers, we have broken every rule We got sent up to the office and we shot the principal Our school is burning down Glory, glory, hallelujah! Teacher hit us with the ruler Glory, glory hallelujah Our school is burning down ...yep, these days that would result in forced therapy at best and juvie at worst. Just for singing it. You might not think of typing “BOOBS” on a calculator as cultural heritage, but it is. Definitely. We also would type 7734 which, when turned upside down, said "hell." This was the height of hilarity in like 4th grade. In our defense, this was very early in the history of pocket calculators. They ran on 9V batteries and the screen was red LED, and most of them could do no more than add, subtract, multiply, and divide. And spell hell and boobs. This sacred communal knowledge, along with other ephemera of youth—the blueprints for a cootie catcher, the words to a jump-rope rhyme, the rhythm of a clapping game—is central to the experience of being a kid. We didn't call 'em cootie catchers. In fact, cooties were kind of a foreign concept in my school, something talked about like it was from another culture. No, what they're calling a cootie catcher, we called a fortune teller, and there were intricate ways of labeling and using the thing. When children are together, they develop their own rituals, traditions, games, and legends—essentially, their own folklore, or, as researchers call it, “childlore.” I like my "kidlore" better. Rolls off the tongue more easily. Even seemingly more modern inventions, such as the “cool S”—a blocky, graffiti-ish S that has been etched into countless spiral-bound notebooks—are a shared touchstone for many people who grew up in different times and places in the U.S. The main graphic at the link displays the S in question. I always somehow associated it with the band Styx, even though their stylized logo S was somewhat different. Indeed, thinking back to the lore of my own youth, I have no idea how my friends and I thought to give each other “cootie shots” with the lead of a mechanical pencil, or why everyone in my elementary-school art class would smear their hands with Elmer’s glue, wait for it to dry, and then methodically peel it off (other than the fact that it was super fun and I would do it again right now if I had some glue nearby). These things were almost like analog memes, micro-bits of culture that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere. I'mma stop you right there: "almost like analog memes," my ass. You know what the actual definition of a meme is? Unlike kidlore, we know exactly where and when the word and concept of "meme" came from: Richard Dawkins, who meant it as "a unit of cultural transmission" and the definition got into a dictionary as "an element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, especially imitation." By the definition of meme, kidlore is memes, full stop, end of discussion. Labeling funny images with text "memes" came later. I'm not saying it's wrong; definitions change and in the immortal words of Robert Plant, you know sometimes words have two meanings. But saying that a particular bit of kidlore is "like" a meme is ignorant as shit; it is absolutely a meme. The main way childlore spreads is, perhaps obviously, by children teaching it to one another. Older kids mentor younger ones both at school and at home, where siblings play a vital role in passing jokes and games down through generations. And most of this lore is stuff that would horrify parents, who will conveniently forget that they participated in the same rituals as kids. Parents and teachers share nursery rhymes, folk songs, and games with kids, and adults create the movies, books, and TV shows that kids consume. Yeah, but those are deliberately sanitized, adult propaganda to convey what adults think children should know. Kidlore is different, and often includes elements that would never make it into a Disney movie. Like the song parody above, or one of the many racist chants I was subjected to as a kid. The author does point this out later, albeit parenthetically. Although some elements of childlore last and last, others come and go with the culture of the moment. But even then, Willett told me, kids often build on what came before, whether they realize it or not. For instance, COVID-19 has shown up in many kids’ games, including coronavirus tag— which is, of course, built on one of the most classic kids’ games there is. (Roud suspects that in Victorian times, European children played cholera tag or something similar.) Interestingly enough, the rhyme "Ring around the rosie" was not, as is commonly assumed, about the Plague. Another example Willett gave, from one of her studies, was a game based on the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who—monsters that can move only when you’re not looking at them. I just gotta say, that's awesome. And so, as we come of age, we may lose an understanding of something we once knew in our very bones: that typing 8-0-0-8-5 on a calculator is not just naughty and fun, but important. The rebellious thrill, the intense comradery, the urge to pass the knowledge along (and pretend you came up with it yourself)—all of these things fade with time. I'm sure there's a lot of it I've forgotten. But I knew then, and I know now, that these things were important. And they were just as much a part of learning as any formal schooling. Rhyming taught me wordplay. Figuring out how to make a simple pocket calculator say a naughty word led to my interest in computers (now I can make them say ALL the naughty words). Folding and scribbling on a fortune-teller led to an interest in random numbers and topology. The racist chants, though, those I could have done without... but I guess they taught me that some people are best avoided. By which I mean the ones perpetuating those memes. |One of the reasons I've been randomly digging into the archives on occasion is that things change, especially me. "Rarity" is from mid-2009, and it made me wonder just how much some things actually change. The entry was done in what would eventually become my standard format, commenting on an article I found on the internet. Being from 2009, though, the actual article is gone, but hopefully there's enough in my entry to get the general idea: some employers were allegedly having trouble filling positions. Like I said, made me wonder just how much some things actually change. In 2009, the US was in the middle of the Great Recession, marked in part by high unemployment rates. It peaked then at about 10%, and that number would steadily decline over the next several years until it shot up again in early 2020 (gosh I wonder what happened then)—but we couldn't have known that at the time. The current value is around 3.5%, close to what it was in the Before Time. With an unemployment rate that low, I can understand employers not being able to find workers. At 10%, though? Well, I guess the original article was about professionals and trade workers, not unskilled labor. What stood out for me in my original entry above was this: Businesses try to create a glut of workers so that they can have more control over the workers. Supply and demand, folks. If there are 30 engineers competing for one position, they'll go with the competent one who can live on the lowest salary. Just business. If, however, there are 30 possible positions for each engineer, the engineer's in the catbird's seat. I'm not sure why I phrased it that way now, implying that businesses are creating workers somehow. I mean, I guess they do to some extent when they go to the press with "we have a shortage of [nurses|engineers|welders|whatever] so kids should go learn these trades!" But I can't see that making a huge difference. What I probably should have said was that businesses like it when there's an abundance of workers. And I still think that way. Oversupply of workers leads to management deciding they can make more demands of them, while a scarcity of potential employees means someone looking for a job can be the one doing the demanding. Embarrassing moment for me in the entry: Let's play SAT test (don't worry; no math in this one). Oh, I'll need to pull cash from the ATM machine and use my GPS system to get to the testing facility. Oy. Sorry about the redundancy. I make mistakes from time to time. I know, I know; it was hard to believe when I wrote yesterday that I don't always get everything right. But this is proof. In any case, i was struck by the similarities of the 2009 article (at least what excerpts survived in my entry) and a lot of the rhetoric businesses are spouting today. I tried to find a similar article from this year or at least last year, to see what "the hardest jobs to fill" are right now, but my search came up with nothing relevant. I did find this , but there's no date on the page (apart from a copyright that probably updates every January 1), and the salaries listed appear to be from 20 years ago. So I have no idea what the hardest jobs to fill right now are. I suspect "blogger" isn't on the list, though. |Today's article is about avid readers, which I'm sure all of my readers are. Else you wouldn't be reading this. Words we think we know, but can't pronounce: the curse of the avid reader Do you know how to say apropos? What about awry? We want to know which words you’ve mispronounced – and how you found out your mistake This is from a couple of years ago, but that's probably irrelevant. I just found it last month. What is relevant is that it's an article about English pronunciation in the Guardian (British) written by an Australian woman, and it's well-known that the US, the UK, and Oz pronounce certain words different ways. "Privacy," for example. I think only the US pronounces that with a long i. So just keep that in mind. When I mispronounced tinnitus (ti–nuh–tuhs is correct, ti-nai-tis is not) recently and was kindly corrected, my embarrassment was a fraction of when I said apropos (a–prow–pow instead of a-pruh-pow) to a large table of people in London when I was in my 20s. That day I was not kindly corrected, but only realised my mistake after howls of laughter and a whispered, “Maybe that’s how they say it in Australia?” Now, see, I always thought it was ti-nai-tis. Some sources say both are correct. Officially, the first syllable should be emphasized. If enough people pronounce it the "wrong" way long enough, though, it becomes an alternative pronunciation. As for "apropos," well, at least she didn't pronounce the s at the end, right? Since then, I have learned that mispronunciation is often the downfall of people who read widely as children and form the incorrect pronunciation in their mind before actually hearing the word said aloud. You know what? That shouldn't be embarrassing. It means you read. What should be embarrassing, but too often isn't, is the polar opposite: when you try to write something as it's pronounced, and you spell it wrong. I worked with a guy who kept writing stuff like "part in parcel" (should be "part and parcel"); "save and accept" (save and except), and "beckon call" for beck and call. Those errors aren't proof of illiteracy per se (he would write "per say"), but they do indicate a lack of interest in reading. And don't get me started on affect/effect. What's even worse, of course, is mixing up things like it's and its; there, they're, and their; and your and you're. Now, I'm not saying I always get everything right. Far from it. Only that I have more respect for people who mispronounce things because they read a lot than (not "then") I have for people who misspell things because they hardly read. My ex-wife, for example, pronounced "picturesque" like "picture-skew." I thought it was adorable and never corrected her. Though in hindsight I should have used it against her in the divorce. In short, I'd rather deal with someone who mispronounces "apropos" than with someone who writes it "apropoe." Annals (not ay-nals), Hermione, misled (does not rhyme with thistled) and glower... Look, it should be shining obvious that annals isn't pronounced the same way as anals. No one in the US knew how to pronounce Hermione until the first Harry Potter movie came out. I never thought misled rhymed with thistled. As for glower, well, honestly, I never was very sure about that one so I avoided saying it (turns out it's pronounced like flower). A colleague pronounced facade with a k sound, another thought burial rhymed with Muriel and yet another was mortified to discover that segue was not pronounced seeg. At least two of those are a result of not knowing the French influence on English. English pronunciation can be tricky like that, anyway. We've borrowed so many words from other languages, words where you have to know a bit about the language to pronounce them correctly. Like, if you see the word "sake," you need to know if it's preceded by "oh for fuck's" or if you're talking about delicious Japanese rice wine. French words very often leave English-speakers flummoxed. I’ve heard canapés pronounced in quite creative ways, and amuse-bouche, prix fixe and hors d’oeuvre have seen the odd food lover come a cropper. Before I started learning French, I had a lot of fun deliberately mispronouncing French words. Canapés became can o' peas, for example, and hors d'œuvres became, to my vast personal amusement, horse doovers. And the surest way to annoy a French person is to say "Par-lezz-vouse fran-kais" What word have you always mispronounced? The article recommends commenting there with an answer to that. I wouldn't advise it as, again, this is over two years out of date. It also recommends tweeting same, which I definitely don't recommend right now. But if you want to give me your examples below, feel free. Me? I don't know which words I'm mispronouncing. If I did, I wouldn't mispronounce them anymore. I know I used to think that rappelling (the practice of rock climbing with ropes) was like rapple-ing, but once I was laughed at and corrected I said ra-PELL-ing like you're supposed to. But that was back in high school. I guess what we need is a verbal version of spell check. Something that makes a red squiggly line appear in your vision when you're about to mangle a word that you've only ever seen in print. Alas, we'll have to wait until cyborg technology is more advanced for that. |Hell of a hazard. A Woman Was Caught Whacking a Golf Ball into the Grand Canyon, and the Feds Aren’t Happy The latest story of a tourist behaving badly in a national park is a real head scratcher Source is (shudder) Outside magazine. I still don't know why I keep reading their stuff. Somewhere in the dark recesses of my memories lives my long-forgotten teenager sensibilities. This is the version of myself that delighted in immature pranks, like toilet papering a classmate’s cottonwood trees and playing ding-dong ditch. Both of which are annoying but relatively harmless. If no one was injured, a school wasn't evacuated, and nothing caught on fire, you were a goody-two-shoes. I'm not admitting to anything, by the way. Just saying. I’ll admit it: my teenaged self would absolutely understand the allure of whacking a golf ball off of the side of the Grand Canyon and watching it disappear into the chasm below. Okay, so true story: they taught us the basics of golf in sophomore gym class in high school. As I recall, we split up into pairs and each pair got a golf club (don't ask me what its number was or whether it was iron or wood) and a wiffle ball the size of a regulation golf ball. The idea was to learn our swings and recover the ball easily. I was paired up with the class stoner, who, with a level of perception and intelligence only displayed by a high school stoner, found the one real ball in the box of wiffles. One of each pair of students teed up, and on the coach's command, wound up and swung. Everyone else's ball caught a bit of air and then dropped down to bounce sadly on the grass. Ours, however, made a perfect golf-ball arc through the air and ended up 300 yards downrange. Coach got up in our faces. "WAS THAT A REAL BALL?" Stoner nodded. (Like anyone could have done that with a wiffle.) "YOU GO GET THAT RIGHT NOW." So we trudged through the bushes. As soon as we were out of sight, my teammate produced a joint from his pocket and sparked it. Like I said, perceptive and intelligent. As I recall, we did find the ball, and both got lousy grades in that gym class. Which was the only class my parents didn't care what grade I got in, so it all worked out for everyone involved. Coach got to get in someone's face; stoner got to get high in class; and I got a story. Anyway. The relevant thing is that, while I certainly got up to some shady shit in high school, I don't think I ever considered whacking a golf ball off the rim of the Grand Canyon. For one thing, it's 2100 miles away. For another, I don't play golf (it generally requires being *shudder* outside). On Thursday, National Park Service officials posted an update on the Grand Canyon’s official Facebook page about a woman who filmed herself hitting a golf ball into the canyon, which she then uploaded to TikTok. In the video, the woman also loses the grip on a golf club and flings it off the cliffside. If it wasn't recorded and posted on social media, it didn't happen. Now, look. The problem with lofting a golf ball into the Grand Canyon isn't that it might hit someone. The chance of that is infinitesimally small, though admittedly if it did happen the consequences would be terrible. No, it's that it might inspire other people to do it. TokTik trends are a thing, and I can definitely see the "Grand Canyon Hole In One Challenge" going viral. With that many balls flying through the air, the chance of hitting someone increases significantly... as does the amount of litter, which is the real problem here. (The article does mention all this later). Officials acted swiftly, and with the help of the general public, were able to track down the woman. At Outside, we come across a litany of stories of people behaving badly in the outdoors, and this year has been a busy one. More reasons not to go into the outdoors. There were the high schoolers who booted a football off of Colorado’s Uncompaghre Peak... ...the dudes who were photographed scrawling graffiti in chalk on a rock at the Grand Canyon... At least it was chalk and not spray paint? ...and the never-ending march of tourists getting too close to animals at Yellowstone National Park. Those, I have mixed feelings about. I mean, it might injure the poor animal if it attacks and kills the stupid human, but other than that, it only harms the stupid human. So while it's true that one shouldn't get cuddly with a Yellowstone grizzly, bison, unicorn, or whatever they have out there in the wilderness, the penalty is built right in. Article doesn't mention my favorite Yellowstone idiocy, which is people who see the pretty pools of azure water and decide to go off the very clearly marked trail festooned with danger signs and warnings (you can't tell me what to do! mah freedumz! stoopid government!) to take a dip. Some of those pools are near boiling and have a pH of like 1.5. Here's someone of whom nothing was left but a foot. I mean, that sort of thing is just par for the course. |Speaking of food, I continue to see people raving about sourdough, which apparently a lot of people played with when they were stuck at home over the past couple of years. Me, I just continued buying bread from the bakery as nature intended. Every time I've tried to bake bread, bad things happened. Anyway, this article isn't about pandemic sourdough bakers; it goes back a bit further than that. San Francisco’s Famous Sourdough Was Once Really Gross Gold miners made themselves sick on smelly, hard loaves. Long before it became a viral food trend or social-media sensation, American sourdough was surprisingly gross. So, more like the other meaning of "viral." San Franciscans proudly trace their city’s iconic bread back to the Gold Rush of 1849. That's fair, but it should be noted that before people knew what yeast actually was, almost all bread was "sourdough." I think some was made with repurposed beer yeast, but the origins of sourdough extend way before San Francisco was a thing. The men who flocked to Northern California in search of gold made bread in their wilderness camps not with store-bought yeast, but with their own supply of sour, fermented dough. Yeah, I could be wrong, but I don't think there was a lot of store-bought yeast there at that time. Letters, diaries, and newspaper articles written by and about the 49ers, lumberjacks, and pioneers of the American West are full of complaints about horrible and inedible sourdough. Could bad bread really have inspired San Francisco’s most beloved loaf? Or it could be gold miners protecting their hoard. "Don't come out here. The weather is shit, people are camping everywhere, and the bread sucks." You know, a bit like San Francisco today. In 1849, when gold miners began arriving in San Francisco, most Americans didn’t bake or eat sourdough bread. American bakers typically leavened their bread with “barm” (a yeast derived from beer brewing) or one of several relatively new commercial yeast products. Yeah, see? Look, I comment on these things as I go, and it's nice to turn out to be mostly right. Hm, I wonder... why, yes, that is the origin of the mostly British word barmy. These commercial yeasts were easy to work with, didn’t require constant maintenance, and produced reliable results. They also produced bread that appealed to American taste buds. American taste buds suck. They think Budweiser is beer, pasteurized process cheese food is cheese, and Wonder Bread is bread. Most 19th-century Americans preferred bread that was sweet rather than sour. According to one 1882 advice book for housekeepers, the “ideal loaf” was “light, spongy, with a crispness and sweet pleasant taste.” Sour bread was a sign of failure. As a result, bread recipes from the period used commercial yeasts along with considerable amounts of sugar or other sweeteners to speed up fermentation and avoid an overly sour flavor. The ideal bread is a French baguette with a crispy crust. Period. Sourdough required only flour, water, and fresh air. A sourdough “start” needed care, attention, and regular feedings but offered an inexhaustible, self-perpetuating supply of leavening agent, even in the wilderness. Some brewers make beer with wild yeast, too. The results are all over the place. Some of them are also described as "sour." Bread was baked under difficult circumstances—outdoors, over a campfire or hot coals, and sometimes in the same flat pan used for panning for gold—leading to inconsistent and unsanitary results. But they could have sold it as artisanal sourdough with flaked gold. Sourdough baked by pioneers wasn’t just gross and unappetizing; it could also make you sick. Well, duh. Not all the microorganisms floating around are beneficial. Across the American West, sourdough was considered a food for unmarried men who didn’t know how to cook. As opposed to married men who didn't know how to cook. So it’s worth asking: If sourdough bread baked by miners was so terrible, how did it become one of San Francisco’s most beloved foods? It all came down to the success of the city’s French and Italian bakeries. Yep. That'll fix it, alright. By the second half of the 20th century, tourism boards in San Francisco were placing the 49ers at the center of the city’s history, idealizing life on the frontier and playing up links between the Gold Rush and the City by the Bay. San Francisco bakeries joined in, crafting stories about partnerships between bakers and miners and attempting to market the bread nationwide. And once again, we see that no matter how disgusting something may be, if you market it right, it'll become popular. |Yeah... I can relate. Of course, ordering a pizza takes less than 30 minutes. Sure, you usually gotta wait longer than that for it to show up—Domino's nixed the whole "30 minutes or less" thing years ago, and they suck anyway—but at least you can be playing video games while you wait. We’ve all fallen for the trap before. Wooed by the promise of pan-seared chicken thighs in 30 minutes, only to be defeated and left overanalyzing what went wrong more than an hour later. Or worse, we’ve thrown some onions in a pan to caramelize while we’re searing a batch of burgers, only to find ourselves still stirring the onions dejectedly, 45 minutes later. It's not just recipes, either. "Minute" rice can take way longer than a minute to cook. It’s right there, staring at me. Cook time: 30 minutes. But a closer look at the ingredients says otherwise. Five garlic cloves, minced. One stalk of celery, thinly sliced on the bias. Two carrots, peeled and chopped. One yellow onion, finely diced. There go 15 minutes already (on a good day, with a sharp knife, and no distractions), which doesn’t even account for the five minutes needed to compose myself after tearfully hacking at an onion. And that’s only half the battle, if we’re counting the unglamorous process of washing and thoroughly drying all of those vegetables. Not to mention the half hour or so you spend cleaning up what your roommate left in the sink and on the stovetop. Look, I'm a big fan of mise-en-place, and was even before I started seriously learning French. Get all that measuring and chopping crap out of the way before you start cooking and you're not stuck watching your pot burn while chopping the onions in the middle of it all. There will be at least one onion that's started to go bad, too, so you always use more onions than you think. I have managed to keep onion juice from messing with my eyes, though, so there's that. But the problem with mise-en-place is you're not multitasking, so it usually takes more time to cook something if you're careful about getting everything all set before you fire up the stove. Recently I fell into a similar trap after being convinced by a trusted blog that 35 minutes was all I would need to make mapo tofu in my Brooklyn kitchen. Gotta get that humblebrag in. At least in Brooklyn, if you suddenly find you're out of ingredients, it's a much quicker trip to get more than in most parts of the world. After pulverizing Sichuan peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, peeling and mincing a three-inch knob of ginger, finely chopping half a head of garlic, and rummaging through my dish rack to get enough small bowls and spoons to premeasure the rest of the ingredients, I’d already blown past the 20-minute mark, and I hadn’t even turned on the stove. The peppercorn thing is way too much work. Ginger is way too much work, too, but it's worth it. And don't get me started again on peeling garlic. Beneath a fish taco recipe advertised as a “fast dinner for hungry, busy people” in the New York Times, a comment reads, “It’s unbelievably condescending to claim this meal takes 30 minutes. It took me 15 minutes just to make the salsa, 7 for the mayo, 10 to warm all the tortillas, and a full 30 to fry all the fish in batches…. Great recipe, horrifically underestimated execution time, especially for those with kids running around.” If it's taking you 10 minutes to warm up tortillas, either you're feeding the Mexican army, or you're doing something very, very wrong. The conditions we’re under have their own matrices of variables. “Part of it is that recipes don’t account for skill levels—such as how fast you chop or mince and the equipment you have at your disposal,” says Kelly Chan, a Queens-based nonprofit analyst who’s often folding dumplings or prepping Cantonese-style stir-fries. Recipes are written with the presumption that all home cooks have speedy, chef-like knife skills to whiz through a mountain of shallots and tomatoes, or that they know how to butterfly a chicken without pausing, washing their hands, and looking up a YouTube tutorial. Even the Instant Pot—widely adored among home cooks for its shortcuts to complex 20-minute pho broths or five-minute steel-cut oats—still needs time to preheat and depressurize, effectively tripling the cooking time in some cases. (But of course no one tells you that, because it’s called an Instant Pot for a reason.) I've never used an Instant Pot, but my gut told me the name was an exaggeration. Not just that, though, but also the work involved in cleaning it keeps me from buying one (my housemate has one, but rarely uses it, and I'm concerned I'll muck it up). Every time I consider a new kitchen gadget, I mentally figure out how much work cleaning it will be, and usually don't bother. One exception is a blender; those are usually worth the work to clean. Real cooking proficiency isn’t about whipping things up without a recipe—it’s about reading between the lines of that recipe and knowing when an hour means two hours. I usually mentally double a recipe's stated cooking time, and it still often runs longer than that. One time, I was trying to make latkes. I knew going in that it would be labor-intensive; that's just the way it goes. What I didn't account for, though, was that the damn things took three times as long to cook as I expected. To be fair, this doesn't always happen; one should use russet potatoes for latkes, and I had to get some other kind because the store was out of russets (this was around Hanukkah a couple years back; I guess everyone else was making latkes, too. Everyone's Jewish for latkes.) My biggest gripe about cooking for myself, which is the usual case, is that I generally think that a dish shouldn't take longer to cook than it does to eat. Sometimes I do it anyway, for practice. But after laboring over a hot stove for two hours and finishing the resulting meal in less than five minutes, I'm left with the distinct impression that I've wasted my time. Maybe I should buy more frozen dinners. |Look, sometimes the Random Number Generator (peace be unto it) gives me the same source twice in a row. But I promise you this one's worth it, because it resolves a question I've had since I first learned what a question was. I know I've commented on this before. For a while, I was methodically going through every single episode of every Star Trek show, plus the movies, in chronological order. I think the first time I noticed any reference to a toilet (or that would be head, since it's a ship) was sometime in the early 90s, some 25 years or so after the show's beginning. But, apparently, I'd missed some. We'll get to that. Without its fantastical future technology, Star Trek would just be a series about people who love sitting in comfortable chairs. People watch shows like that all the time. What has wowed audiences for decades are inventions such as the faster-than-light warp drive, the matter transportation system, and the Starfleet human resources nightmare that is the Holodeck. Someone, I think it was Dave Barry, noted that the holodeck would be humankind's last invention. Personally, I don't think we'll ever invent it. Not because we won't be able to, but because, well, look at the Metaverse. Any real-life implementation of a holodeck will be absolutely loaded with safeguards, to the point where no one will be able to do anything fun with it, it will be a joke, and everyone will laugh at the inventor (who will consequently become a supervillain: "Laugh at ME, will you? Let's see who laughs now muhuahahaha!!!") But anyone who’s ever watched any Star Trek TV shows, movies, or adult movies probably has some serious questions about how this fictional universe really works – perhaps the biggest being: where the hell does everyone go to the bathroom? This is, indeed, one of the biggest questions in the universe. I should note that, at about the same time DS9 was airing, and also around the same time I saw someone in the Trek universe finally acknowledge the existence of a toilet, Babylon 5 (another SF show about another space station that stayed in one place) not only acknowledged it, but set scenes in it. Anyway, the next bit points out that there was a door labeled HEAD on the bridge of the Enterprise-D. That was TNG, before DS9. And while the production “did not design or build the inside of that bathroom,” it was still there, just in case Number One had to take a … well, you know. Also, in the crew members' “various living quarters,” there is an unopened door that “we assume led to a bathroom.” I should also note that this was around the time when, in attempting to answer my own version of the question (and the Trek novels were no help in that regard, either), I finally decided the key had to be transporter technology. Think about it. A transporter, under normal use, records the position and connections of every molecule, atom, proton, electron, and so on in your body (they have "Heisenberg compensators" to handle the Uncertainty Principle) and your clothes and equipment, right? And when you arrive at your destination, your clothes aren't somehow bonded to your body, etc. Well, part of your body is the shit in your intestines and piss in your bladder. Sorry, but it's true: transporting someone necessarily requires transporting whatever waste products are awaiting exit. And with the transporter able to easily distinguish between different molecules, certainly it can tell shit from shinola. So. All you have to do is program the transporter to image you, then pull out the waste. No need to even strain on the throne; just push a button and boom, it's gone. Where it goes is... well, let's keep reading. My theory turns out to be wrong, anyway. But it could have been right. So we know that the Enterprise is equipped with toilets, but do we know what happens to the human waste? Do they make Chief O’Brien beam it out? More sensibly, one would think that the Enterprise crew could simply fire their poop into space from time to time, like a smellier version of Spock’s funeral. Send it all to the Klingons like Scotty did with the tribbles? But it turns out that this might be a terrible, terrible idea. It is, for many reasons, not the least of which is the next starship zipping through the area will come into spacedock with skid marks. Dr. Siegel speculated that, while none of the Trek shows go into much detail about toilet-based issues, “every bit of eliminated human waste is useful matter that you can reconstitute into something else.” Meaning that any waste created could potentially be used to “power the Replicators” – you know, the device that people of the future use to create small objects, cups of piping hot tea, and food. Now, look. Some people are going to be grossed out by this idea. But come on. How do you think it works right here on Earth, and mostly without technological interference? Everything you eat contains atoms that were once part of poo. Everything you drink contains atoms that were once pee. Every breath you take inhales atoms that were in a fart. Hell, worse, they've all been part of dead things. I don't mean fresh dead things like the kind you eat (even if you're vegan), but yummy, delicious carrion... oh, sorry, channeling my spirit animal again. A replicator would just speed up that process. Part of civil engineering, though not a part I ever participated in directly, is sewage treatment. You take all that waste and process it, and (in theory anyway) the water becomes clean enough to dump into a river. It's then either evaporated, falling back as rain that you might eventually drink; or it's processed by fish that you might eventually eat. Solid waste is sterilized and becomes fertilizer. Trek would just use the technological evolution of the same sort of processes. According to Dr. Siegel, this is a pretty solid plan, although admittedly, you have to get over the “gross factor.” Like if you were to replicate a clarinet, à la Harry Kim in Voyager, you’d have to look past how “the atoms making up the clarinet that I'm putting in my mouth and playing right now were defecated out by me and a thousand other crew members onboard the ship.” Again, the only difference between that and the way things occur naturally here on Earth is scale. Still, seems to me that in Trek it would be simpler to cut out the whole "plumbing" bit and use the transporter like I said. But I guess that might set things up for some really gross practical jokes. |Today's article, another one from Cracked, is a fun (and sometimes funny) exercise in speculation. And I do mean speculation. Which is okay; you gotta start somewhere, and speculating is better than being incurious. Humanity's most important question, excluding pop media relationship statuses, Incognito rash inquiries, and whether or how various animals would wear pants, is this: are we alone? Well, some of us definitely are. Oh, you mean "we" as a species. Or maybe "we" as a biosphere. Are there any intelligent aliens we could have a brew and watch the game with, or are they all crabs? There was an idea floating around a while back that came out as "everything eventually evolves into a crab." This is, of course, crabshit, as a moment's thought of how evolution works to create and fill environmental niches will conclude. The original idea is that a lot of, specifically, crustaceans, eventually take on the morphology of crabs, and there may be something to that. But it does represent one important leap in popular speculation about extraterrestrial intelligence: the idea that the human form isn't necessarily what evolution works toward (it actually doesn't "work toward" anything). Speaking of which, this article uses "intelligence." I've beaten that dead crab a few times; basically, let's not conflate intelligence with technological capability. And please, please, stow the tired old "but we're not intelligent either" jokes. This article has enough of them. Chillingly, we may be the gleaming example of advanced life in the entire universe. Maybe. The Universe is a big place, though. So I doubt it. In its usual style, the list is in reverse numerical order. Look, it's just their brand. 4. It's Not Just What Other Life Looks Like, But How We See It Plants are green because they reflect green light. But the chlorophyll that powers their photosynthetic planty prowesses is extra reflective in near-infrared. Sadly, we're limited to seeing the visible spectrum of light, which is a tiny portion of the entire spectrum. This is, essentially, true. But there's a decent reason for why we see the sliver of spectrum that we do, and not way out in other wavelengths: it's the relative transparency of water (where our distant ancestors evolved) and air (where our more recent ancestors evolved) to those particular frequencies. Now, some species see higher or lower wavelengths, but our red-to-violet vision is more than acceptable for what evolution produced vision for in the first place: seeing predators coming, and seeing prey. The rest of this section goes deep into the speculation bit, and it has helpful images designed to be seen by our puny-sliver-of-spectrum-seeing eyes. 3. Aliens Could Look And Maybe Even Communicate Like Us, Dawg Regarding convergent evolution, maybe nature isn't as creative as we thought and survival problems "only have a few good solutions." Again, not borne out by evidence right here on our own planet. Every single living thing right now has been subject to evolution just as long as humans (and crabs) have, and this includes such varying survival techniques as nonskeletal molluscs (octopuses), opposable thumbs (primates), claws (crabs), bills (ducks), mushiness (jellyfish), ants, trees, and many other wildly varying features. Photosynthesis necessitated loads of tweaks to many cell types, so plants produce oxygen and not, perhaps, farts. So, such intelligence as ours may occur on only 1 in 100 trillion habitable worlds. But while there may not be any civilizations in our galaxy, it's quite possible that the Milky Way still harbors tens of billions of planets covered in prokaryotic purple slime. This aligns with what I've been saying all along. But remember, we have a sample size of exactly one when it comes to "examples of worlds with life on them." It could be that technology (again, not using "intelligence") happens on 1 in 10. It could be 1 in a googolplex. Personally, I suspect it's closer to the latter than the former. We don't know. 2. They might be robots, or robotic brains the size of your city The problem with organic "wet" brains is that they're limited by size and processing power. Similar challenges are faced by the organic “wet” under-parts that get so many of us in trouble today. But inorganic brains theoretically have no limits of perception or conception, and robotification may be the ultimate destiny of all lifeforms that don't nuke themselves into glowing dust. This is certainly not a new idea. Our own history of space exploration is "send the robot first." It's entirely likely that if another tech civilization exists, we'll meet their robot probes first. Or they'll meet ours; whatever. The logical extension of that would be consciousness transfer to robotic forms, which isn't remotely possible with our current technology (not to mention we don't really know what consciousness is), but hey, we're speculating here. 1. We May Be All Alone Or maybe advanced aliens don't look like anything because they don't exist. We may be the only intelligent (ish) life in the universe. Based on statistical models, Oxford researchers say "average evolutionary transition times likely exceed the lifetime of Earth." And the universe is only a few Earth-ages old. Oh, it's worse than that, though. Life as we know it depends on certain heavier elements. Not just the molybdenum mentioned in a recent blog entry, but something as seemingly basic as oxygen, or the iron that makes our blood work. And such elements just aren't found in the early universe. No, they have to be forged in stars, supernovae, and things like neutron star collisions. This takes time. It's not like life as we know it could have begun early on. "Sure, but what about life not as we know it?" Sure, we can just make stuff up. Still, let's not put too much stock in statistical models, even if they do come from a reputable place like Oxford. Again, we have one data point. My favorite theory? The one with the greatest potential for mindscrewiness: that aliens may, or may have initially, looked like us. That's not a theory. That's more speculation. I also want to take this opportunity to reiterate what I've said in the past: there is no universal law of evolution that requires the emergence of a technology-using species. Plenty of species get along just fine without building computers or rockets. They may even address us in English, which isn't crazy as it sounds. If they can traverse space, why couldn't they learn our language by jamming to Spotify in Moon orbit? More likely they'll be speaking Mandarin Chinese or Spanish; more people speak those. As for what they'd listen to, I'll just note that the radio waves with the greatest chance of punching through Earth's atmosphere are in the FM band. So I really, really hope they're listening to NPR and not some morning show shock jock. When they do show up, just stay out of range of their pincers and you should be fine. |Once again, taking a look at a past entry. This one's from way, way back in October of 2008: "Never ends" It's hard for me to remember last week, let alone that far back. I used Wikipedia to remind me of stuff that happened around the time of the entry. At that point, George W. Bush was still President (look, I'm not getting political here, just stating facts), and we were still a month away from electing Obama. The Great Recession, as it came to be called, had just begun; Bush had, a few days earlier, bailed out some of the banks involved. I was still working, still married. None of that mattered to me on October 7-8 because, apparently, on those days, I was in severe pain. This was, obviously, from a very different time in my life, so I'll try to take it step by step. Up until a week and a half ago, I had that nasty, unrelenting back pain and sciatica, the only relief for which was lying down and taking lots of meds. Oh, yeah. I do remember how bad my back pain could get back in the noughties. At some point, I got steroid shots for it, and it got better. You know, those great big needles that they insert into your actual spinal nerves? Yeah. They suck. But not as hard as back pain. I was okay for a week, then. I mean, I still had twinges in my back and leg, but nothing major. Memory of pain is weird. It all blends together for me. Back and neck pain was just part of my existence back then. But this particular episode stands out as being utterly incapacitating. Then, as I reported here, I got sick on Sunday, cutting short our anniversary celebration. This continued through Monday. Hm. Somehow I had it in my head that our anniversary was closer to the end of October. In my defense, once she dumped me, I could release that date from long-term memory storage, so I did. I couldn't find anything in the archives about an anniversary celebration, only about everyone in the house, including the cats, being sick. Monday night, I slept for a few hours, then was wide awake for a few hours, until maybe 15 minutes before my alarm went off. When I woke up, my neck and shoulders were stiff. No big deal, except my stomach was still upset, so I went to work. I left work early afternoon, figuring what I needed was to lie down with some heat on my neck. No, I couldn't call in sick. Hard to do that when you own the company and don't have employees (not at that time anyway). The effects of the Great Recession on the business hadn't taken hold yet. Can't recall what projects we were working on that month, only that we were still able to make money. So I heated up a neck thing and went to lie down, and pain exploded between my shoulder blades such as made the worst pain I experienced with my lower back (not to mention appendicitis) seem like a pleasant day in the Caribbean. Like I said, memory of pain is weird. If I were to rank my pain as I remember it now, that day would only be about #4, behind the appendicitis and my heart attack (which happened later) and that time I got stung by a whole nest of yellow jackets (which happened in the eighties). I couldn't move. Oh, I could move my legs and, to some extent, my arms, but I couldn't sit up or roll over. I couldn't even play dead because I kept looking for a position that minimized the pain. Ha! "play dead." I crack me up. My mobile phone was not nearby, so I couldn't reach it to call anyone. Every time I tried, I felt like someone was pushing a knife into my upper spine. I do remember this particular episode of pain. Until I found this blog post at random, though, I couldn't even have guessed at the year, only that it had to be sometime in the noughties because my wife was involved. I think I dozed off for a while. My phone rang. I had no way to get to it. I could only hope that my wife would come home before she went out to dance practice. These days, I'd be utterly boned. Someone would find my emaciated, cat-chewed corpse. Fortunately, she did. Unfortunately, she had no way of moving me. Fortunately, one of our close friends is a chiropractor. Unfortunately, the chiropractor was still at work. Fortunately, we were able to leave a message. Unfortunately, the ditzbrain who took the message didn't give it to her. Fortunately, I called her mobile phone an hour later to see if she got the message. Unfortunately, she hadn't. Fortunately, she was still able to come over and fix it so I could at least stand up - albeit with intense pain. Remember a week ago I said some of these entries made me cringe? This is one of them. It's a bit embarrassing to me now. The idea of going to a quack to crack my back wouldn't fly with me these days. Sometimes you have to learn these things the hard way, I guess. It's entirely possible that chiropractic was the actual cause of much of my back pain in that era, though obviously there was some short-term relief from it. Once I stood up, holding my head straight and not twisting or raising an arm, I was okay. We got back to the chiropractic clinic and she worked on me some more on the table. Then she said I couldn't get on the computer, so I sat with ice on my upper back. Like I said, short-term relief. I haven't been to a chiropractor in well over ten years, and I rarely have these bouts of pain anymore. The one time I remember since then was neck pain coinciding with my month-long trip to Maui in... 2017, maybe? Some February in the teens. Really cramped my style; it's hard to snorkel when you can't move your head around to see where you're going. Bouncing around on the roads wasn't pleasant, either. At least there was copious alcohol. I can only imagine how antsy I was without being able to compute. I don't think I've gone a day since 1979 (with the possible exception of a couple of vacation trips) without using some computer, somewhere, for work or school, or the internet or gaming. Not even that day; I would have used one at work the day of the incident, and obviously I was using one to make the blog post about it the following day. The thought of going without a computer for so much as a day fills me with the dread of possible boredom. And look, I'm not trying to come down hard against alternative medicine. And I'm certainly not dissing my friend (I still call her my friend even though we've barely seen each other in the last decade or more. People drift apart; it happens.) It's just that these days, I need more scientific evidence before trying a course of treatment. Chiropractic has been shown to work for several things, but it's also been reported that there's a risk involved with adjustments, especially neck adjustments. To me, right now, the risk isn't worth the benefit. I might change my mind if I find my neck in that much pain again, though. People in general will go to great lengths to make pain go away, especially hedonists like me. I'd be like "Fine, even having a stroke would be better than enduring this much agony." But it was around that time that I came up with this: I used to say "My back is killing me!" Now I say, "My quack is billing me!" |Hope you're not hungry. "Delicious" is, of course, a matter of opinion. The headline would have probably been too long if Cracked had qualified that, though. As usual with such a long list, I'm only going to share a few of these. Lobster was so plentiful in the areas colonized by early Americans that they stopped eating it as soon as they could. Only prisoners, the poor, and livestock -- which were pretty much considered the same things -- would deign to eat it, and it was even used as fish bait. You know, I've been hearing this for so long and with such certainty of delivery that I started to question it. So I checked a source that's marginally more verifiable than Cracked, and discovered that while this probably is the case, in Europe it was often associated with wealth, before a bunch of Europeans came over here. So this is more of a case of changing popularity over time, which happens with many foods. Also, keep in mind that sometimes the wealthy like to eat expensive things just because they can, and because the poor can't. This has little to do with the actual taste of the food. See also: caviar. That shit's disgusting. 14. Chicken Wings Though now a staple of [sportsball game whose name is copyrighted] parties and other manly gatherings, chicken wings were considered the grossest part of the chicken, to be either unceremoniously thrown out or used for soup stock at the most. Ah, one of my favorite things to rag on. "Let's take the chicken part that used to be made into dog food and turn it into sports food." Look, they're still the grossest part of the chicken (except maybe the beak and intestines) and are only popular because they're marketed to be. And because of the hot sauce, of course. 12. Foie Gras There is so much wrong with this entry that I'm not even going to paste it here. Also, everything about foie gras is foul. Pun intended. Peanuts came to America from Africa, and like most delicious African foods, they were immediately dismissed by colonizers as unfit for humans until three things happened. First, the Civil War reduced people to choking down whatever protein they could get their hands on, and peanuts were definitely preferable to rats. I'm no fan of peanuts, but yes, if I had a choice between peanuts and rats, I'd eat the peanuts. Then P.T. Barnum began selling peanuts as circus food. Having been marketed by the Platonic ideal of "huckster" ("sucker born every minute" etc.) is not something that I'd use to recommend a product. Finally, peanut butter happened. Even the most frothing bigot can’t resist a spoonful of peanut butter. Admittedly, I'm okay with peanut butter. I still don't know why I like peanut butter (but only the real kind, not the candy kind like Skippy) and not peanuts, but I never claimed to be entirely consistent. The Western world shunned mushrooms on account of their tendency to make you see God and/or kill you until the French insisted they were the height of cuisine in the 18th century I do like (commercially available) mushrooms. I know several people who can't stand them, mostly due to the texture (they say). I can understand that. When you really think about it, eating mushrooms is weird. It's a fungus, neither animal nor plant (but, oddly, closer to the former than to the latter), and thrives in shit. There aren't many fungi that we eat. Yeast, sure, but we were ingesting that (as part of bread or fine fermented beverages) long before we knew what yeast actually was. On the other hand, when you really think about a lot of things that we eat, you start to question them. Eggs, for example. Or: The story of oysters is a very straightforward one of supply and demand. They were once so plentiful that Charles Dickens characters looked down on the patrons of oyster houses that lined the London streets one “to every half-dozen houses.” Then we filled the oceans with so much pollution that it was hard to get a good oyster, prices went up, and the rich just equated “expensive” with “good.” Like I said, sometimes rich people do rich people things just because the poor can't. Still, you have to wonder how people figured out oysters in the first place. "Let's crack open this rock and see if there's a tasty treat inside." There are people who, not unreasonably, would take a juicy burger over the finest steak any day, but back in the Upton Sinclair days, ground beef was seen as unclean at best and possibly containing dude at worst. It's actually more complicated than that, and ground beef certainly predates fast food. I'm pretty sure, though, that the popularity of hamburgers didn't take off until there was enough supply to make them cheaply, and that required access to electricity to power the grinders. When I was a kid it confused the hell out of me that hamburgers didn't contain ham. Just another linguistic weirdness of English, in this case with the word deriving from the city of Hamburg which may or may not have had nothing to do with the invention of the hamburger. Nowadays you can talk about beef burgers, veggie burgers, turkey burgers, even cheeseburgers (which aren't made out of cheese) but never ham burgers. And no one calls it a hamburger anymore, either. Now you're hungry, aren't you? |Just like UFOs are only UFOs until they're identified (then they're just FOs), it's only a cryptid until you know what it is. Beware Montana’s Shunka Warak’in, the ‘Rocky Mountain Hyena’ Is one of these crafty cryptids on display in a small museum? Not to be confused with the Rocky Mountain Oyster. Something has been preying on domesticated animals across the plains of Montana for centuries. It has been given many names over the years, below most of which burn angry red squiggly lines when typed into Microsoft Word: Shunka warak’in. Ringdocus. Guyasticutus. All of which would be awesome band names. Still. Wolf doesn't freak out my spell checker. But it’s also been called the Beast and the Rocky Mountain hyena—in fact, any name but wolf, although the creature could easily be called a wolf. Which is what I've been saying. Perhaps that’s because wolves were extinct in the state for about half of the 20th century. Yeah, sure they were. Here in Virginia, and down into North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, people occasionally claim to see a mountain lion (which also has multiple names: puma, cougar, whatever). Officially, mountain lions are extinct in the eastern part of the US. Unofficially, everyone knows there are mountain lions up there. Lamest cryptid ever: unlike the Jersey Devil or the Mothman, we're pretty sure what a mountain lion is. I'm not saying cougars aren't cool. Just that we lack imagination when it comes to cryptids here in the Blue Ridge. If only we had a carcass, we could figure out what this creature is once and for all. Oh, wait. Turns out, we do. It’s on display in a museum in Montana. There are museums in Montana? (I know at least two of my occasional readers are from Montana. Relax. I'm joking.) The article (which is actually a book excerpt, but whatever) goes on to describe how someone actually killed one, and it ended up stuffed and mounted because that's what we do, apparently. Then: The ringdocus outlasted Sherwood and was on display at least into the 1980s. And then it disappeared. Probably stolen by Bigfoot. Or maybe a wolf. Meanwhile, Lance Foster, a historic site preservationist, paranormal enthusiast, and member of the Ioway tribe, speculated that the beast could be a shunka warak’in, a canid non-wolf beast from Native American lore that would sneak into camps at night and make off with dogs (the name translates to “carries off dogs”). Okay, fine. Not a wolf. Maybe Bigfoot's dog. Apparently, they tracked down the taxidermied whatever-it-was (turns out it wasn't stolen by Bigfoot, but just transferred to a museum in the one state less likely to have a museum than Montana) and put the thing back on display. Today, the creature is the museum’s most popular exhibit. They just call it the Beast. And we're back to no imagination. Or is it just a bad taxidermy mount? Only a DNA test could tell, and all interested parties have decided not to do that. The mystery of the shunka warak’in has gone on so long that nobody wants to risk solving it. It may be the case that some mysteries are best left unsolved, but in this case, come ON. It's like when they tested hair that supposedly got rubbed off of a Bigfoot, and it turned out to be bear or cow or whatever. People still believe in Bigfoot after all that, because it's hard to prove a negative. (See my entry from last year, "Tales from the Cryptid" .) Even though we have hard evidence that all the blurry pictures of that particular cryptid were definitely hoaxes. It would be like refusing to test the DNA from the multiple taxidermied jackalopes in neighboring Wyoming: they just don't want people to think that jackalopes are completely made up. |Well, it missed the full moon by a couple of days, but this one finally came up from my queue for me: Why the Moon’s two faces are so different The far side of the Moon is incredibly different from the Earth-facing side. 63 years later, we know why the Moon's faces are not alike. Article has a helpful picture of both hemispheres of the moon up at the top, and lots of other pretty pictures scattered throughout. The Moon, by far, is the brightest object and largest object that’s visible to human eyes in Earth’s night sky. I was about to object to this until I realized that it means that it appears the largest, not that it's the largest object, in absolute terms, that we can see. That would probably be a star somewhere, depending on your definition of "object." So to satisfy my urge to be pedantic, I'll point out that one can often see the moon in the daytime sky, as well, during certain phases when it doesn't appear too close to the sun. With even an off-the-shelf pair of binoculars or the cheapest telescope you can find, there are two main features about the Moon that you can’t miss: That it's made of cheese and it's round? In addition, because the Moon’s orbit is elliptical, moving faster when it’s closest to Earth and slower when it’s farthest away, the face of the Moon that’s visible changes ever-so-slightly, a phenomenon known as lunar libration. Even though this means, over the course of many months, we could see up to a total of 59% of the Moon, it wasn’t until 63 years ago, when the Soviet spacecraft Luna 3 swung around to the far side of the Moon, that we got our first pictures of the far side of the Moon. Because of this, most of the features of the far side are named in Russian. Although it wasn’t very impressive in terms of image quality, it was remarkable for an unexpected reason: the near side of the Moon appears vastly different, in terms of both cratered features and maria features, from the far side that always faces away from us. This discovery came as quite a shock, and for decades, even as our imaging and understanding of this elusive side of our nearest planetary neighbor improved in quality, we lacked an explanation as to why this difference existed at all. The rest of the article explains just that, and it's pretty cool, not only for the explanation, but for the observations, deductions, and science that got us there. Which is fascinating, but there's not a lot of point in rehashing it here. No matter how wild or unusual your idea may be, if it has sufficiently strong explanatory power to account for what we observe, it just might be the necessary idea to solve whatever puzzle it is that you’re considering. Until some better observations come along, of course, and change everything we think we know. But that, too, is part of the awesomeness of science. |Whenever Cracked claims to be "scientific," I always take it with a huge chunk of pink Himalayan sea salt. Still funny, though. Of all the things you want control over in your life, who you have sex with probably ranks pretty high. Right, because not controlling it means someone's committed a felony. Fortunately, considering that we have not, in fact, descended into a Handmaid’s Tale dystopian nightmare (yet), it probably feels like you do. We're getting there. Well, we’re sorry to tell you that free will is an illusion and you’re as beholden to the tyranny of biology as the grubbiest little worm when it comes to who you rub your genitals on. Some of these are not so "secretly." I'm not going to go through all 15 here, just some highlights (lowlights?) 14. Whether You’re Ovulating Ovulation (that is, the phase of a woman’s menstrual cycle when she’s fertile) lowers women’s standards... Anything that lowers women's standards can only work in my favor. 12. How Much They Smile This one depends largely on who you are and who you’re trying to get with: Men prefer women who smile more, while women like men who smile less (or even look vaguely ashamed). This one didn't sit right with me—it is physically impossible for me to smile in the standard bare-your-teeth fashion, and yet I'm somehow not swimming in sex—so I went to the link they helpfully provided, and oh boy. A note to single dudes: If you're looking to pick up a woman at a bar, whatever you do -- don't smile at her. I have a hard and fast firm (dammit, there's not an adjective here that can't be misconstrued, is there) rule about not picking up women at bars. "But Waltz, didn't you just say that you want women with lower standards? What lowers a person's standards more than alcohol? Don't say 'ovulation.'" Yeah, that was what's known in the rarefied circles of advanced comedy as a "joke." The obvious difficulty here is that if I'm out in public, I'm probably at a bar. Full disclosure: I did it a couple of times when I was younger; why else do you think I developed that rule? Researchers asked more than 1,000 volunteers to rate the sexual attractiveness of hundreds of images of the opposite sex. Images don't cut it. Smiles, and other expressions of emotion, are generally fleeting, unless you work for a retailer and thus have to have one plastered on your face at all times. No, maybe an image can give someone a good or bad first impression, but I suspect I'm not alone in wanting to see more body language—even if I'm terrible at reading it. (All were heterosexual, ages 17 to 49 years, with a median age of 21. Fifty-two percent of participants were Asian, and 48 percent were Caucasian.) I think a few demographic groups are missing here. While it's irrelevant to me what gays, for example, prefer to see in such a study, I'm sure a lot of people do want to know that. What is relevant to me is if that still holds true at age fifty-something. I suspect that, like most studies of this nature, the majority of the guinea pigs were university students (or possibly teachers/researchers in the case of the older ones) who got enough bread for a couple of pints out of the deal. They found that women ranked the smiling guys as less attractive -- but they were into the prideful and ashamed men. But the male participants were most attracted to the smiling women, and least attracted to the ones who seemed proud. Missing some instances of "most" here. I seriously doubt everyone had the exact same reaction. It's like asking people what their favorite candy is. Most people say "Reese's cups." I despise Reese's cups. Anyway, enough of that. Suffice it to say this is one instance of me needing that huge chunk of pink Himalayan sea salt. (How sea salt got up into the Himalayas, I leave as an exercise for the reader.) 11. Whether They Touch Your Arm Lightly touching a woman on the arm makes her more likely to agree to dance or give out her phone number because touchers are considered more attractive and (sigh) more dominant. Touching a woman on the arm (or anywhere else) if you don't know her that well is a good way to get mace in the face. Or so I'm told. Maybe that's just me. You have a secret superpower, and it’s sensing immune profiles. (We never said it was cool.) Women prefer the smells of men whose genetic immune profiles are the most different from their own, which is helpful for your future offspring but also to everyone hoping to avoid a distant cousin. Or, sometimes, people just stink. You can't avoid a distant cousin, by the way. Close relatives, maybe, but everyone who isn't a close relative is your distant cousin. And I've seen other "studies" that imply that people too distantly related won't be attractive to a given individual. Case in point: 4. What Your Parents Look Like The Freudians weren’t right about much, but we do gravitate toward people who look like our preferred-gender parent. This would seem to counteract the whole “genetic diversity” thing... I have no idea what my genetic parents looked like (other than that they probably resemble me, if they're still around). Who I find attractive has historically been all over the place, though, and I can't think of anyone I looked at and said, "oh, wow, she's short with black hair just like my mom!" I mean, ew. 3. Your Parents’ Ages Similarly, people raised by older parents tend to have older partners... No idea if this is genetic or environmental. My adoptive parents were a lot older than me, too old at the time I was adopted to have given birth to anyone. And while my first wife was two years my senior, my second was nine years younger (fun fact: they were both 27 when I married them). 1. Who You’ve Had Sex With Before Think you don’t have a type? Wrong. You might not have started out with one, but one of the biggest factors of our perception of beauty is familiarity. We prefer faces similar to those of our friends, loved ones, and yes, exes, because we associate those people with good times. Yeah, no, not in my case. Women I've dated tend to be all over the spectrum in terms of height, hair color, body type, etc. The one thing they all have in common, the one characteristic that could be considered "my type" is that they were all batshit crazy. Which I'm aware says more about me than about them (me being the other thing they all have in common). Which in turn is one reason I'm single. That and my refusal to pick someone up at a bar. |Full moon tonight. Also a lunar eclipse, but one that's too late to stay up for and definitely too early to wake up for. So instead, we get to read about the Incredible Shrinking Brain. Given the state of the world right now, I would think "thirty years ago" rather than "three thousand years ago." Did the 12th century B.C.E.—a time when humans were forging great empires and developing new forms of written text—coincide with an evolutionary reduction in brain size? Well, it's not in the headline; it's the lede. The answer is still "no." Think again, says a UNLV-led team of researchers who refute a hypothesis that's growing increasingly popular among the science community. One thing I should note: brain size isn't strongly correlated with intelligence. If it were, elephants would be ruling the planet. While I'm convinced they're intelligent, it's not like they've invented the internet, sliced bread, or beer. Last year, a group of scientists made headlines when they concluded that the human brain shrank during the transition to modern urban societies about 3,000 years ago because, they said, our ancestors' ability to store information externally in social groups decreased our need to maintain large brains. That's... not really how evolution works, anyway. Their hypothesis, which explored decades-old ideas on the evolutionary reduction of modern human brain size, was based on a comparison to evolutionary patterns seen in ant colonies. "What is this, a study for ants?" That by itself would raise a bunch of red flags for me. "We re-examined the dataset from DeSilva et al. and found that human brain size has not changed in 30,000 years, and probably not in 300,000 years," Villmoare said. "In fact, based on this dataset, we can identify no reduction in brain size in modern humans over any time-period since the origins of our species." The date for the appearance of what's called "anatomically modern" humans, from what I've read, is about 100,000 years ago. The UNLV team says the rise of agriculture and complex societies occurred at different times around the globe—meaning there should be variation in timing of skull changes seen in different populations. However, DeSilva's dataset sampled only 23 crania from the timeframe critical to the brain shrinkage hypothesis and lumped together specimens from locations including England, China, Mali, and Algeria. The only information we have on human brains from that long ago is cranial capacity, which puts an upper limit on brain size. But, again, the relationship between brain size and intelligence isn't absolute. I'm linking this article because, while I didn't see reports on the original study (the one that claimed brain size reduction 3,000 years ago), apparently, lots of people did. And when a study like that comes out, it's natural for people to want to share it, especially if it fits in with their worldview. In this case, it would be the (demonstrably false) worldview that we're stupid and never should have invented agriculture or civilization. Or possibly that we shouldn't be relying on what I like to call "auxiliary memory" (my smartphone) or we'll become even stupider. (Incidentally, there's a picture making the rounds purporting to show a misshapen human with a cell-phone-holding claw and a crooked neck and calling it "the future evolution of humankind;" that's also utter bullshit.) It's like when a nutrition scientist says "dark chocolate is good for you," and people crow about it while stuffing their faces with Godiva, and then never hear that the study was suspect because it was funded by Willy Wonka. So I'm here setting the record straight to the best of my ability. Now you can be That Person at the party who, upon hearing someone confidently proclaim that our ancestors' brains shrank 3,000 years ago, can go, "Well, ackshually..."

