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Big Blue Pond is a man-made body of water that once served as a stone quarry. The water is a collection of pure rain water, and the place is well-known for its stocked supply of rainbow trout and snapping turtles. Canoers, fishermen, scuba-divers, and campers alike come to bask in the wonderful atmosphere of the pond. But, of course, this article isn’t about a wonderful place to take your kids. There is supposedly a monster lurking within the blue depths of the lake, although one of more natural origins than some of the other cryptids that could be mentioned. The Monster Turtle that inhabits the quarry is said to be the size of the hood of a car. Many have claimed to have been chased, or had their children chased, by the massive turtle, but as of yet the beast has not taken any lives. Scuba-divers, too, have reported seeing a large, rocky-looking creature deep beneath the water’s surface. Scientists, zoologists, and cryptozoologists alike are not convinced that it exists, however. Reason being, the pond is not the naturally preferred habitat of snapping turtles. Snapping turtles gravitate more toward streams and rivers, so it is unlikely that one so large would decide to remain in the quarry. There is also the fact that several organized searches turned up nothing when looking for the monster. The place is only so big! But, while this particular large turtle might not exist, there is plenty of room to believe that there might be some very huge specimens out there. Many believe that this turtle is simply a tourist attraction, as Iowa is a rather sleepy state as far as cryptids go. That’s not to say that nothing strange has happened out there, but rather that the strange creatures belonging to the state are either Bigfoot or quite probably nonexistent, made up, or based too heavily in old legends to be properly frightened of in this day and age. But, of course, the Monster Turtle of Big Blue is not the only water monster within state lines. Everyone has their own version of Nessie, and Iowa is no different. The local sea serpent is known as Obojoki, or the Lake Obojoki Monster. At least Iowa didn’t give it a nickname, like Obie or something. Obojoki is said to be 140 feet long from snout to tail, which is a really rough estimation, considering it has never been physically removed from the water and measured. It is said to be greenish or bluish-gray in color, with either scales or a pattern on its skin that resembles a scaly pattern. Since the early 1900’s it has been said to appear all around Lake Obojoki, which is part of the Iowa Great Lakes. Stories surrounding it have it turning over boats and generally startling people with its appearance, although nothing malevolent, such as eating people. Again, it was originally thought that this beast was fabricated in order to bring tourists to the Obojoki Lake area, but the amount of unrelated sightings cannot truly be ignored. Stories of the monster have even persisted into the 2000’s, with one man’s vacation being startlingly interrupted by the creature’s appearance. The man, who is unnamed, was sitting with his daughters and enjoying some ice cream cones on one of the docks, watching the sun set. The water was calm, almost glasslike, with only the occasional ripple to disturb it. Suddenly, one of his daughters pointed toward something moving out in the water. It was like something was thrashing, and then, suddenly, a serpentine form slid up out of the water, forming a small arch and then disappearing back into the lake. The man noted that the color was a little unusual, greenish-gray, but imagined that he had simply seen some sort of fish or other creature. He quickly reevaluated when a large, reptilian head emerged from the water, along with several inches of sinuous neck. It swam like that for a moment, its head the only thing disturbing the water, and then it submerged again, which allowed the family to catch a glimpse of its blunt, stubby tail. According to the man, when he saw it next, it was heading straight for the pier. It popped out of the water one more time as it drew closer, then disappeared underneath. The pier rattled with an impact, and deciding to forget the sunset, the man and his daughters fled the scene. The animal continued to rock the dock for a bit, but then seemed to simply vanish into the depths. What the purpose of this was is unknown. So whether or not the Monster Turtle is real, you can still head to Iowa for the Obojoki Lake Monster. But there is one more creature from Iowa that deserves a mention, and no, it is not a water monster. This monster is, of course, the Van Meter Visitor. This creature is often overlooked entirely because the sightings only occurred in one instance. Obviously that’s not very lucrative for tourism, so why bother to keep the legend alive? Quite simply, the tale of the Van Meter Visitor is very outlandish and definitely outside the norm as far as cryptid cases go. In early October, 1903, the town of Van Meter had a very mysterious visitor. At first only a handful of people saw it, but soon almost the whole town had caught sight of the beast once or twice. It was described as something that resembled a cross between a man and a bat, although later illustrations of the thing would liken it more to a pterodactyl or dragon. It appeared perched on the tops of buildings and telephone poles, exuding a wretched stench and shooting light out of its forehead. Bullets seemed to pass right through it, or at the very least, it just didn’t react to being shot. Its simple existence petrified the townsfolk, and it only took a few days of harassment before they rallied and tailed the animal to its lair, which turned out to be an abandoned mine. Following it, people were startled to discover that there was not one monster, but two within the mineshaft. The second was said to be smaller, perhaps a mate or offspring. The two beasts blinded their pursuers with the light they cast and then disappeared deeper into the mine, never to be seen again. It is unclear whether the citizens closed off the shaft or if the monsters simply retreated deeper into the earth and never came out again. The Van Meter Visitor was never seen again, but it is an undeniably strange occurrence. There have been rumors for decades of living dinosaurs, and even sightings in other locations of pterodactyl-like creatures swooping down on startled humans. It is possible that the Van Meter Visitor is just a mass sighting of a creature like that, although prehistoric animals generally do not shoot light out of their foreheads. What exactly that was supposed to be remains a mystery, along with the origins and whatever happened to the pair of creatures. Iowa may not have a whole lot of cryptids to intrigue the cryptid-hunting population, but there are definitely some interesting stories from the Hawkeye State to hold one’s attention. And, if all else fails, there’s always Bigfoot. Every state has a Bigfoot hotspot.