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Greetings from St. Charles, MO! My 6th grade class is currently enjoying Storm Runners. Right now, Nicole is out in the water looking for RaShawn. We can’t wait to find out what’s next. Many of my students are wondering when we can expect IQ3 and Cryptid Hunters series 3 & 4. Thanks for writing such great books that keep my students reading longer and stronger. We think you’re awesome! The kids love your books that I recommend to them! 6th Grade Class

Mothman - Vinyl Sticker This cute little cryptid loves high speed soaring in the moonlight, people watching, and exploring bridges. Our Mothman sticker is perfect for anyone who loves mysterious sightings of creepy creatures! This high quality sticker features our cute original Mothman design. It is made from thick, waterproof, super durable vinyl with a permanent adhesive. Sticker Size: 3.5" x 3" You can use this sticker indoors or outdoors! It is resistant to fading, scratching and tearing, and can withstand exposure to wind, rain and sunlight. It can even be safely put through the dishwasher! Just peel and stick on your laptop, guitar case, tool box, car bumper, reusable water bottle, bike helmet, lunch box, binder, wall, etc. for a dose of cuteness! Love this design? Get Mothman on a range of pins, magnets, keychains, etc.!

Outside of Tampla Florida, a Bigfoot hunter & enthusiast named Matt M. captured a video while canoeing in the swamps of Tampla, Florida. What was thought to be a bear, has been analyzed further to be proven not to be. No bear has arms that lanky and long, and how it walks seems unnatural for a bear, even a weirdo one. Matt saw this thing in the woods and smartly started filming this unknown creature as it dove into Gator infested waters, probably to show all the Gators why he This is one brave man, for to get this video, he had to get way too close for my comfort. In the video below, you can clearly see some Bigfoot-esque creature attacking a heard of unfortunate buffalos. It’s easy to write this off as a hoax of sorts, but who would risk their life for a hoax like this? What do you think? Watch the video and find out for yourself. #Cryptozoologist #Bigfoot #Cryptozoology #LuckyLizard #Sfanthor #museumoftheweird #Sasquatch #buffalo Despite my colleague Chris Cox’s article the other day (see A Bad Day for Bigfoot), I remain optimistic that there will be some proof of an unknown, living, upright-walking primate found — eventually. As cryptozoologist Scott Marlowe points out in response to that article, “The researchers DON’T claim any sweeping generalization whatsoever. They are simply reporting on those samples they worked with — and say as much in the report.” “Good science is about patience, not easy g Screen shot of the moment the supposed Skunk Ape stands upright. Could this be the best video yet of the elusive Skunk Ape, the south’s version of Bigfoot? Here’s the description accompanying the video, which was uploaded by YouTube user Josh Highcliff on October 28, 2013: Here is exactly what I seen, I’m not sure what it is but can someone please tell me? Is there a person who can do video analyses or something? I got scared and ran away, i wish i stayed to keep taking the David “Crusty” Herron snapped this photo of what he dubbed “Lost Nessie” from a distance of about 600 feet from shore. Last Friday, the scene from Magnetic Island off the northern coast of Australia must have looked like something straight out of The Lost World. Beachgoers were treated to the sight of what appeared to be a long-necked sea going creature straight out of our prehistoric past. The strange looking object moving in the water was extraordinary enough to get the at Dr. Melba Ketchum’s announcement of Zoobank accepting her proposed name for the Bigfoot species. Dr. Melba Ketchum announced today that Zoobank has officially granted the creatures popularly known as “Bigfoot” the latin name: Homo sapiens cognatus. http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/40E2FA1F-10A1-4D42-8B02-A007347F1B43 (And the race to the finish line starts heating up!) #Yeti #Bigfoot #Zoobank #mystery #Cryptozoology #Cryptid #science #Homosapienscognatus #weirdnews #museu Former heavyweight boxing champion-turned-Bigfoot hunter Nikolai Valuev joins host Mark Evans as they investigate the Almasty. For those of you who have not had the chance to watch the first episode of the excellent show Bigfoot Files, you can watch it in its entirety here: The show is well-worth watching, and is an example of the type of programming cryptozoology needs more of. Bigfoot Files takes a scientific approach to the search for answers to the mystery of Bigfoot, fol Abominable Snowmen book and my mummified “Yeti” finger. I was tipped off to this news several months ago (and again a few days ago) that Oxford University geneticist Dr. Bryan Sykes would be announcing some “unexpected results” concerning his DNA study of supposed Yeti hair samples. Well, now those results are being officially announced to the world, and I would think it’s safe to say they are not what anybody had expected, but no less amazing in my opinion. For centuries, ta This morning a group of Sasquatch researchers have announced their findings after a five year study into the phenomenon of Bigfoot. New photos and videos filled with never before seen images were released Tuesday by a group known as the Sasquatch Genome Project. They were in Dallas Tuesday to unveil its findings. Dr. Melba Ketchum, a genetics scientist led the project. “We want people to understand this is a serious study,” said Ketchum. The five-year study costs more than $5 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FLASHBACK COMICS RETURNS WITH MUSEUM OF THE WEIRD! Steve Busti, owner of the world-famous Museum of the Weird in Austin, Texas, proudly announces the relaunch of Busti’s original comic book company from the 90’s, Flashback Comics, with their first new title in almost 20 years: Museum of the Weird! Busti is returning to the comics industry, where he got his start in 1994, with a new comic series inspired by his own acclaimed tourist attraction in Texas. As you can read in our previous post, Frank Hansen, the man who originally exhibited the Minnesota Iceman in the 1960s and 70s, revealed in a 1970 article in Saga Magazine that he himself was the one who shot the creature while hunting in the deep woods of Minnesota. Keep that in mind as you read this next story (click on the link below), which details some interviews with Frank Hansen in his final years. If the following account is true, why would Hansen in his later years I received many requests from various individuals and groups for the entire backstory of the Minnesota Iceman. If you want to learn its fascinating history, all I can tell you there is a lot of information out there on the subject, so I encourage you to do your own research. For those of you who have neither the time, patience or inclination to research the subject on your own, I generously provide to you one piece of the puzzle here for your perusal. Below you can read an en There is a super cool new line of monster toys that is in need of public support to see their vision come to fruition. Legendary Monsters features the greatest urban legends of our time from the chupacabra to the Jersey Devil with a brilliant artistic detail reminiscent of the iconic MacFarlane toys. Right now they are raising money via Kickstarter and Indiegogo to cast their first full line. Check out the video below for more details on the toys themselves and visit http://w The guys over at Ghost Theory spied an unusual police report siting the shooting of “Bigfoot” by a Pennsylvanian turkey hunter. The report was accompanied by a photo taken on May 14, 2013 of the footprint which led the hunter to believe that it was indeed the legendary Sasquatch. We’ll be following this report through the Pennsylvanian Bigfoot Society for updates. #Bigfoot #PennsylvanianBigfootSociety #Cryptozoology #turkeyhunter #Sasquatch #Cryptids We could all use a million dollars. However, if you’re looking to retire anytime soon, you might want to stick to your state lottery for better chances of winning such a jackpot. For dedicated Bigfoot hunters, though, keep hunting! Unless someone offers you a higher bid, you can rely on Olympia Beer and Pabst Brewing Company to pay you $25,000 a year for forty years for either a captured live Bigfoot or “irrefutable proof that the creature exists.” “We have been sharing the s Is this a close up of a Sasquatch face? This image and a few others have been recently leaked on the internet. It is speculated that they show the face of a Bigfoot called “Matilda” by the researchers who have been studying the creature. What do you think? Is it real? Or is it just another hoax? That face sure does look familiar… #weird #Yeti #Bigfoot #mystery #TopSecret #Cryptozoology #Cryptid #weirdnews #museumoftheweird #Sasquatch Today may go down in history as the day the legendary creature known as Bigfoot is finally scientifically proven to exist. In the scientific journal DeNovo, Dr. Melba Ketchum has published her long-awaited peer-reviewed paper on Sasquatch DNA entitled “Novel North American Hominins, Next Generation Sequencing of Three Whole Genomes and Associated Studies.” From the DeNovo website: One hundred eleven samples of blood, tissue, hair, and other types of specimens were studied, ch This event is going on this weekend at the Museum of the Weird in downtown Austin. We’re going to have several famous cryptozoologists and authors as well as maybe a surprise appearance by Bigfoot himself! It’s going to be an awesome event! UPDATE: all advance tickets are sold out, but we’ll still be selling regular admission to the Museum. Even though our advance tickets to the lectures and the movie screening are already sold out, we will still have the museum open for ge Discovery Channel will air the first-ever footage of a live giant squid. For the first time ever, we finally have video footage of a live giant squid in its natural habitat, deep in the ocean’s abyss. The footage, which will air on a future Discovery Channel special, was captured by a film crew approximately 3,000 feet down in the Northern Pacific Ocean. According to Richard Ellis, author of The Search for the Giant Squid, “It’s an exciting, exciting discovery.” “We can learn Many people believed the end of the world would come on December 21, 2012, the date that marked the end of the Mayan calendar. That date has come and gone, and I can’t help but wonder what all the die-hard Mayan Apocalypse believers are thinking now. There were two general ways of thinking about how this end would come: it would either be a horrific doomsday scenario that would be the end of all life as we know it, or it would mark the beginning of a new age of human enlighte

Hello there! Have you ever wondered who were you in your past life? Perhaps you have a serious belief in the theory of reincarnation. Maybe you are more of a skeptic, but still, find it fun to entertain the idea of past lives. Either way – if you want to know who you were in a past life, but don’t want to go through tedious regression hypnosis, we have the perfect quiz for you! Reincarnation, also called rebirth, transmigration, or metempsychosis, is the philosophical or religious concept claiming that the soul, or some aspect of the soul, is reborn into new lives. In most theories regarding reincarnation, the soul is the only thing that remains after the body perishes. The immortal soul transmigrates into a new being to live again. The term transmigration means the passing of the soul from one body to another after death. Depending on the religion or philosophy, the soul can incarnate in humans, animals, or plants as it works its way toward an eventual escape from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Most religions that believe in reincarnation consider it the path to purity and salvation. Reincarnation is a central concept of the major Eastern religions – particularly Buddhism and Hinduism, but also Jainism, Sikhism, and most Paganism. There are, however, some Hindu and Pagan groups who don’t believe in reincarnation and instead believe in an afterlife. Belief in reincarnation is present in various forms and different aspects in many streams of Judaism, some beliefs of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas and Indigenous Australians. Reincarnation theory also has a history in ancient Greek philosophy. Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato all believed in rebirth. In recent decades, many Europeans and North Americans have developed an interest in reincarnation. The Hindu traditions state that the body dies, but the soul cannot be destroyed. Hinduism accepts samsara, a chain of births and deaths linked by reincarnation. Controlling samsara is the law of karma. All people accumulate karma throughout their lives; good actions create good karma and evil actions create negative karma. Karma can affect a person’s future in this life, but also all the subsequent lives. The ultimate goal of any Hindu is moksha, which is salvation from samsara and the final release out of the reincarnation cycles. Moksha is believed to be the state of utter bliss, which Hindu traditions believe is either related or identical to Brahman, the unchanging reality that existed before the creation of the universe, continues to exist and shall exist after the universe ends. Salvation comes only after a person has abandoned all pursuits and desires and accepts that the individual soul is the same as Brahman, the universal soul or god. By exiting the cycle, an individual no longer endures the pain and suffering of earthly existence performed countless times over. What about reincarnation in Buddhism? According to various Buddhist scriptures, Gautama Buddha believed in the existence of an afterlife in another world and reincarnation. Samsara is governed by the law of karma. Good conduct produces good karma and bad conduct produces evil karma. The Buddha introduced the concept that there is no permanent self (soul). That concept is called anattā. There is rebirth, but no soul is moving from one life to another and tying them together. When life ceases, the karmic energy “dissolves” and re-materializes itself in another form. These teachings are accepted by most of the contemporary Buddhist traditions. Like in Hinduism, the cycles of rebirth continue endlessly and are the source of suffering (duhkha). People suffer because they desire the transition. Only when they achieve a state of total passiveness and free themselves from all desire can they escape samsara and achieve nirvana. Many Buddhists believe an individual can end the cycle of reincarnation by following the Eightfold Path, or middle way. An enlightened being represents the directives of the Eightfold Path: correct view, correct intention, correct speech, correct action, correct livelihood, correct effort, correct mindfulness, and correct concentration. Belief in reincarnation was also taught in the ancient Western world. Mystery religions had a wide range of reincarnation ceremonies and beliefs. One of these was Orphism, popular mystery religion beginning in the sixth or seventh century B.C. The mythical poet Orpheus was the legendary founder of this religion. Orphics believed that the soul was divine and immortal and that it was imprisoned by the body. By leading a correct life and abstaining from meat, wine, and sex, a soul could go to Elysium, a paradise after death, while an evil soul would suffer in hell. But neither afterlife was eternal and after a time, the soul would be reborn into a new body, in a human or mammalian form. Only after passing through three good Orphic lives could a soul end the cycle of reincarnation. You don’t have to believe in rebirth to take our quiz. Do you want to find out who you were in your past life? Get down to the questions and discover your past self! Have fun. How many questions are there in the quiz? There are 20 questions in the quiz. How many options can you get? Royalty, Hermit, Cryptid, Rocket scientist, Child prodigy We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! Let us improve this post! Tell us how we can improve this post?

The under-funded TV station "TV Nanana" works daily to make up for their lack of budget with wisdom, stamina, and teamwork as they battle rival networks. But between the younger audience's loss of interest in traditional TV, a sharp decrease in ad spending, and a decrease in enthusiasm for their independently produced programming has put the company in its most dire situation ever. So, in a desperate attempt to secure high ratings--and the network's survival--the director of the expedition team, Nanaoka, his cameraman, Nanamori, and AD Nanayama decide to secure footage of the legendary cryptid, the kraken. To do so, they will travel to the perilous supernatural sea known as the Banana Triangle! After chartering passage on an illegal squid fishing boat, they head out to sea. But waiting for them in the mysterious waters ahead are vicious sharks, giant whales, and fearsome pirates! Not only that, but after drifting ashore on an isolated island, they encounter an increasingly odd menagerie of characters. Season 3 has arrived, and it's another trip into the explosively zany world of Satoshi Fumihara! Featuring parody so sharp it'll make you anxious, along with increasingly quippy comedy. And this time, maybe even some pulse-pounding adventure! But will this wacky bunch be able to get footage of the legendary kraken, and return from their dangerous expedition without any bruises?

The Hidden Truth about North Korea….. Confusion, Memory and Identity Loss and Other Odd Symptoms of Awakening….. Socialism: opiate of the masses….. Invisible Predators in the Woods. Unexplained Disappearances. author Steph Young…. The Price for Criticizing Israel….. Child abduction, poltergeist sightings, crop failure and haunted building sites blamed on sinister work of fairies….. If It Weren’t for those Meddling Squids….. Mysterious Captured Cryptid Fish That Disappeared Into History….. Obsolete phrase: “independence of mind”….. Archeologists decipher ancient Babylonian trigonometry tablet….. Scary Encounters with Evil Fairies….. The latest issue of the Free Magazine, PHENOMENA is out now….. The Eerie World of Bigfoot Sound Recordings….. The difference between the UK, Britain, the British Isles, the North and South of Ireland explained….. Robert Phoenix – The 11th House Live Stream — Mercury retrograde & The Heart of The Eclipse….. The Return of Ether and Harmony….. A totalitarian society has totalitarian science….. Antony Sutton, Skull&Bones, Hitler, the Bush family

1920’s Rubber Hose Tutorial Part 1: The Head. by GSVProductions on DeviantArt This tutorial will teach you how to draw in the 1920’s rubber hose style; however, if you need any additional references or guides on drawing this style, I recommend Bill Nolan’s How to Draw Cartoons the “Old-School Way.” What is the rubber hose style? Rubber hose animation was the first standardized animation style in the American animation field, and its defining feature is “rubber hose limbs”u2014arms and sometimes legs that are typically simple, flowing curves with no articulation (no hinged wrists or elbows). Why is it called rubber hose style? Most historians refer to this cartoon style as Rubber Hose Animation because characters’ arms, legs, and pretty much everything else are usually animated as if they were made of rubber tubing and without elbows or knees. Who created the rubber hose style? Felix the Cat, created by Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer, was perhaps the first cartoon series to popularize the rubber hose style, debuting in 1919 in the short “Feline Follies.” Felix was the biggest cartoon star of the silent era, debuting in 1919 in the short “Feline Follies.” What is Cuphead art style called? It meant employing many of the same techniques that gave early Disney and Fleischer Studios cartoons their distinct look, such as watercolor paintings for the game’s backgrounds and hand-drawn animation on paper before being inked and inserted into the game. What is Cal Arts style? CalArts style is…well, it depends on who you ask. To many animation fans, CalArts Style is a somewhat derogatory term used to describe an animation style that has become popularized in many successful cartoons today, with thin-line animation being the main defining factor. Why do old cartoons wear gloves? The short answer is that animation is a time-consuming process, so simplifying features like hands to speed up the animation process was necessary. Still, in the days of black and white cartoons, separating characters’ round-edge hands from their black bodies was difficult. What is UPA style? United Productions of America (UPA) is credited with bringing a modern art sensibility to the American cartoon in the 1950s and 1960s, with a simplified, abstract style that transformed the look of studio animation. Who was cartoon cat? Cartoon Cat is a hostile cryptid and urban legend created by Trevor Henderson, a Canadian horror artist. He is a giant feline creature that resembles a 1930s era cartoon cat, thus his name. What does it mean it a favorite character has rubber hose anatomy? Advertisement: When a cartoon character moves without visible elbows or knees, their limbs aren’t stiff, but rather bendy, like rubber hoses; this was intentional in cartoons made before the mid to late 1930s or so, for practical rather than artistic reasons. Why do cartoons look different? A studio contract is frequently exchanged, resulting in an evolution of cartoon character designs; sometimes, animation changes in your favorite cartoons happen so slowly that you forget how drastically different they looked in the pilot.

On the afternoon of July 22, 1933, George Spicer and his wife had an encounter that would not only alter the course of their lives, but would also change the face of pop culture in the 20th Century. The couple was traveling by automobile down the south shore of an isolated Scottish loch when a wide bodied, serpentine necked monstrosity -- with a dead lamb in its gaping maw -- scurried across the road in front of them. This would prove to be the first modern day sighting of the legendary Loch Ness Monster and -- along with the soon to be famous Surgeon’s photo, which would be snapped less than a year later -- it would forever establish the image of the prototypical lake monster in the minds of millions. In fact, thanks to extraordinary beasts such as Nessie, Champ and Ogopogo, it’s doubtful that there’s a soul on Earth who hasn’t at least heard stories about the strange, Plesiosaur-like monsters that are said to lurk in the deep, dark freshwater lakes scattered across the Earth. While there can be no debate that these long-necked, humped-back, flipper bearing beasts are far and away the most recognized form of lake monster, the reality is that they represent just one of the many breeds of freshwater fiend reported by literally thousands of eyewitnesses across the globe. Assembled here is a short list of just a few of the most fascinating non-traditional lake monsters that I’ve stumbled across during the course of my research for American Monsters. This list is in no way, shape or form complete and is entirely subjective, but for my money these are some of the wackiest, wildest critters ever said to be splashing around in a body of unsalted water. Some of these creatures vaguely resemble known aquatic animals, while others are bizarre beasts that seem to be absolutely one of a kind. So let’s begin the tour with a strange, allegedly reptilian “varmint” that is said to have made its’ home in a little Midwestern lake in the heart of America. It's a creature we like to call the... This 50-acre body of water is renowned for its bullhead and largemouth bass, but it is also the reputed home of an off the wall, gargantuan, mono-horned beast that’s notorious for devouring anything or anyone who comes near it. Eyewitnesses claim that the monster in question is an impressive 40-feet in length, with a scaly, grayish-brown epidermis and, perhaps most frighteningly, a bony, rhinoceros-like outgrowth that is wedged between its eyes and nostrils, which it allegedly uses to gouge out the bottoms of fishermen’s boats. This colossal, crocodilian creature is also known for its consumption of local livestock and the foul odor which it is said to emit. The Alkali Monster was originally chronicled in Native American folklore, but the first modern report of this odd aquatic atrocity was chronicled in a 1923 issue of the Omaha World Herald. According to this account, a fellow by the name of J.A. Johnson claimed that he and two cohorts had spied the creature moving through the water from their campsite on the shores of Alkali Lake. Viewing the creature from a distance of 60-feet, Johnson and his pals claimed that the beast resembled a gigantic alligator, with the unique addition of the aforementioned horn on its snout. The trio further testified that as soon as the animal noticed their presence on shore, it emitted a “dreadful roar” and began to thrash its tail, creating a massive splash, before disappearing below the churning surface of the lake. The next leg of our journey takes us to small body of water laying just 250 miles north-west of Moscow near Andreapol in West Russia, where we will go in search of the legendary… The bizarrely bio-luminescent brute known as the “Brosno Dragon” first reared its horrific head in the 13th century not far from Moscow. According to local legend, the brutal Tatar-Mongol army was on its way to invade Novgorod when their leader, Batu Khan, allegedly stopped his troops on the shore of Brosno to rest and allow the horses to drink. It would be a decision he would soon come to regret. As the Mongol soldiers led their horses to the lake, they were horrified to see an immense roaring beast lunge from the black waters to devoured both the animals and soldiers alike. The troops further inland were so terrified by their comrades’ fates that they immediately turned back. Thus, according to folklore, Novgorod was saved by the appetite of this “lake dragon.” This would not be the last time that this monster would show its political allegiance. According to lake residents, during World War II -- in a maneuver that would have made Winston Churchill proud -- the dragon once again surface and managed to swallow a Nazi airplane (or at least it’s pilot) that had apparently attempted to make an emergency landing in the water. While chances are it was merely hungry, I’d like to think that the allies had their very own lake monster on tap. Considering the enormity of its reputation, it’s surprising that this creature is only supposed to be about 16-feet long. Eyewitnesses depict the beast as an iridescent dragon with what is alternately described as being a fish-like or serpentine head, although, due to the often frigid climate around Lake Brosno, investigators have surmised that this creature is likely not a reptile. When not fending off foreign hordes or Nazi aviators, this aquatic dragon -- doing what a dragon must, I suppose -- is said to have intermittently spread its reign of terror throughout the small fishing villages located not only on Lake Brosno, but on the nearby Volgo River as well. In fact, as recently as 1996, the Itar-Tass news agency reported that residents of the Brosno Lake area were terrified of what the local press has dubbed “Brosnie” or “Brosnya.” The article goes on to assert that many of the citizens of these tiny communities were so upset that they had taken to fortifying their homes -- as quoted from an article published by Reuters News Service: “’I’m afraid,’ said one elderly woman, Varya, who lives in the small lakeside village of Benyok about 400 km northwest of Moscow. ‘I do not feel comfortable staying in this place. The monster could crawl into my house any day.’” 1996 was apparently a banner year for the beast as an anonymous tourist from Moscow allegedly snapped a picture of the Brosno monster after his 7 year-old son screamed that he saw a “dragon” in the Lake and in November of that same year, the Karavan weekly sent an expedition to Lake Brosno. The expedition consisted of journalists Marina Gavrishenko and Yeugeny Novikov, the head of the Tver Regional Legislative Assembly’s press-service, Nikolay Ishchuk, photographer Anaida Jilavyan and editor-in-chief of the Karavan newspaper, Gennady Klimov. Gavrishenko had this to say about the mystery: “At first sight, the whole of the monster story looks like a fairytale. After the expedition to Lake Brosno, I do believe that the place is actually mysterious. Stories told by witnesses prove this opinion. We met with local people who were perfectly sane and adequate. What is more, all legends about the mysterious monster trace the roots back to the old times. I am sure that legends and rumors cannot arise from nothing.” In the summer of 2002, experts of the Kosmopoisk Research Association went for an expedition to Lake Brosno and did echo deep sounding. The result of this experiment has yielded perhaps the most peculiar development in this case to date. The Moscow newspaper “Arguments and Facts” interviewed Vadim Chernobrov, the Kosmopoisk coordinator, who discussed the strange discovery they made in the depths of the lake: “Echo deep sounding registered an anomaly. There was a huge jelly-like mass of a railway car size landing five meters above the bottom. The mass stood motionless. We waited for some time and then decided to make it move: we threw an underwater petard, a low capacity explosive device. When the device blew up, the creature started slowly going up. We stared at the water, and it was clear; there was nothing resembling a monster, however something unusual was still felt in the lake water.” What did these Russian scientists actually blow up? Was it the corpse or, perhaps, hibernating form of the Brosno Dragon? Or, even more disturbingly, might it have been an egg cluster like those laid by many amphibians? Could the Kosmopoisk Research Associations lack of foresight in using explosive devices during their investigation have doomed this exceedingly rare species of “dragon” to extinction? Until there’s another sighting… or attack… it looks like we’ll just have to wait and see. Now let’s move from the icy wastes of Brosno to the isolated forests of the Chinese mainland in order to find the albino beasts known as the… In an isolated, forest strewn corner of China’s Hubei province there are numerous lakes and deep, water filled gorges. While the beauty and natural splendor of the region are undeniable, there are some who claim that far and away the most interesting thing about this district are the gigantic and viciously territorial, toad-like creatures are said to lurk beneath the unfathomable waters. According to local fishermen, Bao Fung Lake and the other gorges that dot the region are infested with colossal, alabaster-skinned, amphibious monsters known as Wuhnan Toads, whose most disturbing attributes are their allegedly voracious appetites. This phenomenon was first brought to national attention in 1962, when a group of terrified fishermen attempted to purge their favorite fishing hole of these beasts by throwing dynamite into their murky domain. The fishermen were not only unsuccessful in their efforts, but were actually chased away from the lake by a massive toad-like menace, which the men -- for reasons known only to them -- dubbed “Chan.” Legend has it that the “hopping mad” Chan pursued the explosive-happy fishermen almost 90-feet beyond the shoreline. The fishermen were, understandably, reticent to return to the lake and reports indicate that these pale-skinned monstrosities have continued to plague all those who stray too close to their watery abode. As intriguing as the 1962 episode may be, there is an even more impressive encounter with these unexplained creatures on public record. According to an account printed in the Brisbane Australia’s Courier Mail in 1995, Professor Chen Mok Chun led an expedition of nine scientists from the Peking University to the remote Wuhnan area in August of 1987, in order to make a scientific study of the region’s fauna. As the scientists began setting up camp along the shores of one of Wuhnan’s remote gorges, three gigantic animals reportedly surfaced in the lake and began to swim toward them. The stunned men later described the creatures as being toad-like in appearance, with a pale epidermis and large gaping maws, which seemed to exceed a width of 6-feet. The witnesses claimed that the animals’ gazes seemed both “aggressive” and “predatory,”though these observations are strictly subjective. While these men of science stared in stunned disbelief at the gargantuan beasts that were bearing down on them, one of the creatures suddenly unfurled its gigantic tongue and -- before the eyewitnesses could react -- lunged forward and snagged one of their camera tripods by its leg and drawing it back into the water. The scientists watched in awe -- and more than a little terror, one would imagine -- as the animal proceeded to devour its inanimate prey. As soon as its meal was complete, the expedition members claimed that the remaining animals emitted horrific shrieks before submerging into the depths of the lake and into the annals of the cryptozoological record. Now from the wilds of China let’s head to the wilds of Canada for our next run-in, this time with a school of colossal, ostensibly man-eating eels collectively known as… Newfoundland’s Crescent Lake harbors a quaint fishing town along its shore… and a big secret in its depths. Known to the locals as “Cressie,” this animal -- or, more likely, “animals” -- have been reported as being eel-like in appearance with huge, terrifyingly toothy maws. Coming in at an average length of about 10 to 15-feet, these hefty, creatures are notorious for attacking divers during search and rescue operations and, even more frighteningly, have even been credited with assailing their victims through thick sheets of winter ice. The first reports of these mysterious lake dwellers can be traced back to pre-colonial Native American legends, which warned of the Woodum Haoot (Pond Devil) or Haoot Tuwedyee (Swimming Demon,) both of which purportedly dwelled in the lake. Since the early 1900′s there have been numerous reports of encounters with these creatures, and not all of them have been pleasant. One of the more recent accounts concerns the alleged underwater search for the corpse of a downed pilot, who -- in a situation reminiscent of the Nazi pilot and the Brosno Dragon -- had crashed his plane into Crescent Lake in the mid-1980′s. The two scuba divers, who braved the black depths of the lake in the hopes of finding the pilot’s remains, found themselves surrounded by a vicious school of what they described as “gigantic eels,” which were as thick as a man’s thigh. Legend has it that these eels or “Cressies” proceeded to attack the pair with voracious intensity, until the divers retreated to the surface. While neither diver was severely wounded, both were said to be visibly shaken by the event. Another bizarre phenomenon which has been associated with creatures in Crescent Lake involves the mysterious holes which have been known to appear in the ice sheet which covers the water during the brutal, Newfoundland winters. There are reports that indicate that these tremendous breaks in the ice are not caused by something falling in, but, rather, by something bursting out... no doubt to the chagrin of local ice fishermen! Whatever lurks beneath the waves in Crescent Lake -- be they giant carnivorous eels or creatures as yet unclassified by science -- there can be no doubt that they are large, vicious, and one of the world’s most terrifying lake cryptids. From Newfoundland we go southwest to Wisconsin, where we find a lake that is said to harbor not one, but two, bizarre (and allegedly dangerous) creatures. These beasts are known, fittingly enough, as the… Originally known to the Native American Nakota Sioux’s as “M’de Wakan” -- roughly translated as “mystery” or “bad Spirit” Lake -- this stretch of eerie, mist shrouded water now known as "Devil’s Lake" was carved by glaciers during the last ice age and is the alleged home of a pair of vicious, aquatic monsters. One of the earliest legends involving the first of the Devil’s Lake Monsters revolves around a Nakota chief who assembled an expedition of warriors to go on a late night hunting trip on the other side of the lake. The full moon reflected off the night blackened waters as the young men and their leader slipped the canoe into the lake and began their late night trek. The trip was proceeding uneventfully when suddenly a flurry of tentacles ripped through the surf, capsizing the canoe and pulling the thrashing, terrified men beneath the murky water. Although no one survived this ill-fated expedition, their screams alerted fellow tribesmen, who rushed onto the beach and were able to bear witness to this horrific event in grisly detail due to the moon’s lingering glow. The surviving warriors of the tribe -- in order to pay homage to their fallen brethren as well as appease what they believed to be the demon of the lake -- held a festival every year, during which gifts and animal sacrifices were thrown into water. The tradition continues to this day. As if a colossal octopus-like beast weren’t more than enough monster for one body of water, when the first Christian missionaries arrived on the shores of Devil’s Lake they were greeted by the Nakota tribe who told them about yet another creature that was revealed in the year of the "great drought." During that excruciating year the Natkota’s remained near the swiftly drying lake, not only because it was the only water source for miles, but also because the animals upon which they fed were forced to expose themselves in order to drink. As the summer progressed the lake grew smaller and smaller, until it eventually became two lakes, separated only by a shallow strip of mud. One morning the Nakota’s awoke to find what they described as a huge, fish-like creature, which they referred to as “Hokuwa,” trapped on the narrow, muddy strip of exposed lake bed. The tribe watched as the apparently amphibious animal -- which they described as having a large body, long neck and small head much like other prototypical lake monsters -- thrashed and writhed in an effort to free itself from its drying perch. Eventually the animal made its way back into the deeper of the two lakes. From Wisconsin we scoot back over to Russia where we’ll trek deep into the inhospitable tundra of Siberia to find the… Lake Khaiyr is a shallow, actively volcanic lake located in the inaccessible, permafrost ridden Yakutia region in eastern Siberia. Dwelling deep within the bowels of this primordial pocket of water is a beast which has stirred both fear and controversy ever since it first reared its head in front of a renowned Russian biologist and a team of scientists from Moscow State University. The biologist in question was one Dr. Nikolai Gladkikh, who, in 1964, made the pilgrimage to this remote region in order to sample rare mineral deposits and survey the fauna of the region. It was in a moment of quiet on the rocky shore of Lake Khaiyr that Gladkikh had the first encounter with the beast. Gladkikh claimed that he had woken early on that misty morning in order to gather water when he was confronted by an amazing sight. According to Gladkikh, as he fetched water on the edge of the lake he was shocked to see a small headed, primeval looking animal emerge from the water and begin to feed on the long grass sprouting up along the shoreline. Gladkikh described the being as a massive, long-necked, dark hued, reptilian quadruped with a heavy tail and a lizard-like head with two, tiny supra-orbital horns. The creature’s most distinguishing attribute, however, was the squat, triangular fin (supported by vertical rays) that ran down the length of its spine. Gladkikh claimed that he watched as the enormous beast thrashed its tail in the water. Wasting no time, the exhilarated biologist swiftly made his way back to the base camp in order to alert his teammates about his incredible discovery. Gladkikh, now armed with a rifle, returned to the beach with his fellow scientists in tow, but the only evidence that remained was a large swathe of flattened grass. His cohorts were understandably dubious concerning the beast he had described, but just when it seemed as if Gladkikh was going to have his vodka ration terminated, the expedition chief -- Dr. G. Rukosuyev, along with two of his assistants -- claimed that they watched in awe as the very same life form reemerged in the center of the lake just two days later. Rukosuyev and his men described the animal in much the same way as Gladkikh, only their accounts included the appearance of a distinct dorsal fin: “It had a long gleaming neck with a small head. Its body was huge, covered with black-blue skin. There was a big dorsal fin on the back of its body. All of sudden, the animal slid back into the water. Some time later I saw it standing out the water in the middle of the lake. The animal started swinging its long tail to whip the water. The waves were rippling the surface of the lake.” It wasn’t long before word of this enigmatic entity found its way to the press and the scientists’ reports were published in the Komsomolskaya Pravda and the magazine Soviet Life. From there the story took on a life of its own, spreading swiftly across the globe. Sadly, due to the remoteness of Lake Khaiyr it wasn’t long before the public’s interest died down and the legends of this mysterious monster began to fade once again into obscurity. Now let’s head back to the states to a tiny double-lake in Michigan, where a strange and brilliantly camouflaged creature is allegedly responsible for scaring one teenage angler nearly to death. This unusual beast has got to be one of the flat out weirdest lake monsters said to exist and they call it the… Lake Leelanau actually consists of two lakes, which are located right next to each other. While the lakes themselves may be relatively nondescript, the creature that purportedly dwells within their muddy confines is anything but. Said to have a long, stump-like neck, an equally long tail and two abnormally large eyes, far and away the most intriguing aspect of the Leelanau Lake Monster is its exceedingly narrow girth. According to local legend, the beast first appeared after the Lake Leelanau dam was built in the late 1800′s. After the dam was erected, the water level of the lake rose between 10 and 12-feet, flooding a large portion of land and creating a marsh-like environment around the lake. This is where the creature is said to thrive. While there are purportedly scores of reports of this nefarious beast, the most detailed account of an encounter with this critter comes to us all the way from 1910. In the summer of that year, a teen named William Gauthier was perch fishing from his row boat in the shallow reeds along the shores of what was then called “Carp Lake.” Finding that his luck was threadbare, young Gauthier decided to row out a little further, toward a section of the lake where he had never fished before. Passing several dead cedar trees, which were jutting haphazardly out of the water, the adolescent fisherman decided to moor his boat against one of the stumps and continue fishing. Gauthier chose a tree, which he described as being approximately 5-feet tall and 6-inches wide, and pulled to a stop next to it. Little did he know that he was seconds away from the shock of his young life. As soon as Gauthier’s rope touched the branch, two huge eyes suddenly popped open at face-level with the horrified youth. The angler was frozen in terror and after staring into this bizarre creature’s eyes for a few seconds the animal abruptly dove beneath his row boat. Gauthier claimed that animal’s length was so impressive that he could see the submerged head of the beast appear on the far side of the boat while its tail still remained aloft. One of Gauthier’s direct descendants would later confirm that his great-grandfather had been thoroughly terrified by this encounter and that the event had shaken him so badly he avoided fishing on Lake Leelanau for many years. One of the many things I find so intriguing about this account is the fact that Gauthier was able to paddle up right next to the beast without igniting an immediate reaction. Could it be that the creature was relying on its distinctive camouflage to keep it concealed; playing possum waiting for the boat to leave or — more ominously perhaps — laying in wait for its unsuspecting prey? Also worthy of note is the fact that the juvenile witness did not recognize the stump for what it was until its eyes opened. This would seem to indicate that -- much like stick bugs and there ilk -- the animal in question had developed an incredible epidermal disguise, which allowed it to blend seamlessly into the vast morass of its stump-studded environment. When presented with this hypothetical evidence one can’t help but to wonder how many times individuals who believe that they are merely staring at half-submerged trees are actually -- albeit unwittingly -- having an encounter with a genuine cryptid. Who knows? While this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to accounts of non-traditional lake monsters -- I neglected Turkey’s elephantine Van Lake monster and Argentina’s whale-like Nahuelito among scores of others-- it does offer a fun overview of the not quite Plesiosaur-like beasts that have been spotted all over the world. So the next time you’re taking a dip in your local watering hole, don’t just keep your eyes peeled for a long neck and a tiny head bursting out of the water, because something a lot more interesting… and potentially more dangerous… might be lurking right below your feet.

Part of what made the 2012 self-titled debut from Legend so compulsively listenable was its scope: it had catchy songs and terrific vocal performances from Krummi Björgvins, but what put it over the top was just how effortlessly grandiose and huge it felt. The long-awaited follow-up Midnight Champion still trades in cool Icelandic bombast, but with the addition of guitars on the songs the band feels more like a rock outfit than they did five years ago. The result is honestly something of a mixed bag; while there’s still a healthy dollop of enormity to be found and more than a couple stunners amongst its eleven tracks, there are also moments that feel diminished by the shift. Things start promisingly with the massive “Cryptid”, an excellent summation of what Legend can do. The portentous synth opening (a specialty of the band’s composer Dóri Björnsson) gives way to a slowly building drum beat and a typically charismatic vocal from Krummi, who carries the song’s melody with a singular panache. It’s such a terrific opener that the afterglow buoys up “Frostbite”, whose laidback groove and big shiny chorus is underserved by the verse’s simple arrangement of drums and guitar. And this is where a specific issue starts to manifest on Midnight Champion. It’s not hard to imagine “Time to Suffer” as a solid synth number in the vein of the self-titled debut, but the chugging guitars that appear in the first third weigh it down and keep it from taking flight in the way it feels like it might have otherwise. It’s a pattern that you see repeated several times, where an emphasis on rocking out takes over and chokes other, more interesting instrumental elements. The issue is never with the songwriting or production, which are universally terrific, but with arrangement. It’s hard not to wonder how songs of obvious merit like the title track, or “Liquid Rust”, or “Children of the Elements” might have turned out with a bit less chug and churn in them. Those moments where Legend gets the balance right are still possessed of a special majesty, and it would be a shame to discount them. “Captive” makes excellent use of a straight rock beat and some tasteful riffing in concert with slick synthwork in a way that just works, each component held in balance with the others. Ballad “Adrift” is an object lesson in holding something back, allowing an especially vulnerable take from Krummi to build over twinkling keys, so when the big blasts of guitar arrive at the climax they feel suitably grand. Midnight Champion is an interesting sophomore record, because it’s clear that Björgvins and Björnsson haven’t shifted philosophically from the self-titled debut’s ethos. It’s an LP defined by a change in approach that both serves and hinders songs on a case by case basis, but that always still sounds like them. That virtue shouldn’t be undersold because when they’re on, Legend are still glorious.

Kate Meltzer at Roaring Brook has acquired Melissa de la Cruz's first YA thriller, The Headmaster's List. In a story pitched as One of Us Is Lying meets Riverdale, a student at an elite Los Angeles private school is killed in a car crash. Who was driving—and who was at fault? In a place ruled by privilege and pedigree, the answers can only come at a deadly price. Publication is slated for winter 2023; Richard Abate of 3Arts Entertainment brokered the deal for world English rights. Mabel Hsu at HarperCollins/Tegen has bought rights to The Boyfriend Wish by Swati Teerdhala, the author's first YA romantic comedy. After a Homecoming date proposal gone wrong, Deepa makes a wish on a rare and magical flower for the perfect boyfriend. The next day, a new neighbor moves in who fits her list, almost as if her wish has come true. To find out for sure, Deepa must kiss him, but the more she plans the perfect kiss, the more she questions whether she might be choosing the wrong boy. Publication is set for winter 2024. Kristin Nelson at the Nelson Literary Agency did the deal for North American rights. Andrea Colvin at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to Cecil Castellucci's (l.) YA graphic novel My First Monster, which follows Amelia LaCouer, a new girl who gets swept into an emotionally abusive relationship with the most popular guy in school, who is, quite literally, a monster. Shazleen Khan will illustrate; publication is scheduled for 2025. Kirby Kim at Janklow & Nesbit represented the author, and Kurestin Armada at Root Literary represented the illustrator. Alex Antone at Skybound Comet has bought, in a multi-book deal, world rights to Michelle Fus's sci-fi/fantasy YA graphic novel series Ava's Demon, about a shy teenage girl named Ava who forms a dangerous pact with an ancient alien queen named Wrathia. Ava's Demon is one of the highest-performing webcomics graphic novel series on Kickstarter, having raised more than a million dollars to date. Publication of Ava's Demon Book One: Reborn is planned for May 2023; the author was unagented. Jessica Yang at Quirk Books has acquired world rights to audio drama writer Jessica Best's Stars, Hide Your Fires. A thief is framed for the emperor's murder in this YA sci-fi murder mystery pitched as queer Knives Out in space. Publication is slated for spring 2023; the author was unagented. Kristin Gilson at Aladdin has bought the first two books in The Sherlock Society by James Ponti (City Spies), a middle grade series featuring humor, mystery and adventure as a Miami sister and brother enlist their friends to help their grandfather dig into cold cases from his days as an investigative journalist. The first book will launch in summer 2024; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the deal for North American rights. Andrew Arnold at HarperAlley has acquired, in a five-house auction, world English rights to Mille of the Manor, a contemporary middle grade graphic novel by Karina Evans (l.), illustrated by Andrea Bell. The novel follows 11-year-old Millie as she navigates her crushing social anxiety when she's invited to a murder mystery birthday party. Publication is set for winter 2025; Jessica Mileo and Claire Friedman at InkWell Management handled the deal. Hannah Fries at Storey Publishing has bought world rights to The Ink-Credible Octopus by marine ecologist Erin Spencer (The World of Coral Reefs), a nonfiction book for middle graders that takes a deep dive into all things octopus, from their unique suction cups to their nine amazing brains. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; the author is unagented. Andrea Hall at Beaming Books has acquired, in a three-book deal, world rights to chapter book series The Infinity Rainbow Club, written by autistic author Jen Malia (l.) (Too Sticky!) and illustrated by Peter Francis. Set in an after-school club with different neurodivergent fourth graders in the lead for each book in the series, the first story follows an autistic boy competing in a brick-builder challenge with a partner when he's used to working alone. Publication starts in fall 2023; Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary represented the author, and Mela Bolinao at MB Artists represented the illustrator. Winsome Bingham at Reycraft has bought world rights for the chapter book series Vampirita by Mariana Llanos. Book one is about eight-year-old Vampirita, who moves to Sunny City, Calif., with her Mamá but doesn't want to blend in with the humans. She devises a plan to move back home to her dilapidated mansion in Peru, but for her plan to work, she must break one of Mamá's rules by revealing her true identity. Publication is planned for fall 2023, with the second and third installments to follow in spring and fall 2024. Sera Rivers at Martin Literary & Media Management did the three-book deal. Clarissa Wong at Scholastic has acquired world rights to We Who Produce Pearls by Joanna Ho (l.), author of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners and Eyes That Speak to the Stars, illustrated by artist and activist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya. This poetic picture book about AA-NH/PI history, in the vein of The Undefeated, highlights the voices, power and strength in these rich and diverse communities. Publication is expected in spring 2024; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and the artist represented herself. Celia Lee at Simon & Schuster has bought world rights to All That I Need to Be by activist, critic, and Do Better author Rachel Ricketts (l.), a picture book aimed to uplift and provide mindfulness resources for Black and Brown children when the world becomes too much, illustrated by Tiffany Rose (Abdul's Story; Dear Reader). Publication is slated for 2024; Cherise Fisher at Wendy Sherman Associates represented the author, and Erzsi Deak at Hen&ink Literary Studio represented the illustrator. Rotem Moscovich at Knopf has acquired world rights for The Spice Box, from the author-illustrator team of the upcoming A Garden in My Hands. This picture book, written by Meera Sriram (l.) and illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat, introduces readers to a boy named Rishi, who longs to cook curry alongside his father with the delicious flavors from his family's spice box, which has been passed down through generations. Publication is set for spring 2024. The book was part of a previously announced two-book deal negotiated by Tracy Marchini at BookEnds; Alice Sutherland-Hawes at ASH Literary represented the illustrator. Luana Kay Horry at HarperCollins has bought world rights to I See Color by Valerie Bolling (l.) and Kailei Pew (c.), illustrated by Laylie Frazier (r.). This nonfiction picture book turns the seemingly well-meaning phrase of "I don't see color" on its head by affirming the diverse palette of color in people's skin tones, while celebrating achievements of individuals who have worked to improve the lives of all people. Publication is planned for winter 2024; James McGowan at BookEnds represented Bolling, Emily Forney at BookEnds represented Pew, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented Frazier. Elizabeth Lazowski at Chronicle has acquired world rights to Juneteenth, a picture book by Natasha Tripplett (l.), illustrated by Daniel J. O'Brien, about a girl's celebration of Juneteenth, from morning wake-up to parade to evening BBQ, recounting history and connecting with loved ones. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator. Sonali Fry at Crown has bought world rights to Ice Cream Man, a picture book telling the story of Augustus Jackson, an African American entrepreneur who is known as the "Father of Ice Cream," written by Glenda Armand (l.) and Kim Freeman (c.), illustrated by Keith Mallett (r.). Publication is scheduled for spring 2023; Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary represented the authors, and the illustrator represented himself. Brett Duquette at Little Bee Books has acquired world rights to The Queen of Chess: How Judit Polgár Changed the Game by Laurie Wallmark (l.) (Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code), illustrated by Stevie Lewis, the true story of how Judit Polgár captivated the world as she competed to become the youngest chess grandmaster in history. Publication is slated for summer 2023; Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency represented the author, and Ed Maxwell at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented the illustrator. Haven Iverson at Sounds True has bought world rights to Dinos Don't Meditate by Catherine Bailey, illustrated by Alex Willmore, about a rowdy little T-Rex who must learn to balance peaceful pauses with prehistoric playtime in order to stay friends with his serene pal, for publication in spring 2023. Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Christina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator. Siqin He at Yeehoo Press acquired world rights to Nadia Ali's (l.) picture book Humphrey the Egg-Splorer, with Jiahui Zhu editing. Humphrey the egg is determined to become a great egg-splorer for big adventures but he cracks frequently, only to discover he must create his own solution. Valentí Gubianas will illustrate; publication is set for summer 2023 in the U.S. and mainland China. Joyce Sweeney at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Malena Bastón at IMC Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Lee Wade at Random House Studio has bought Fraser the Ranger, written and illustrated by debut author Matthew Schufman, the picture book story of a lonely forest ranger who sets out on an adventure to find a new friend. Publication is scheduled for fall 2023; Steven Chudney at the Chudney Agency sold world rights. Sarah Rockett at Sleeping Bear Press has acquired author-illustrator MaryJo Scott's debut picture book Sam & Lucy, about a boy and his flock of chickens, and how he learns as his beloved hen Lucy grows older that the hardest part of loving is being able to let go. Publication is planned for spring 2024; Alexandra Penfold at Upstart Crow Literary negotiated the deal for world rights. Katie Heit at Scholastic has bought world English rights to Tumble, a nonfiction picture book about the life cycle of the humble tumbleweed and the beauty of the desert by author-illustrator Adriana Hernández Bergstrom (Abuelita and I Make a Flan). Emily Mitchell at Wernick & Pratt negotiated the deal, with publication set for summer 2023. Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired, at auction, North American rights to Flyboy by Kasey LeBlanc, a queer YA debut novel with a dose of magic in the vein of The Night Circus, about a closeted trans teenager named Asher who begins dreaming of a magical circus where he can finally be seen for who he is, all while navigating senior year at his new Catholic school. Publication is slated for winter 2024; Mollie Glick at Creative Artists Agency negotiated the deal. Andrew Karre at Dutton has bought Laura Zimmermann's sophomore YA novel, Do This One Thing for Me, a con-artist thriller about three siblings in rural Wisconsin who risk everything on the grift their mother started so they can keep their family together. Publication is scheduled for August 2023; Tina Dubois at ICM Partners sold world English rights. Stephanie Guerdan at HarperTeen has acquired J. Albert Mann's Shift Happens: The History of Labor in the United States, which tells the story of the U.S. working class in the vein of Jason Reynolds's Stamped and Melanie Crowder's Audacity. The book will give context to some of the most pressing issues today, drawing attention to the intersection between labor history, class, race, gender, economics, and even climate change, while shedding light on the workers and events that shaped our modern world. It's tentatively set for spring 2024; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret did the deal for world rights. David Saylor at Scholastic/Graphix has bought, in an exclusive submission, First Steps, a semi-autobiographical middle grade graphic novel by debut author-illustrator Kane Lynch. After his parents' divorce, 12-year-old Galen must balance two separate lives—one at his dad's run-down apartment where his father's quirky, young girlfriend is moving in, and another at his mom's house with her new level-headed boyfriend and his angsty teenage daughter—while trying to keep the peace between his fractured yet growing family. Publication is planned for fall 2024; Alexandra Weiss at Azantian Literary Agency sold world English rights. Bria Ragin at Delacorte has acquired Bumps in the Night by Amalie Howard, a contemporary supernatural horror novel and her middle grade debut, in which a 12-year-old girl who is sent to her grandmother's home in Trinidad for the summer discovers that her long-lost mother has actually been trapped in a magical silk cotton tree, and she must team up with a group of young witches to save her from a malevolent force. Publication is slated for spring 2024; Thao Le at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English rights. Andrea Colvin at Little, Brown has bought at auction Mark Crilley's middle-grade epistolary graphic novel, The Mighty Onion and a sequel, in which a pair of students work together to create their very first comic book, navigating the highs and lows of artistic collaboration, the path to publication, and local fame. Publication is scheduled for 2024; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency sold world rights. Anna Parsons at Aladdin has acquired Joan Reardon's middle-grade debut The Grimsbane Family Witch Hunters, pitched as Scritch Scratch meets Ghost Squad. The novel follows Anna Grimsbane's cryptid-riddled quest to save her accident-prone and extremely cursed brother from The Watcher, along the way uncovering a dark family legacy that makes her question what she believes to be true. Publication is set for summer 2024; Larissa Melo Pienkowski at Jill Grinberg Literary Management sold North American rights. Alex Antone at Skybound Comet has bought, at auction, Mac Smith's debut action-adventure middle grade graphic novel Scurry, collecting the hit webcomic and Kickstarter phenomenon, about a colony of mice surviving in a post-apocalyptic world. Publication is planned for February 2023; Gordon Warnock at Fuse Literary Agency sold world English rights. Courtney Code at Abrams Appleseed has acquired, at auction, We Might See by Charlie Mylie, a concept picture book that invites the youngest readers and their grownups to notice things together. It will publish in spring 2023; Hannah Mann at Writers House handled the deal for world rights. Christy Ottaviano at Little, Brown/Ottaviano has bought He's Gone, written and illustrated by Federico Gastaldi. This picture book debut delivers a tender-hearted approach to childhood grief after the loss of a beloved pet. Publication is slated for fall 2023; Amy Thrall Flynn at Rubin Pfeffer Content sold world rights. Alex Wolfe at Penguin Workshop has acquired world rights to author-illustrator Jess Fogel's debut picture book Toby, the story of a chipmunk who knows deep down that he's really a dog, and now he just has to convince the other dogs in the park of this fact. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; John Rudolph at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal. Adonia Ripple and Katie Coit at Yosemite Conservancy have bought world rights to Tasha's Voice by Carmen Bogan (l.); illustrations by the late Floyd Cooper (c.), will proceed with illustrator Daria Peoples (r.). Peoples, a Highlights Foundation mentee of Cooper's, will create illustrations based on his final sketches for the project. Publication is planned for spring 2024. Bogan and Cooper were unagented; Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Rotem Moscovich at Knopf has acquired, in an exclusive submission, world rights for Minh Lê (l.) and Dan Santat's next collaboration, Built to Last, as well as another untitled picture book by Minh. In this picture book about perseverance and friendship, two friends love building things together, though everything they make ends up falling apart (in spectacular fashion)—everything, that is, except their friendship. Publication is set for summer 2024; Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management represented the author, and Jodi Reamer at Writers House represented the illustrator. Sara Schonfeld at HarperCollins/Tegen has bought world rights to Sunshine in the Monsoons by Tina Athaide (l.) (Orange for the Sunsets), illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan (Where Three Oceans Meet), a picture book set during the monsoon season in Goa, India, when a girl starts new traditions with her family and aging grandmother to find joy on even the rainiest days. Publication is slated for summer 2025; Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Agency represented the author, and Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary represented the illustrator. Carter Hasegawa at Candlewick Press has acquired world rights to Not Far from Here and a second untitled work by LatinxPitch co-founder Nydia Armendia-Sánchez (l.), illustrated by Devon Holtzworth. In this picture book weaving English and Spanish languages, Mamá shares the story of Papá's blacksmith heritage and their family's determination to hammer out a life as immigrants without being pushed to the margins through the bonds of love, courage, and the human connection that forge us all. Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; Lori Steel at Raven Quill Literary Agency represented the author, and Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator. Emma Sakamoto at Groundwood Books has bought world rights to Maybe a Whale by Kirsten Pendreigh (l.), a picture book journey of healing about a girl who reluctantly embarks on a kayak trip with her mother and, immersed in the healing beauty of the sea, finds herself able to articulate her grief for her recently deceased grandpa and share her yearning to see her first whale—something she was supposed to do with him. Crystal Smith will illustrate; publication is set for fall 2023. Natalie Lakosil at Irene Goodman Agency while at Bradford Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. Carolyn Yoder at Calkins Creek has acquired world rights to Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park by Lori Alexander (l.), illustrated by Jenn Ely, a picture book biography about the inventive methods one woman used to increase awareness about desert wildlife and her quest to preserve one million acres of land. Publication is planned for spring 2024; Kathleen Rushall represented the author and Kelly Sonnack represented the illustrator, both at Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Sue Tarsky at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to Get Ready for School by Janet Nolan (l.) (Seven and a Half Tons of Steel), illustrated by Maria Neradova. In a picture book homage to teachers, principals, librarians, and bus drivers and their patience, planning, and teamwork, readers will go behind the scenes to learn how staff members get ready before the school bell rings. Publication is scheduled for spring 2023; Deborah Warren at East/West Literary represented the author, and Good Illustration Agency represented the artist. Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press has acquired world rights to The Pie That Molly Grew by Sue Heavenrich (l.), illustrated by Chamisa Kellogg, a STEM-focused picture book that showcases the stages of a seedling's growth, the bees, flowers, sunlight, and water that all work together to produce the main ingredient in one of the world's most beloved pies. Publication is set for fall 2023; Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and Claire Easton Morance at Painted Words represented the illustrator. Jennifer Newens at West Margin has bought world rights to Broccoli Is Trying to Kill Me by Katie Evans (l.), illustrated by Savannah Allen. In this picture book, despite Dad's insistence that broccoli is good for him, a child is in the fight of his life against a mob of evil vegetables. Publication is slated for fall 2023; Kristina Slater at Metamorphosis Literary Agency represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.

The Norwegian filmmaker's final word on the folkloric creatures is a labor of love. Just six months after the release of "Gwendy’s Final Task," King released FAIRY TALE, a novel that signals a bit of a departure from his usual style and possibly a new phase in his career. King returns to the fantasy genre 18 years after his celebrated completion of The Dark Tower series with an adventure into another world. Mistress of suspense, T. Kingfisher (What Moves the Dead, The Hollow Places), delivers yet another haunting Southern gothic in "A House With Good Bones" [Tor Nightfire, March 28, 2023], an exploration of the twisted dark roots—literally and figuratively—that curl beneath the rose-trimmed picket fence of a picture-perfect family. The legendary cryptid hunter's latest book ventures down South for a look into Texas' own Bigfoot community. Alexandre Weis and Lucas Astor's Southern Gothic novel series, "ST. BENEDICT," continues in August 2023.

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It was a cold winter day in London. The year was 1564. English sea merchant John Hawkins had recently returned from a successful trading voyage that took him from the west African coast to the Spanish colonies of the Caribbean and South America. Hawkins made a considerable amount of money for his London investors and on that winter day in 1564 he knelt before his queen, a dour Elizabeth the First, who granted him a 700-ton ship to continue his trade exploits. After several successful commercial ventures to the New World the queen would eventually make Hawkins an admiral and then would knight him for gallantry displayed during the English defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. In 1567 Hawkins embarked on his third voyage which took him from west Africa to the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and to the Spanish settlements in the modern-day Mexican state of Veracruz. While in the waters around the Yucatan, Hawkins and his crew encountered a large flesh-eating fish they had never seen before. When Hawkins asked the locals the name of this strange aquatic beast, an indigenous Maya replied “xoc,” spelled x-o-c, which was the name for the gigantic fish in the Yucatec Maya language. When Hawkins and his crew returned to England in 1569, the seafaring Englishmen added a new word to their ever-growing lexicon, “shark.” The word used to describe a creature not seen in the waters around Great Britain would be the only word in the English language with its origins in a Maya dialect. Few English speakers know of the very Mexican roots of the word “shark” or how it entered everyday English. Many varieties of sharks exist in both Pacific and Caribbean waters around Mexico. On the opposite end of the country from the first English encounters with sharks exists a tale of terror which has only garnered attention recently. In the waters of the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, between the Baja Peninsula and the state of Sonora, a gigantic dark creature is said to lurk. For generations fishermen have told tales of El Demonio Negro, or in English, “The Black Demon,” a massive, aggressive shark that overturns boats, attacks whales and swallows sea lions in a single bite. Is this just a big “fish story,” or could a previously unknown species of gigantic shark exist in the cold depths of the Sea of Cortez? Of the over 400 types of sharks on earth only 10 pose any danger to humans. As an apex predator, sharks tend to generate a great deal of fear even though shark attacks on people are very rare. In 2012 a 20-foot long, 2,000-pound great white shark was killed in the Sea of Cortez near the coastal city of Guaymas and was one of the largest great whites ever seen off the Mexican coast. The Black Demon shark is said to be two or three times the size of this great white and supposedly weighs between 50,000 and 100,000 pounds. Imagine a shark the size of a school bus weighing the same weight of 8 to 10 elephants with a gigantic tail larger than that of the largest whale in the ocean. Although there have been numerous stories and intergenerational tales of the Demonio Negro shark, there have been no verifiable incidents of actual attacks. No local newspapers have ever carried stories about the creature with verifiable names and dates of purported attacks. The stories say that the shark goes after medium-sized boats and then retreats to the depths of the sea, which can go down to below ten thousand feet in the Gulf of California. Half-eaten remnants of whales washed ashore are often cited as evidence of the shark’s existence. One eyewitness account often cited in the literature on this creature comes from American sport fisherman Erick Mack who was sailing off the coast of Baja in July of 2008 when he had his encounter with this gigantic fish. Mack describes it is as being around 50-feet long, dark in color and with an enormous hind flipper. The creature hit and rocked his boat, flipped up its tail and descended rapidly underwater. Mack never saw this huge fish again, but his story got nods from the locals and caught the attention of the TV series “Monster Quest” which dispatched a film crew to the Sea of Cortez to investigate. The crew set up near Lobos Island about one quarter of the way down the eastern coast of Baja. After days of investigating and filming, the “Monster Quest” show came up empty. They broadcast their findings on March 18, 2009 during their third season on an episode called “Mega Jaws.” Some cryptozoologists, or those who research and describe legendary creatures, claim that the gigantic black shark of Mexico may be a megalodon, a species of large prehistoric sharks that lived in the oceans from 23 million to 2.6 million years ago. The megalodon had 7-inch-long teeth and a bite force of between 24,000 to 40,000 pounds, more than three times that of a T-Rex. The average length of a megalodon was about 35 feet. The Black Demon fits the megalodon description pretty well, although some accounts by fishermen say the Mexican shark may even be bigger than the megalodon. Mexican paleontologist Roberto Díaz Sibaja in his blog, “Paleos: The History of Life on Earth,” gives an explanation as to what happened to the gigantic prehistoric fish. Translated from the Spanish: “Megalodon became extinct before the Pleistocene began, when environmental changes caused by alterations in the circulation of marine currents cooled the world. In this new world, the megalodon food sources began to become scarce. Some went extinct and others packed their bags and they moved to the coldest waters, away from the shark that, when unable to adapt, perished. This happens when the creatures hyper-specialize in the exploitation of one or very few resources. ” Megalodon teeth found by the HMS Challenger in the South Pacific in the 1870s have been scientifically dated to be only some 10,000 years old. While some scientists have a problem with the dating methods used, others believe that this shows that megalodons survived into modern times. Perhaps a group of these prehistoric sharks still lives in the cold depths of the Sea of Cortez among the plentiful wildlife found in that body of water. Gigantic shark sightings have occurred in other parts of the world, too, notably off the coasts of South Africa and Australia. Although no bodies of megalodons have ever been recovered and none have ever been filmed, clues and eyewitness accounts of massive sharks lead some to believe that the megalodon never went extinct. Is Mexico’s Demonio Negro a living fossil? With no physical evidence to go with, as a cryptid, or legendary creature, the Black Demon has proved to be as elusive as bigfoot. There are many sightings of this gigantic shark, but little else to go on. Skeptics claim that the fish is simply being misidentified. The largest fish in the world, the docile, plant-eating whale shark is found in the waters of the Sea of Cortez and could be mistaken for something different. Dark shadows moving under boats could also be from various types of whales which live in the area. Untrained eyes may see a variety of things and try to explain them away by using the legend. Until a body is produced for examination or other comparable evidence presents itself, there is very little to go on. The internet is full of fringe theories and urban legends and sometimes these theories and legends intersect. An interesting comment in the comments section of a YouTube video about the Black Demon tied the sightings of the gigantic shark with a supposed secret underwater base in the Sea of Cortez. The alleged “base” was first described by researcher Scott C. Waring after he discovered some anomalies on the ocean floor when looking at Google Maps. This 76-mile anomaly, sometimes referred to as a “sunken city” or “alien underwater base” by fringe researchers, ironically is located 45 miles off the Baja coast near Lobos Island, the site of Eric Mack’s famous sighting and the location of the filming of the “Monster Quest” show about the Black Demon shark. A possible connection to a supposed secret underwater base brings up a whole host of new theories which, it seems, are only limited by the imagination. Whether or not this creature exists cannot be determined at this time. For now, the Black Demon plays into our most primal fear as humans and as all legends go the story will only grow and morph with time. Jones, Tom. “The Xoc, the Sharke, and the Sea Dogs: An Historical Encounter,” in Fifth Palenque Round Table, 1983, ed. Merle Greene Robertson. San Francisco: The Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute, 1983. “Monster Quest” tv show

Dec 16, 2020 Sometimes we ask a question on this show that simply does not have an answer. And that’s probably for the best. We talk hair-styling witches, flipping haunted homes, and… well you’ll just have to wait to find out. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sex, Covid-19, curses, war/violence/conquering, genitals, masturbation, ageism, religious persecution, ableism, “Satanism”, mental illness, death, plane crashes, and injury. - Merch: Check out our new digital merch, including the Cool Cryptid Compendium, at spiritspodcast.com/merch! - Multitude: Whether you're a podcaster, a creator, or interested in learning more about how our podcasts get made, we have dozens of free articles and videos for you! Find them at multitude.productions/resources - Skillshare is an online learning community where you can learn—and teach—just about anything. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/spirits and the first 1,000 people to use our link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership. This week Amanda recommends “iPhone Photography: How to Shoot & Edit Conceptual Photos on Your Phone” by Amelie Satzger. Find Us Online If you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books. Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com. Spirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

This cryptid is reported to be very similar to the infamous big foot in Northern America. The Guatemalan Chorti Indians describe it as larger than a man, hairy and with an abdomen similar to a woman for childbearing. They rumored to live in secluded hills where the screams of their victims can seldom be heard. They are feared for they will carry off humans often of the opposite sex. It is also said that they protect the wildlife and will attack hunters who go out alone. They have been cited as far north as the Guarunta Mountains. There are no known photos or videos of this creature to daye.