Spirit derives from Wisconsin & Minnesota, USA. One of a number of bizarre creatures from the folklore and tall tales of American lumberjacks. The Axehandle Hound is one of a group of beings, often called Fearsome Critters, which originated in the minds of men enduring the isolation and wildness of the landscape around Wisconsin and Minnesota during the 19th century. The Axehandle Hound is described as having a long thin body in the shape of an axe handle with small squat legs, and a head resembling the head of an axe. It is said to consume the handles of any axes left unattended!. This Cryptid was first reported in 1922 by lumberjacks at lumber yards and camps. Assassins aggressively fights alongside its summoner. Summoning ingredients requires: Axe Handle

https://youtu.be/Ds_LnzTj4XQ Links from Video: Beasts of Britain: https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/?ref=br_rs On the Trail of Champ: https://shop.smalltownmonsters.com/products/onthetrailofchamp Scott Mardis GoFundMe: Lake Champlain Monster Hunt https://www.gofundme.com/vuunhfpg?pc=tw_dn_cpgntopnavlarge_r&rcid=r01-152917760335-a8f3e960d4e14718 That Alberta Canada Sasquatch Head Video… Mattsquatch’s video: https://youtu.be/Zox40gMaHsg Tri Diver’s Video: https://youtu.be/IeegwpksLZs Bigfoot Tony’s video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbAB2UQ4KZw Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOjR_yu-Xy8 The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word cryptid as “An animal whose … Continue reading Skunk Ape w/ Dreadlocks and a Strange Little Visitor "You can feel it when they are around..." The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word cryptid as “An animal whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated, such as the yeti.” For the following witnesses to living cryptids, there is no dispute. In this series of National Cryptid Society’s case files, you will read what … Continue reading GET OUT: Bigfoot Force Michigan Homeowners to Leave Property "So a couple of us noticed a light beam from a flashlight coming over the dune. It was scanning the grass, like they were walking around or possibly looking for something..." "During our investigations, we found sufficient evidence that something was there. We have sound recordings of howls, growls, pictures of foot-prints (or possible footprints), and more pictures of the area, that suggest we were not alone..."

|In 1977 US marines were ordered not to talk about a Bigfoot-like creature.| Today, January 17th, in 1977. The Dumfries Virginia Potomac News reported that U.S. Marines were ordered to not to talk about a Bigfoot-like creature. The creature was known as the ASA Monster, leave it to the military to use an acronym to name a cryptid. ASA stands for Ammunition Storage Area. The ASA happened to be where this hairy bipedal creature was seen the most. You can read an exerpt from the article below detailing the possible security classification of the monster: "We called the ASA (Ammunition Storage Area) sergeant of the guard to determine whether there had been any more sightings or sounds in the area but were told that all information regarding the "ASA Monster" is considered 'classified.' When asked why that is so, the guard answered that he was not allow to answer that question either.In John Green's Book, "The Apes Among Us," he references the same news article: He later said that the information is not really 'classified' but everyone at the compound has been ordered not to talk about the monster at all." The Dumfries Virginia Potomac News on January 17, 1977 published a long article about the sasquatch that contained the statement: "Much had been written about the monster at the ammunition storage area at Quantico Marine Corps Base..." but doesn't say what. There is a reference to one Marine claiming to have seen a brown thing walking on two legs and another reporting something that looked like a cross between an ape and a bear covered with very long hair. Several people had apparently heard loud screamingWe did a little research, curious if therewas still policy of silence regarding Bigfoots at the base. Oddly enough Quantico Marine Corps Base has their very own website and it seems they are more lax about acknowledging Bigfoot visiting the base. In fact, in November 2012, the website reported a story about Jessica Shively, a wildlife biologist contracted by the base through Virginia Tech. Ms. Shively is responsible for setting up camera traps at the base and is aware that she just might catch a Bigfoot. Shively acknowledged that the cameras have the potential to shed light on another, more longstanding question about Quantico’s wildlife. She said she was aware of the reports of bigfoot sightings on the base going back more than 50 years. "I haven’t gotten any on camera yet," she said.Click the following link to learn more about the Quantico camera traps.

OK folks...here's a strange series of images recently sent to me: I had these photos on my trail cam and am mystified what it could be. At first thought it was an arrow, but in the last photo it is going up and it is way to colorful to be an arrow. The camera is set to take 3 pictures - 6 sec. apart when it is triggered. the date is wrong but the time is correct, They were taken on 8-18-2013. If you have any ideas what this is I would sure like to know. Thank you for any help you can give me. If indeed the images were taken 6 seconds apart, then it's very doubtful that this was a flying insect. Did this object / anomaly hover in front of the trail cam for a minimum of 18 seconds? Is it possible that 3 separate objects (possibly insects) crossed in 6 second intervals (though, I suppose a new set of 3 images would have been triggered at each passing?). What do you think? Lon Looking For A Trail Camera? Great Selection...Great Bargains! Camera Clues: A Handbook for Photographic Investigation Join Eric Altman, Lon Strickler and Sean Forker each Sunday at 8 PM ET as we go Beyond the Edge! Call toll free 1-877-677-2858 during the live broadcast Tune in each week for a new and exciting podcast 'Phantoms & Monsters: Cryptid Encounters' Don't have a Kindle device? No problem... Free Reading Apps: Your Kindle purchase can be sent automatically to your Android, iPad, iPhone, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone 7 device. DOWNLOAD A 'FREE APP' HERE! Click ad to order tickets and for directions Works on maverick science, unexplained mysteries, unorthodox theories, strange talents, and unexpected discoveries. Please check out their excellent and diverse catalog "The latest news from beyond the mainstream" Join Ben & Aaron for their weekly podcasts! Check out Mysterious Universe Plus+ all access format! Click to submit a sighting report or encounter Free shipping - Bonded dealer - PCI certified

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.

Paranormal Underground Volume 1, Issue 4 The Reincarnation of Jeffrey Keene Past-Life Regression Case Studies Reincarnation: A New You? Past-Life memories in Children Also Inside: Diary From a Haunted Hotel Cat-Like Cryptids Strange Happenings at Edgefield Manor September 2008 Paranormal Underground Life With the Breathing Impaired The Reincar INVESTIGATOR SPOTLIGHTS Dealing With Past-Life Memories in Children Interview With a Hypnotherapist: Past-Life Regression SPECIAL REPORTS Reincarnation: A New You? One Christian’s View on Reincarnation A Confederate Soldier in the Modern World: The Case of Jeffrey Keene/General John B. Gordon Someone Else’s Yesterday: A Book Review Reflections on Reincarnation A Peek Into the Past: Exploring Past Lives Through Hypnosis Past-Life Regression Case Studies CASE FILES OF THE UNKNOWN Haunted Sites: Strange Happenings at Edgefield Manor Cryptids: Cat-Like Cryptids Paranormal Underground September 2008 Depart From the Editor TV Watch: Most Haunted Recommended Reading 17 Reader Feedback Member Profile: SinisterGrin rnation Issue HAUNTED HISTORY The Ghost of ‘Little Boots’ CULTURAL BELIEFS Reincarnation Cultural Beliefs and Case Studies: Do We Come Back? The Allure of Thanatos Quantum Musings An Inside Look at Paranormal Aspects of Normal, Everyday Quantum Mechanics tments Paranormal Poetry Member Insights: Starscream77 Roundtable Debate: Reincarnation Fiction: Featured Author Haunting Anna Reviews of the Month: 86 Book: Old Souls DVD: Dead Again Theater: Mirrors PUG/GD Site News Diary From a Haunted Hotel Life With the Breathing Impaired 87 September 2008 Paranormal Underground Paranormal Underground Volume 1, Issue 4 From the Editor Karen Frazier Mindy Kinnaman Chad Wilson Jaime Johnesee Design and Layout Mindy Kinnaman Cheryl Knight Chad Wilson Karen Frazier Jaime Johnesee Carolyn M. Hughes Binoo’mukua Michael Kleen Jim Frazier Bri Larkin Valarie Wood Danny Kutrick Rob Neilands Web Site Admin. Send comments and letters to: Editor@paranormalunderground.net. MySpace: myspace.com/paranormalunderground YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/ParanormalUG Copyright © 2008 — Paranormal Underground™ is a trademark of ParanormalUnderground. All rights reserved. Paranormal Underground and its contents are the property of ParanormalUnderground. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This publication and all content within this publication may not be copied, quoted, distributed, modified, or reprinted without the express written consent of Paranormal Underground. he fourth issue of Paranormal Underground is a special issue dealing primarily with reincarnation and past lives. We’ve also added a new feature, called “Life With the Breathing Impaired,” which provides an inside look at living in a haunted house. Haunted History makes its debut this issue with a look at Caligula, the beloved son of Rome, whose spirit was said to haunt the Lamian Gardens, the place where his charred corpse was dumped without a proper burial. Several of our readers have requested a ‘recommended reading list.’ This month’s debut list contains books dealing with past lives and reincarnation. We have two Investigator Spotlights in this issue — a profile on Carol Bowman, a leading researcher into children’s past-life memories, and an interview with hypnotherapist Rita Ballard, who specializes in past-life regression. The September issue’s Roundtable Debate panel provides their perspectives on reincarnation. And in the Reviews of the Month, Mindy Kinnaman gives her take on the book Old Souls by Tom Schroder, the DVD Dead Again, and the movie Mirrors. September’s Special Reports feature Jeffrey Keene, a retired Westport, Connecticut, assistant fire chief, who believes himself to be the reincarnation of Civil War General John B. Gordon. Come along as Keene reveals one of the most recent and compelling cases in support of reincarnation. Most Haunted is the subject of this month’s TV Watch. The British program, now in its 11th season, has entertained and even delighted its audience. Haunted Sites takes us to Edgefield Manor, located in the town of Troutdale, Oregon. Strange happenings abound in and around the manor. Jaime Johnesee brings us cat-like cryptids in our cryptids feature. Also in this issue, we profile Karen Frazier’s own past-life regression. Karen reveals what she discovered during her journey. In addition to Karen’s experience, we feature some of our members’ past-life regressions in three case studies. In his series on Cultural Beliefs, archaeologist Binoo’mukua takes a look at reincarnation and its place in various cultures around the world. And writer Michael Kleen offers his view on why life after death appeals to so many. In the Member Profile, we get to know more about Paranormal Underground and GhostDose member SinisterGrin, and in the Member Insights story, Starscream77 shares his battle with Cystic Fibrosis. Our Fiction: Featured Author column showcases Karen Frazier, who takes us on a journey of murder, consequences, and an ending you wouldn’t quite expect. I’d like to give a very special thank you to Claudia Ghidella, who provided us with our cover art this month, as well as other original artwork. I hope you enjoy the September issue of Paranormal Underground! In our October issue, we’ll take a look at demonology, witchcraft, and vampirism, and talk with Keith and Sandra Johnson of New England Anomalies Research. We’ll also reveal the winners of our first paranormal short story contest. Paranormal Underground September 2008 ~ Cheryl Knight Managing Editor Letters Add Book Recommendations Curious About the Unknown Add a Section on Paranormal Groups Hello! Great magazine! Very interested in the paranormal, and I’m glad I found this site! Also, I know there is an author spotlight, but I do a lot of reading, especially non-fiction, and I would like to see book recommendations in addition to the author spotlight. —Damini WOW! The August issue is great! Something for everyone curious about the unknown. Just keeps getting better and better! Kudos to everyone involved. —Carolyn Hughes Hey, great job guys and gals. I really find your magazine so informative and interesting, it really stimulates my brain. I look forward to reading the new issue at the first of each month; it is so up-to-date and refreshing. Aliens, ghosts, Bigfoot, you name it, it’s all in there. Yes, I know there are other magazines out there, but yours has a special feel. It seems that your writers relish the opportunity to write about the subject matter at hand. Plus, it’s free. You can’t beat that. I especially enjoy your spotlights, as they allow me to learn about the leading stories and personalities in the paranormal field. Laura Locke, the Mitchell-Hedges Crystal Skull, Troy Taylor . . . makes me wonder what will be next. Maybe you could spotlight various paranormal groups, tell a little about them, and highlight a prominent case of theirs. I have always wondered how the different groups out there operate. Also, if there was some way you could let the reader know what is coming up in the next issue, it would make me want to read the next issue even more. Holding My Attention I had recently been invited to check out Paranormal Underground magazine while in a chat room at Phantasma. So, being the curious one that I am, I decided to check it out. I found it interesting and entertaining. The articles and stories actually held my attention. I am looking forward to more great issues in the coming months. Keep up the good work! —Val Continued Good Luck I just wanted to write and say congratulations on such a great new ezine. I enjoy the high quality of the articles and the layout; it’s all very well done. I have let my friends know about your publication and have encouraged them to take a look. Continued good luck! —Claudia Ghidella Cultural Beliefs Article Enjoyable I really enjoyed reading this month’s Cultural Beliefs article. It makes me want to go out and do something that will scare the hell out of me. I also really like the subsection on the horror stories; the Mary story is my