We’re all mad here. It’s not just for mathematicians anymore! There are people who have seen the unexplained … and there are people who haven’t. Balrogs love grilled Troll. 좆까, 김정은 ! YHVH = Behold the Nail, Behold the Hand The Mind of Albert Einstein: “The 4th world war will be fought with sticks and stones” “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.” “If we knew exactly what it was we were doing, then it would not be called research, would it?” “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” “The greatest charity one can do to another is to lead him to the truth.” — St. Thomas Aquinas “Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” — Bob Marley Living has always been a big part of my life. I was born at an incredibly young age and ever since then I have been alive. “An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody will see it.” — Mahatma Gandhi “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” — Martin Luther King Jr. “Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.” — George Bernard Shaw “If ye love wealth better than liberty the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.” — Samuel Adams You have pleased Cthulhu! He shall eat you second to last! “I am vengeance. I am the night. I am Batman.” “It’s no easy task freeing the ignorant from the chains they revere.” — Albert Einstein “The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.” — Winston Churchill I am Макаре́вич I am half crazy Calabrese (All you Calabrese do the mambo like-a crazy) ¼ Russki and ¼ Polski “I’m not used to being loved. I wouldn’t know what to do.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald The University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople Buckle Down, Pilsudski, Buckle Down! @ Leanne’s Wedding! “The sun will rise; and we will try again.” In it’s day, the legendary Denbeigh Super Chauvinist Mark VIII Saloon (my *true* dream car) was widely regarded as the high-point of post-war British automotive design, rivaled only by the Austin A40 Somerset for its singular combination of styling and performance. Denbeigh Super-Chauvinist Mk.VII Saloon (T) The Super-Chauvinist retains all the beloved design of the Denbeigh .engineering practice. (R1) It has a truly robust hooter, excellent winkers and a first-class jack. (R2) Its performance is not torrid but beautifully matched brakes fade as one, and engine scream drowns all distracting sounds. (R3) Its leaking of petrol fumes is well nigh intolerable; luckily fuel is rapidly guzzled up by the engine before the driver can be overcome. Car and Driver Oh, and Jeffrey Epstein Didn’t Kill Himself! MajorThanks to ALL of my registered subscribers! As of 19 July, 2022, there are 23,288! (wait, whAT?! ) I wanna see the DPRK up there. 624,956 malicious login attempts or brute force attacks, have been Hillary’d by our crack ϟϟ-trained “involuntary assisted suicide” troops. — Hillary Clinton “Generals gathered in their masses Just like witches at black masses Evil minds that plot destruction Sorcerer of death’s construction In the fields, the bodies burning As the war machine keeps turning Death and hatred to mankind Poisoning their brainwashed minds Oh lord, yeah! Politicians hide themselves away They only started the war Why should they go out to fight? They leave that role to the poor.” Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren’t go a-hunting, For fear of little men; – William Allingham – The Fairies — Theodore Roosevelt And Always Remember: “You treat the room from the bass up.” “So round, so firm, so fully packed.” — Lou Costello 포로 수용소 Konzentrazionslager, coming soon. “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” ― Stephen R. Covey ↑ GIF by ArMaP A Dillingham pilot says he spotted the creature while flying passengers to Manokotak last week. He calculated that its wingspan matched the length of a wing on his Cessna 207. That’s about 14 feet. “Rarely is the real cause of a problem located where the problem is manifesting.” — Owen Marcus ↑↑↑ I did that! =D It was a trip! “I propose that we hit it hard and we hit it fast with a major – and I mean a major – leaflet campaign.” — Arnold Rimmer “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” — St. Catherine of Siena Truth is the greatest enemy of the state. “Fraud and falsehood only dread examination. Truth invites it.” — Samuel Johnson There you go. • Zoë C West • Lorenza Lorenzi • Anastasia Panteleeva, Sia Model/owner of model Agency NexToModel • BigRedJill K Allen • Buddha Jones • Clint Eastwood • Wobbly Music • Black Smoke Trigger • Go-Go Ray, Drum Counselor • Mike Zito • Mauro Samuel • Rick Petrone • Jamie Petrone • Roger Waters • Tony Sarno • Tommy Emmanuel • Sam Gleason • Tom Ritchford • Tom Swirly • Adam Miller • Dame Evelyn Glennie • Søren Madsen • Ally Venable Band • Sadie Johnson Band • Samantha Fish Band • Kenny Wayne Shepherd • Folk Uke – Cathy Guthrie & Amy Nelson • Arlo Guthrie • Willie Nelson • Keith Richards • Jane Maya Rodriguez • Warren Huart Recording • Guitar Mastery Method • Michelle Augello-Page • Elan Mudrow – Smidgens poetry • Doug Skinner • Andy Raynor, M.Div. • Andy’s Books • John Anthony West RIP • JAW’s PhoenixFire podcast • Anyextee’s Adept Expeditions • Dr. Robert M. Schoch • Graham Hancock • Geocosmic Rex • Sacred Geometry International • Comet Research Group • Sacred Sites: Places of Peace and Power • Internet Sacred Text Archive • INFO – International Fortean Organization • Deliberate Dumbing Down • American Deception • David Dees Illustration • Sharkhunters International • Tifster Graphics • Golden Eye Publishing • Hitler In Argentina (& vicinity) • Robert Faurisson • Further Glory • Mike Campbell – world’s foremost Amelia Earhart authority • David K Bowman on Amelia Earhart • Mengele Agrartechnik • Thunderbird Photo • Aerial Anomalies • PRUFOS-Police Report UFO Sightings Organisation • I Am Dark Waters • >Arcane Radio • Eerie Lights • Patagonian Monsters • Cafe Enigma • Crypto4Corners (on FB) • North American Wood Ape Conservancy • The Crypto Crew • Texas Cryptid Hunter • Frontiers of Zoology • Frontiers of Anthropology • Bizarre Zoology • Ken Gerhard • Katy Elizabeth Champ Search • Deborah Hatswell UK Wildman British Bigfoot • Isaac Koi UFO Research • Dr. Bruce Maccabee UFO Research • Ignacio Darnaude Ufología Heterodoxa • Water UFO • The National Aviation Reporting Center on Anomalous Phenomena • Breakthrough Initiatives • JFK Jr told the world who murdered his father • Pegasus Research Consortium • The Carl Sagan Portal • Alive Universe Space News out of Italy • QuickMap, a great tool for fine lunar viewing • Soviet Space Image Catalog • Laboratory for Comparative Planetology Archive • Sir Charles’ Shults Laboratories • Mars Global Data • Lunar Transient Phenomena • David Paulides’ Missing 411 • Missing Visualized • Annotations • Reddit’s NoSleep department • DiHydrogen Monoxide Reseach Division • BioFortean Review • Big Fat Furry Texan • USS Liberty Memorial • If Americans Knew • False “Nazi” Quotations • French Foreign Legion • Phoenix Tears • Essential Oils For Living • Robert Mittenmaier automotive artist • Fresh Water Spring Finder • Nuclear Emergency Tracking Center • Seismic Monitor North America • Eastern Intelligence Space & Survival Co. – Track NCoV & EQs & more • Tom Filogomo’s Top Shelf Studios • Connecticut Valley Chapter, BMW CCA • Trade Upholstery Company • Lon Strickler’s Phantoms and Monsters • Butch Witkowski • Sean Forker • Timothy Renner • Jane Maya Rodriguez • Jack Cary • Crypto Four Corners International • Eric Altman • Jay Bachochin • Rob Shaw • IG @makarevich.iggy • MeWe mewe.com/i/iggymakarevich • Parler @Iggymak • Sextoy.com, Affiliate adult toy store • High Strangeness Art, Zazzle store • What’s All This, Then?, old blog, my 2nd • High Strangeness, ancient blog, my first We return to the work of Cam Warren, an original member of the Amelia Earhart Society, who, according to one online search is 99 years old and resides in Fountain Hills, Ariz., and has been a member of the Americal Society of Media Photographers since 1966. Otherwise I haven’t heard from him in many years. […] World War II veteran and American Legion member Robert T. Stocker, of West Haven, Conn., sent the following “In Search Of” item to The American Legion magazine in January 1993. It appeared in the August 1993 issue: Saipan Marines who guarded Amelia Earhart’s plane at Aslito Field, or those aware of Navy Secretary James Forrestal’s […] Joe Klaas, who died in February 2016 at his home in Monterey, Calif., at 95, was probably the most gifted writer of all Earhart researchers. Unfortunately, Klaas was best known as the author of the most controversial — and damaging to legitimate research — Earhart book of all time, Amelia Earhart Lives: A trip through […] Cameron A. “Cam” Warren, former longtime member of the Amelia Earhart Society, may be still with us and in his upper 90s in Fountain Hills, Ariz., but my information on his current status remains nil. Warren was among the best known of the few “crashed-and-sankers” in the AES, along with former ONI agent Ron Bright and Gary LaPook, who are […] Paul Mantz was a noted air racer, movie stunt pilot and aviation consultant from the late 1930s until his death in the mid-1960s. He gained fame in Hollywood, and to many familiar with the Earhart disappearance, Mantz is known as Amelia’s technical advisor for her final flight — or at least that’s the popular narrative. […] no matter how much of a if a toddler hands you their ringing toy phone… “Now let me bring you up to speed …. we know nothing …. You are now up to speed.” — Inspector Jacques-Yves Clouseau The late, great JC Johnson This bipedal critter is what JC was hunting. My friend and mentor, the late, great John Anthony West with his daughter, Zoë. JAW at the Sphinx When life looks like easy street there is danger at your door Let’s go get us a I’M SERIOUS YO! Lt. Colonel Percival Harrison Fawcett British artillery officer, archaeologist and explorer. “Our” event, as described in the image above, took place in 1907 in the Reserva Territorial Madre de Dios, Peru. “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” — Jiddu Krishnamurti DPA IS ON MARS!

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One very exciting area of cryptozoology is that of apparent dinosaurs which have somehow survived up right up to the present day. What could be more fantastic than having real dinosaurs still prowling the wild places of the world, as they did millions of years ago? Such mysterious creatures can be found in many reports from the deepest darkest jungles of Africa to the rainforests of South America, yet one does not necessarily have to go so far away to such isolated, inaccessible spots to find accounts of supposed living dinosaurs in the modern age. In the southwestern United States, especially the rural, Four Corners region comprised of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico, there have long been reports of dinosaurian beasts roaming about the badlands here, apparently very much alive and well. Tales of dinosaurs in the American southwest go back to the frontier Wild West days of cowboys and Indians. Among some of the most talked about and famous of the dinosaurs of the West are the various large, pterodactyl-type creatures said to have been sighted throughout the 1800s and beyond, and which were already known to the Native peoples of the region as “Thunderbirds.” One such account was reported from the town of Tombstone, Arizona, a historic boomtown most famous for its Gunfight Behind the O.K. Corral in 1881, and is pretty much everything one imagines when thinking of a dusty old west town out of a Western flick. Besides gunfights, cowboys, saloons, and a once thriving silver industry, the town was also the location for one of the stranger and oft discussed accounts of cryptozoology. The Tombstone Epitaph on April 26, 1890 included a case of a rather curious encounter. The article details the fantastic account of some sort of huge, winged creature which was found by two ranchers in the desert region between the Whetstone and Huachuca mountains. The monstrous thing was said to look somewhat like an alligator with an elongated tail and a set of massive, bat-like wings. When it was found, the creature was allegedly exhausted, and only capable of short bursts of flight. The two curious ranchers then were said to have pursued the strange creature for several miles on horseback as it took to the air to retreat in short, sporadic flights, occasionally getting within range to unleash upon it with their rifles and wounding it in the process. At one point, the injured monster apparently turned on the men in aggression and defiance, at which point they were able to shoot it dead. Afterwards, the ranchers claimed to have measured it and found the body to be roughly 92 feet in length, with two feet that were joined to the body just under massive wings that were awkwardly folded under the body. When the wings had been properly stretched out they were said to be around 160 feet in diameter from tip to tip, and the enormous head of the beast was reported as measuring 8 feet long, with strong jaws filled with formidable, sharp teeth and eyes the size of “dinner plates.” The wings were apparently covered by some sort of thin membrane, and the whole body covered with rather thin, almost translucent skin without hair or feathers. The ranchers reportedly chopped off a portion of one of the creature’s wings to take with them, after which they supposedly made arrangements to have the beast skinned and examined by scientists. It is unclear if that ever happened or not. The article simply ends on a note of excitement about what will be uncovered, but nothing is really known about what happened after this rather amazing story or what became of the alleged carcass. This account has drawn a fair amount of criticism, not only because of the sheer, ludicrous size description of the thing, but also because it seems like a story tailor-made to bring in tourists and money to the town. At the time, the once prosperous Tombstone had fallen on hard times due to the flooding of several of the silver mines that were the town’s lifeblood, and they were no doubt desperate to put their ailing town back on the map, so a sensational story of fantastic giant flying dinosaurs might have been one way to do it. The fact that such an amazing tale, which would have taken the scientific world by storm, was not mentioned in any of the other local newspapers, nor any apparent photograph taken of it, just makes the whole thing more suspicious. There was also the habit of papers of the time to generously exaggerate stories or even make them up entirely. The bizarre story would not end there, and would indeed evolve into one of cryptozoology’s great mysteries. In 1966, after decades of debate as to the authenticity of the story of the “Tombstone Pterodactyl,” a writer by the name of Jack Pearl claimed that there was indeed a photo of the Tombstone creature, or at least one very much like it, which had been published in another article in the Tombstone Epitaph in 1886. The article allegedly said that a group of prospectors had carted the dead monster into town and pinned it to a barn wall for a photo. The picture apparently shows six men standing with arms outstretched before the winged beast, and its size estimated to be around 36 feet from wingtip to wingtip. The story of this photo’s existence was corroborated by writer H.M. Cranmer in a 1963 article in Fate Magazine, and renowned cryptozoologist Ivan Sanderson claimed that he had actually owned a photocopy of the photo but that it had been lost. From there, the legend of the now notorious “Thunderbird Photo” really took off. People began to come out of the woodwork swearing they had seen the photo on TV, in books, or in magazines, but in every case no actual copy could ever be tracked down. The question of the elusive photo’s existence became a popular topic within the realms of cryptozoology and Forteana, inciting heated debate and speculation, and the search for the lost photo became sort of a Holy Grail within the field. In depth investigations into the claims of the photo being printed in the Tombstone Epitaph were carried out, yet looking back deeply into the newspaper’s archives showed that no such picture was ever published and there had been no follow up article. Others searched all editions of various books in which people had sworn they had seen the photo, but it turned out that no such photo had ever been published in any of them. Some people have sworn that the picture was most certainly in a particular book, only to find that the photo was gone when they looked there. Over the years photos have been occasionally brought forward and claimed to be the supposed lost Thunderbird photo, but none of them seem to be exactly what was described in the original or what people insisted they remembered seeing. So what is going on here? How can so many people vividly and irresistibly remember seeing this photograph, so adamantly convinced that it is real, yet be totally unable to find a copy or any proof whatsoever of its actual existence? All kinds of theories have been thrown around trying to explain how so many people could remember seeing a photo that seemed to not exist, ranging from the rational to the decidedly fringe. One idea is that it is simply a mass false memory, or a shared memory instigated and propagated through the power of suggestion, while more far-out ideas postulate time warps, time travelers stealing the copies or even preventing it from ever being taken, as well as the notion of the photo somehow erasing itself from reality. The lost Tombstone Thunderbird photograph remains a persistent and compelling mystery and subject of debate, and there are those who continue to doggedly search for it. Whether the photo ever really existed or not, there were certainly a lot of reports of flying, pterodactyl-type creatures during the era. From 1881 to 1886 the Elizabeth Lake area of California was the scene of a rash of sightings of a strange, dinosaurian flying creature that was described as having immense, leathery wings, disproportionately large eyes, and carrying a pungent stench with it that was said to smell like that of a skunk, only stronger. The creature was often reported as swooping and diving into the water to emerge with fish in its mouth. One rancher by the name of Don Chico Lopez claimed to have seen an enormous flying monster with bat-like wings fly forth from underwater to come exploding through the surface, and also said that his livestock had been mysteriously disappearing, prompting him to ultimately move away from the area. The next rancher to live there, a Miguel Leonis, also had an unusual encounter there, when he claimed to have seen a “griffin-like” beast majestically flying over the lake. Indeed, Native Americans had a rich folklore of the huge, bird-like creatures known as Thunderbirds, so could these tales be linked somehow? Eyewitness reports of alleged living pterodactyls in the American southwest have occasionally been made right up to the present day. In 2011 a strange creature was reported from a man in Phoenix, Arizona, who claimed that he had seen a large, bird-like creature with no feathers, leathery wings, and a “thing coming out the back of its head,” swoop down to land and splash about on the surface of a river. In 2012, another witness claimed to have seen what appeared to be a baby pterodactyl under a bridge in Tucson, Arizona. The winged creature was said to have a wingspan of around 8 feet, and to be covered in whitish fur, with a head sporting a “top knot” that appeared to be molting. The strange creature was apparently quite aggressive towards the intruders, spreading its wings, hissing, and assuming an attack stance. Pterodactyls are not the only type of dinosaur said to roam the American southwest. From Colorado have long come reports of bipedal, lizard-like creatures said to be similar to Therapod dinosaurs and measuring around 3.5 ft. (1 meter) tall and between 5 feet (1.5 meters) to 7 feet long (2 meters) long. They are usually described as having very prominent, powerful hind legs and two smaller appendages instead of forelegs. These mysterious creatures are often collectively referred to as “Mini T. Rexes,” or “River Dinos,” and also “River Lizards,” due to their apparent habit of lurking in wet environments near water. One man in Pueblo, Colorado told the North American Bio Fortean Review about his own experiences with the River Lizards. He claimed that he had been out riding dirt bikes with a friend when they noticed a strange creature moving through the clearing ahead of them. It was described it as being a reptilian creature of some kind, around 4 feet long and greenish in color with black markings on its back and orange coloring on its underbelly, and which walked swiftly on its hind legs without dragging its tail. The man explained that the front legs of the creature were significantly shorter than the hind legs and had three or four claws. He also recalled that it had a kind of “lump” or “horn” over each eye, and that it let out a loud, high pitched shriek when it saw them. The man allegedly went back to his house for a camera to take pictures of its tracks, and further claimed that another friend had taken photos of the exact same creature he had seen. These photos were subsequently sent to cryptozoologist Chad Arment, but they are of low quality, blurry, and could be merely cheap dinosaur models for anyone can tell. Other photos of the River Dinos have cropped up over the years as well. Perhaps the most famous of these is a photo, also sent to Chad Arment, showing an unidentified man holding a rifle in one hand and what appears to be a small, dead bipedal dinosaur in the other. It is unknown exactly when or where the mysterious photo was taken, except that it is “somewhere in Colorado.” This mysterious photo has generated quite a bit of debate, and there are some who believe it to be evidence of living dinosaurs, yet most think that it is likely a hoax created with a particularly realistic looking toy dinosaur. Considering there is very little information on the origins of the photo, and that Arment has been unsuccessful in tracking down the one who originally sent it, we will probably never know for sure. Another witness named Shannon Ystesund saw something similar near Yellow Jacket, Colorado in 2001, and shared her story with cryptozoologist and researcher Nick Sucik, who has spent years investigating and collecting reports of living dinosaurs in North America, and wrote a whole chapter devoted to the subject in Chad Arment’s 2006 book, Cryptozoology and the Investigation of Lesser-Known Mystery Animals. She claimed that she had been driving with her daughter when something ran out in front of them, which they at first took to be a deer. They braked the car and it soon became apparent that this was certainly no deer. The creature was described as standing around 3 feet tall and having a long, slender neck and skinny, bird-like legs, as well as small arms that seemed to come poking out of its neck rather than its body. There was also a long, tapered tail mentioned, and the total length of the creature was estimated as being around 5 feet. The creature was described as gracefully running on two legs. Although it seemed bird-like in many respects, the creature had no feathers, and the woman described it as looking like a “cross between a bird and a dinosaur.” They were convinced that they had seen a miniature dinosaur of some sort, and immediately went home to excitedly tell their families about it. Ystesund said of the incident: It was a Jurassic Park flashback. I mean I was—I couldn't believe it. We were, you know, freaked out. Immediately we thought it was some kind of dinosaur or a huge lizard. So we came home. Looked like the little dinosaurs in Jurassic Park that surrounded everybody in the tall grass fields. One resident of Pagosa Springs, Colorado named Myrtle Snow has claimed that she has seen these small dinosaurs on many occasions over the course of her life. She claims the first sighting was when she was a young girl in the 1930s, during which time she saw five baby bipedal dinosaurs, after which a local farmer apparently shot a larger one measuring 7 feet long that same month in the wake of a series of deadly attacks by a mystery predator on his sheep. Allegedly, the dead creature was stored in a barn, where it was viewed by many of the curious local farmers and ranchers. The creature was said to be grayish in color, with a head like a snake, a long, powerful tail, pronounced and muscular hind legs, and short forelegs that resembled “chicken’s feet.” Snow, who claims that she saw the body herself, said it was covered in fine, grey hairs. The carcass was allegedly put on ice and shipped to the Denver Museum, but further investigation by Sucik turned up no official records of ever receiving such a specimen. Interestingly, the very same museum had at one point received some skeletons purportedly from miniature dinosaurs captured during the 1960s in the southwest, but these turned out to be a hoax, merely the bones of several known animals cleverly arranged to make them seem mysterious. In addition to these tales, Snow then went on in later years to spot one such creature running along the road while she was driving, and says she saw yet another one in a cave, which was greenish in color. She related several of these experiences in a letter to the Rocky Mountain Empire Magazine in 1982. Such bipedal raptor-type “dinosaurs” have been seen in other states throughout the southwest as well. In April of 1996 a woman in Mesa Verde, California, claimed to have seen such a creature literally in her own yard. She reported that she had been sitting at home when she looked out the front door and saw a large lizard around 3 1/2 feet long and 3 1/2 feet high, which stood on two legs and moved very quickly toward a nearby pond. The strange creature allegedly had a 2-foot long tail and a cone shaped nose. The intrigued woman wasn’t quite sure what she had seen, and when she checked a reference book of reptiles of the area she could find nothing that even remotely resembled it. In another case from the state of Arizona uncovered by Sucik, a couple from Cortez, Colorado, were visiting when they came across a bizarre smallish bipedal lizard that they said looked almost like a dinosaur toy, until it moved. A particularly dramatic account, while not taking place in the west, is that of a group of boys who in 1981 claimed to have captured and subsequently released a 2-foot long “baby dinosaur” near some railway tracks in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. The odd creature was described as being bright green and possessing a very long tail and a “crest” on its head. This would not be the first time such a creature had been reportedly captured. One family claimed that in the late 1930s, as they were in the process of travelling out further west to follow the crops, a curious creature which looked like a “mini-T. rex” would approach their camp as they cooked. The creature came skulking around the camp for several days straight and on one such occasion the father supposedly managed to capture it alive. They then kept it in a birdcage and fed it food scraps. The tiny dinosaur was described as having small but very sharp teeth “like a kitten,” sharp hooks on its hands, and scaly skin that was reportedly warm to the touch unlike a usual reptile’s. The creature was purportedly mostly tame and not prone to biting or scratching, but it supposedly did not like to be held. The family alleged that they had kept it as a pet for a time until it grew too large for its cage, after which it was released. As it ran away, they noticed that it "flattened out, stretched its head out front, tail out back and was really fast." These reports of bipedal living dinosaurs in the American West are so numerous that some states even have their own, unique variations. Oklahoma has reports of such beasts prowling its grasslands, where they are referred to as “Oklahoma Raptors,” and Texas has its own, larger version called the Mountain Boomer, which are said to lurk mostly in the rugged mountain wilderness of the Big Bend region, near Big Bend National Park. The Mountain Boomers are said to stand between 5 to 7 feet tall and look like a miniature T. rex, with a bipedal gait, long tapered tail, powerful hind legs, and tiny fore legs tipped with sharp claws. Some reports mention large flaps of skin above and below the head, and the creature is said to sometimes emit a low, booming howl which has been described as sounding like a rumbling distant thunder. These creatures are said to be mostly shy and elusive, but one report from the early 1970s claimed that one actually ran a car off of the road. Judging by the history of such dinosaur sightings over such a vast area, one might get the impression that southwestern North America is literally crawling with such creatures; a real life Jurassic Park. What could these people possibly be seeing? There have been a lot of theories put forward on what could be at the heart of such sightings. One is that these are simply exaggerated misidentifications of known animals. For River Dinos it could be exotic escaped pet lizards or large monitor lizards, but these are not bipedal, which is a shared trait among all of the alleged sightings. There is also the possibility that people are seeing bipedal birds such as roadrunners, or the ever popular escaped emu or ostrich theory, yet the reports are very universal in their insistence that these mystery beasts have no feathers. Another idea is that we are dealing with some new species of bipedal lizard, along the lines of some species of lizard that display occasional bipedal locomotion during bursts of speed, only much larger. Interestingly, although the coloration and sizes often vary, the general appearance of these “River Dinos” or “Mini T. rexes” is remarkably similar across the board. For the pterodactyls it could be misidentifications of large birds or bats that have been greatly misestimated in size. It has been argued that things in the sky, without an object for a direct size comparison, can be misconstrued as being larger or smaller than it really is and that this may be behind the sightings. Unfortunately this does not explain the sightings made close to the ground or some of the odder details of the creatures’ appearance. It certainly would not explain the Tombstone Thunderbird carcass, if such a thing ever existed. It must be kept in mind, of course, the possibility that at least some of these reports are completely fabricated, and that the similarity in descriptions is simply due to the popular image of what a dinosaur should look like. Unfortunately, this ends up being one of the most damning strikes against the credibility of such reports. The common notion of what dinosaurs looked like is largely formed by what is depicted in the movies, and in many ways these physical appearances, as well as the way they are shown to move or the sounds they make, are most likely inaccurate. For instance, many of these smaller bipedal dinosaurs that the common image sees as smooth and scaly are actually now thought to have been covered in feathers, so what does that say of eyewitnesses who insist that the creatures were not feathered, and rather cling to the popular, wrong Hollywood image of what they think dinosaurs looked like? The booming, ferocious roar we envision dinos making is also likely inaccurate, as recent research had found that many of them, including the fearsome T. rex, more likely cooed or mumbled through closed mouths rather than unleash the massive roar we are familiar with from the movies, making something like the Mountain Boomer with its thunderous wail seem a bit odd. This disconnect between what dinosaurs were actually like and what people think they were like thanks to movies, plus the fact that the sightings always describe the latter, certainly gives one pause when considering whether the reports could be actual dinosaurs or not. There is also a glaring, almost complete lack of any real evidence, even circumstantial, besides the eyewitness reports. One wonders where all of the tracks are, and why there aren’t more purported photos besides the very, very few that are questionable at best and clearly faked at worst. The only photo that might possibly be any good is the one of the Tombstone Thunderbird, if we could see it or indeed find it or even know it existed at all. It seems that considering the history of sightings of pterodactyl and mini T. rex type dinosaurs going back all the way to the Wild West days, as well as the number of reports over such a large area, that we would have found at least something. Instead, we are left with mere amazing accounts and a handful of poor photos. It is meager by any cryptid's standards. If some sort of living dinosaur or new species of large, bipedal lizard is out there, then we seem to be very far from ever confirming it. It does not necessarily mean that they don’t exist, just that this total void of potential evidence, coupled with the sheer audacity of the claims, seems to hamper the credibility of the notion, even among cryptozoologists. So do dinosaurs similar to pterodactyls, velociraptors, and T. rexes roam the wilds of the American Southwest? It is a tantalizing, even romantic idea to be sure, while at the same time almost seemingly absurd. Yet what of the rich history of sightings and folklore of these alleged creatures? With so many accounts, it seems that something is going on, whether it is living dinosaurs or not. Is this all misidentifications of known animals? A new species? A complete farce? Or are there really dinosaurs surviving into the present day right under our noses? It is hard to say. One thing that is certain is that it seems one does not have to go to the deepest jungles of Africa or South America to find reports of dinosaurs still roaming the earth.

In June 2011, the Horniman Museum offered to loan a genuine Japanese monkey-fish to the museum of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP). The RCP said ‘yes’, of course, because who wouldn’t want a genuine Japanese monkey-fish? The monkey-fish was not due to arrive until December, but the word of his coming spread through the corridors of the RCP like wildfire. What was monkey-fish? Who was monkey-fish? ‘It’s the missing link,’ said some, while others speculated about a chupacabra roaming 11 St Andrews Place after dark. An urban legend was born. I work at the RCP and it is likely that I played a small part in the creation of the RCP’s very own cryptid. So while the bees are on their winter break, here is a post about another species, or two, sort of. Fakes, forgeries and quacks The RCP held two lunchtime talks on Tuesday 20 December with experts from the Horniman Museum and Wellcome Library on the subject of ‘Fakes, forgeries and quacks’, inspired by the loan of the Horniman monkey-fish. Japanese monkey-fish, or mermen, were popular attractions during the 19th century and were touted as being real creatures. The second talk, ‘Making mermaids: a fishy business’ by Paolo Viscardi, curator at the Horniman Museum and Garden, traced the chequered past of monkey-fish revealing the history of mermaids, tales of fraud, media manipulation and shipwrecks. Among the audience were a number of RCP staff who were eager to find out more about monkey-fish, or ‘Alan’ as he is affectionately called. Paolo took us on a journey of mermaid sightings from the Sirenia, or sea cows, mistaken for mer-folk by ancient mariners, to the thousand-year-old shrivelled ‘mermaids’ of Japanese Shinto shrines, to the famous Fiji Mermaid exhibited by master showman PT Barnum in the 1840s. This was all very well, but what I wanted to know was this: who is our monkey-fish? Who is monkey-fish? On Tuesday, 2 September 1919, a Japanese merman was purchased by, or on behalf of, Henry Wellcome at an auction held by Stevens London auctioneers. The auction catalogue listed the specimen as ‘Japan, Mermaid, paper-mache body, with fish-tail 20 in. long x 9 in. high’.[ref] The merman came to the Horniman Museum from the Wellcome Collection in 1982, and somewhere along the way it gained the name ‘monkey-fish’ because of its appearance of a monkey’s head and torso sewn onto the body of a fish. Mystery solved, or is it? What is a monkey-fish? I was curious to know, what is a monkey-fish made of? Is it the mummified head and torso of a monkey sewn onto the tail of a fish? The Horniman Museum had investigated the makings of monkey-fish through X-ray and CT scans – and the results? ‘What is a monkey-fish made of? Paper, wood, string and clay, with fish bits and chicken feet!’ said Paolo. ‘But no monkey.’ Monkey-fish babies and the dark sibling, Paul As if that were not enough excitement for one afternoon, we were told that there could be 100s of monkey-fish out there, waiting to be found. There might also be monkey-fish babies, which led to a twittering of ‘I want’ tweets. The Horniman monkey-fish even has a sibling on display elsewhere in the UK – a dark twin called Paul. I may have made up that last bit. Come and see our monkey-fish! The monkey-fish will be exhibited alongside items from the RCP’s own collections, which involve an element of fakery – whether intentional or not – until 20 January 2012, and is open Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm. No booking is required and entry is free. The exhibition area is closed on public holidays and for RCP ceremonies. The RCP museum holds various events all year round and information on how to visit is here. Monkey-fish will return home to the Horniman Museum at the end of January, which also looks like a pretty interesting place to visit.

Globsters? What On Earth is That? By Sara Fawley What in the world is a Globster you ask? It is the name given to mysterious immediately unidentifiable carcassas that wash up on the shores of the ocean and sometimes(though not often) lakes This does not apply to every carcass that washes up on shore. If it is recognizable as a known marine animal then it is not a Globster. These masses that wash up on shore are so bizarre looking that when they are discovered most think they are some sort of sea monster. In his book “Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology” George M Eberhart give this description of Globsters: No apparent bone structure, ivory -colored, rubbery, stringy, extremely tough skin, covered in fine hair or fiber, no defined head, no visible eyes.” Let’s look at a few well known Globsters. In 1896 was tossed a massive corpse on the beach in St Augustine Florida.. It was a 6 foot high rubbery blob.It was speculated at the time to be from a giant octupus. In 1956 th “dry harbor carcass” washed up on an Alaskan Beach. It was 100 feet long and covered in 2 in reddish fur. In the early 1960s one washed up on the West Coast of Tasmania. The blob was about 20 feet long by 15 feet wide and had 6 to 8 strange lobes along the side. These are just a few. There have been many others over the centuries. So what the heck are they? There has been specutlation over the years that Globsters are everything from basking shark carcassas to giant octopuses to the remains of prehistoric animals that were frozen in icebergs and finally thawed and washed ashore. In 2004 Bilogist Sidney Pierce and his team gathered all available Globster specimens and examined them using electron microscopes as well as molecular and DNA testing. Their conclusion was that all available specimens were from various species of great whales. Some will refute the assertion that all Globsters are whale blubber saying that the tests on some were inconclusive. The truth is that no matter how advanced DNA testing is it is only as good as the specimin being examined. If the specimin is to degraded or there is other contamination then the results could be inconclusive. However given the fact that all of the ones that were conclusive have come back as whale blubber it is probably safe to say that other ones resembling them are most likely the same thing. We will always have stories of mysterious sea monsters and be looking for evidence or bodies. I for one do not think the answer is Globsters. The Cryptid Zoo

If you enjoy this and want me to make more, please consider supporting my patreon. It’s Fallout Meets the Secret of NIMH Meets Untitled Goose Game. The game is set in a few square blocks of an urban environment, with a mix of survival and stealth mechanics. You have all the standard aspect of a survival game, locating food and resources, building or locating shelter, etc, Humans, depending on who they are, are likely to be hostile and if they become too aware of you they’ll devote time and resources to hunting you and making your life difficult, destroying your nests, laying traps and the like. Fortunately, you can see in low light, so the night is a cooly lit world brimming with hiding spots. Daytime, by contrast, is swarming with threats and it’s brightness makes navigation and difficult. Carefully observing humans can unlock new crafting and skill options, however, making getting near them worth the risk. Early skills fit with abilities a possum might possess, like climbing, playing dead, and opening latches and working door handles. As the game progresses, skills open up like “stand upright”, “craft weapons”, and “imitate human speech.” You see, you’re not learning, you’re mutating. Through the course of the game, your aberrant intelligence grows and you connect with a network of abnormally intelligent animals to discover why you are the way you are, and what that means for you and the humans whose shadows you hide in. - Explore a familiar world turned alien through the nocturnal eye of a small, screaming marsupial. - Scavenge the leftovers of civilization without the looming bummer of a nuclear apocalypse. - Alternate playthrough styles including Racoon, Coyote and Skunk, each with different strengths and weaknesses (Racoon has advantages with anything needing hands but is combat-averse. Coyote is good in a fight, is active during the day and is able to work around humans (mistaken for a dog) but is terrible with mobility and crafting. Skunk takes a slight hit on hand-skills but has the spray which is very effective. Draws tons of aggro from humans) - Scavenge, farm, build, steal or fight to survive. Claw your way from scavenger to renowned cryptid, become one special human’s life-changing friend, or reclaim the world in the name of nature’s forgotten. It’s your choice! Or just wander off to enjoy the survival loops and endlessly torment the human character AI. - Elaborate branching dialog trees but all your lines are just various hisses. This provides no impediment to understanding you.

It’s been 10 years since the release of Dane Rumble’s solo album The Experiment. Josie Adams looks back on why New Zealand fell so hard and fast. It sometimes feels like Dane Rumble was a mass hallucination. In the space of a decade, we’ve seen what was once just a standard summer bop – ‘Cruel’ – turn into a beloved piece of Kiwiana. Its creator is a cryptid. No one has seen him in years, and even back then you couldn’t be sure. At The Experiment’s launch, a decade ago yesterday, Dane Rumble had only one wish: “I just want to write the best album that I can and for every song to be as awesome as it can possibly be.” It’s hard to say if it’s the best album he’s capable of making. He only ever made two. It was good enough, or at least singular enough, to keep him in the public eye until he chose to leave it in 2013. The Rumblemania phenomenon lasted for only a few brief years, but we can’t shake it. How did the man become the myth? Within the man lives a kid: Kid Deft. That was Dane Rumble’s name in Fast Crew, the five-person hip-hop group best known for garish sweatshirts and this absolute banger: The first time the New Zealand public heard Rumblings on its airwaves was in 2002, with Fast Crew’s single ‘Mr Radio’. As Kid Deft, he was honing his songwriting: ‘I Got’ shows off his keen ear for a hook, and ‘Mr Radio’ and ‘Suburbia Streets’ showcase a storytelling talent he’d put to good use in his 2010 music videos. Fast Crew would last for nine years, and support huge international acts like Missy Elliot and DMX, but nothing lasts forever; such is the nature of the game. It was time for Kid Deft to shed some inches of hair and become the man we all have burned into our memories: Dane Rumble. In the two years between Fast Crew and Dane Rumble™ he transformed. He became a pop artist. Hair gelled, pants tight, shades on. His first solo single was the 2009 hit ‘Always Be Here’, which remains one of his best songs; but it’s not how we remember him. It’s the superimposed galaxies and purple lights of ‘Cruel’ that are embedded deep in the consciousness of every New Zealander. When he wrote it, he knew what he’d done. “This is 100% a hit,” he thought. “This is the best song I’ve ever written.” In the music video, he goes to space to get away from an ex-girlfriend. The Spinoff Books editor Catherine Woulfe interviewed him just two weeks before The Experiment came out, and remembers him as having “nice skin and good patter”. He was calm, unbothered by his imminent local stardom. He spoke of the ultimate goal: designing his own sunglasses. Shades would become his gimmick over the next couple of years. I once saw him sitting on a couch (indoors) with shades on. For years, I wondered what was underneath those sweet rims. When he was Kid Deft he rapped so hard, and with so much jaw vigour, that the muscles around his eyes were permanently tensed. The windows to his soul were so puckered by the intensity of his flow that I had no idea what I was looking at. Did anyone ever see Dane Rumble’s eyes? For a time, it was plausible that Dane Rumble was just Drew Neemia with sunglasses on. Rumours spread that he loved public transport, but only because a man with a sharp jawline and massive shades was spotted at a Glenfield bus stop and on a train out of Britomart. The mystery was only added to when he failed to turn up to a Parachute gig. Was he a myth? Was he a mass hallucination? Was he AI-generated? Whatever he was, between 2008 and 2012 everyone wanted a piece of him. He featured on J. Williams’ ‘Takes Me Higher,’ singing about the love of a beautiful woman while surrounded by luxury cars and some very tired Bendon models. He supported The Eagles (!) on their tour. He was in November Zulu’s ‘Second to None’, rapping and fighting the rockers in a wrestling ring. He also, allegedly, called music journalist Hussein Moses a “little snake” in an email after Moses wrote up an interview in a style that Rumble didn’t appreciate; the story and email screenshot have both been scrubbed from both The Corner and Twitter, but writer Joe Nunweek described the interaction as Rumble “making a dick of himself in his own words and [Moses] simply provided the mortar for the bricks”. According to Nunweek, Moses’ crime was pointing out that Rumble’s music didn’t do it for a lot of critics. One critic, Simon Sweetman, wrote a scathing review: “This will be shoved down people’s faces as being great new music from New Zealand and it’s not. It’s horrible. And everyone involved should feel very ashamed. They are selling a lie.” Sam Wicks, Moses’ commissioning editor at Real Groove, confirmed that he was blacklisted by Rumble’s label following the piece. As far as he can recall, Moses’ crime was calling Fast Crew critically unloved. Nunweek said there were valid criticisms of Dane Rumble’s music, but in large part there was bias against him. “Fast Crew were a bit of a running joke for what were, in retrospect, pretty snobby and elitist reasons,” he said. “So when Dane Rumble came out solo he was kind of a big target.” It’s all history now, and not how the vast majority of the country will remember Dane Rumble. He won best male solo artist at the NZ Music Awards and most played at the APRAs, proving you don’t have to choose between quality and quantity. Get you a man who can do both, plus a DJ set at Ohakune Mardi Gras. Every year someone asks where Dane Rumble is. Every year, the answer is the same – Sydney – but that’s deeply unsatisfying. What we’re really asking is: how did a man who could exude that much charisma with only the lower half of his face get driven out of New Zealand music? The boring truth is: he wasn’t driven away, not even by people comparing him to Drew Neemia. He opted out of the business we call show and got into the hardest rock of all: diamonds. After designing a ring and getting Scotty Nicols, lead singer of Late Nyte Hype, to make it, the duo realised they had something sweet going on. Thus, bespoke custom jeweller Culét was born. He’s a man dedicated to bespoke experiences. He once met a stranger at a bus stop and took him to a party. He 3D-printed rings for Zac Franich and Erin Simpson. He rhymed “campervan” with “gasoline” and we all believed it worked. Dane Rumble opened the Point Chevalier KFC in 2010, only a year before the Double Down was introduced. Did he, a proven deadset legend, have a hand in it? It’s impossible to know. One thing we do know is that 10 years ago he launched more than a few dozen Family Feasts – he launched an ascent to NZ pop immortality. Subscribe to The Bulletin to get all the day’s key news stories in five minutes – delivered every weekday at 7.30am.

The Bigfoot does not live alone and this QuickTurtle Books rhyme for kids tells the tale. All creatures, in order to survive, have to have families. That is the one thread that runs through all of life. A bigfoot has to be accompanied by little big feet pattering around on the forest floor, somewhere. We all know, if it were not for the existence of a female, a juvenile, and a baby sasquatch, there would be no possibility of a big Sasquatch. The legend of bigfoot would simply be a myth instead of a legend. The magical existence of the sasquatch family is wonderfully portrayed in Mary Rensberry's bigfoot art. Any bigfoot lover as well as Bigfoot himself would be intrigued to read Sasquatch, the bigfoot book for kids. It is about family and the inevitable presence of Sasquatch love. If I were a Bigfoot, I'd be daddy of three-- nine little big feet all happy and free. If I were a Bigfoot, I'd play hide and seek with legends and myths all done on the sneak. When you enter the Fairview Food Market in Fairview, Michigan, you will find Sasquatch there as you approach the cash register. Not only is Bigfoot trying to grab the attention of curious kids that look up, he has a lot to say from the book right next to him. That companion book for teens and adults is called, Conversations With Sasquatch, The Encounter, a new short read novel about a Sasquatch encounter in Lewiston, Michigan. So you can literally check-out my books when you stop by our local grocery in downtown Fairview. The Bigfoot is said to be a large, ape-like creature that lives primarily in the forests stretching from the West Coast of British Columbia to Northern California, and to a lesser extent throughout North America. Sasquatch Bigfoot is a cryptid — a creature whose existence is suggested, but has not yet been confirmed by the scientific community. Like the Yeti of Asia or the Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas, bigfoot is rooted in Indigenous legend and is commonly researched by cryptozoologists and enthusiasts. Some believe Sasquatch is a nearly extinct species of hominid that survives in isolation, while others consider the creature to be the product of folklore and magic. I am in the latter category. The thread that runs through all my books is the one of magic and folklore. The Bigfoot are magical supernatural creatures with a very high intelligence and strong empathy for life.