favorite. —Jordan Burnes Crystal Skull Article Interesting Just read the article on the Crystal Skulls, did any of you see the article in Archaeology magazine two issues ago? Very interesting stuff. —VonKarolinas Reading All Night I am so impressed, I think I will be reading all night! I was wondering if the past issues were posted somewhere to download or view? —Ginners If you’d like to submit a letter to the editor, provide feedback on magazine content, make suggestions for future issues, or submit news items, please e-mail Editor@paranormalunderground.net. September 2008 Paranormal Underground Project GHOSTLIGHT to Spotlight the Supernatural Bigfoot Hoax Taken Too Far n August 15, 2008, press conference in Palo Alto, California, supposedly revealed the first capture of a deceased Bigfoot. However, the claims were quickly revealed as a hoax by an independent investigator. The press conference’s circuslike atmosphere included dozens of reporters snapping pictures and yelling out questions to three individuals who claimed to be in possession of a dead Bigfoot. SearchingforBigfoot.com owner Tom Biscardi had reportedly paid an “undisclosed sum” to Georgia residents Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer for their frozen Bigfoot corpse. But, the Bigfoot turned out to be just a rubber suit. Whitton and Dyer claimed they “stumbled on the creature” while out hiking in the woods, but they would not reveal more because they were concerned about it being an “endangered species.” According to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization Web site, http://www.bfro.net/, a “growing pile of contradictions” in the Whitton and Dyer’s story immediately cast suspicion on their claims. fter shooting the pilot episode at the historic former Repertory Theatre of Boston in January, PROJECT GHOSTLIGHT is ready for the spotlight. The series, created by SchoonerScout productions, explores the lost history of America’s theatres. Legend, lore, and the lure of the supernatural set the stage for a haunting experience. GHOSTLIGHT plans to venture across the United States in search of stories told in the dark wings of old theatre houses. “Every theatre has a story to tell, every actor is dying to tell it, and we want to be there when the spirits are stirred up by the tale,” said Steve Maihack and Michael Todd Cohen, the show’s creators and hosts. More than just a history lesson, GHOSTLIGHT includes an overnight stay in the darkened theatre for three up-and-coming actors, calling out the spirits of the theatre just outside the glow of the footlights. The show combines both documentary and reality filming styles. When asked to describe the show’s overall tone, Maihack and Cohen said, “Project Ghostlight offers up a piece of the past, a better understanding of our present, an undeniable rush of excitement in the telling “Whitton actually said they had no interest in Bigfoots, and were not looking for one, before they ‘stumbled upon’ the body,” the Web site said. “That’s in very sharp contrast to what he claimed on his YouTube videos, where he Paranormal Underground September 2008 of the tale, and the ever-present sense of danger in the exploration of the paranormal.” Episode stars include Ryan Serhant from As The World Turns, Stephanie Carey from The Education of Max Bickford, and Allie Schulz — a finalist on Grease: You’re the One That I Want. GHOSTLIGHT is narrated by actor Philip Bosco (Damages on FX). GHOSTLIGHT offers a new view on theatres of old in the United States, unveiling centuries of buried stories by illuminating the ghosts of America’s stage. The show has been named an official selection in the fourth annual New York Television Festival (NYTVF) held September 12-17, 2008, at New World Stages in New York. As part of the NYTVF, PROJECT GHOSTLIGHT will receive full pilot episode hosting on www.MSN.com and screenings open to the public at New World Stages, New York. PROJECT GHOSTLIGHT is produced by SchoonerScout Productions, LLC. A preview of the show is available on YouTube by searching “Project Ghostlight.” For more information, visit www. projectghostlight.com. said he has dreamed about being a bigfoot researcher since he was a kid. These two clowns were trying to promote a bigfoot expedition business several weeks before they started spouting claims about having a body.” British Comedian Spooked at Hotel ritsh comedian Ricky Gervais got a fright while promoting his new movie at a Hollywood Hotel. Office star Gervais was recently hosting a series of press junkets for his new movie, Ghost Town, at the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, but left suddenly when spooky occurrences scared him and his coworkers. A terrified movie executive revealed that their work was disrupted by a string of supernatural events. The exec told the British newspaper the Daily Star, “We wanted the junkets at the Roosevelt because of its ghostly reputation. But we got so much more than we bargained for. A photoshoot we prepared was wrecked and two runners say they saw the figure of a lady in the fulllength mirror. “The final straw came when a production assistant stayed in the room earmarked for Ricky and claimed to have been freezing cold on the hottest day of the year. He said he woke up with someone whistling in his ear, even though he was alone, then heard a giggle before being pushed out of bed.” The Roosevelt has long been known as the most haunted hotel in Hollywood after years of reported ghostly sightings. Waverly Hills Sanatorium Could Become a Hotel by 2010 averly Hills Sanatorium could become a luxury hotel. According to Waverly owner Charlie Mattingly, the ex-sanatorium might indeed be converted into a 78-room boutique hotel with a spa, fitness center, and meeting space for business groups. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, Waverly is an old, five-story building with a morgue, a “body chute,” and guest rooms where people once lay dying of tuberculosis. Currently, Waverly is visited by thousands of ghost hunters each year, as they search for proof of the paranormal. Mattingly became a believer in Waverly Hills’ haunted reputation when he began recording video inside the location and captured streaks of light and glowing orbs. Mattingly and his wife, Tina, bought the 30-acre property for $225,000 in 2001. The couple said Paranormal Event Calendar the largest paranormal events in the United States. The coordinators of the conference have put together a diverse group of speakers, workshops, events, and research-oriented agendas to appeal to fans of paranormal research, investigators, and serious researchers. UNIV-CON: The National Paranormal Conference • September 11-14 • State College in Pennsylvania UNIV-CON Seven is one of The ScareFest • September 12-14 • Lexington Center in Kentucky Multiple paranormal and horror movie stars will be appearing and that preserving the site’s haunted character will be a key part of an $18 million renovation. Mattingly said the hotel could open in early 2010. He is hoping that construction will start late this year. For the last year, the Mattinglys have lived on the property, where Tina Mattingly runs the nonprofit Waverly Hills Historical Society. The main hospital building, with 160,000 square feet, was built in 1926. The hotel plans call for a solar-powered electric system, floors made of sustainable materials such as cork or recycled rubber, and a geothermal heating and cooling system. A parking structure would be built in front of the hospital, with a rooftop garden visible from the long concrete sun porches. Waverly is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. holding lectures and workshops. Hundreds of vendors will be on hand. ScareFest features events, movies, ghost tours, and haunted houses. LGHS 2008 Midsouth Paranormal Convention • September 26-28 • Louisville, Kentucky The Louisville Ghost Hunters Society convention features nationally known guest speakers, vendor booths, and an offsite paranormal investigation. September 2008 Paranormal Underground Most Haunted Hits the United States By Mindy Kinnaman s Most Haunted gears up for its 11th season, the British once again will invade American soil. The cast will present a live show of its investigation of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 10 on The Travel Channel. Most Haunted, which first aired in 2002, features the investigation of notoriously haunted locations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, The Netherlands, and the United States. A skeptic by nature, O’Keeffe looks to scientifically prove the existence or non-existence of ghosts at any location. As O’Keeffe uses technology and science, the team psychics use less-than-scientific methods to connect with the deceased. Former show psychic David Wells, who was on Series 4-9, used The Voice of Reason The husband and wife team of Karl Beattie and Yvette Fielding serve as investigators of each site. The duo are joined by psychics, paranormal investigators, historians, and sometimes even celebrity guests. Serving on the current crew are psychic Brian The husband and wife team of Karl Beattie and Yvette Shepherd, parapsychologist Dr. Fielding serve as investigators of each site. The duo are Ciaran O’Keeffe, and historian joined by psychics, paranormal investigators, historians, Lesley Smith. and sometimes even celebrity guests. The diversity of the crew allows the Most Haunted team to utilize various tactics to determine himself as a spiritual medium to whether the site contains paranormal connect with any spirits that were activity. O’Keeffe, often called “the reportedly onsite. One of Wells’ voice of reason” by other members of controversial tactics, scrying, resulted the crew, uses equipment standard to in a spirit breaking the mirror he most paranormal researchers. used as a visual conduit. Paranormal Underground September 2008 In addition to following O’Keeffe and Shepherd, viewers can watch as Fielding and Beattie walk through the site and have personal experiences. Night-vision cameras are employed, resulting