What is Bitcoin Mining? How Does it Actually Work? (2020 ... What is Bitcoin Mining? How Does it Actually Work? (2020 ... What is Bitcoin Mining? - Tutorialspoint Bitcoin Mining - BitcoinExchangeGuide Bitcoin Mining Definition Bitcoin is now harder to mine than ever before - so is it ... For discussion about Litecoin, the leading cryptocurrency derived from Bitcoin. Litecoin is developed with a focus on speed, efficiency, and wider initial coin distribution through the use of scrypt-based mining. Quark is a decentralized digital monetary system. It facilitates sending Quarks to Friends, Family Members Online Payments free of charges and charge-backs. Military Grade Encryption. No Bank or Government Control. Quark coins are based on the original idea of Bitcoin but improved, more secure, faster transaction times and zero fees. With improvements to design and security. There is also a greater coin supply with higher block rewards for miners. Quark is fully Open Source. It's another goddamn level of data collection. I bet they're selling this data. I did 4 face scans, 4 knuckle scans, and 2 full room scans today. What the actual fuck. Why do you need to see my whole room? I'm sitting in this tiny ass corner so it doesn't seem like I'm cheating and now they wanna see the whole goddamn room? The audacity of these a-holes is incredible. It says "show under the desk". Yeah, cuz I got eyes on my feet right? Isn't my face and hands and constant proctoring and FULL MOTHERFUCKIN DISK ACCESS, and access to control any and all apps on my laptop at any time in any way enough? This is the exact access a virus needs to use your laptop for bitcoin mining. Oh, and not to mention they made me download a chrome extension with full access to all data, control over the whole browser, and ability to open and close tabs without my permission I don't even feel like this is my laptop anymore. Why can't we use lockdown browser? It's THE SAME SHIT. Just have us join zoom or some shit and lockdown browser. At this point they might as well make us naked and take a full body scan to make sure we didn't tattoo the fuckin syllabus on us or some shit Dear Proctortrack, lmk if you need to scan the inside of my eyeballs too, you know, to make sure i have "aCaDeMiC iNtEgRiTy". Who knows? Maybe I tattooed the inside of my goddamn retinas? I understand that 51% Attack is very costly and probably won't probably much financial incentive to the one who orchestrates it. I came across this blog post called How China can kill bitcoin and thought that the author does have quite a good point (despite the tone of the blog post). He argued that the top 4 Chinese mining pools alone represent more than 51% of the hashrate and if the Chinese government are to forcibly commandeer these top 4 mining pools (without having to buy new mining equipment) then they can easily orchestrate the 51% attack within an hour and a double-spend would have been successful. A few questions: If this all is true, wouldn't you say that China is quite a big threat to the existence of bitcoin? Isn't this something we should be more worried about? (it seems that most of bitcoin community just assumed that no one will attempt the 51% attack and it has been debunked many times). I don't know what could be the incentives for China to do this (cracking down money laundering?) but does the fact that they could do this if they want to concern you? Will bitcoin mining be more decentralized (esp away from China) in the future? It seems that miners should go wherever there is cheap electricity, why haven't more countries jumped in? Can anyone comment about Stratum V2? Will it help address the problem by giving the control to miners o select their own transaction sets? When will it be ready? Minimum Viable Issuance - Why Ethereum’s lack of a hard cap on ETH issuance is a good thing. This post will explain how the argument used by the average Bitcoin maximalist, thinking that they have found Ethereum’s achilles heel when talking about issuance is actually highlighting one of Ethereum’s strong points and one of the main threats to the longevity of the Bitcoin network. So first let’s answer the question which I know many people have about Ethereum: What is Ethereum’s ETH issuance schedule? Ethereum has an issuance policy of Minimum Viable Issuance. So what does this mean exactly? It means that the issuance of ETH will be as low as possible while also maintaining a sufficient budget to pay miners (and soon to be stakers) to keep the network secure. For example, if ETH issuance was halved, miners would drop off the network and stop mining as it is no longer profitable for them to mine. As a result, the network would be less secure as it would cost less money for an attacker to control 51% of the hash power and attack the network. This means that the Ethereum community plans to change ETH issuance as time goes on to maintain a reasonable security budget which will keep the network secure but will also keep inflation in check. We have done this twice in the past with EIP-649 and EIP-1234 which reduced block rewards from 5 ETH per block to 3 ETH and from 3 ETH to 2 ETH respectively. I previously made a graph of ETH issuance over time here: https://redd.it/it8ce7 So while Ethereum doesn’t have a strictly defined issuance schedule, the community will reject any proposals which either put the security of the network at risk such as the recent EIP-2878, or we will reject proposals which will lead to excessive network security and therefore an unnecessarily high inflation rate (or we will accept proposals which reduce issuance after price rises and therefore the security budget rises). This means that when Bitcoiners accuse the Ethereum Foundation of being no better than a central bank because they can “print more Ether”, this is completely untrue. Any proposals made by the EF which would increase issuance unnecessarily would be rejected by the community in the same way that a proposal to increase the supply of Bitcoin from 21 million to 22 million would be rejected. There is a social contract around both Bitcoin’s and Ethereum’s issuance schedules. Any networks or proposals which break the social contracts of 21 million Bitcoins and minimal viable issuance of Ether would be a breach of these contracts and the new proposed network would be labeled by the community as illegitimate and the original network would live on. So why is minimum viable issuance better than a hard cap? Minimum viable issuance is better than a hard cap because it puts the most important part of the network first - the security. MVI ensures that the Ethereum network will always have a security budget which keeps the cost of a 51% attack impractically high. Bitcoin on the other hand, halves its security budget every 4 years until eventually only the transaction fees pay for network security. This means that every 4 years, the amount of money paying for network security halves until eventually, the value of attacking the network becomes greater than the security budget and someone performs a 51% attack (technically the security budget only halves if terms of BTC not in dollars. However, even if the price of Bitcoin more than doubles in the time that the security budget halves, the ratio of security budget to value secured on the network still halves, doubling the financial viability of performing a network attack). The strategy to pay for the security budget once Bitcoin issuance stops is for transaction fees to secure the network since transaction fees are paid to miners. Not only does this have its own security problems which I won’t detail here, but unless Bitcoin scales on layer 1 (layer 2 scaling solutions have their own security mechanisms separate from L1), then fees would have to cost well in the thousands of dollars to secure a trillion dollar market cap Bitcoin that is secured by nothing but fees. If Bitcoin maximalists want a 10 trillion or 100 trillion dollar market cap then expect fees to go up another 10 or 100 times from there. Ethereum on the other hand, will be able to keep its network secure with approximately 1-2% annual issuance being paid to stakers under ETH 2.0. This is because not all of the network will be staking, so if 33 million of the approximately 110 million Ether in existence stakes under ETH 2.0, then paying this 33 million Ether 6% a year (a very decent yield!) would cost just under 2 million ETH per year which would equate to less than 2% annual ETH inflation. This is also before considering EIP-1559 which will burn a portion of transaction fees which will counter the effect of this inflation and potentially even make ETH deflationary if the sum of all burned transaction fees are greater than the annual inflation. Also, under ETH 2.0, an attacker performing a 51% attack would get his funds slashed (they would lose their funds) if they attack the network, meaning that they can only perform a 51% attack once. However, in Bitcoin, anyone who controls 51% of the mining hash power could perform multiple 51% attacks without losing everything like they could in ETH 2.0. So in conclusion, while Ethereum doesn’t have the guaranteed anti-inflation security of a hard cap, it does have the guarantee of always paying it’s miners (or stakers under ETH 2.0) enough to keep the network secure. In contrast, while Bitcoin’s social contract may guarantee a hard cap of 21 million, it cannot simultaneously guarantee network security in the long run. Eventually, its users will have to decide if they want a secure network with more than 21 million coins or a tax to pay for security or an insecure network with super high fees and a hard cap of 21 million Bitcoin. Disclaimer:The details I covered around 51% attacks and network security are simplified. I am not an expert in this field and things are a lot more nuanced than I laid out in my simplifications above. You've probably been hearing a lot about Bitcoin recently and are wondering what's the big deal? Most of your questions should be answered by the resources below but if you have additional questions feel free to ask them in the comments. It all started with the release of the release of Satoshi Nakamoto's whitepaper however that will probably go over the head of most readers so we recommend the following videos for a good starting point for understanding how bitcoin works and a little about its long term potential: Limited Supply - There will only ever be 21,000,000 bitcoins created and they are issued in a predictable fashion, you can view the inflation schedule here. Once they are all issued Bitcoin will be truly deflationary. The halving countdown can be found here. Open source - Bitcoin code is fully auditable. You can read the source code yourself here. Accountable - The public ledger is transparent, all transactions are seen by everyone. Decentralized - Bitcoin is globally distributed across thousands of nodes with no single point of failure and as such can't be shut down similar to how Bittorrent works. You can even run a node on a Raspberry Pi. Censorship resistant - No one can prevent you from interacting with the bitcoin network and no one can censor, alter or block transactions that they disagree with, see Operation Chokepoint. Push system - There are no chargebacks in bitcoin because only the person who owns the address where the bitcoins reside has the authority to move them. Low fee scaling - On chain transaction fees depend on network demand and how much priority you wish to assign to the transaction. Most wallets calculate on chain fees automatically but you can view current fees here and mempool activity here. On chain fees may rise occasionally due to network demand, however instant micropayments that do not require confirmations are happening via the Lightning Network, a second layer scaling solution currently rolling out on the Bitcoin mainnet. Borderless - No country can stop it from going in/out, even in areas currently unserved by traditional banking as the ledger is globally distributed. Portable - Bitcoins are digital so they are easier to move than cash or gold. They can even be transported by simply memorizing a string of words for wallet recovery (while cool this method is generally not recommended due to potential for insecure key generation by inexperienced users. Hardware wallets are the preferred method for new users due to ease of use and additional security). Bitcoin.org and BuyBitcoinWorldwide.com are helpful sites for beginners. You can buy or sell any amount of bitcoin (even just a few dollars worth) and there are several easy methods to purchase bitcoin with cash, credit card or bank transfer. Some of the more popular resources are below, also check out the bitcoinity exchange resources for a larger list of options for purchases. Here is a listing of local ATMs. If you would like your paycheck automatically converted to bitcoin use Bitwage. Note: Bitcoins are valued at whatever market price people are willing to pay for them in balancing act of supply vs demand. Unlike traditional markets, bitcoin markets operate 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Preev is a useful site that that shows how much various denominations of bitcoin are worth in different currencies. Alternatively you can just Google "1 bitcoin in (your local currency)". Securing your bitcoins With bitcoin you can "Be your own bank" and personally secure your bitcoins OR you can use third party companies aka "Bitcoin banks" which will hold the bitcoins for you. If you prefer to "Be your own bank" and have direct control over your coins without having to use a trusted third party, then you will need to create your own wallet and keep it secure. If you want easy and secure storage without having to learn computer security best practices, then a hardware wallet such as the Trezor, Ledger or ColdCard is recommended. Alternatively there are many software wallet options to choose from here depending on your use case. If you prefer to let third party "Bitcoin banks" manage your coins, try Gemini but be aware you may not be in control of your private keys in which case you would have to ask permission to access your funds and be exposed to third party risk. Note: For increased security, use Two Factor Authentication (2FA) everywhere it is offered, including email! 2FA requires a second confirmation code to access your account making it much harder for thieves to gain access. Google Authenticator and Authy are the two most popular 2FA services, download links are below. Make sure you create backups of your 2FA codes. As mentioned above, Bitcoin is decentralized, which by definition means there is no official website or Twitter handle or spokesperson or CEO. However, all money attracts thieves. This combination unfortunately results in scammers running official sounding names or pretending to be an authority on YouTube or social media. Many scammers throughout the years have claimed to be the inventor of Bitcoin. Websites like bitcoin(dot)com and the btc subreddit are active scams. Almost all altcoins (shitcoins) are marketed heavily with big promises but are really just designed to separate you from your bitcoin. So be careful: any resource, including all linked in this document, may in the future turn evil. Don't trust, verify. Also as they say in our community "Not your keys, not your coins". Where can I spend bitcoins? Check out spendabit or bitcoin directory for millions of merchant options. Also you can spend bitcoin anywhere visa is accepted with bitcoin debit cards such as the CashApp card. Some other useful site are listed below. Mining bitcoins can be a fun learning experience, but be aware that you will most likely operate at a loss. Newcomers are often advised to stay away from mining unless they are only interested in it as a hobby similar to folding at home. If you want to learn more about mining you can read more here. Still have mining questions? The crew at /BitcoinMining would be happy to help you out. If you want to contribute to the bitcoin network by hosting the blockchain and propagating transactions you can run a full node using this setup guide. If you would prefer to keep it simple there are several good options. You can view the global node distribution here. Just like any other form of money, you can also earn bitcoins by being paid to do a job. You can also earn bitcoins by participating as a market maker on JoinMarket by allowing users to perform CoinJoin transactions with your bitcoins for a small fee (requires you to already have some bitcoins. The following is a short list of ongoing projects that might be worth taking a look at if you are interested in current development in the bitcoin space. One Bitcoin is quite large (hundreds of £/$/€) so people often deal in smaller units. The most common subunits are listed below: one bitcoin is equal to 100 million satoshis 1,000 per bitcoin used as default unit in recent Electrum wallet releases 1,000,000 per bitcoin colloquial "slang" term for microbitcoin (μBTC) 100,000,000 per bitcoin smallest unit in bitcoin, named after the inventor For example, assuming an arbitrary exchange rate of $10000 for one Bitcoin, a $10 meal would equal: For more information check out the Bitcoin units wiki. Still have questions? Feel free to ask in the comments below or stick around for our weekly Mentor Monday thread. If you decide to post a question in /Bitcoin, please use the search bar to see if it has been answered before, and remember to follow the community rules outlined on the sidebar to receive a better response. The mods are busy helping manage our community so please do not message them unless you notice problems with the functionality of the subreddit. Note: This is a community created FAQ. If you notice anything missing from the FAQ or that requires clarification you can edit it here and it will be included in the next revision pending approval. Welcome to the Bitcoin community and the new decentralized economy! What are all of the reasons you bought Bitcoin? Here's my list: Innovation - Bitcoin is an entirely new form of wealth. Bitcoin is the most valuable digital creation ever, and it's just getting started. Bitcoin is unstoppable because of its nature. Bitcoin can't be copied. Monetary policy - I don't even know how to say this correctly, but... I love the issuance schedule of Bitcoin. There's a block every ten minutes. Every block includes a bribe to the miners to spend electricity. That's called a block reward. It started at 50 BTC. Then every 210,000 blocks (about 4 years) the reward gets cut in half. This happens 33 times total until all 21,000,000 BTC are mined in about the year 2140, at which point the network continues on working forever existing on transaction fees alone. The monetary policy creates a 4 year exponential price cycle. The stock to flow theory explains this more elegantly. Gold is valuable because you can't copy it, it's rare, and not much new gold is mined/found each year. It would take 62 years of the current mining rate to mine as much gold as we have today. But Bitcoin is different. It is impossible to mine/create as much Bitcoin as what already exists today. Block 649258 was just mined. That means there exists 18,495,362.5 BTC. There's only 2,504,637.5 BTC left to mine ever. Bitcoin is already more rare than gold. How much longer do you think it's going to take before people catch on and the price goes up because of the network effect? 18,495,362.5 BTC divided evenly across the planet would be less than 0.0025 BTC per person. Reason #3: Bitcoin has been battle hardened. Bitcoin is unhackable at the network level. So if you use Bitcoin at the network level with a non custodial Bitcoin wallet, then you're pretty solid. Probably safer than all the good in your Fort Knox. So what are your reasons for buying Bitcoin? https://github.com/gridcoin-community/Gridcoin-Research/releases/tag/184.108.40.206 Finally! After over ten months of development and testing, "Fern" has arrived! This is a whopper. 240 pull requests merged. Essentially a complete rewrite that was started with the scraper (the "neural net" rewrite) in "Denise" has now been completed. Practically the ENTIRE Gridcoin specific codebase resting on top of the vanilla Bitcoin/Peercoin/Blackcoin vanilla PoS code has been rewritten. This removes the team requirement at last (see below), although there are many other important improvements besides that. Fern was a monumental undertaking. We had to encode all of the old rules active for the v10 block protocol in new code and ensure that the new code was 100% compatible. This had to be done in such a way as to clear out all of the old spaghetti and ring-fence it with tightly controlled class implementations. We then wrote an entirely new, simplified ruleset for research rewards and reengineered contracts (which includes beacon management, polls, and voting) using properly classed code. The fundamentals of Gridcoin with this release are now on a very sound and maintainable footing, and the developers believe the codebase as updated here will serve as the fundamental basis for Gridcoin's future roadmap. We have been testing this for MONTHS on testnet in various stages. The v10 (legacy) compatibility code has been running on testnet continuously as it was developed to ensure compatibility with existing nodes. During the last few months, we have done two private testnet forks and then the full public testnet testing for v11 code (the new protocol which is what Fern implements). The developers have also been running non-staking "sentinel" nodes on mainnet with this code to verify that the consensus rules are problem-free for the legacy compatibility code on the broader mainnet. We believe this amount of testing is going to result in a smooth rollout. Given the amount of changes in Fern, I am presenting TWO changelogs below. One is high level, which summarizes the most significant changes in the protocol. The second changelog is the detailed one in the usual format, and gives you an inkling of the size of this release. Note that the protocol changes will not become active until we cross the hard-fork transition height to v11, which has been set at 2053000. Given current average block spacing, this should happen around October 4, about one month from now. Note that to get all of the beacons in the network on the new protocol, we are requiring ALL beacons to be validated. A two week (14 day) grace period is provided by the code, starting at the time of the transition height, for people currently holding a beacon to validate the beacon and prevent it from expiring. That means that EVERY CRUNCHER must advertise and validate their beacon AFTER the v11 transition (around Oct 4th) and BEFORE October 18th (or more precisely, 14 days from the actual date of the v11 transition). If you do not advertise and validate your beacon by this time, your beacon will expire and you will stop earning research rewards until you advertise and validate a new beacon. This process has been made much easier by a brand new beacon "wizard" that helps manage beacon advertisements and renewals. Once a beacon has been validated and is a v11 protocol beacon, the normal 180 day expiration rules apply. Note, however, that the 180 day expiration on research rewards has been removed with the Fern update. This means that while your beacon might expire after 180 days, your earned research rewards will be retained and can be claimed by advertising a beacon with the same CPID and going through the validation process again. In other words, you do not lose any earned research rewards if you do not stake a block within 180 days and keep your beacon up-to-date. The transition height is also when the team requirement will be relaxed for the network. Besides the beacon wizard, there are a number of improvements to the GUI, including new UI transaction types (and icons) for staking the superblock, sidestake sends, beacon advertisement, voting, poll creation, and transactions with a message. The main screen has been revamped with a better summary section, and better status icons. Several changes under the hood have improved GUI performance. And finally, the diagnostics have been revamped. The wallet sync speed has been DRASTICALLY improved. A decent machine with a good network connection should be able to sync the entire mainnet blockchain in less than 4 hours. A fast machine with a really fast network connection and a good SSD can do it in about 2.5 hours. One of our goals was to reduce or eliminate the reliance on snapshots for mainnet, and I think we have accomplished that goal with the new sync speed. We have also streamlined the in-memory structures for the blockchain which shaves some memory use. There are so many goodies here it is hard to summarize them all. I would like to thank all of the contributors to this release, but especially thank @cyrossignol, whose incredible contributions formed the backbone of this release. I would also like to pay special thanks to @barton2526, @caraka, and @Quezacoatl1, who tirelessly helped during the testing and polishing phase on testnet with testing and repeated builds for all architectures. The developers are proud to present this release to the community and we believe this represents the starting point for a true renaissance for Gridcoin! Most significantly, nodes calculate research rewards directly from the magnitudes in EACH superblock between stakes instead of using a two- or three- point average based on a CPID's current magnitude and the magnitude for the CPID when it last staked. For those long-timers in the community, this has been referred to as "Superblock Windows," and was first done in proof-of-concept form by @denravonska. Network magnitude unit pinned to a static value of 0.25 Max research reward allowed per block raised to 16384 GRC (from 12750 GRC) New CPIDs begin accruing research rewards from the first superblock that contains the CPID instead of from the time of the beacon advertisement 500 GRC research reward limit for a CPID's first stake 6-month expiration for unclaimed rewards 10-block spacing requirement between research reward claims Rolling 5-day payment-per-day limit Legacy tolerances for floating-point error and time drift The need to include a valid copy of a CPID's magnitude in a claim 10-block emission adjustment interval for the magnitude unit One-time beacon activation requires that participants temporarily change their usernames to a verification code at one whitelisted BOINC project Verification codes of pending beacons expire after 3 days Self-service beacon removal Burn fee for beacon advertisement increased from 0.00001 GRC to 0.5 GRC Rain addresses derived from beacon keys instead of a default wallet address Beacon expiration determined as of the current block instead of the previous block The ability for developers to remove beacons The ability to sign research reward claims with non-current but unexpired beacons As a reminder: Beacons expire after 6 months pass (180 days) Beacons can be renewed after 5 months pass (150 days) Renewed beacons must be signed with the same key as the original beacon Magnitudes less than 1 include two fractional places Magnitudes greater than or equal to 1 but less than 10 include one fractional place A valid superblock must match a scraper convergence Superblock popularity election mechanics Yes/no/abstain and single-choice response types (no user-facing support yet) To create a poll, a maximum of 250 UTXOs for a single address must add up to 100000 GRC. These are selected from the largest downwards. Burn fee for creating polls scaled by the number of UTXOs claimed 50 GRC for a poll contract 0.001 GRC per claimed UTXO Burn fee for casting votes scaled by the number of UTXOs claimed 0.01 GRC for a vote contract 0.01 GRC to claim magnitude 0.01 GRC per claimed address 0.001 GRC per claimed UTXO Maximum length of a poll title: 80 characters Maximum length of a poll question: 100 characters Maximum length of a poll discussion website URL: 100 characters Maximum number of poll choices: 20 Maximum length of a poll choice label: 100 characters Magnitude, CPID count, and participant count poll weight types The ability for developers to remove polls and votes [220.127.116.11] 2020-09-03, mandatory, "Fern" Backport newer uint256 types from Bitcoin #1570 (@cyrossignol) Implement project level rain for rainbymagnitude #1580 (@jamescowens) Upgrade utilities (Update checker and snapshot downloadeapplication) #1576 (@iFoggz) Provide fees collected in the block by the miner #1601 (@iFoggz) Add support for generating legacy superblocks from scraper stats #1603 (@cyrossignol) Port of the Bitcoin Logger to Gridcoin #1600 (@jamescowens) Implement zapwallettxes #1605 (@jamescowens) Implements a global event filter to suppress help question mark #1609 (@jamescowens) Add next target difficulty to RPC output #1615 (@cyrossignol) Add caching for block hashes to CBlock #1624 (@cyrossignol) Make toolbars and tray icon red for testnet #1637 (@jamescowens) Add an rpc call convergencereport #1643 (@jamescowens) Implement newline filter on config file read in #1645 (@jamescowens) Implement beacon status icon/button #1646 (@jamescowens) Add gridcointestnet.png #1649 (@caraka) Add precision to support magnitudes less than 1 #1651 (@cyrossignol) Replace research accrual calculations with superblock snapshots #1657 (@cyrossignol) Publish example gridcoinresearch.conf as a md document to the doc directory #1662 (@jamescowens) Add options checkbox to disable transaction notifications #1666 (@jamescowens) Add support for self-service beacon deletion #1695 (@cyrossignol) Add support for type-specific contract fee amounts #1698 (@cyrossignol) Add verifiedbeaconreport and pendingbeaconreport #1696 (@jamescowens) Add preliminary testing option for block v11 height on testnet #1706 (@cyrossignol) Add verified beacons manifest part to superblock validator #1711 (@cyrossignol) Implement beacon, vote, and superblock display categories/icons in UI transaction model #1717 (@jamescowens) So Ive been playing the game for a little over a month now. My initial impression was, "finally the gacha game Ive been looking for." It is actually a game instead of a character manager with auto everything. The story has been great and it has been fun exploring new areas. I completed part 1 and Im now working on Ogre wars 1. However, as great as the game has been so far, there is one thing that Im struggling to do, the dungeon grind. My characters are good enough that I can complete the dungeons, but not good enough that I can just auto attack my way through everything. So Im literally repeating the same abilities in the same order, over and over and over and over. Im starting to feel like Im manually mining bitcoin for Wright Flyer Studios and GREE. It's not challenging, and it is not fun. Im honestly at the point where I cant use my dungeon keys everyday because I cannot bare going back into the same %#@^@ dungeons and doing the same key presses over and over and over. For example I lucked into Myunfa (game over easy mode) as my first 5*. So my combat is switch to Myunfa, cast all my earth spells, listen to Myunfa say the same thing she says every damn time I switch to her, watch the banner tell me the earth zone is active, then finally put a gun in my mouth cause I have to watch this 30 times every dungeon. When Im playing through the story content there is breaks and pauses so I can forget the combat grind, but in dungeons its tea kettle comments and pain. Anyway, Im starting to find out that this is pretty much what the game is if I want to continue to improve my characters. So my first question, am I missing something? Is there a way to achieve the grind materials without running the same dungeons over and over? Also is there some way I can get Tsubura gems without running VH dungeons over and over? At least with Tsubura gems I can make some character improvements over time. Like for example it would be absolutely amazing if I could trade in my dungeon keys for Tsubura gems. When I first saw the Tsubura gem merchant, my first thought was thank god, I can trade my keys for gems and not have to run dungeons!! Here take my keys and give me 5 gems a pop, anything to skip running dungeons all night. But no, its the other way around!!! I can only trade gems for more keys!! We are mining bitcoin for this company, Im almost positive. Anyway, jokes aside, that was my qol idea. Trade keys for gems. Any input on how I can streamline this process would be great. I was looking through the subreddit, but I cant find anything that speeds up combat other than the repeat button. Appreciate any tips or tricks people may have. *Edit 9/3/2020* So after reading a lot of the responses, a common response is, focus on something else (netflix, podcast, pron, etc.). A completely valid response, and a good idea if you want to grind (especially since there does not appear to be any other method and all you can do is improve your party and therefore your clear speed). And this response (focus on something else) seems to also come from people who genuinely enjoy the grind and the game as well. But I can't help but point out that I think this is also strong criticism towards the dungeon grind end game. Given how long this game has been out, I am a bit surprised that the developers haven't come up with some new ideas that maybe preserve some of the time commitment but also make the process fun. Like I said above, Im new to this game, and it did not take me long to experience the tedium. Anyway, I appreciate the ideas posted below, and for now it looks like I will just have to find a way to make the grind process faster through better characters and combinations of characters. Cause I can deal with a couple cups a tea a day, but by god I cant do 30 an hour. #Myunfawillwaterboardyouwithtea Dragonchain Great Reddit Scaling Bake-Off Public Proposal Dragonchain Public Proposal TL;DR: Dragonchain has demonstrated twice Reddit’s entire total daily volume (votes, comments, and postsper Reddit 2019 Year in Review) in a 24-hour demo on an operational network. Every single transaction on Dragonchain is decentralized immediately through 5 levels of Dragon Net, and then secured with combined proof on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, and Binance Chain, via Interchain. At the time, in January 2020, the entire cost of the demo was approximately $25K on a single system (transaction fees locked at $0.0001/txn). With current fees (lowest fee $0.0000025/txn), this would cost as little as $625. Watch Joe walk through the entire proposal and answer questions onYouTube. This proposal is also available on the Dragonchain blog. Hello Reddit and Ethereum community! I’m Joe Roets, Founder & CEO of Dragonchain. When the team and I first heard about The Great Reddit Scaling Bake-Off we were intrigued. We believe we have the solutions Reddit seeks for its community points system and we have them at scale. For your consideration, we have submitted our proposal below. The team at Dragonchain and I welcome and look forward to your technical questions, philosophical feedback, and fair criticism, to build a scaling solution for Reddit that will empower its users. Because our architecture is unlike other blockchain platforms out there today, we expect to receive many questions while people try to grasp our project. I will answer all questions here in this thread on Reddit, and I've answered some questions in the stream on YouTube. We have seen good discussions so far in the competition. We hope that Reddit’s scaling solution will emerge from The Great Reddit Scaling Bake-Off and that Reddit will have great success with the implementation. Dragonchain is a robust open source hybrid blockchain platform that has proven to withstand the passing of time since our inception in 2014. We have continued to evolve to harness the scalability of private nodes, yet take full advantage of the security of public decentralized networks, like Ethereum. We have a live, operational, and fully functional Interchain network integrating Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, and ~700 independent Dragonchain nodes. Every transaction is secured to Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Ethereum Classic. Transactions are immediately usable on chain, and the first decentralization is seen within 20 seconds on Dragon Net. Security increases further to public networks ETH, BTC, and ETC within 10 minutes to 2 hours. Smart contracts can be written in any executable language, offering full freedom to existing developers. We invite any developer to watch the demo, play with our SDK’s, review open source code, and to help us move forward. Dragonchain specializes in scalable loyalty & rewards solutions and has built a decentralized social network on chain, with very affordable transaction costs. This experience can be combined with the insights Reddit and the Ethereum community have gained in the past couple of months to roll out the solution at a rapid pace. Response and PoC In The Great Reddit Scaling Bake-Off post, Reddit has asked for a series of demonstrations, requirements, and other considerations. In this section, we will attempt to answer all of these requests. A live proof of concept showing hundreds of thousands of transactions On Jan 7, 2020, Dragonchain hosted a 24-hour live demonstration during which a quarter of a billion (250 million+) transactions executed fully on an operational network. Every single transaction on Dragonchain is decentralized immediately through 5 levels of Dragon Net, and then secured with combined proof on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, and Binance Chain, via Interchain. This means that every single transaction is secured by, and traceable to these networks. An attack on this system would require a simultaneous attack on all of the Interchained networks. 24 hours in 4 minutes (YouTube): 24 hours in 4 minutes The demonstration was of a single business system, and any user is able to scale this further, by running multiple systems simultaneously. Our goals for the event were to demonstrate a consistent capacity greater than that of Visa over an extended time period. Tooling to reproduce our demo is available here: https://github.com/dragonchain/spirit-bomb Source code (for on & off-chain components as well tooling used for the PoC). The source code does not have to be shared publicly, but if Reddit decides to use a particular solution it will need to be shared with Reddit at some point. Dragonchain’s architecture attacks the scalability issue from multiple angles. Dragonchain is a hybrid blockchain platform, wherein every transaction is protected on a business node to the requirements of that business or purpose. A business node may be held completely private or may be exposed or replicated to any level of exposure desired. Every node has its own blockchain and is independently scalable. Dragonchain established Context Based Verification as its consensus model. Every transaction is immediately usable on a trust basis, and in time is provable to an increasing level of decentralized consensus. A transaction will have a level of decentralization to independently owned and deployed Dragonchain nodes (~700 nodes) within seconds, and full decentralization to BTC and ETH within minutes or hours. Level 5 nodes (Interchain nodes) function to secure all transactions to public or otherwise external chains such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. These nodes scale the system by aggregating multiple blocks into a single Interchain transaction on a cadence. This timing is configurable based upon average fees for each respective chain. For detailed information about Dragonchain’s architecture, and Context Based Verification, please refer to the Dragonchain Architecture Document. An interesting feature of Dragonchain’s network consensus is its economics and scarcity model. Since Dragon Net nodes (L2-L4) are independent staking nodes, deployment to cloud platforms would allow any of these nodes to scale to take on a large percentage of the verification work. This is great for scalability, but not good for the economy, because there is no scarcity, and pricing would develop a downward spiral and result in fewer verification nodes. For this reason, Dragonchain uses TIME as scarcity. TIME is calculated as the number of Dragons held, multiplied by the number of days held. TIME influences the user’s access to features within the Dragonchain ecosystem. It takes into account both the Dragon balance and length of time each Dragon is held. TIME is staked by users against every verification node and dictates how much of the transaction fees are awarded to each participating node for every block. TIME also dictates the transaction fee itself for the business node. TIME is staked against a business node to set a deterministic transaction fee level (see transaction fee table below in Cost section). This is very interesting in a discussion about scaling because it guarantees independence for business implementation. No matter how much traffic appears on the entire network, a business is guaranteed to not see an increased transaction fee rate. Dragonchain uses Docker and Kubernetes to allow the use of best practices traditional system scaling. Dragonchain offers managed nodes with an easy to use web based console interface. The user may also deploy a Dragonchain node within their own datacenter or favorite cloud platform. Users have deployed Dragonchain nodes on-prem on Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, MS Azure, and other hosting platforms around the world. Any executable code, anything you can write, can be written into a smart contract. This flexibility is what allows us to say that developers with no blockchain experience can use any code language to access the benefits of blockchain. Customers have used NodeJS, Python, Java, and even BASH shell script to write smart contracts on Dragonchain. With Docker containers, we achieve better separation of concerns, faster deployment, higher reliability, and lower response times. We chose Kubernetes for its self-healing features, ability to run multiple services on one server, and its large and thriving development community. It is resilient, scalable, and automated. OpenFaaS allows us to package smart contracts as Docker images for easy deployment. Contract deployment time is now bounded only by the size of the Docker image being deployed but remains fast even for reasonably large images. We also take advantage of Docker’s flexibility and its ability to support any language that can run on x86 architecture. Any image, public or private, can be run as a smart contract using Dragonchain. Flexibility in Scaling Dragonchain’s architecture considers interoperability and integration as key features. From inception, we had a goal to increase adoption via integration with real business use cases and traditional systems. We envision the ability for Reddit, in the future, to be able to integrate alternate content storage platforms or other financial services along with the token. LBRY - To allow users to deploy content natively to LBRY MakerDAO to allow users to lend small amounts backed by their Reddit community points. STORJ/SIA to allow decentralized on chain storage of portions of content. These integrations or any other are relatively easy to integrate on Dragonchain with an Interchain implementation. Cost estimates (on-chain and off-chain) For the purpose of this proposal, we assume that all transactions are on chain (posts, replies, and votes). On the Dragonchain network, transaction costs are deterministic/predictable. By staking TIME on the business node (as described above) Reddit can reduce transaction costs to as low as $0.0000025 per transaction. Dragonchain Fees Table How to run it Building on Dragonchain is simple and requires no blockchain experience. Spin up a business node (L1) in our managed environment (AWS), run it in your own cloud environment, or on-prem in your own datacenter. Clear documentation will walk you through the steps of spinning up your first Dragonchain Level 1 Business node. Getting started is easy... Download Dragonchain’s dctl Input three commands into a terminal Build an image More information can be found in our Get started documents. Dragonchain is an open source hybrid platform. Through Dragon Net, each chain combines the power of a public blockchain (like Ethereum) with the privacy of a private blockchain. Dragonchain organizes its network into five separate levels. A Level 1, or business node, is a totally private blockchain only accessible through the use of public/private keypairs. All business logic, including smart contracts, can be executed on this node directly and added to the chain. After creating a block, the Level 1 business node broadcasts a version stripped of sensitive private data to Dragon Net. Three Level 2 Validating nodes validate the transaction based on guidelines determined from the business. A Level 3 Diversity node checks that the level 2 nodes are from a diverse array of locations. A Level 4 Notary node, hosted by a KYC partner, then signs the validation record received from the Level 3 node. The transaction hash is ledgered to the Level 5 public chain to take advantage of the hash power of massive public networks. Dragon Net can be thought of as a “blockchain of blockchains”, where every level is a complete private blockchain. Because an L1 can send to multiple nodes on a single level, proof of existence is distributed among many places in the network. Eventually, proof of existence reaches level 5 and is published on a public network. Dragonchain is open source and even though the platform is easy enough for developers to code in any language they are comfortable with, we do not have so large a developer community as Ethereum. We would like to see the Ethereum developer community (and any other communities) become familiar with our SDK’s, our solutions, and our platform, to unlock the full potential of our Ethereum Interchain. Long ago we decided to prioritize both Bitcoin and Ethereum Interchains. We envision an ecosystem that encompasses different projects to give developers the ability to take full advantage of all the opportunities blockchain offers to create decentralized solutions not only for Reddit but for all of our current platforms and systems. We believe that together we will take the adoption of blockchain further. We currently have additional Interchain with Ethereum Classic. We look forward to Interchain with other blockchains in the future. We invite all blockchains projects who believe in decentralization and security to Interchain with Dragonchain. While we only have 700 nodes compared to 8,000 Ethereum and 10,000 Bitcoin nodes. We harness those 18,000 nodes to scale to extremely high levels of security. See Dragonchain metrics. Some may consider the centralization of Dragonchain’s business nodes as an issue at first glance, however, the model is by design to protect business data. We do not consider this a drawback as these nodes can make any, none, or all data public. Depending upon the implementation, every subreddit could have control of its own business node, for potential business and enterprise offerings, bringing new alternative revenue streams to Reddit. Costs and resources Summary of cost & resource information for both on-chain & off-chain components used in the PoC, as well as cost & resource estimates for further scaling. If your PoC is not on mainnet, make note of any mainnet caveats (such as congestion issues). Every transaction on the PoC system had a transaction fee of $0.0001 (one-hundredth of a cent USD). At 256MM transactions, the demo cost $25,600. With current operational fees, the same demonstration would cost $640 USD. For the demonstration, to achieve throughput to mimic a worldwide payments network, we modeled several clients in AWS and 4-5 business nodes to handle the traffic. The business nodes were tuned to handle higher throughput by adjusting memory and machine footprint on AWS. This flexibility is valuable to implementing a system such as envisioned by Reddit. Given that Reddit’s daily traffic (posts, replies, and votes) is less than half that of our demo, we would expect that the entire Reddit system could be handled on 2-5 business nodes using right-sized containers on AWS or similar environments. Verification was accomplished on the operational Dragon Net network with over 700 independently owned verification nodes running around the world at no cost to the business other than paid transaction fees. This PoC should scale to the numbers below with minimal costs (both on & off-chain). There should also be a clear path to supporting hundreds of millions of users. Over a 5 day period, your scaling PoC should be able to handle: *100,000 point claims (minting & distributing points) *25,000 subscriptions *75,000 one-off points burning *100,000 transfers During Dragonchain’s 24 hour demo, the above required numbers were reached within the first few minutes. Reddit’s total activity is 9000% more than Ethereum’s total transaction level. Even if you do not include votes, it is still 700% more than Ethereum’s current volume. Dragonchain has demonstrated that it can handle 250 million transactions a day, and it’s architecture allows for multiple systems to work at that level simultaneously. In our PoC, we demonstrate double the full capacity of Reddit, and every transaction was proven all the way to Bitcoin and Ethereum. Reddit Scaling on Ethereum Solutions should not depend on any single third-party provider. We prefer solutions that do not depend on specific entities such as Reddit or another provider, and solutions with no single point of control or failure in off-chain components but recognize there are numerous trade-offs to consider Dragonchain’s architecture calls for a hybrid approach. Private business nodes hold the sensitive data while the validation and verification of transactions for the business are decentralized within seconds and secured to public blockchains within 10 minutes to 2 hours. Nodes could potentially be controlled by owners of individual subreddits for more organic decentralization. Billing is currently centralized - there is a path to federation and decentralization of a scaled billing solution. Operational on-premises capabilities Operational deployment to any datacenter Over 700 independent Community Verification Nodes with proof of ownership Operational Interchain (Interoperable to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ethereum Classic, open to more) Usability Scaling solutions should have a simple end user experience. Users shouldn't have to maintain any extra state/proofs, regularly monitor activity, keep track of extra keys, or sign anything other than their normal transactions Dragonchain and its customers have demonstrated extraordinary usability as a feature in many applications, where users do not need to know that the system is backed by a live blockchain. Lyceum is one of these examples, where the progress of academy courses is being tracked, and successful completion of courses is rewarded with certificates on chain. Our @Save_The_Tweet bot is popular on Twitter. When used with one of the following hashtags - #please, #blockchain, #ThankYou, or #eternalize the tweet is saved through Eternal to multiple blockchains. A proof report is available for future reference. Other examples in use are DEN, our decentralized social media platform, and our console, where users can track their node rewards, view their TIME, and operate a business node. Examples: Transactions complete in a reasonable amount of time (seconds or minutes, not hours or days) All transactions are immediately usable on chain by the system. A transaction begins the path to decentralization at the conclusion of a 5-second block when it gets distributed across 5 separate community run nodes. Full decentralization occurs within 10 minutes to 2 hours depending on which interchain (Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Ethereum Classic) the transaction hits first. Within approximately 2 hours, the combined hash power of all interchained blockchains secures the transaction. Free to use for end users (no gas fees, or fixed/minimal fees that Reddit can pay on their behalf) With transaction pricing as low as $0.0000025 per transaction, it may be considered reasonable for Reddit to cover transaction fees for users. All of Reddit's Transactions on Blockchain (month) Community points can be earned by users and distributed directly to their Reddit account in batch (as per Reddit minting plan), and allow users to withdraw rewards to their Ethereum wallet whenever they wish. Withdrawal fees can be paid by either user or Reddit. This model has been operating inside the Dragonchain system since 2018, and many security and financial compliance features can be optionally added. We feel that this capability greatly enhances user experience because it is seamless to a regular user without cryptocurrency experience, yet flexible to a tech savvy user. With regard to currency or token transactions, these would occur on the Reddit network, verified to BTC and ETH. These transactions would incur the $0.0000025 transaction fee. To estimate this fee we use the monthly active Reddit users statista with a 60% adoption rate and an estimated 10 transactions per month average resulting in an approximate $720 cost across the system. Reddit could feasibly incur all associated internal network charges (mining/minting, transfer, burn) as these are very low and controllable fees. Reddit Internal Token Transaction Fees Reddit Ethereum Token Transaction Fees When we consider further the Ethereum fees that might be incurred, we have a few choices for a solution. Offload all Ethereum transaction fees (user withdrawals) to interested users as they wish to withdraw tokens for external use or sale. Cover Ethereum transaction fees by aggregating them on a timed schedule. Users would request withdrawal (from Reddit or individual subreddits), and they would be transacted on the Ethereum network every hour (or some other schedule). In a combination of the above, customers could cover aggregated fees. Integrate with alternate Ethereum roll up solutions or other proposals to aggregate minting and distribution transactions onto Ethereum. Users should be able to view their balances & transactions via a blockchain explorer-style interface From interfaces for users who have no knowledge of blockchain technology to users who are well versed in blockchain terms such as those present in a typical block explorer, a system powered by Dragonchain has flexibility on how to provide balances and transaction data to users. Transactions can be made viewable in an Eternal Proof Report, which displays raw data along with TIME staking information and traceability all the way to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and every other Interchained network. The report shows fields such as transaction ID, timestamp, block ID, multiple verifications, and Interchain proof. See example here. Node payouts within the Dragonchain console are listed in chronological order and can be further seen in either Dragons or USD. See example here. In our social media platform, Dragon Den, users can see, in real-time, their NRG and MTR balances. See example here. A new influencer app powered by Dragonchain, Raiinmaker, breaks down data into a user friendly interface that shows coin portfolio, redeemed rewards, and social scores per campaign. See example here. Exiting is fast & simple Withdrawing funds on Dragonchain’s console requires three clicks, however, withdrawal scenarios with more enhanced security features per Reddit’s discretion are obtainable. Interoperability Compatibility with third party apps (wallets/contracts/etc) is necessary. Proven interoperability at scale that surpasses the required specifications. Our entire platform consists of interoperable blockchains connected to each other and traditional systems. APIs are well documented. Third party permissions are possible with a simple smart contract without the end user being aware. No need to learn any specialized proprietary language. Any code base (not subsets) is usable within a Docker container. Interoperable with any blockchain or traditional APIs. We’ve witnessed relatively complex systems built by engineers with no blockchain or cryptocurrency experience. We’ve also demonstrated the creation of smart contracts within minutes built with BASH shell and Node.js. Please see our source code and API documentation. Scaling solutions should be extensible and allow third parties to build on top of it Open source and extensible APIs should be well documented and stable Third-party permissionless integrations should be possible & straightforward Smart contracts are Docker based, can be written in any language, use full language (not subsets), and can therefore be integrated with any system including traditional system APIs. Simple is better. Learning an uncommon or proprietary language should not be necessary. Advanced knowledge of mathematics, cryptography, or L2 scaling should not be required. Compatibility with common utilities & toolchains is expected. Dragonchain business nodes and smart contracts leverage Docker to allow the use of literally any language or executable code. No proprietary language is necessary. We’ve witnessed relatively complex systems built by engineers with no blockchain or cryptocurrency experience. We’ve also demonstrated the creation of smart contracts within minutes built with BASH shell and Node.js. Bonus Points: Show us how it works. Do you have an idea for a cool new use case for Community Points? Build it! Community points could be awarded to Reddit users based upon TIME too, whereas the longer someone is part of a subreddit, the more community points someone naturally gained, even if not actively commenting or sharing new posts. A daily login could be required for these community points to be credited. This grants awards to readers too and incentivizes readers to create an account on Reddit if they browse the website often. This concept could also be leveraged to provide some level of reputation based upon duration and consistency of contribution to a community subreddit. Dragonchain has already built a social media platform that harnesses community involvement. Dragon Den is a decentralized community built on the Dragonchain blockchain platform. Dragon Den is Dragonchain’s answer to fake news, trolling, and censorship. It incentivizes the creation and evaluation of quality content within communities. It could be described as being a shareholder of a subreddit or Reddit in its entirety. The more your subreddit is thriving, the more rewarding it will be. Den is currently in a public beta and in active development, though the real token economy is not live yet. There are different tokens for various purposes. Two tokens are Lair Ownership Rights (LOR) and Lair Ownership Tokens (LOT). LOT is a non-fungible token for ownership of a specific Lair. LOT will only be created and converted from LOR. Energy (NRG) and Matter (MTR) work jointly. Your MTR determines how much NRG you receive in a 24-hour period. Providing quality content, or evaluating content will earn MTR. Security. Users have full ownership & control of their points. All community points awarded based upon any type of activity or gift, are secured and provable to all Interchain networks (currently BTC, ETH, ETC). Users are free to spend and withdraw their points as they please, depending on the features Reddit wants to bring into production. Balances and transactions cannot be forged, manipulated, or blocked by Reddit or anyone else Users can withdraw their balance to their ERC20 wallet, directly through Reddit. Reddit can cover the fees on their behalf, or the user covers this with a portion of their balance. Users should own their points and be able to get on-chain ERC20 tokens without permission from anyone else Through our console users can withdraw their ERC20 rewards. This can be achieved on Reddit too. Here is a walkthrough of our console, though this does not show the quick withdrawal functionality, a user can withdraw at any time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNlTMxnfVHw Points should be recoverable to on-chain ERC20 tokens even if all third-parties involved go offline If necessary, signed transactions from the Reddit system (e.g. Reddit + Subreddit) can be sent to the Ethereum smart contract for minting. A public, third-party review attesting to the soundness of the design should be available To our knowledge, at least two large corporations, including a top 3 accounting firm, have conducted positive reviews. These reviews have never been made public, as Dragonchain did not pay or contract for these studies to be released. Bonus points Public, third-party implementation review available or in progress Compatibility with HSMs & hardware wallets For the purpose of this proposal, all tokenization would be on the Ethereum network using standard token contracts and as such, would be able to leverage all hardware wallet and Ethereum ecosystem services. Minting/distributing tokens is not performed by Reddit directly This operation can be automated by smart contract on Ethereum. Subreddits can if desired have a role to play. One off point burning, as well as recurring, non-interactive point burning (for subreddit memberships) should be possible and scalable This is possible and scalable with interaction between Dragonchain Reddit system and Ethereum token contract(s). Fully open-source solutions are strongly preferred Dragonchain is fully open source (see section on Disney release after conclusion). Whether it is today, or in the future, we would like to work together to bring secure flexibility to the highest standards. It is our hope to be considered by Ethereum, Reddit, and other integrative solutions so we may further discuss the possibilities of implementation. In our public demonstration, 256 million transactions were handled in our operational network on chain in 24 hours, for the low cost of $25K, which if run today would cost $625. Dragonchain’s interoperable foundation provides the atmosphere necessary to implement a frictionless community points system. Thank you for your consideration of our proposal. We look forward to working with the community to make something great! Disney Releases Blockchain Platform as Open Source The team at Disney created the Disney Private Blockchain Platform. The system was a hybrid interoperable blockchain platform for ledgering and smart contract development geared toward solving problems with blockchain adoption and usability. All objective evaluation would consider the team’s output a success. We released a list of use cases that we explored in some capacity at Disney, and our input on blockchain standardization as part of our participation in the W3C Blockchain Community Group. https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-blockchain/2016May/0052.html In 2016, Roets proposed to release the platform as open source to spread the technology outside of Disney, as others within the W3C group were interested in the solutions that had been created inside of Disney. Following a long process, step by step, the team met requirements for release. Among the requirements, the team had to: Obtain VP support and approval for the release Verify ownership of the software to be released Verify that no proprietary content would be released Convince the organization that there was a value to the open source community Convince the organization that there was a value to Disney Offer the plan for ongoing maintenance of the project outside of Disney Itemize competing projects Verify no conflict of interest Change the project name to not use the name Disney, any Disney character, or any other associated IP - proposed Dragonchain - approved Obtain legal approval Approval from corporate, parks, and other business units Approval from multiple Disney patent groups Copyright holder defined by Disney (Disney Connected and Advanced Technologies) Trademark searches conducted for the selected name Dragonchain Obtain IT security approval Manual review of OSS components conducted OWASP Dependency and Vulnerability Check Conducted Obtain technical (software) approval Offer management, process, and financial plans for the maintenance of the project. Meet list of items to be addressed before release Remove all Disney project references and scripts Create a public distribution list for email communications Remove Roets’ direct and internal contact information Create public Slack channel and move from Disney slack channels Create proper labels for issue tracking Rename internal private Github repository Add informative description to Github page Expand README.md with more specific information Add information beyond current “Blockchains are Magic” Add getting started sections and info on cloning/forking the project Add installation details Add uninstall process Add unit, functional, and integration test information Detail how to contribute and get involved Describe the git workflow that the project will use Move to public, non-Disney git repository (Github or Bitbucket) Obtain Disney Open Source Committee approval for release On top of meeting the above criteria, as part of the process, the maintainer of the project had to receive the codebase on their own personal email and create accounts for maintenance (e.g. Github) with non-Disney accounts. Given the fact that the project spanned multiple business units, Roets was individually responsible for its ongoing maintenance. Because of this, he proposed in the open source application to create a non-profit organization to hold the IP and maintain the project. This was approved by Disney. The Disney Open Source Committee approved the application known as OSSRELEASE-10, and the code was released on October 2, 2016. Disney decided to not issue a press release. Original OSSRELASE-10 document Why Osana takes so long? (Programmer's point of view on current situation) I decided to write a comment about «Why Osana takes so long?» somewhere and what can be done to shorten this time. It turned into a long essay. Here's TL;DR of it: The cost of never paying down this technical debt is clear; eventually the cost to deliver functionality will become so slow that it is easy for a well-designed competitive software product to overtake the badly-designed software in terms of features. In my experience, badly designed software can also lead to a more stressed engineering workforce, in turn leading higher staff churn (which in turn affects costs and productivity when delivering features). Additionally, due to the complexity in a given codebase, the ability to accurately estimate work will also disappear. Junade Ali, Mastering PHP Design Patterns (2016) Longer version: I am not sure if people here wanted an explanation from a real developer who works with C and with relatively large projects, but I am going to do it nonetheless. I am not much interested in Yandere Simulator nor in this genre in general, but this particular development has a lot to learn from for any fellow programmers and software engineers to ensure that they'll never end up in Alex's situation, especially considering that he is definitely not the first one to got himself knee-deep in the development hell (do you remember Star Citizen?) and he is definitely not the last one. On the one hand, people see that Alex works incredibly slowly, equivalent of, like, one hour per day, comparing it with, say, Papers, Please, the game that was developed in nine months from start to finish by one guy. On the other hand, Alex himself most likely thinks that he works until complete exhaustion each day. In fact, I highly suspect that both those sentences are correct! Because of the mistakes made during early development stages, which are highly unlikely to be fixed due to the pressure put on the developer right now and due to his overall approach to coding, cost to add any relatively large feature (e.g. Osana) can be pretty much comparable to the cost of creating a fan game from start to finish. Trust me, I've seen his leaked source code (don't tell anybody about that) and I know what I am talking about. The largest problem in Yandere Simulator right now is its super slow development. So, without further ado, let's talk about how «implementing the low hanging fruit» crippled the development and, more importantly, what would have been an ideal course of action from my point of view to get out. I'll try to explain things in the easiest terms possible. else if's and lack any sort of refactoring in general Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry This is why refactoring — activity of rewriting your old code so it does the same thing, but does it quicker, in a more generic way, in less lines or simpler — is so powerful. In my experience, you can only keep one module/class/whatever in your brain if it does not exceed ~1000 lines, maybe ~1500. Splitting 17000-line-long class into smaller classes probably won't improve performance at all, but it will make working with parts of this class way easier. Is it too late now to start refactoring? Of course NO: better late than never. If you think that you wrote this code, so you'll always easily remember it, I have some bad news for you: you won't. In my experience, one week and that's it. That's why comments are so crucial. It is not necessary to put a ton of comments everywhere, but just a general idea will help you out in the future. Even if you think that It Just Works™ and you'll never ever need to fix it. Time spent to write and debug one line of code almost always exceeds time to write one comment in large-scale projects. Moreover, the best code is the code that is self-evident. In the example above, what the hell does (float) 6 mean? Why not wrap it around into the constant with a good, self-descriptive name? Again, it won't affect performance, since C# compiler is smart enough to silently remove this constant from the real code and place its value into the method invocation directly. Such constants are here for you. I rewrote my code above a little bit to illustrate this. With those comments, you don't have to remember your code at all, since its functionality is outlined in two tiny lines of comments above it. Moreover, even a person with zero knowledge in programming will figure out the purpose of this code. It took me less than half a minute to write those comments, but it'll probably save me quite a lot of time of figuring out «what was I thinking back then» one day. Is it too late now to start adding comments? Again, of course NO. Don't be lazy and redirect all your typing from «debunk» page (which pretty much does the opposite of debunking, but who am I to judge you here?) into some useful comments. This is often neglected, but consider the following. You wrote some code, you ran your game, you saw a new bug. Was it introduced right now? Is it a problem in your older code which has shown up just because you have never actually used it until now? Where should you search for it? You have no idea, and you have one painful debugging session ahead. Just imagine how easier it would be if you've had some routines which automatically execute after each build and check that environment is still sane and nothing broke on a fundamental level. This is called unit testing, and yes, unit tests won't be able to catch all your bugs, but even getting 20% of bugs identified at the earlier stage is a huge boon to development speed. Is it too late now to start adding unit tests? Kinda YES and NO at the same time. Unit testing works best if it covers the majority of project's code. On the other side, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. If you decide to start refactoring your code, writing a unit test before refactoring will help you to prove to yourself that you have not broken anything without the need of running the game at all. This is basically pretty self-explanatory. You set this thing once, you forget about it. Static code analyzer is another «free estate» to speed up the development process by finding tiny little errors, mostly silly typos (do you think that you are good enough in finding them? Well, good luck catching x << 4; in place of x <<= 4; buried deep in C code by eye!). Again, this is not a silver bullet, it is another tool which will help you out with debugging a little bit along with the debugger, unit tests and other things. You need every little bit of help here. Is it too late now to hook up static code analyzer? Obviously NO. Say, you want to build Osana, but then you decided to implement some feature, e.g. Snap Mode. By doing this you have maybe made your game a little bit better, but what you have just essentially done is complicated your life, because now you should also write Osana code for Snap Mode. The way game architecture is done right now, easter eggs code is deeply interleaved with game logic, which leads to code «spaghettifying», which in turn slows down the addition of new features, because one has to consider how this feature would work alongside each and every old feature and easter egg. Even if it is just gazing over one line per easter egg, it adds up to the mess, slowly but surely. A lot of people mention that developer should have been doing it in object-oritented way. However, there is no silver bullet in programming. It does not matter that much if you are doing it object-oriented way or usual procedural way; you can theoretically write, say, AI routines on functional (e.g. LISP)) or even logical language if you are brave enough (e.g. Prolog). You can even invent your own tiny programming language! The only thing that matters is code quality and avoiding the so-called shotgun surgery situation, which plagues Yandere Simulator from top to bottom right now. Is there a way of adding a new feature without interfering with your older code (e.g. by creating a child class which will encapsulate all the things you need, for example)? Go for it, this feature is basically «free» for you. Otherwise you'd better think twice before doing this, because you are going into the «technical debt» territory, borrowing your time from the future by saying «I'll maybe optimize it later» and «a thousand more lines probably won't slow me down in the future that much, right?». Technical debt will incur interest on its own that you'll have to pay. Basically, the entire situation around Osana right now is just a huge tale about how just «interest» incurred by technical debt can control the entire project, like the tail wiggling the dog. I won't elaborate here further, since it'll take me an even larger post to fully describe what's wrong about Yandere Simulator's code architecture. Is it too late to rebuild code architecture? Sadly, YES, although it should be possible to split Student class into descendants by using hooks for individual students. However, code architecture can be improved by a vast margin if you start removing easter eggs and features like Snap Mode that currently bloat Yandere Simulator. I know it is going to be painful, but it is the only way to improve code quality here and now. This will simplify the code, and this will make it easier for you to add the «real» features, like Osana or whatever you'd like to accomplish. If you'll ever want them back, you can track them down in Git history and re-implement them one by one, hopefully without performing the shotgun surgery this time. Again, I won't be talking about the performance, since you can debug your game on 20 FPS as well as on 60 FPS, but this is a very different story. Yandere Simulator is huge. Once you fixed a bug, you want to test it, right? And your workflow right now probably looks like this: Fix the code (unavoidable time loss) Rebuild the project (can take a loooong time) Load your game (can take a loooong time) Test it (unavoidable time loss, unless another bug has popped up via unit testing, code analyzer etc.) And you can fix it. For instance, I know that Yandere Simulator makes all the students' photos during loading. Why should that be done there? Why not either move it to project building stage by adding build hook so Unity does that for you during full project rebuild, or, even better, why not disable it completely or replace with «PLACEHOLDER» text for debug builds? Each second spent watching the loading screen will be rightfully interpreted as «son is not coding» by the community. Is it too late to reduce loading times? Hell NO. Or any other continuous integration tool. «Rebuild a project» can take a long time too, and what can we do about that? Let me give you an idea. Buy a new PC. Get a 32-core Threadripper, 32 GB of fastest RAM you can afford and a cool motherboard which would support all of that (of course, Ryzen/i5/Celeron/i386/Raspberry Pi is fine too, but the faster, the better). The rest is not necessary, e.g. a barely functional second hand video card burned out by bitcoin mining is fine. You set up another PC in your room. You connect it to your network. You set up ramdisk to speed things up even more. You properly set up Jenkins) on this PC. From now on, Jenkins cares about the rest: tracking your Git repository, (re)building process, large and time-consuming unit tests, invoking static code analyzer, profiling, generating reports and whatever else you can and want to hook up. More importantly, you can fix another bug while Jenkins is rebuilding the project for the previous one et cetera. In general, continuous integration is a great technology to quickly track down errors that were introduced in previous versions, attempting to avoid those kinds of bug hunting sessions. I am highly unsure if continuous integration is needed for 10000-20000 source lines long projects, but things can be different as soon as we step into the 100k+ territory, and Yandere Simulator by now has approximately 150k+ source lines of code. I think that probably continuous integration might be well worth it for Yandere Simulator. Is it too late to add continuous integration?NO, albeit it is going to take some time and skills to set up. Stop caring about the criticism Stop comparing Alex to Scott Cawton. IMO Alex is very similar to the person known as SgtMarkIV, the developer of Brutal Doom, who is also a notorious edgelord who, for example, also once told somebody to kill himself, just like… However, being a horrible person, SgtMarkIV does his job. He simply does not care much about public opinion. That's the difference. Eth 2.0 vs Polkadot and other musings by a fundamental investor Spent about two hours on this post and I decided it would help the community if I made it more visible. Comment was made as a response to this I’m trying to avoid falling into a maximalist mindset over time. This isn’t a 100% ETH question, but I’m trying to stay educated about emerging tech. Can someone help me see the downsides of diversifying into DOTs? I know Polkadot is more centralized, VC backed, and generally against our ethos here. On chain governance might introduce some unknown risks. What else am I missing? I see a bunch of posts about how Ethereum and Polkadot can thrive together, but are they not both L1 competitors? What else am I missing? The upsides. Most of the guys responding to you here are full Eth maxis who drank the Parity is bad koolaid. They are married to their investment and basically emotional / tribal in an area where you should have a cool head. Sure, you might get more upvotes on Reddit if you do and say what the crowd wants, but do you want upvotes and fleeting validation or do you want returns on your investment? Do you want to be these guys or do you want to be the shareholder making bank off of those guys? Disclaimer: I'm both an Eth whale and a Dot whale, and have been in crypto for close to a decade now. I originally bought ether sub $10 after researching it for at least a thousand hours. Rode to $1500 and down to $60. Iron hands - my intent has always been to reconsider my Eth position after proof of stake is out. I invested in the 2017 Dot public sale with the plan of flipping profits back to Eth but keeping Dots looks like the right short and long term play now. I am not a trader, I just take a deep tech dive every couple of years and invest in fundamentals. Now as for your concerns: I know Polkadot is more centralized The sad truth is that the market doesn't really care about this. At all. There is no real statistic to show at what point a coin is "decentralized" or "too centralized". For example, bitcoin has been completely taken over by Chinese mining farms for about five years now. Last I checked, they control above 85% of the hashing power, they just spread it among different mining pools to make it look decentralized. They have had the ability to fake or block transactions for all this time but it has never been in their best interest to do so: messing with bitcoin in that way would crash its price, therefore their bitcoin holdings, their mining equipment, and their company stock (some of them worth billions) would evaporate. So they won't do it due to economics, but not because they can't. That is the major point I want to get across; originally Bitcoin couldn't be messed with because it was decentralized, but now Bitcoin is centralized but it's still not messed with due to economics. It is basically ChinaCoin at this point, but the market doesn't care, and it still enjoys over 50% of the total crypto market cap. So how does this relate to Polkadot? Well fortunately most chains - Ethereum included - are working towards proof of stake. This is obviously better for the environment, but it also has a massive benefit for token holders. If a hostile party wanted to take over a proof of stake chain they'd have to buy up a massive share of the network. The moment they force through a malicious transaction a proof of stake blockchain has the option to fork them off. It would be messy for a few days, but by the end of the week the hostile party would have a large amount of now worthless tokens, and the proof of stake community would have moved on to a version of the blockchain where the hostile party's tokens have been slashed to zero. So not only does the market not care about centralization (Bitcoin example), but proof of stake makes token holders even safer. That being said, Polkadot's "centralization" is not that far off to Ethereum. The Web3 foundation kept 30% of the Dots while the Ethereum Foundation kept 17%. There are whales in Polkadot but Ethereum has them too - 40% of all genesis Ether went to 100 wallets, and many suspect that the original Ethereum ICO was sybiled to make it look more popular and decentralized than it really was. But you don't really care about that do you? Neither do I. Whales are a fact of life. VCs are part of the crypto game now. There is no way to get rid of them, and there is no real reason why you should want to get rid of them. They put their capital at risk (same as you and me) and seek returns on their investment (same as you and me). They are both in Polkadot and Ethereum, and have been for years now. I have no issue with them as long as they don't play around with insider information, but that is another topic. To be honest, I would be worried if VCs did not endorse chains I'm researching, but maybe that's because my investing style isn't chasing hype and buying SUSHI style tokens from anonymous (at the time) developers. That's just playing hot potato. But hey, some people are good at that. As to the amount of wallets that participated in the Polkadot ICO: a little known fact is that more individual wallets participated in Polkadot's ICO than Ethereum's, even though Polkadot never marketed their ICO rounds due to regulatory reasons. generally against our ethos here Kool aid. Some guy that works(ed?) at Parity (who employs what, 200+ people?) correctly said that Ethereum is losing its tech lead and that offended the Ethereum hivemind. Oh no. So controversial. I'm so personally hurt by that. Some guy that has been working for free on Ethereum basically forever correctly said that Polkadot is taking the blockchain tech crown. Do we A) Reflect on why he said that? or B) Rally the mob to chase him off? Also Parity locked their funds (and about 500+ other wallets not owned by them) and proposed a solution to recover them. When the community voted no they backed off and did not fork the chain, even if they had the influence to do so. For some reason this subreddit hates them for that, even if Parity did the 100% moral thing to do. Remember, 500+ other teams or people had their funds locked, so Parity was morally bound to try its best to recover them. Its just lame drama to be honest. Nothing to do with ethos, everything to do with emotional tribalism. Now for the missing upsides (I'll also respond to random fragments scattered in the thread): This isn’t a 100% ETH question, but I’m trying to stay educated about emerging tech. A good quick intro to Eth's tech vs Polkadot's tech can be found on this thread, especially this reply. That thread is basically mandatory reading if you care about your investment. Eth 2.0's features will not really kick in for end users until about 2023. That means every dapp (except DeFI, where the fees make sense due to returns and is leading the fee market) who built on Eth's layer 1 are dead for three years. Remember the trading card games... Gods Unchained? How many players do you think are going to buy and sell cards when the transaction fee is worth more than the cards? All that development is now practically worthless until it can migrate to its own shard. This story repeats for hundreds of other dapp teams who's projects are now priced out for three years. So now they either have to migrate to a one of the many unpopulated L2 options (which have their own list of problems and risks, but that's another topic) or they look for another platform, preferably one interoperable with Ethereum. Hence Polkadot's massive growth in developer activity. If you check out https://polkaproject.com/ you'll see 205 projects listed at the time of this post. About a week ago they had 202 listed. That means about one team migrated from another tech stack to build on Polkadot every two days, and trust me, many more will come in when parachains are finally activated, and it will be a complete no brainer when Polkadot 2.0 is released. Another huge upside for Polkadot is the Initial Parachain Offerings. Polkadot's version of ICOs. The biggest difference is that you can vote for parachains using your Dots to bind them to the relay chain, and you get some of the parachain's tokens in exchange. After a certain amount of time you get your Dots back. The tokenomics here are impressive: Dots are locked (reduced supply) instead of sold (sell pressure) and you still earn your staking rewards. There's no risk of scammers running away with your Ether and the governance mechanism allows for the community to defund incompetent devs who did not deliver what was promised. Wouldn’t an ETH shard on Polkadot gain a bunch of scaling benefits that we won’t see natively for a couple years? Yes. That is correct. Both Edgeware and Moonbeam are EVM compatible. And if the original dapp teams don't migrate their projects someone else will fork them, exactly like SUSHI did to Uniswap, and how Acala is doing to MakerDao. Although realistically Ethereum has a 5 yr headstart and devs haven't slowed down at all Just because it's "EVM Compatible" doesn't mean you can just plug Ethereum into Polkadot or vica versa, it just means they both understand Ethereum bytecode and you can potentially copy/paste contracts from Ethereum to Polkadot, but you'd still need to add a "bridge" between the 2 chains, so it adds additional complexity and extra steps compared to using any of the existing L2 scaling solutions That only applies of you are thinking from an Eth maximalist perspective. But if you think from Polkadot's side, why would you need to use the bridge back to Ethereum at all? Everything will be seamless, cheaper, and quicker once the ecosystem starts to flourish. I see a bunch of posts about how Ethereum and Polkadot can thrive together, but are they not both L1 competitors? They are competitors. Both have their strategies, and both have their strengths (tech vs time on the market) but they are clearly competing in my eyes. Which is a good thing, Apple and Samsung competing in the cell phone market just leads to more innovation for consumers. You can still invest in both if you like. Edit - link to post and the rest of the conversation: https://www.reddit.com/ethfinance/comments/iooew6/daily_general_discussion_september_8_2020/g4h5yyq/ Edit 2 - one day later PolkaProject count is 210. Devs are getting the hint :) I’m a commentator for a tournament of nightmares. I’m not sure the participants are willing. You’d think being a psychiatric ward for 38 months would be enough to deter a guy from ever going back to a sport that involves watching human beings at the height of their physical prowess beat the living shit out of each other. Sometimes regulated, sometimes not. But, here I am, fresh outta the loony bin and reading the most unusual advertising slogan I’d ever laid eyes on; “The most terrifying tournament has come around once again! Conquer your fears in theNFC*…* literally.” This was the business card that accompanied my black envelope as it was handed to me on the discharge ward by a well dressed and gangly fella with an uncomfortable wide smile. He didn’t say much of anything, just that his name was “Watson” before bowing and holding up the envelope. “Heh, like the butler, right?” I said, taking the envelope from his plasticine hands. His smile ripples across his face and he nods slowly, his perfect hair unmoving in the strong wind before he turns on his heel and walks back to the black sedan. The cold air chilled my bones, and I pulled the medical bracelet from my wrist, grimacing at the marks underneath before following Watson to the Sedan and hauling my luggage into the trunk before setting off, not knowing how I came to even be there in the first place. I guess right now, that doesn’t really matter. What matters is where I am now and what I’m doing. "blood strewn across the canvas, frayed brain matter sailing across my head and splattering against the wall, a woman standing in a pool of blood as the deformed creature twitches on the ground" My name is Sal “Motormouth” Sabotta, I’m a sports commentator by trade. Be it combat sports, pro wrestling, death-matches or martial arts tournament, I’ve done it all. I won’t lie; Work can be hard to come by. I’ve spent months struggling for rent and resorting to less tried-and-true commentary methods in order to survive. That has, at times, involved trying my hand at some of the more underground competitions; unregulated fights, sick, illegal games bet on by people on the dark web and worse… Things I’m not going to detail here. Things I’m not proud to have taken a hefty pay-check for from greasy, sweaty fucks in Armani tracksuits and stinking of cheap booze and coke all the way up to well-dressed bitcoin farmers in their 20s who probably own child slaves. In short, I’m no stranger to the grim underworld or the secrecies with which they conduct their work. I see money and an easy way to make it with my voice; I don’t ask questions. So when I received an email the day of my discharge from the hospital and I’m told “you’ll receive a letter from Mr. Watson, take it and follow the instructions to the venue. Pay up front as agreed.”, I don’t question it. Especially when the note is personalised, and the doctor says my medical fees were covered. We drove past numerous landscapes, vistas and neighbourhoods before veering off into an industrial estate and entering an underground tunnel. Half a mile in, Watson stops the car and peers back, smiling. He directs a thumb to the service door in the side tunnel and rubs his neck, a scar running from ear to ear. Was he a former fighter? Gangster? I sighed and got out, still in my medical gown and hauling ass to the door. It opened before I could reach out and a tall, muscular woman in her late 30s greeted me with a smile. She was imposing, powerful in her gait, a black eyepatch with several seals adorning the sides accompanying a thick scar down her face did nothing to stop her beauty. She wore a tank top with a black cloak with white fur on the tops and sleeves, a thick black chain clasp around the neck. I won’t lie; she looked badass. Terrifying, but badass. “‘Bout time ya showed up, Sabotta!” She grinned and put a cinderblock of a hand on my shoulder. I’m 5’10 and 180lbs, but she made me feel like a child in front of her. The power emanating from her fist was unbelievable. “C’mon, the trial match is starting and I don’t want no tourney without a broken in commentator! You gotta know the ropes of this place!” “You know your driver was standing right outside when I was discharged, right? Couldn’t think to give me an extra day or two to freshen up?” I frowned. This wasn’t normal protocol, even for back-alley promotions like this. She just laughed at me and slapped my shoulder. “The tournament waits for nobody, Sal. Times a-wasting.” The hallway is dimly lit and the sounds of a ruckus above us are as impossible to ignore as the sounds of thudding, screaming and snapping. As we pass several doors with one-way mirrors on the front panes, I hear sounds I could have never placed in the animal kingdom or otherwise; gurgles, clicks, grunts and even otherworldly whispers. “What the fuck is that? You guys doing animal fights down here? I mean I called a monkey fight once, but it’s not exactly… pleasant.” I shuddered, thinking of the violence chimpanzees can inflict on one another, let alone humans. She never stopped walking or staring directly ahead when she responded.“Those ain’t animals. Not by a long shot.” Before I can probe further, I’m hurried into a changing room and practically swept off my feet by her strength. I turn back and she’s already poking her head out the door. “You’ve got 5 minutes, get your shit and head up the left stairs, Watson will guide you.” She grinned, and I saw gold filings in her teeth that glinted as much as her bedazzled eye patch. “Ya came highly recommended… I expect good things!” I do as instructed and within 5 minutes I’m back in my commentary clothes; an open buttoned Hawaiian shirt with my old Hotel Inertia shirt underneath, skinny black jeans and shimmering black shoes. I found some old slick gorilla powder in my hair and dusted it up, opting for the dishevelled look as I knew I’d be sweating by the end of the ordeal. “You shouldn’t bother putting in so much effort, y’know. They’re not gonna care how good you look, only how well you talk.” Standing in the doorway was a woman in her 40s, dark-skinned and hair clad in meticulous dreadlocks, tied back into a large bun with a pair draped down the sides of her head. She held a thick book in one hand and pocketed a serrated blade in the other before motioning to me. “We’ll have to do the pleasantries on the way, the match is starting and you don’t wanna miss that. The commissioner isn’t the type you want to upset. Especially when you’re not here by choice.” I looked for a moment, dumbfounded. “I’m here because I was invited, already got my pay from the woman who let me in.” I shrugged, pocketing the envelope and getting my equipment from the suitcase. The woman gave a sad smile and shook her head. “Of course you’d think that. She likes it that way. Bet she didn’t introduce herself either, did she? C’mon.” I follow her down and after a few minutes we come to a fork in the hallway, an elevator system to our right and a stairway to the left. Dutifully, Watson stood patiently, still grinning and motioning us to go up. Once we’re situated in our booth upstairs, I set my equipment up and look down at the table, expecting a slew of papers and fighter information in front of me. I look to the woman to ask, but she doesn’t break her stare in the darkness, looking down at the arena floor some 100ft below us.“You won’t need that. Not for this match.” The lights flicker on and the enormity of this venue reveals itself to me. It’s a structure of imposing steel, dried blood, claw marks and other unknown substances that littered the 40ft wide circular pit the fighters contested in, a black lift on either side from the fighters corners that I can only assume ascended up from their locker room area. Around them were chain-link fences that rose up to the audience stands above, situating around 300 people across all four sides. At the very top sat our booth, the commissioner’s office directly opposite, the judges booth to our right and the fight analysts/medical area to our left. Standing in the centre with a spotlight over them was the commissioner, microphone in hand and an energy that was almost palpable. “Ladies, Gentlemen and Freaks of all kinds out there in the universe. I welcome you once more to the annual Nightmare Fighting Championship Tournament! It’s been a long year, but we have new blood to pit against our resident night terrors and some fresh fears to feast on the fortuitous soul that frolics into their den. As always, our contestants will be fighting for their freedom, a chance to get their wish or to fight for the ultimate prize.” The crowd cheers and the majority are hidden behind thick plexiglass and lighting, but I can see some have Karate Gi’s, weapons in hand and others with demon masks as they whoop and holler. The clientele here were, at least in my estimation, experienced. But I was feeling a lump in my throat at that one phrase The Commissioner so surreptitiously added in without issue; “As always, our contestants will befightingfor theirfreedom*”* I leaned to the woman next to me and as if she knew what I was going to ask; she put a finger up and shook her head. Eyes awash with fear and a grimness I had only seen on that of trainers who knew their fighter was not ready for the bout ahead. She pointed the finger down to my machine, then to the pit. Turning it on, I looked down as the commissioner began to talk, readying myself to commentate on whatever weirdos came up to battle. “But before we get to that, we have an exciting exhibition match for our loyal supporters who bankroll this event every year. Without you elite few, we could not do this. You are the pound for pound goats of support! Now, without further ado; let’s get this show on the road!”The rest of the lights clicked on and spun around the venue as they raised the profile of the bout, the elevators both whirring into action as the right one arose first. “In this corner, from the marionettes shop and accompanied by his Bunraku doll “Mr. Stares”, it’s the man who pulls the strings… THE PUPPET MAN!” Out steps a tall, thin Japanese man in full clown makeup. His head shaven save for two ridiculous strands of hair stretched out and fluffed up to their limits, like red antennae. His eyebrows large m’s that practically cover his forehead, the nose a completely vacant slot with a black hole drawn in and the mouth… the fucking mouth was nailed shut. Literally. Sharp rusted nails had been hammered down through the lips with such force that they’d bent. A sickening crimson red face-paint stretched across the entire bottom half of his face, making it seem far larger by comparison. He carefully held a small bundle underneath a sheet and bowed deeply to the audience before standing at his designated spot. “In the other corner, from the streets of god knows where and the womb of someone who misses him… "Hulked Up" Michael O’Donnell!” I watched with wide eyes and a stomach threatening to evacuate its contents at any moment as the smoke cleared and a boy no older than 17 rushed out, beating his chest and screaming to the crowd as if he was the Incredible Hulk. I don’t know if they drugged the poor kid, but he clearly had no idea where he was. “There are no rules, no referees and judges only exist in case of a draw or unclear victory. Our commentary team will take over and we wish you a phenomenal match.” She drools a little before she speaks again, looking up at me and winking. “Let’s make this a violent one.” She snaps her fingers and leaps for the fence, climbing up with ungodly ease before sitting on her makeshift chair in her office. I have no idea what I’m seeing but every cell in my body is urging me to run; I feel my knees tense and my frame rise ever so slightly before the woman next to me puts her hand on my thigh, pushing me down with great force. “You have a job to do, so do I. Trust me, you think you can leave but if you get out of this chair, not only will YOUR life end. Mine will too.” She unsheathes the serrated blade and looks at me with pity. “We both have a part to play here, so put the headset on and let’s do our job, no matter how hard it is.” Hands shaking, I pick up the headset and connect it to the portable recorder and take a breath. “I… I need your name. What is it you do?” I stutter, trying to calm myself. She hands me a bottle of water as the surrounding lights dim and the spotlight focuses on the spectacle below. “I’m Madame Nelle Lockwood, cryptid hunter and your co-host to guide you through tonight. Good to meet you, Sal.” - NFC EXHIBITION MATCH: "Hulked Up" Michael O’Donnell vs The Puppet Man w/ Mr. Stares “Welcome fight fans from around the world, god knows how you’re listening to this or WHY, but here we are. I’m your host Sal “MotorMouth” Sabotta, wishing this was all a bad dream. Joining me this evening is our cryptid specialist and all round badass Madame Nelle Lockwood. How are you doing, Nelle?” She looks at me with a bewildered look on her face before blinking and coming to her senses. “Uhh… good! All things considered… boy, you really have a professional knack for this, huh? I can see why Commissioner Alduin brought you in." “Ahh, yes. That’s right, folks! NFC Commissioner Alduin invited me here personally and our exhibition match proves to be… challenging. Let’s check in on the action below.” I look down and see The Puppet Man sat down and gesturing to the figure under the sheet, like he’s got a negotiation going on. The boy, undeterred and furious, rushes towards him and takes his back, slapping his head and even pulling on his hair with extreme prejudice. “Well take a gander at that, that kid has absolutely NO fear. When I was his age, I would have stayed FAR the fuck away from a nightmare spectre like that. But hell, this is all part of the show, right? Hope they’re paying that poor guy down there a sizeable sum to throw a fight to a child. What do you think, Nelle; is this the weirdest make-a-wish fulfilment task or what?” I look over to her, hoping she’d indulge me and that I could believe this was just going to end with a pissed off actor storming away when the child hit him too hard. But Nelle was scanning her now open book and looking for information on dolls. “He’s talking to his doll because it’s desperate to be let loose. He’s trying to bargain with it to spare him. This is the nature of the puppeteer and his master.” She pushes the book to the centre of the table and shows me a faded illustration of a pristine Bunraku doll; a kind of meticulously crafted Japanese take on the ventriloquist doll. The limbs are thinner and the face is more minimalist, but still no more frightening. “They usually have a symbiotic relationship, but it seems this one obeys the doll and will not want to face more punishment.” “What do you mean more punishment?” I ask, looking back down at the feverish puppet man as he tries signing frantically under the sheet, even putting his head under as the kid bites his arm and kicks him, screeching. “The nails, Sal. Those aren’t to silence him, they’re to punish him.” The rest happened in slow motion; the sheet fell down. The puppet man stood up and walked to his side of the fighters corner, facing the elevator and placing his face into his forearms as he shook. The boy followed to keep attacking, but with one swift kick to the midsection, the boy was propelled back to the centre of the pit where the doll sat. If there was a human face, I didn’t see it. Instead, I was staring down at a small wood carved spider, the head sporting black geisha hair and the makeup still present, but rows of sharpened black teeth protruded from the clicking mouth and two larger eyes jutted out from the base of the skull, smaller ones dotted closely around it. It was like seeing a puppet ogre spider. “Looks like The Puppet Man has let Mr. Stares out to say hi and I can certainly see why he was under that sheet, this one isn’t pretty folks! The face doth fit the name. The question is, what’s he doing to do ne- “I didn’t need to finish the question. My hands shook, and the world spun around me as this creature crawled towards the still wheezing boy with ungodly speed and perched itself expertly beside him. I don’t know if it was my eyes or the distance from where I sat, but this was NOT a small puppet. He was easily half of the boy’s height and that became more unnerving when he reared up on his back legs, the head clicking up and the raspy voice hissing out like a gas leak in a building. “Hey, hey, kid! Wanna make a deal?” The kid rubbed his eyes, seemingly realising where he was as he calmed down and an air of utter confusion around him. “If you let me be your new master and you promise to take care of me, I’ll let you go!” His head spun around and the jaw clicked ferociously as he giggled, extending out a clawed paw. “Whaddya say?” The boy, still confused, slowly reached out his hand and the moment immediately reminded me of a slew of nature shows I’d seen as a kid; where a predator waits until the prey is lulled before striking. I felt the chill up my spine as he extended his hand and grabbed Mr. Stares. In that moment, he leapt up the arm and bore his way into the boy’s mouth, down his throat and shredded his flesh. The sound was so horrifying, so visceral that it outshines any backyard stabbing, joint snap or broken nose. The boy didn’t even have time to scream, he simply looked up with tear-stained eyes as the puppet disappeared. Then he started walking without him realising. He looked down at his limbs, terrified, looked over at The Puppet Master, who still had his head to the elevator and pleaded with someone, anyone to help him. I looked to Nelle who refused to take her eyes away, studying the battle in an almost morbid scientific curiosity, detached entirely from the scenario. I couldn’t fathom how she did it, how she ignored this boy begging us to get him out of there. I wanted to. Every instinct in me as a fight fan and a decent human was to scream “STOP THE FIGHT!”. But clearly, when my own life is at risk and money is involved... I am not a decent human. Instead, with bile in my throat and a sweating forehead, I did my job. “M-My goodness! The P-uppet, I mean, “Mr. Stares” has BECAME the puppet master, surely the fight will be over with our young competitor incapacitated? What does our commissioner have to say about this?” She stared at me, her one eye gleaming and her face elated with the violence. “It ain’t over yet, church boy. We haven’t even seen the finale, have we Puppet Master?!” She laughs and slaps her knee, the puppet master sobbing as he sinks to the floor and she continues. “He ain’t done feeding, not yet.” The way she said that word “feeding” nearly made me lose what food I had in me. That was a young man, somebody's baby boy… “What does she mean by that, Nelle? What is the strategy to victory here?” Nelle looked down at her book and traced her finger across a passage before wiping her forehead and pushing the locks aside. If her composure wasn’t breaking yet, it would do soon. “This kind of parasitic doll feasts on its prey and targets non-essential organs first, controls the host with the neurotoxin in its tail and then, when it’s finally content, it gives the brain a second injection.” “What happens then?” I asked, my own professionalism hanging on by a fucking thread at this point. She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.“I guess you’ll see in a moment, I sure as hell don’t want to. Not again.” Before I can prompt her further, the boy lets out an ear-piercing shriek and falls to his knees, gripping at his head before it turned red, then purple and finally an ugly shade of puce before… The sound of a watermelon hitting the ground from a great height is the best comparison you’re going to get without making me want to rush to the toilet to puke for a third time. But that’s what happened. His head burst and chunks of his skull, flesh and brain matter sprayed the pit and the walls, some hitting my desk and making me audibly shriek, much to the commissioner's delight. “HA! You didn’t run! I like you, Sal. You pass for the tournament!” She hauls her body up and slams down to the pit, applauding as the microphone descends from the heavens. “And your winner; The Puppet Man and Mr. Stares!” The crowd erupts with applause as the weeping puppet man pulls the blood-soaked puppet out, places him under the sheet and silently begins to walk back to the elevator while attendees clear up the boy’s corpse. “What… what the fuck IS this place?” I ask Nelle, pausing my recording. “This is where nightmares are kept and set upon mostly unwilling competitors for the world’s amusement. You HAVE done dark web fights before, right? Mafia snitches being put into lions pits, bum fights, addicts fighting women to score… this can’t be THAT unusual to you?” I stared at her incredulously. Was that even a question? “I did the dark web ONCE and it damn sure didn’t involve monsters!” She scoffs and closes her book, stretching before looking at me with contempt. “Oh, it did. Just not the ones you hear about in fairytales. Good luck with the selection process. I’ll be back for the opening round. Don’t try to run, they’ll devour us both in minutes, if you think this is the pinnacle of what lurks beneath this club, you're in for a rough night.” She sauntered off, leaving me deflated, sickened and terrified. Unable to leave and frustrated to the point of tears that I couldn’t express that concoction of emotions, I did what I always do; I regressed and pressed “record” on the device as Commissioner Alduin continued. At that moment, however, I was deaf to it all. The gravity of the situation had fully enveloped me… They weren’t kidding about the unwilling participants, I just didn’t realise I would be one of them.On every side of me sits men and women with a desire for violence that goes beyond the norm, beyond the sane and beyond the boundaries of humanity.Below me are an untold number of creatures rattling their cages and howling for blood. Across from me is a woman so powerful she could crush my skull beneath her boot with the utmost ease if it so amused her. That invitation was nothing more than my own ransom note in pretty colours and flattering platitudes. I was in a tournament housing nightmares incarnate. And it would only get more violent from here on out. - The opening round was a blood bath. The truth is, bitcoin “mining” is a misnomer. When gold is mined, nothing is achieved beyond the discovery of new gold. When bitcoins are mined, however, a valuable service is provided to the Bitcoin network: decentralized transaction recordation and validation. Short answer: No. Mining is reimbursing people for providing the proof of work needed to secure Bitcoin transactions against double spends. Without mining, nothing would stop someone from spending the same Bitcoins more than once. – David Schwartz Nov 3 '13 at 1:21 Apart from creating Bitcoins, mining also ensures that Bitcoin network is stable and secure. Miners will verify the new block created through a mathematical process and then add it to the block chain. Miners will be rewarded bitcoins even for verifying the blocks and using their computing resources for the benefit of the Bitcoin Network. The purpose of Bitcoin mining is to have Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a Cryptocurrency found totally on the web and not fixing to any national bank. 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Filmmaker Issa López’s goat sucker movie El Chupacabras could have been real… But it was just Blumhouse’s elaborate April Fool’s joke. The myth of El Chupacabra looked to finally be getting the Blumhouse treatment when a mysterious trailer arrived to promote a new horror movie about the creepy cryptid creature, complete with an official press release from produce Jason Blum, who didn’t give the joke away right off the bat. Blumhouse said this in their announcement for El Chupacabras. Which arrived with an authentic looking sneak peek that turned out to be an elaborate April Fools’ Day joke. “Hidden for years, and no longer a myth, El Chupacabras exists. Will you outrun him?” El Chupacabras looks like a real horror movie, with found-footage elements and monsters thrown in. It isn’t until the last jump scare that Blumhouse confirms that this is all just a scary April Fools’ Day prank. The footage has fooled a lot of horror fans. And some are even disappointed that the El Chupacabra movie isn’t the real deal. Perhaps the popularity of the trailer will convince Jason Blum to adapt the spoof into an authentic horror experience. Mexican director Issa López is best known for the multi-awarded, critics darling Tigers Are Not Afraid: A supernatural tale about children fighting for survival in a harsh real-life environment. The film is Certified Fresh by Rotten Tomatoes with a 97% and gave the director international recognition. Fully in on the joke, Issa Lopez plays along with the reality of the whole El Chupacabras concept, saying this in the press release, never breaking character or letting on that this was all an elaborate prank. “As a Mexican filmmaker. I’m a firm believer there can never be enough movies about El Chupacabras and I’m here to deliver on that promise.” Jason Blum also gave a tongue and cheek response to the trailer. Pretending that it was a real deal release coming from Blumhouse in the next couple of months. He actually sounds pretty excited to be adding the legendary monster El Chupacabra to his stable of iconic horror characters. “Just when you thought there was a movie I wouldn’t make — I present, El Chupacabras The end of the Blumhouse press release doesn’t ever let on that this is all a joke. And they even go as far as to give the fake movie a release date, stating. “Issa López’s exciting secret project for Blumhouse. El Chupacabras, is coming to theaters this summer. Get ready.” After watching the footage, quite a few fans were ready for what was about to attack theater screens across the country. So Sadly, we’ll have to stick with the handful of low budget indie horror movies about El Chupacabra that have been released across the years. Perhaps Blumhouse’s El Chupacabras will someday make its way to a cineplex near you. So this news comes from MovieWeb.com.