in a show that is visibly different from its paranormal contemporaries. Some viewers have likened the first-hand camera work to those used in the film The Blair Witch Project or the 1990s MTV show Fear. Controversy The paranormal field can seem quite controversial as evidence is questioned. Most Haunted had its fair share in regard to Wells’ predecessor, psychic Derek Acorah. A flamboyant character in comparison to Wells, Acorah would often appear to become possessed by spirits inhabiting the various locales. On one occasion, O’Keeffe purposely fed Acorah a fake name, and during filming, later in the day, Acorah reportedly claimed to be possessed by the fake spirit. On a separate occasion, Acorah also came under fire for claiming to be in contact with the same spirit at two different locations, the first was Most Haunted Live Episodes Turin: March 2008 Transylvania: February 2007 Edinburgh, Scotland: October 2006 Llanelli: June 2006 Portsmouth: May 2006 Liverpool: December 2005 London: October 2005 While Most Haunted has not found the holy grail of hauntings — a full-bodied apparition — it has caught some compelling evidence of the paranormal. a site with which the purported spirit was unaffiliated. O’Keeffe related the story to the United Kingdom newspaper, The Mirror, and critics of the show went wild, complaining to the United Kingdom television regulator Ofcom, which ruled that “Most Haunted is an entertainment show, not a legitimate investigation into the paranormal and should not be taken seriously.” Acorah left the show soon after the story ran, and Fielding later admitted that she did not believe Acorah had really been possessed by spirits. The roars of controversy soon quelled. Findings While Most Haunted has not found the holy grail of hauntings — a full-bodied apparition — it has caught some compelling evidence of the paranormal. During Wells’ first investigation, at Greengate Brewery, a beer barrel rolled across the floor toward him. While visiting Theatre Royale on Drury Lane in London during the first season, crew members saw a pair of legs in a doorway and man walking up the stairs with chains in his hands. That same night, crew members found the ‘Man in Grey’s’ seat lowered, though it had been raised earlier in the night. Throughout the show’s 10 seasons, viewers have had an opportunity to witness the bumps, thumps, whispers, and images of paranormal activity in the haunted locales. With the Gettysburg episode set to air soon, viewers have an opportunity to see what activity lurks on one of America’s most famous national landmarks. For those who cannot wait until Oct. 10, past episodes of the show air each Friday at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on the Travel Channel. Most Haunted will do a 12th series with all of the locations from the United States, and a 13th series is in talks. Manchester: September 2005 Summer Solstice, Wakefield: June 2005 Elstree Studios: May 2005 Brixham, Devon Blackpool: December 2004 Pendle Hell: October/November 2004 Maes Artro Heritage: September 2004 Derby, Derbyshire: June 2004 The Search for Matthew Hopkins: April 2004 Stratford Upon Avon: February 2004 The Search for Dick Turpin: December 2003 Beaulieu Abbey: October 2003 Woodchester Mansion: June 2003 Dover Castle: December 2002 Dudley Castle September 2008 Paranormal Underground Dealing Wit Memories in By Cheryl Knight arol and Steve Bowman nected with them, his fear of loud and Return from Heaven (Harpersettled in for a July 4th firesounds disappeared, as did the skin Collins, 2001) have been published works show with their chilrash on his wrist. and read around the world in 16 dren, Sarah and Chase, ages 9 and Carol Bowman’s personal expeforeign editions. 5. It was 1988. But as the fireworks riences with her children’s past-life Bowman’s research chronicles began exploding high up in the air, recall prompted her to devote her the spontaneous past-life recall of Chase became immediately terrified life to researching the phenomena. very young children, most under the of the loud, booming sounds. In fact, she has spent the past 18 age of five. No hypnotherapy or reChase’s fear of loud sounds, an years delving into children’s past-life gression is ever involved with children unexplainable rash on his wrist, this young, since these memoand specific comments about beries are coming up spontaneousing a real soldier led Carol and ly. And according to Bowman, Steve to believe that something very young children make poor unexplainable was happening. subjects for hypnosis. Chase had never been Bowman has been a pracinterested in war toys and had ticing PLR therapist for adults never even owned a toy gun. for almost two decades. She He always preferred games has studied with pioneers in and construction toys; he the field of PLR, and holds an would spend hours at a time M.S. in counseling from Vilhappily building with blocks lanova University. and Legos, and playing with She occasionally counsels his wooden trains. His teleparents of young children as