Every evening, we wrap up the day’s must-read stories in one place for you to easily check out. If you’ve been off the grid all day, jump in here and catch up on current events. The 2016 Census Will Keep Your Name And Address Opinion: In case you haven’t heard, this year’s Census will not be anonymous. This Month In Dashcams: In Australia, We Drive On The Left Put them in charge of a couple of tons of metal, plastic and petrol, and people do some stupid things. What Is A Cryptid? The Gizmodo Guide To Undocumented And Unusual Beasts Scotland has the Loch Ness Monster, Australia the Bunyip and America its Jersey Devil. Also on Gizmodo: • Kickass Torrents Clones Are Going To Keep Appearing, Aren’t They? • Nintendo’s Stock Plummets Because It’s Not Making Enough Money Off Of Pokémon Go • Your Pokemon Trading Cards Could Be Worth A Fortune

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The legend of Bigfoot is the one that fascinates kids and adults alike. There is something fun about the mystery of the Sasquatch and the Pacific Northwest and Washington State is full of legends. We've had several sightings and documented pictures that always seem to be a little grainy but no confirmation that we've ever caught a Bigfoot. Sasquatch is the best at hide-and-seek and it's always fun whenever a new sighting is recorded. I always click on the articles when I see Sasquatch mentioned. There is now a free virtual tour being offered called "Searching For Sasquatch." It's been offered by Pretty Gritty tours out of The Puget Sound that offers many other tours in the region. They are best known for walking tours but are featuring several free online virtual tours on YouTube and Facebook. Here is what the company says about the tour on their Facebook page: Where does the legend of Sasquatch come from? Where do they live? Join us as we explore Washington state and its history in an attempt to unravel the mystery of our most famous cryptid. From local lore to biology experts, we plan to unpack the story of bigfoot and see what we can find. The tour is scheduled for May 27th at 8 PM and you can observe the whole tour from the comfort of your living room, right there on your phone or laptop. The best part is that the tour is free and you can get more details about the tour here. Leading Theories About D.B. Cooper and 30 other unsolved mysteries Thanks to the American fascination with confounding unsolved cases, mystery is among the most popular genres of books, movies, and television. From heists and capers to murders and robberies, the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries spark media frenzies that grab headlines around the globe. Some cases compel so much public intrigue that the facts and theories surrounding them become the basis of books, movies, plays, and documentaries decades or even centuries after the cases go cold. This is The Ultimate Guide to Michigan Bigfoot Reports

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The main character finds and downloads the Mystic Messenger app and embarks on a journey to find a boyfriend. The story is a bit more shallow compared to most on the list, but the mechanics are simple and the micro-transactions are kept to a minimum. Obey Me is one of the most popular dating simulators on Android. This one actually has quite a few mechanics. There are various tasks to complete, seven dudes to choose from, and even a card dueling mechanic. The card dueling part is a little bit difficult once you get to higher levels, but the game is friendly enough with a decent enough story to keep you going while you grind it out. The developers obviously put a lot into this one and even the developer replies in Google Play are playful and goofy. The Sims is one of the most popular life simulators ever and the mobile game is quite popular as well. You live the life of a fake person you create and that includes all aspects of that life, including dating. This is a life simulator more than a dating sim but a lot of the same stuff is there minus the story. There are also a lot of quests and other stuff to keep the players engaged. You can go with the one you like most. You play the main character in his first year of college. You make decisions about coming out of the closet, to who, and when. There is a cast of characters and you can romance with four of them. Plus, there is a a ton of dialog over , lines , collectibles to obtain, and more. Dating simulators are on a bunch of different consoles and the genre has evolved over time. E Studios. Learn how to conduct yourself in social situations. Play in browser. Wheeler Institute: Screening. Enamored Risks. Crystal Game Works. Dino Nite. Drowsy Drake Studios. Grace's Diary. Jennifer Ann's Group. My Arcadia. A cutesy dating sim game with a short story about dreams and friendship. Chrystarin Games. A Pinch of Magic. Cryptid Crush: Prologue. Meet Monsters, crush on cryptids. Your Dry Delight. Argent Games. Rusty punk. Shukimo Studio. A novel-length "bat-romance" Twine. Paths Taken. A free slice-of-life dating sim with royalty. All Men Are Pigs. Love is a Game. Romance is in the air when otome characters come to life! Isekano: Augmented Reality Dating Sim. Win your heroine's heart on the go as you text, meet, and date in real life locations! Isekano AR. Yearning: A Gay Story. Come out in college! Meet people, make friends, and maybe find a boyfriend? Balance of Power. Demo for the 'Balance of Power' visual novel. Mermaid Splash! Drogo - Vampire. Players get to live out their own Vampire Diaries and Twilight fantasies as they find themselves as the au pair for the youngest of the Bartholy, the little sister of Drogo. It's free to play with the option of making in-game purchases for bonus points. Chapters: Interactive Stories is a romance mobile game geared towards a mature audience. Though they do have a few "books" for young adults, most of their books are categorized as "steamy" romances. Players can customize their characters to reflect their own style, but the thing that sets Chapters apart from other games in the genre is that a lot of their stories come directly from many bestselling books! Players who enjoy romance novels now have the chance to have their own personal experience in best-selling novels like Calendar Girl and The Wandering Earth. Available in English, Love Tangle puts players in the shoes of the main character, a credited scientist and researcher who comes to live in an apartment for celebrities. For the most part, it follows the standard mechanics of most "otome games" Japanese games targeted at women , but what sets Love Tangle apart is that players get to romance two characters at the same time in each route, as they're caught in a fierce love triangle. The advertisements for Episode - Choose Your Story makes it seem like the app is filled with wild and sometimes hilarious situations. And while that is true, Episode is filled with a lot more than that. It describes itself as a "Hollywood caliber" mobile storytelling platform. What sets it apart from other games in the same genre is that players can actually create their own stories and share it with others. Mystic Messenger is a Korean mobile romance game that came out in Also available in English, players take on the role of the main character who stumbles upon an app that lets them interact with the members of a group known as the RFA. Players interact with the characters through chats, texts and phone calls fully voiced in Korean in real-time. Chatrooms and phone calls work on Korean Standard Time so players in different time zones might find it hard to keep up with them. But missed chats can be unlocked using hourglasses purchased in-game. Lovestruck currently has 13 series that players can play through, and two short stories called "Lovestruck shorts. Lovestruck is different from a lot of games of the genre, as there aren't multiple endings for the character routes. There seem to be no "chemistry checkpoints" that typically affects the kind of ending a player would get, which will appeal to people who want a good and straight forward romance story. For players who want a variety of stories and characters to romance their way through, Choices: Stories You Play is one of the best, well, choices out there! Players get to customize their character, either using free outfits or purchased ones and dive into several stories, each with a different plot and group of characters. There are books for just about any mood a player could find themselves in. From slice-of-life stories about finding romance at work to epic fantasy stories about battling supernatural creatures, Choices has a little something for everyone. For a romance game full of magic and mystery The Arcana is a great fit. Players take on the role of a magician in the fantasy land of Versuvia. There they find themselves investigating the mysterious circumstances surrounding the murder of Versuvia's count, using their skills of the Arcana to unravel the truth. There are six routes available with 22 books in each route, based on the 22 Major Arcana of a tarot deck. Players can unlock special scenes with coins, but it's completely optional and has no effect on the outcome of the story. Ericka Blye is a year-old writer and gamer. She enjoys playing casual mobile games and deep-in-depth console games. A writer for Valnet for a little over a year, she enjoys writing about her favorite games. By Ericka Blye Published Feb 26, Share Share Tweet Email 0. Related Topics Lists Mobile. Mass Effect 2: 10 Best Weapon Upgrades.

What do you get when you take a man already losing his mind, place him deep into the forest and then add the Jersey Devil on top for good measure? You get The Barrens; an emotional thrill ride that’s more than just a take on a legendary cryptid. Written and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (whose previous works include Mother’s Day, The Devil’s Carnival and SAW II, III and IV), The Barrens stars Stephen Moyer (True Blood) as Richard Vineyard, a suburban husband and father trying to rekindle the relationship with his family by taking them on a camping trip deep into the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Along the way, the family discovers the legend of the Jersey Devil, but Richard reassures them that it’s all just pretend (SURE it is) and nothing to worry about. But, there are secrets that Richard has been keeping from them. One of which eventually causes him to spiral out of control and descend into madness as he becomes convinced the family is being stalked by the legendary monster. The Barrens also stars Mia Kirshner (The Vampire Diaries), Allie MacDonald (House at the End of the Street) and Shawn Ashmore (X-Men: The Last Stand). I found this film intriguing on many different levels. First, Stephen Moyer’s performance is outstanding. I haven’t seen someone lose their mind this good since Jack Nicholson went bonkers in The Shining. I also enjoyed how the movie deviated from what I initially expected. Just when you think you have it figured out; the story takes you off in an entirely different direction. Viewers wanting to see a glimpse of the legendary creature certainly won’t be disappointed with this movie. But in the end, the real reason The Barrens succeeds is not because of the monster. It’s the story of a man’s descent into madness that draws you in and keeps you guessing until the very end. In a world hungering for great dramatic thrillers, it’s unfortunate that films like The Barrens (along with Bousman’s previous film, an amazing re-make of “Mother’s Day” starring Rebecca De Mornay) never saw a wide theatrical release. Both of these films are solid, well-crafted productions with stars who give nothing less than stellar performances. Ones that I highly recommend you see. I had the opportunity to speak with writer/director Darren Lynn Bousman and discuss The Barrens and much more in this exclusive interview. goJimmygo (gJg): Before we begin, I have to tell you how much I loved Mother’s Day. Darren Lynn Bousman (DLB): Thank you very much! gJg: Whenever I see people Tweeting you that they’ve “finally” seen it, it frustrates me because of how long it took for it to finally be released. DLB: The whole thing frustrates me as well. Mother’s Day is such a cool, unique film. The problem was, no one gave it a shot. They said it was too “artsy”, not “commercial” enough or not “scary” enough. The good news now is that people are finally getting to see it to some extent, so it’s cool. gJg: Rebecca De Mornay was fantastic in that movie. DLB: She certainly was. And Stephen Moyer is equally as good in The Barrens. DLB: Stephen Moyer just killed it in this film. I’m a big fan of his from True Blood. gJg: The thing I liked most about The Barrens is that it’s not a horror movie, it’s more of a thriller. DLB: That was my whole goal going in. I wanted to do something that was a little bit more dramatic in nature but still had elements of those monster movies that I love. Those are my favorite types of movies. Some people might say that it’s a “monster movie”, but it’s really not. It’s the story about a man and his descent into madness that just happens to have a monster in it. gJg: What made you decide to write a story based upon the Jersey Devil? DLB: I’ve always loved Cryptozoology creatures and the Jersey Devil was the one that I felt had not been exploited, where so many of the others have. We’ve all seen Big Foot and The Loch Ness Monster everywhere. The Jersey Devil was one that I’ve never seen done correctly. gJg: How would you describe the story of The Barrens? DLB: It’s a story about a father looking to rekindle his relationship with his family. He takes them on a camping trip into the woods and then begins to spiral out of control into insanity… oh, and there happens to be a monster! [laughs]. The best way to describe it: it’s “The Shining in the woods meets JAWS!” gJg: What are some of the elements that make up a great horror/thriller film like this one? DLB: More important than anything else, it’s great performances. Without those, you’ve got nothing. It’s why Mother’s Day is so great (Rebecca’s performance) and why this one is so great (Stephen’s performance). These movies, if done by any other actors would not have had the same impact. In the end, it all comes down to acting. Misdirects is another big one. That’s where the audience thinks they have it figured out going in, but then you do something that they didn’t expect. I think a lot of people thought that the story was going to be based on the trailer, but then were surprised with something else. gJg: My particular favorite scene was where the son, Danny (Peter DaCunha) runs up and gets scared. DLB: That scene makes me so happy, because that’s a genuine reaction. We didn’t show him the dog beforehand. So when we filmed and he was coming up, he really thought he was coming up to see a dog. [laughs] gJg: Do you have a favorite scene? DLB: I’d have to say the scene with Danny near the water. It’s a disturbing thing, but you really feel for the family at that moment. And again, it’s not reliant upon the creature or anything like that. It’s just an emotional connection. gJg: What projects are you working on right now? DLB: We’ll start filming the second installment of The Devils Carnival in early 2013. Everything about it will be the same, including another nationwide tour. It’s my soul cleansing for the films that didn’t get released theatrically. It’s something that I get to control. I’m also working on ABATTOIR which is based on a comic book that I wrote. I was one of the writers who created the concept for it and we’re now turning it into a feature. I recommend people check out the comic book. The Barrens will be released October 9th as a Two Disc Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack. Extras include audio commentary as well as a deleted scene. Article first published as Darren Lynn Bousman Discusses His New Film, The Barrens on Technorati.

Both want the truth - but is revealing the truth good for society? Devon Sorvari, Narrated by: ", " This was my first book of this genre and I probably would of never read it if not for a certain book club I'm part of. Welcome to a world of reckless sensuality and glittering sophistication . You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. This time, she might have gone too far. The story is entertaining but the performance makes this series fantastic. Like many American novels now it is highly filmic or play-like but that's no criticism; it's a form that concentrates prose and makes every word work. Michael Anderle. $14.95 a month after 30 day trial. © 2005 - 2020 AudioBookStore.com - All Rights Reserved. Unless you are forced to read this in some literature class, pass on this one. Their claws are into every aspect of human life, from government to industry. ", " Good start to the Desperate Duchessess series, but was surpassed by later entries ", " This is the first official romance book Ive read. Unable to add item to List. This time, there is another group learning what it takes to plunder the Zoo. She is the mother of two children and, in a particularly delicious irony for a romance writer, is married to a genuine Italian knight. He’s a 30-year veteran of military operations; she’s the youngest daughter of a wealthy business family. Or will she uncover the whole truth and put it out for everyone to see? Something went wrong. He will have vengeance, no matter the cost. ― David Foster Wallace. Please try again. Cancel anytime. Greg Tremblay, By: The past is fraught with lies that could topple everything, sending humanity into a tailspin. That time has come. There are no other alternatives. Couldn't see what on earth Roberta saw in Villiers in this book (he becomes more appealing as each book goes by) ", " Totally fun and in the tradition of historical romance. This is the ninth book in the Opus X series. and others. Enjoyed the details in this book, and again - a strong female lead who goes against the grain. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Please try again. By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's. ", " I definitely wish this book was more about Roberta & Damon instead of all the side stories with Villiers & Jemma-- I know it's the first of the series, but it took so much away from the actual story that it took me awhile to read. By: Erik and Jia said the words, and now they can't go back. In Italy, she got the job done, or did she? Get any audiobook FREE during your Free Trial. Welcome to a world of reckless sensuality and glittering sophistication . After she got an MPhil from Oxford, a PhD from Yale, and a job as a Shakespeare professor, she tried again, with much greater success. Martha Carr, It’s over-written, drowning in artificial dialogue and far too many commas and adverbs. Kristen Hall grew up a human - but she's not. Another planet closer to Earth than Erik's moon gives up its secrets, providing Erik and Jia with clues that could lead to answers they’ve been seeking. Both want the truth - but is revealing the truth good for those around them? Jia and Erik need to uncover the truth - but is revealing the truth good for those around them? ", " Continuing with Megan's Romance Must-Reads list, another surprisingly fun read. Assigned their first mission outside the Solar System, Erik and Jia head to Alpha Centauri on the trail of smuggled alien artifacts. Please try again. She’s smart; he’s tactical. A dragon raised by humans, in the human world. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. The reasons behind their machinations become clear as her dragon powers begin to surface. I like the twist in male protagonists and all the characters are fairly interesting. I found a list of “must read” modern classics a while back, and “Desperate Characters” by Paula Fox, was on it with glowing reviews. She's achieved some mastery over her powers and even defeated an enemy dragon. Love this book. The story is fast paced with new characters being introduced to the team. By: Taylor has a new challenge with someone looking into his business, and this time it's a feisty reporter from a Cryptid-Inquirer magazine. She is a Morgana. The book builds on the events that happened earlier on the moon. She just doesn't know it...yet! Good job! I went digging in my “To Be Read” stack this week and finally took a moment to read this short novel published in 1970. Having never read one of these 'bodice rippers', i thought I'd give this a whirl. of games played for high stakes, including—on occasion—a lady's virtue. Unfortunately, the team only needs to provide the data; getting back off is up to them. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2020, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 3, 2015, Good captivating read- and interesting for post modern fiction writers and driving the discourse on a patriarchal governed society inside the trapped marriage complex. ", " Fun and quick read. Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2016. A war for control of the planet is brewing - one that would devastate dragon and human alike! Paula Fox never seems judgmental of her characters, but simply presents them for who they are and none are above reproach in some way. But will Dr. Salinger Jacobs of Heavy Metal take her call? Their stainless-steel kitchen is newly installed, and their Mercedes is parked curbside. . However, something was found that many are willing to kill to keep secret. Precise observation. Mix in a very early high-budget R&D AI created by the Military, and we might have a problem for those trying to hide from justice. $14.95 a month after 30 days. Kristen has come fully into her dragon power. I know I am coming late to this party, but this is easily one of the most stunning novels I have ever read. Kristen has been invited to join Dragon SWAT - a force of dragons which serves to keep order among their species, By: Villiers has been my favourite character in this series so I was looking forward to his story. And dragonkind will never be the same. But something Niki threw at him has got him off his game. If nothing else, Fox illustrates the isolating quality of the 1960's New York suburbs that despite being surrounded by neighbors and friends, each person seems to stand alone - disconnected from the rest. Will she even live to type up a report? Perfect condition and arrived ahead of schedule, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 15, 2020. She will dig for the truth, no matter how risky it is to reveal. Kevin T. Collins, Narrated by: Unheard of. Now they need to learn from each other. [ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. Her television credits include Love in a Cold Climate, Rumpole of the Bailey, Sherlock Holmes, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. ", " Really liked the lighthearted romance between Roberta and Damon (so refreshing not to have a brooding hero!) I happened to pick this up at the library and then realized I had read the one previous to it, which made it even nicer to have a returning character to follow. I agree with whoever suggested reading the Intro after the novel btw. Somebody should. Listen to thousands of best sellers and new releases on your iPhone, iPad, or Android. You know, his friends? If it were possible to give a book six stars, this would be the book. Parts of the book were good, others were a bit boring. But nothing she has done has prepared her for what's coming next. The interactions between Sophie and others illustrate, each in a unique way, how this she and Otto are disconnected from each other and the world around them - leaving them feeling isolated and dissatisfied - with no sense of how to make life better. and others. In 2013 she won a Rita Award for Best Romance Novella. Michael Todd, Dragons rule the world. 2-2.5 stars Michael Anderle, Narrated by: Very fine novel. Could an unfriendly but extinct species of alien not be extinct, as presumed? There is a group engaging four new mercenaries, prepping them with simulated operations in the Zoo. and others. Everyone should read this book. Lost my original moving house so bought this as my replacement. An unexpected challenge was beaten, but not without death and destruction to Erik's and Jia's team. Niki must build a consultant team to figure out if she has a problem with another company. However, something was found that many are willing to kill to keep secret. She teaches Shakespeare in the English department at Fordham University in New York. A marquess's sheltered only daughter, Lady Roberta St. Giles falls in love with a man she glimpses across a crowded ballroom: a duke, a game player of consummate skill, a notorious rakehell who shows no interest in marriage—until he lays eyes on Roberta. As Sophie talks to each character that inhabits her world, we see how they all seem to orbit around each other, with little meaningful or gratifying connections being made. Courtney has approved a new member of her team in California, and Sal isn't sure it was a good idea. Because she's a dragon, too. If you’ve never read it, or if, like me, it’s been a while since you did, now is an excellent moment to pick it up.” First published in 1970 to wide acclaim, Desperate Characters stands as one of the most dazzling and rigorous examples of the storyteller's craft in postwar American literature ― a novel that, according to Irving Howe, ranks with "Billy Budd, The Great Gatsby, Miss Lonelyhearts, and Seize the Day.". of dangerously handsome gentlemen and young ladies longing to gain a title . A rookie, in SWAT? How will it change their relationship? . Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2019. Thanks!! Taylor McFadden is willing to go against any monster thrown at him. Will Kristen rise to the challenges of her new life? Unfortunately, it requires the team to go active earlier than they should. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2017. ", " Brilliant I love this series. The sheer amount of interests involved in crimes both mundane and groundbreaking are obfuscating the most heinous in society who attack Jia and Erik from the shadows. "Desperate Characters is, simply, a perfect short novel. Desperate Measures. Will they accept?Will Stephanie's team be able to defend the Federation? But Kristen Hall is about to throw a wrench into all of that. W. W. Norton & Company; Reissue edition (March 30, 2015), Don't Read Franzen's Introduction Until You've Finished the Novel, Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2019. 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Can I have a full oneshots or Drabble, with JJ from outerbanks where she finds out he had a praise kink and uses while they are having sex, really soft cute lovey dovey stuff pairing: jj maybank (18+) x fem!reader warnings: smut → praise kink, super soft!jj word count: 782 •:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:• ☾ ☼ ☽ •:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:• requests for the sleepover are open🖤! request guidelines here✨! smut night masterlist you knew jj had a thing for being praised. It started off small at first, like if he got a test back with a good mark, or when you calmed him down during a rough night with his dad. Comments like "you're doing so well" or "i'm proud of you" really made his heart swell with so much love, he didn't really know what to do with it. Tonight was no exception. The two of you sit on his bed in the spare room of john b's house. His fingers plays with yours, the softness of his touch only made you feel more at home. You listen to the sound of his mellow voice as he describes the events that he and john b witnessed at Lana's, Scooter's wife, house. "do you reckon we should tell someone?" he asks, snapping you out of your daze. "look, those guys are bad news. If we tell someone, it's just gonna end with someone dying." "so that's a no?" "yes it's a no, idiot," you giggle, buying your face in his neck. The two of you stay like this for a while before you decide to press gentle kisses on his neck. He hums at the feeling, tilting his head back to expose more of his neck. "you like that, don't you?" you purr into his skin. "mhm," is all jj can muster up, his fingers clasping around your shirt. You move to straddle his hips and cup his soft cheeks, capturing his lips with yours. He kisses you back with such force, you couldn't help but smile into the kiss. Nothing will ever beat the feeling of him wanting you. "where's all this coming from, hey?" the cockiness that you had gotten so used to over the years finally made its way to his lips. "nowhere. Just thought you need something to help you relax," you purr in his ear, taking his lobe between your teeth. jj sucks in a breath. god, the things you do to him. "which is exactly what i want you to do, so just relax, okay? I got you." "yes ma'am." His arms fold under his head, watching as you pull at his cargo shorts. Your hand wraps around his cock, the sultry stare that is accompanied with an alluring smirk, only makes jj feel weaker under your touch. A soft breath leaves his lips before he pulls his bottom lip between his teeth, eyes drawn to your hand which pumps him up and down slowly. "i swear you'll be the death of me," jj sighs, tilting his head back against the pillows as you take him in your mouth. A muffled chuckle surpasses through your throat. His hands grip at the bedsheets, trying to calm him down so he doesn't take your head and just fuck into your mouth. He, as much surprise as it was to everyone else, including you, likes when you do what you want to him. jj likes the way you take control, the way you want it to last as long as possible. Sex with you is exciting to jj. A stifled groan passes through jj's bitten lips as you lean back up, collecting the silva that drips from the corner of your lips with your thumb. He could've sworn that was the hottest thing he's ever seen. But then again, everything you did he swore was the hottest thing. You lean over to his nightstand pull out a condom before rolling it on his cock. "Come here," jj smiles lovingly at you, turning you over so he can hover over you. He pushes in, both of you moaning in pleasure. "did i already tell you, you did so well back at Lana's?" you ask, feeling his breath hitch in his throat. "always such a good boy." the praises that slips through your moans is something jj will never get used to. "[y/n]," he breathes against the crook of your neck. He couldn't think of anything to say. He was never good at thank you's. jj presses a gentle kiss on your heated skin. Your nails claw down his back and your eyes roll back in such pleasure, you're sure you're close to already cumming. "baby, you feel so good," you moan, stomach tightening at the sound of jj moaning in response to your praises. "keep doing that and i'll cum," he tries to joke, but you only tangle your fingers through his hair, whispering sweet-nothings in his ear. this. this is what jj's always wanted. you're the type of girl he's imagined ever since he could remember. it was in that moment that jj knew you'd be his forever home. 20 notes · View notes Can you do reader and JJ having rough sex from JJ’s pov? pairing: jj maybank (18+) x fem!reader warnings: smut → rough smut, choking, jj being a little teasing shithead. word count: 279 •:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:• ☾ ☼ ☽ •:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:• requests for the sleepover are open🖤! request guidelines here✨! smut night masterlist Words cannot describe how gorgeous [y/n] looks with her hair dishevelled, eyes closed and mouth letting out the sweetest moaning sound while I fuck her. My hand clasps around her throat, squeezing ever-so-gently. her pulse thumps under my fingertips, her pussy clamping down on my cock as she lets out a strained moan. My hips move faster, wanting to completely fuck her brains out. this is what we've both needed for a long time. "jj," she whines, her small hand gripping at my wrist and pressing my hand harder onto her neck. I smirk, slowly my thrusts as I lean down to plant a kiss on her forehead. "you're such a good girl for me," i coo, feeling her pussy, once again, clench around me. I moan, leaning back on my knees and grip her hips, roughly pulling her closer to me. I slam into her, hearing the gorgeous sound of [y/n]'s loud moans. Her hands stretch down to my thighs, scratching at the skin. "you want to cum, don't you?" I chuckle at the state of her. "jj please... I've been so good," she pleads, eyebrows knitting together as she focuses on not cumming. She knows she's only allowed to cum with my permission. "then cum, darling. If you feel you've been good, you should be allowed to cum, right?" "jj please don't tease me," she whines, almost sobbing at this point. My thumb gently circles her clit, knowing it'll push her over the edge. And that it did. "jj!" she whimpers, the walls of her pussy throbbing around my cock as she cums around me. "see, that wasn't so hard, was it?" 14 notes · View notes personally i am waiting with bated breath for more outer banks blogging LMAO you're right.. my true calling 2 notes · View notes babe I’m begging for some mitsuya content,,,. I’m feeling mmm overstim, to the point where he could tap your clit and you’re squirting just a little, you’re so sore and tired but he keeps telling you to shhh because he has to fulfill his promise of making his pretty baby feel good JJ — IM?? PUSSY CRYING RN. just,, soft dom suya who only cares abt pleasing his baby “c’mon baby, keep em open for me,” he mutters. the heat of his breath against your ear is enough to have you squirming in his grasp and with the way he’s holding you— arms trapping you with his chest flush against your back, there’s no escaping him. “look at you. d’ya love it that much? hm? crying and creaming all over my fingers .. you must be feeling good, princess” your fingers sink into his wrist— nails digging small crescent shape marks into his flushed skin when you sob out a “t-too much” “awh, it’s too much?” he coos, voice soft n endearing completely opposite of his long fingers that rush in and out of your abused little cunt, “but ‘m not done yet, baby. nowhere close, so endure it, yeah?” at your heightened cries he pulls his fingers out, taking a second to admire the way your slick creates webs between his digits before negotiating, “how about,” he repositions your limp body so that your straddling his waist— bare cunt pressing against his dick, “ you ride my face? you can go all night long. use me. would that make you feel better, baby?” at your drunken nodding he smiles, “hop up, wanna make my princess feel good” 87 notes · View notes 1 note · View note DREW CONTENT/ I repeat, DREW CONTENT Madam Tiddette, as much as I love your tags really😭😭I’m supposed to be sleep and I can’t stop laughing rn🙈🙈🙈 Somebody had to make the joke 😂😂😂 3 notes · View notes What’s one aspect about Danny Phantom you love a lot or could think about on the top of your head? (Ghostly-shenanigans) mmmm ghosts having character development and more than 5 lines 6 notes · View notes PLS HI YOURE SO FUNNY AND ILY WUEUEGEH??? ME?? FUNNY?? THANK YOU AND ILY2 1 note · View note pike jj x reader (ft. cody, tyler and zach) *taps mic* this is overdue *sprints away* also this is part four of a series. check out the first three on my brooke mini series masterlist here! warnings: i am...so out of practice holy shit JJ knew, realistically, that even though Tyler, Cody, and you had a positive reaction at the party to his and Brooke’s breakup, the three of you probably wouldn’t just forgive him right off the bat. And he was right. Though that night had gone well, the next morning was...uncomfortable to say the least. He woke up in his room, hungover, and climbed out of bed with a groan. Cody’s Keurig was making noises, and there was a mug full of steaming coffee sitting on the counter next to it. The boy in question walked out of his bedroom, yawning and rubbing his eyes, and jumped when he saw JJ standing by the sink. “Shit,” he breathed out, clutching his chest in surprise. “Sorry,” JJ smiled, a bit uncomfortably as silence fell over them. Cody mixed sugar into his coffee and set the spoon down on the counter. Turning to walk back into his room, he called over his shoulder, “Help yourself if you want, Maybank.” And then JJ didn’t see or hear from any of them for the rest of the day. Late afternoon, he did hear the two of them laughing as they left, the door slamming shut and leaving him alone. Again. It was almost like nothing had changed, and he felt something in his chest squeeze. Kie was the one to give him advice in the end. She was one of the smartest people he knew, and when he realized he didn’t really have anyone else to talk to, he called her. “JJ,” she answered, surprise coloring her tone. He felt bad, realizing he hadn’t called his friends in a while. With a grimace on his face, he responded, “Um, yeah. How have you been?” Kie snorted and he heard rustling in the background as she settled down somewhere to chat, “I’ve been alright. You?” JJ shrugged before remembering she couldn’t see him, “I’ve been okay. Definitely could be better, but could be worse.” She sighed, “I’m assuming you aren’t calling me to catch up.” “You’d be right,” he winced at the admission, “I kind of need advice.” “Oh,” she sounded surprised again, “what’s going on?” JJ paused, wondering the best way to go about the conversation. Eventually, he answered, “Brooke and I broke up.” “I hope you dumped her and not the other way around. That would be embarrassing.” Chuckling, JJ joked, “Fortunately for my pride and reputation, yeah, I did the breaking up.” “Good,” Kie sounded proud, and JJ preened a bit, it was the first time he’d heard someone use that tone about him in a while. She continued before he could, “So now what are you going to do?” “Well, I was hoping you could tell me.” Kie made an unreadable noise, and he could almost picture the look on her face. The one she used to make all the time when the boys did or said something dumb, “They’re your friends, I don’t know them like you do.” “But how do I apologize?” JJ asked and quietly added, “I haven’t really had to do it much.” “Ah,” Kie joked, “character development at long last. An apology, JJ, is just the start. It’s an admission that you fucked up, so it validates their hurt instead of dismissing it, but an apology isn’t all you have to do. You have to prove to them, through actions, that you won’t do the same thing again.” “But how?” JJ insisted, biting his bottom lip in thought. “Befriend them again. They aren’t your best friends anymore. Make the effort to get back there with them.” “I think,” tears rose to his eyes, much to his horror, “I think I’ve been replaced.” “By Zach?” Kie asked, a sympathetic tone in her voice. “By Zach,” he confirmed, hurt worming its way into his chest again, “and I can’t say it’s not deserved.” “It’s a little deserved. But the four of you clicked before, and you can do it again.” “That’s true,” JJ murmured, “I think I can do this.” “You can,” Kie reassured him, “and I fully believe you will.” He smiled, confidence returning slightly, “Thanks, Kie. You’re the best.” “I know,” she was smiling too, “now, go woo your friends.” JJ was pacing around his room on a Friday afternoon. He knew there was game night that night, and he didn’t really want to bring the mood down, but he figured it would be the best time to try and apologize to his roommates while they were there at the same time. With a little help from Kie and Pope, he’d written up his best apology, and while he paced, he read it over and over under his breath, committing it to memory as best as possible. He sighed, tapping his finger against his chin nervously, praying time would move just a little bit faster so he could just get it over with. JJ got so caught up in his thoughts, the suite door swinging open violently and banging against the doorstop startled him. Sighing again, he steeled himself when he heard their voices, loud and clear. “Come on, dipshit,” Cody said to Tyler, “it’s been a long week and I want a drink.” “Please,” Tyler responded, voice right outside JJ’s shut door, “we just got here. At least take your shoes off first.” “Fine,” he could hear the playful annoyance in Cody’s tone, “shoes are off, now beer me.” “What about wine tonight?” Tyler asked, walking toward the mini fridge across the small common area from JJ’s room. Cody yelled out incredulously from further away, “Vodka or beer are always the move!” “I asked Zach to buy and chill some wine for me and I got it from him earlier today to bring here. I’ve been in the mood for a good red all week.” Cody scoffed, “Is this book club now?” “Considering we have buffalo wings and not finger sandwiches, and I’m drinking wine out of a coffee mug, I’d say it’s not book club,” Tyler sassed back. JJ held in a snort and straightened his shoulders, swinging the door open when there was a lull in the conversation. The two of them looked startled at his sudden entrance, and Tyler, standing closest to JJ, crossed his arms defensively. “What’s up, Maybank,” Cody said, extending the first olive branch. “Can I talk to you guys?” JJ asked. “Before the drinking starts.” Tyler snorted and motioned for him to continue, face scarily similar to the last time he punched JJ. He cleared his throat, glancing down at the written apology before deciding, fuck it, may as well wing it. “I was a shit person and an even shittier friend to you guys. I thought I could balance a relationship and our friendship, and instead I let Brooke pull me away. I know it was my fault, and I take full responsibility for letting it happen. And now that I’ve learned, I want to promise that it won’t happen again, if you guys can forgive me. I could see it, how she treated you guys, but I didn’t want to believe it, and I’m sorry.” Cody spoke up, “Why did you do it?” “Why didn’t you do anything, even when you realized?” JJ shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe by the time I was ready to admit it, you guys were already so distant and I didn’t want to be alone.” Tyler nodded, though JJ thought it looked a bit reluctant, “Okay, I guess that’s understandable. But we probably would’ve been more forgiving back then.” Cody nodded, agreeing, and JJ smiled sadly, “Yeah, well, you know what they say about hindsight.” Tyler snorted, “It’s definitely clearer than whatever the hell you’ve had for the past year.” JJ’s lips quirked up, “That’s true. I’ll, um, I’ll let you guys get back to it.” “Maybe wine isn’t that bad,” Cody told Tyler, going back to their earlier conversation as JJ shut the door to his room behind him again. It was actually Pope’s idea for him to apologize to Zach. JJ originally protested because Zach wasn’t really involved until Pope explained that he’d probably heard a lot of bad shit about him from Tyler, Cody, and you. Which was true. “Plus, getting Zach on your side will probably help with winning the others over.” JJ sighed, “Yeah, I guess. But what would I even say to him? Wouldn’t it make more sense to explain rather than to apologize?” Pope hummed thoughtfully, “Maybe. You could still apologize, though, for him constantly having to put in the effort to stop them all from decking you in the face.” “Maybe that’s more of a thanks bro thing rather than an apology.” Snorting, Pope agreed, “Yeah, you’re right about that at least.” “I guess it would be smart,” JJ finally admitted, “it’s not like I was the nicest to the guy anyway.” “Jealousy is unbecoming on you, JJ,” Pope joked, “but I don’t think it has to be as formal or detailed as your other ones. Less to apologize for there, you know.” So JJ didn’t stress about it, and truthfully he didn’t really seek Zach out, not thrilled about having to talk to him one on one. He knew that you’d probably spoken pretty poorly about him to Zach, so he was sure he didn’t have the best reputation in the other boy’s eyes. He could practically hear Kie’s voice in his head telling him to suck it up and just fucking do it, and when he did quite literally run into Zach in the quad, he realized maybe he wasn’t as ready as he thought. He should’ve planned this out more, he thought to himself a little desperately as Zach sized him up, an unreadable glint in his eyes. JJ licked his lips nervously, “Oh, uh, hey, bro.” “Hey, bro,” Zach repeated, smirking slightly at JJ’s obvious nerves. “Do you have some time?” JJ spit out, deciding to just bite the bullet and face the music. Zach tilted his head and sized him up, “Sure, I don’t have class for another hour.” And somehow, JJ found himself sitting across from Zach at a Subway on campus. The other boy mentioned needing food after a morning workout, and JJ followed him in a daze, surprised he was even getting that much time with Zach. Much to his surprise, Zach paid for his food and led him to a table despite JJ’s protests. They ate in silence, or more like Zach ate and JJ picked at his sandwich, stomach rolling from nervous anticipation of the likely uncomfortable conversation about to take place. “Hey, so I wanted to, like, apologize?” JJ started, wincing when it came out more like a question than a statement. Zach set his food down to give JJ his full attention, “For what?” He sounded genuinely curious and not mocking, which surprised JJ a little. In the back of his mind, he faintly remembered Tyler saying Zach was a really good guy, and JJ finally believed him. JJ inhaled sharply, tapping the table with his finger while he gathered his thoughts, “I know you and I weren’t really friends, and we probably won’t ever be that close, but I’m sure that you heard a lot of shit about me.” Zach snorted, “That’s an understatement.” JJ huffed out a bitter laugh, “Yeah, well I can’t blame them, it was deserved.” “I think so,” Zach spoke bluntly before softening his tone and continuing, “but I don’t think it’s unsalvageable.” Blinking rapidly, JJ found himself speechless. Zach went back to eating to let JJ come up with a response. After a minute or so, mind still whirling, JJ asked, “Are you serious? Because it feels pretty impossible.” Zach smiled gently, “Dude, they missed you. All of them.” He heard the unspoken emphasis on you in particular. Which, to be fair, was the apology he was most dreading. It was going to be...hard to say the least. Zach’s reassurance went a long way in soothing him, “You think?” “I know,” and Zach sounded completely serious. Before JJ could respond, Zach held a finger up, “Just don’t do it again because though I play a sport with a three strike system, life doesn’t exactly work the same way. They might not give you another chance.” JJ gulped, “Right,” he said faintly, “yeah, thanks for the advice.” Zach nodded and went back to his food, staring pointedly when JJ didn’t immediately move until he picked up his own sandwich. It was uncomfortable, but in the end, he was glad to have cleared the air with Zach. When JJ finally got to you, he was pretty sure you were expecting it. The two of you actually hadn’t shared a class that semester, so it was harder to find you, but after some begging, Zach told him where you’d be on Tuesday afternoons. The weather wasn’t great, so he was able to catch you in the business building lobby, trying to wait out the worst of the rain before walking to your dorm. You were scrolling through your phone, lips quirked up in a small smile as your eyes scanned the screen, and something in his chest clenched at the familiar, nostalgic expression. Walking up slowly so as to not startle you, JJ cleared his throat. Unfortunately, he hadn’t noticed the headphones you were wearing, and he was forced to tap your shoulder which did startle you. “Sorry,” he mouthed as you pulled your headphones out, vaguely annoyed at the interruption. “JJ,” you greeted, crossing your arms. He was thrown off guard at the similarity to Tyler when he apologized to the boys, and it took him a few seconds to continue. “Is now a good time?” he asked eventually. You looked out at the pouring rain wryly and shrugged, “Not going anywhere anytime soon, so yeah, I guess so.” JJ nodded, bouncing on his toes a bit before tilting his head toward an empty bench, “Let’s sit.” At your lack of reaction, he actually got worried that he’d crossed some sort of line, but you eventually followed him over, sitting down next to him but with a good foot of space in between the two of you. JJ would’ve preferred apologizing in a more private space, but something in him felt that it was time, and he didn’t want to ignore it. Even as the lobby filled up with more students, it felt like there was a bubble around the two of you. “So,” he started, rubbing his hands together, “this is overdue.” “I’m kind of offended I’m last,” you told him. Desperately, JJ tried, “Saving the best for last, right?” doing his best to save what already felt like a failed attempt. You hummed, “Fair enough, I suppose. So, let’s hear it.” His mouth went dry, and JJ swallowed a few times to get it together before continuing, “Right. So, there’s a lot to apologize here I think.” “You think,” you snorted, cutting him off again. “I know,” JJ corrected, finally catching his train of thought, “I’m so sorry. And I know that words will never make up for it. I know that I treated you poorly and so did Brooke. You’ll never get an apology from her, so I guess I should also apologize for bringing her around and enabling that mistreatment.” You looked impressed, and it was encouraging, so he pushed on, “It’s not fair or realistic for me to expect that you’ll immediately forgive me and things will go back to the way they were before, I know that, but I want to try to get back there.” To his horror, your eyes filled up with tears, and he scrambled to come up with something to say, but you answered before he could attempt damage control, “I’d like that too.” You punched his shoulder, a little firmer than he anticipated, “I missed you, Maybank.” “I missed you too,” he murmured, massaging his shoulder with a smile, “thank you for the chance.” “You’re still on thin fucking ice,” you told him, holding your finger up, “and I fully expect apology iced coffees at least twice a week. I know you asked Zach where you can find me.” JJ laughed, pushing your finger away, “Yeah, that’s fair.” “Consider it payment for emotional damage.” He nodded, “Deal.” It was a long, rocky road that he was trying to manage, some of the jokes he made not quite landing when they all spent time together. It was clear there were a lot of inside jokes that developed without him that went over his head, and they were immediately followed by an awkward silence before someone changed the subject. A lot of nights he still wasn’t invited to group activities, but Cody, Tyler, Zach and you eventually started asking him to go places with them. Whether it be grocery trips or dinner at the cafeteria, he slowly started getting invites, though he never really expected them. One Friday night as he was loading up Netflix on his laptop, a knock at the door startled him. JJ called out, “Come in.” You pushed the door open, wearing a Duke baseball t-shirt with an excited smile on your face, “Hey, we’re going to the game tonight, you busy?” JJ looked down at his laptop and pajamas with a grimace, “Definitely not.” Something in his chest lifted, and he felt twenty pounds lighter at the invitation. He jumped out of bed, “Definitely!” “Sweet,” you answered, “get dressed, we’re leaving in ten!” 22 notes · View notes Tolerate It | S.R Summary: You and Spencer haven’t been the same recently. After three months, you find out why. Pairing: Spencer Reid X Fem!Reader A/N: this is my first time writing angst so yay! Content warnings: Mentions of death (Haley), cheating, cursing Inspired by this song. You weren’t sure about the moment it happened but ever since it did, nothing’s been the same. You met Spencer around the time Haley was taken from Hotch. It was a sudden thing. The two of you clicked in a way no one else on the team seemed to connect. While you weren’t technically part of the team, they still treated you like family. Spencer was the one to make the first move. He stumbled over his words as he asked you out. He knew a lot about the world but love was a different territory. He was relieved when you said yes, even though he knew you were going to say yes. The date was everything you could have hoped for. He picked you up at your door and you all went to a nice restaurant downtown. There were wrinkled noses from laughing and memories of inside jokes that you’d hoped would last a lifetime. Ever since that night everything about your relationship just kept going up. It was pure love and adoration for the both of you. The team saw how happy Spencer had gotten and knew you were the cause of it. They knew he wore his heart on his sleeve and they knew it would be safe with you. Slowly, things stopped being so sweet. You didn’t notice things immediately. You knew about his headaches and you knew he needed space when he had them. There had been a time when he’d need you but times change. You weren’t sure about the moment it happened but ever since it did, nothing’s been the same. “Spence,” you call gently from the kitchen. He was laying on the couch mindlessly watching something on TV. He hated TV. He always preferred to read or get the news from the paper. He doesn’t answer you but you know he heard. “Do you want anything to eat?” “No,” he hums. Without another word, you go back into the kitchen to put away the food you’d fixed. Suddenly, you’d lost your appetite. It’s been like this for the past couple of weeks. He didn’t love you like he used to. He didn’t need you like he used to. “How are your headaches?” You ask, scrubbing that had been left in the sink. When you go back into the living room, he has a book in his hands. It was a book you’d seen him read a lot recently. “They’re getting better,” he replies blandly. His eyes scan quickly over the pages he’s read hundreds of times. The author was Thomas Merton. You only recognized the name from the other books he’s read. “Any cases recently?” All you wanted was for him to talk to you like he used to. “Nothing too different.” Another bland answer. That’s all it was between you two. It used to be flirtatious bickering or inside jokes. You used to love listening to him ramble about statistics. There’s no quick flirts thrown across the room or spur of the moment dates to the park. There’s no rambling. Just silence. You knew that simply talking about what was making you upset would help. The person who usually comforts you and plants a million little kisses on your head sits across from you, silent. With what energy you had left in you, you stand and grab your coat. He only glances up as you leave. The air is cold as snow starts to fall lightly. DC was always your favorite when it snowed. Everything just seemed so quiet. At the moment, you’d rather hear anything else but silence. When you sit in your car, it’s slightly warmer. It’s not until you turn the car on that you feel a warm embrace. Switching the radio on, you start your drive. “Hey,” the bright woman smiles at you from the other side of the door. “Come in, come in, you must be freezing.” “Hey, Pen,” you smile sweetly. “Sit,” she gestures, smiling lightly. “Guys, Y/N is here,” she announces. Derek and JJ come out of the kitchen. “Where’s Pretty Boy?” Derek asks. You and Spencer were attached at the hip. Wherever you were, Spencer was sure to be nearby. “He’s actually why I’m here,” you mumble. Maybe it was something in your voice or maybe it’s the fact that they study human behavior for a living, but they sit on the couch across from you. “Has he seemed, um, different to you all?” “He’s seemed good,” Penelope answers, confusion in her voice. “He seemed happier than usual,” JJ agrees, a cup of hot coco in her hands. The words make your heart hurt more than you thought they would. So it was you that was upsetting him, not work, not something going on with his mom, and not any other possible factor. It was you. “Wait,” Garcia whispers, noticing your silence. “Wait, what’s wrong, is he okay?” “I need to go,” you croak, standing abruptly. Derek grabs your hand gently. “Y/N, what’s going on?” He asks gently. You wipe under your eyes before stuffing your hands into your pockets. “He won’t talk to me,” you tell them. “He’s been distant and I thought it might’ve been his headaches but he’s happy when he’s not around me.” “Y/N, you know he loves you,” Derek reminds. His words sting. “Does he?” You question before you can process it. “Has something happened?” JJ asks. “I don’t know,” you shrug. “I thought we were good, hell, I thought we were great but apparently I was wrong.” “Do I need to talk to him?” Derek proposes. You shake your head. The team saw you as a little sister. Derek always joked that if Spencer ever hurt you, he’d hurt him. At least someone’s word is true. “No, I need to do this on my own,” you explain. JJ brings you in for a tight hug. “It’ll be okay,” she assures softly. You give her a squeeze before pulling back. You repeat the actions with Derek and then Garcia. Garcia is a little more hesitant to let you go. “I’ll see you all soon,” you grin sadly. They say their goodbyes and watch you walk out. It takes every fiber in you not to break down as you drive home. When you arrive, you’re frozen. It’s like the cold has seeped in and taken over. Everything hurts. You’re telling yourself not to overthink but at this point it’s become a part of you. Keep driving and don’t look back. You take the keys out of the ignition and go back into your apartment. By some miracle, it’s colder inside than it is outside. The flowers Spencer got you a couple of months ago are wilting in their vase. He’s sitting in his same spot, reading the same book. “Can,” you croak. He looks up at you, not realizing you’d come back. “Can we talk?” “What’s wrong?” He could’ve at least feigned concern but he didn’t. His voice is stoic. “What’s happening with us?” You force the words like the lines from a TV script. “What do you mean?” He puts the book down on the coffee table. “You haven’t noticed?” You breathe. “You haven’t noticed the way we’ve grown distant? The way we don’t kiss or go out like we used to? Nothing?” “I’ve had a lot on my mind recently,” he excuses. “You always made time for me,” you remind, “and I know it sounds selfish but I feel like I’m losing you, Spence.” “You’re not losing me, Y/N,” he shakes his head, picking up his book again. “What were the last words I said to you before I left?” You question, leaning against the doorframe. His eyes search for the words but he can’t come up with them. “I was focused on reading, Y/N, you can’t expect me-” he excuses. “If I’m doing something wrong I need you to tell me.” He sighs and sets the book back on the table. His hands run through his hair. “You’re not doing anything wrong, Y/N,” he groans. “Then why won’t you talk to me?” “I do talk to you,” he objects. “No,” I bite back, “not like you used to. You’re not who I used to know. What happened to the jokes, the rambling, the flirting?” “I just haven’t felt like flirting,” he shrugs. Fire burns in your stomach. “Bullshit,” you hiss. “Y/N, there’s no need to-” “I want you to see this from my perspective,” you interrupt. “I cooked a meal today and you said you weren’t hungry, I try asking you about your headaches and you barely speak. You used to always love telling me about whatever was going on at work.” “Not much has been happening at work,” he deflects. “Derek says you’ve been pretty happy. Hell, happier than usual. Yet, here, you’re a completely different person. Why is that?” “You talked to Derek?” He questions. He stands and walks into the kitchen. You know he’s trying to get out of the conversation. “Yeah,” you reply, following him. “You clearly won’t talk to me so I went to someone who would. Why aren’t you happy here?” “It’s nothing,” he mumbles. You grab his hands. Their usually comfort is gone. You’re not grabbing them to pull him close, you’re grabbing them to somehow keep him from slipping away from you. It’s too late. “It’s something, Spence,” you strain, tears filling your eyes. “If this is all in my head, tell me now. If there’s something more I can do, tell me and I’ll do it. Tell me I’m wrong.” He looks at you blankly. There’s no love or adoration in his eyes. He pulls his hands out of your grip. “Is there someone else?” You blurt. The thought had lingered in the back of your mind but you didn’t want to admit it to yourself. So, you pushed it back and hid it for the last three months. The look in his eyes tells you all you need to know. As hard as he tried, Spencer couldn’t lie to you. You knew him too well. “Is she the one who told you about Thomas Merton?” “I’ve read his work before,” he speaks. His voice is weaker now. “But you’ve never had his books. I’ve reorganized that bookshelf a million times and I’ve never seen his name.” “I’ve read a million more books than you know, Y/N.” “Is that it?” You question. “Am I not smart enough for you?” “It’s not that-” he begins. “Then what?” You question, reaching your breaking point. “I do everything I can for you. I sit and listen, I hold you when you have nightmares about a case, I wait for you to come home at three in the morning. What’s she doing that I can’t?” “Y/N, stop,” he demands. “What’s her name?” You interrogate. He rolls his eyes and tries to walk past you. “What is her name, Spencer?” “Maeve,” he mumbles. You couldn’t believe it. All those nights of laying awake at night, trying to read him, trying to read what’s going on in his mind. All of that for it to be another girl. He senses the hurt. It bounces off of you like radiation. “You wanted to know.” “And you didn’t care to tell me?” You tried so damn hard to keep yourself from boiling over but every word made it worse. “I figured it would be-” “You figured it would be easier to let me find out like this? To find out you were cheating on me after three fucking years? What kind of person does that?” He parts his lips to answer but you speak before he does. “A coward.” “I’m not a coward, Y/N,” he hisses. You scoff. “Really?” You counter, crossing your arms over your chest as if it’ll protect your already broken heart. “Because I know damn well the Spencer I knew would have gone to the ends of the world for me because he knew I would do the same. Do I take up too much space and time? Am I sleeping where she should be?” “No,” you shout. It’s the first time you’ve ever raised your voice at him. You’ve reached your breaking point and he could tell. “What’s she like, Reid?” The name took him back. His team called him Reid. You called him Spence or Doc as a joke. Reid was a new word for a new man. A man who didn’t love her like he used to. Hell, he didn’t love her at all. “I don’t know.” “How do you not know?” You grit. “She made you stop loving me so what is it? Is she smarter? Prettier? Does she understand what you’re saying when you talk about statistics?” “I,” the next words would shatter you. “I haven’t met her yet.” Your mouth hangs open in pure shock. “All of this over a woman who you’ve never met?” “I was planning on meeting up with her soon,” he explains. “Were you going to tell me or leave me to continue filling her spot?” Your words are barely above a whisper. “I’m so sorry,” he attempts. “No,” you scoff. “No, you’re not. How long has this been going on?” “Three months,” he confesses. “Three months,” you repeat. “You traded in three years with someone who you claimed was the love of your life for someone you met three months ago?” “I didn’t see her like that then,” he attempts to explain. You shake your head. “I’ll come get my stuff when you’re out on a case.” “I’m leaving, Spencer,” you shrug. “You’ve seemed to have tolerated me enough so I’m making it easy for you.” “Please don’t.” He picks at his nails. “I don’t know what to do.” “You made your bed with her so go lay in it,” you bite. You can see the hurt behind his eyes but you didn’t care. He didn’t care about breaking you so why should you care? Without another word, you grab your bag and leave, slamming the door behind you. The sudden change makes the picture of the two of you fall, shattering it and leaving it in nothing but ruins. This hurt me to write lol. =D 13 notes · View notes Wilford is known throughout the small town for having a strandge husband. His husband usually stays in the house but has been seen talking and making friends with villedge children. whats strange about the man is no one knows where he came from. he came home with Wilford One day and they got married soon after. He doesn’t speak and children claim to get strange toys from him. Others claim he’s a demon and claim they’ve seen him with hundreds of eyes. no one knows for certain but they do know not to bring up rumors in front of Wilford who’ll claim there is nothing wrong with his husband. Whatever the case the man has proven to be harmless. - Ego Cryptid Files I LOVE THIS SO MUCH This sounds like the summary or voice over for like one of those cryptid shows where they explain the lore/tell a story about the cryptid they're talking about That was probably your goal and you did it so well!!! 12 notes · View notes crazy how Hunter highlighted in the tags that they don’t mean harm to any shorter fic or headcannon writers yet yall still came at them sideways?? SHUT UP!! SIT DOWN!! NO ONE FUCKING CARES!! plus Hunter is very far from flopping. come off of anon so we can see what we’re really dealing with here, I’ll be the judge and determine if you really have the right to say that sick shit anon really woke up and chose not to use their reading comprehension 😭 1 note · View note may i have a pendulum reading? if i decide to, will the necessary steps to be with A be worth it? - S I got a yes! ik u love talking n these ask games so 23, 55 & 60 ! spill your thoughts my beloved 23. Spell ur url w songs uve been obsessed with Trauma by svt Everything by the black skirts Up no more by twice Magic by txt I wish i was stephen malkmus by beabadoobee Eat my love by bibi 55. Ur fave lyrics Answered already but i also loveeee the lyrics to our summer by txt 60. Ur favorite on stage outfits OOOO i have so many . I love any of the icsm outifts i just think theyre so cool i also love the cry for me outfits omggggg for boys im rly loving the 0x1 outifts rn !!!! 1 note · View note

Break through the barriers between acolyte and master to save your teacher in the new keepsake game and solo journaling RPG The Shape of Shadows, now on Kickstarter. Designed by Jeeyon Shim, The Shape of Shadows is the latest in an emerging genre of connected path games that includes artist Shing Yin Khor’s solo stitching journey A Mending, along with a collaboration between the two on Field Guide to Memory. The latter positioned players as a budding cryptid researcher who must deal with the disappearance of their mentor at the same time as learning and appreciating the hidden beauty of the world. The Shape of Shadows looks to follow that emotional legacy with its story of a magician gone missing and the apprentice who must step up and prove their skills both in stage performance and real, honest-to-goodness magic. The biggest source of clues as to the whereabouts of the player’s master - along with how they disappeared - resides in their day planner, locked behind riddles, cyphers, locks and all manner of deception. The Shape of Shadows is designed to be played daily and by a single person, tackling journaling prompts or engaging in an activity that will forward the plot and uncover necessary clues. Those taking part in the core live game will have prompts mailed to them four days a week over the course of four weeks, leaving the next day’s events a mystery to anticipate. Like Field Guide to Memory, this will likely involve exploring and incorporating physical objects from a player’s surroundings, whether that be a bedroom, the woods behind the house or a beach on the other side of town. Shim is an outdoor educator, and respect and reverence for the bits of nature just beyond players’ windows runs through many of her games, this one included. Players can also expect to practice some crafty hobbies or write freeform entries about their feelings and relationships towards the absent magician - every day adds something to the gradually unfolding narrative tapestry. The entire planner will likely be filled with tokens, scribbled notes, solved riddles and scrapbook mementos of the journey, no matter how it ends. Shim also mentions explicitly doing alchemy from developed formulae, which sounds very rad. Like Shim’s prior work, The Shape of Shadows uses solo rolepley and analog activity to investigate the connection between people and how the things they save and cherish exemplify those bonds. No two games will play the same way, and at the end of it all each person will be left with a unique keepsake reminding them of the journey and the energy they invested into it. “You abandoned your old life to work in tandem with the magician: the first person to show you that true magic exists in your world,” The Kickstarter description reads. “When something goes horribly wrong and the magician gets himself into a bind he can’t escape, you must step forward to claim the gifts that have been yours all along, before it's too late to help him — or anyone else.” The Kickstarter campaign for The Shape of Shadows runs through May 20th, with current funding having surpassed the initial ask and now working towards a small series of stretch goals. Backers can choose to opt-in to the live game version that will take place in August of this year or receive a digital copy at the end of that run. Prices begin at $15 (£11).

May 28, 2016 The last of the beautifully gruesome contestants march across the audio stage with week 3 of the 2016 Miss Cryptid Contest! The final week of the 2016 Miss Cryptid Contest brings us the Agogwe of East Africa, Snallygaster of rural Maryland, … Read More May 26, 2016 Time to build a mystery with Blurry Photos as Flora and Stecco take a tour of the Winchester Mystery House! An immense complex of twisting halls and odd architecture, the Winchester Mystery House was the strange conceptualization of the reclusive … Read More The post Episode 148: The Winchester Mystery House... May 21, 2016 Three more elaborately festooned contestants parade before you in Week 2 of the 2016 Miss Cryptid Contest! New England and India send their Miss Cryptid picks in the form of the Astomi, Pigman of Northfield, and the Pukwudgie. Devilish imps, mouthless … Read More The post Miss Cryptid 2016 Week 2 appeared first on May 19, 2016 Fire up the media player and put the oven mitts on, Blurry Photos dive into spontaneous human combustion in this one! Urban legend or scientific possibility? That’s the sizzling question everyone wants to know about spontaneous human combustion. Is it … Read More The post Episode 147: Spontaneous Human Combustion... May 13, 2016 Once again we gather to stare, mouths agape, at the freakiest of the freaks in the 2016 Miss Cryptid Contest! Week 1 of this year’s Miss Cryptid Contest features the Athol of Java, the Cornish Owlman, and the Arkansas Gowrow. … Read More

On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Journey is another offering from the team at Small Town Monsters concerning what is arguably the most well known cryptid. The follow up to the On the Trail of Bigfoot miniseries finds Seth Breedlove and his group heading to the Adirondacks in search of Sasquatch. In the past, Small Town Monsters have managed to bring sense of fun, adventure, and intrigue to their work. The trailer for The Journey looks to as strong as previous releases. Breedlove and his handpicked crew of adventurers and investigators headed to the Adirondacks of upstate New York for an intensive, adventure-filled week searching for Sasquatch. The team documented the trip, which included multiple days and nights in the forests around upstate New York and Western Massachusetts. Their trip was spent with Bigfoot researchers like Steve Kulls (“Monsterquest”) and Paul Bartholomew (Finding Bigfoot, Beast of Whitehall) who led them on the search for their quarry. On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Journey takes a deep look into the subject of Bigfoot but also what spurs people to spend their lives searching for a creature that many believe doesn’t exist. Along the way, they made a stop in Whitehall, NY, home to an incident involving multiple members of law enforcement claiming to see a Bigfoot in a field off a rural road. The crew had multiple unusual experiences during their various night investigations near Lake George, Whitehall and Western Massachusetts. The Journey unveils some of that evidence. On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Journey comes to digital platforms June 8 Like what we do here at AIPT? Consider supporting us and independent comics journalism by becoming a patron today! In addition to our sincere thanks, you can browse AIPT ad-free, gain access to our vibrant Discord community of patrons and staff members, get trade paperbacks sent to your house every month, and a lot more. Click the button below to get started!