vision watching was strictly part of her practice, and she limited to Sesame Street and has regressed children over Carol Bowman, M.S., past-life therapist and researcher, has Mr. Rogers, and none of the devoted more than 18 years to studying spontaneous past-life the age of seven on a few rare memories in children. Disney movies he had seen occasions. depicted war. Bowman’s book, ChilAfter undergoing hypnodren’s Past Lives, is really therapy, Chase revealed that he memories and is known as a pioneer two books in one: a memoir and a remembered being a black soldier in reincarnation studies. guidebook for parents. Inside the in the American Civil War, who had An internationally known book’s pages, Bowman tells the story been first shot in the wrist and then author, lecturer, counselor, and of how her own two children led her fatally wounded. past-life regression (PLR) therapist, to discover children’s past lives. After Chase remembered these Bowman’s first two books, ChilThen through cases of other events and expressed the fear condren’s Past Lives (Bantam, 1997) children, she describes the practi- Paranormal Underground September 2008 th Past-Life n Children cal aspects of these memories: what they look and sound like, how to distinguish between genuine past-life memories and fantasy, how they are triggered, how they affect dreams, and how adults should respond. Return from Heaven explores the phenomenon of reincarnation in the same family. The book features true stories of very young children who remember the lives of recently deceased relatives, and documents how a child’s past-life memory profoundly affects different members of the family. Bowman recently answered questions for Paranormal Underground regarding her PLR research, methods, and beliefs. When I started researching past-life memories in children, I interviewed parents. I asked them if their children had past-life memories, and, if so, how they expressed them. I gathered information on many cases, and by 1994, I got a call from Oprah to do a show on children’s past lives. After appearing on Oprah, I knew there was interest in this field, so I began writing a book, which ***** Q: When and why did you get involved in this field of study? Bowman: When my own children had past-life memories, I was shocked at first, but also very intrigued. For my son, the memories were very close to the surface, and it had a really positive effect on him to recall and verbalize it. So, I wondered if other children had these memories too. I began my research at this point. I felt that the implications could be great for other children too. universal phenomenon, so I find people in other countries and different cultures who have had the same experiences and are eager to hear about it. Q: Talk about the studies you have undertaken during your career as a PLR therapist. Bowman: I had a degree in English, so I didn’t have a background in this field before my personal experiences. But after that, I started taking hypnotherapy classes and training with people in the field. I went to graduate school and got master’s degree in counseling. I did my own extensive research to get educated in field, including traditional training in counseling and therapy. Q: How do you go about determining whether you have uncovered a past-life memory or just imagination in the children that you work with? Chase Bowman, age 5, at the time he had his first past-life memories. was published in 1997. Then we launched a Web site. I’ve studied hundreds, probably into the thousands, of children’s cases. My day job is working with adults doing PLR therapy. I speak and do workshops around the world on children’s past lives. This is a Bowman: My approach is very practical. At the time my children had their experiences, there was no guide on how to deal with past-life memories, so I wanted to write something practical for other parents that encountered this. Children need to process these memories and learn how to deal with troubling memories, such as a September 2008 Paranormal Underground 11 Investigator Spotlight traumatic death. Children can experience post-traumatic stress disorder even connected with a past life. Parents can most likely differentiate imagination from memory based on very emotional reactions. Q: How do you elicit past-life memories from children without leading them? Q: If a past-life recall is very strong in a child, do the impressions and memories linger throughout their lives? Bowman: They can. Even if they don’t have images, they might have feelings, phobias, abilities, or behaviors related to past lives. Not all past lives are traumatic. But those are the ones that come out because we pay more attention to things that are disturbing. Maybe a talent exhibited in this life is carried over from a previous life. safe and that whatever happened is over and in the past. Ground them in the present reality. Say, “I’m here, your sister’s her.” Make sure they know they are in another life and that the past-life reality is not the present-life reality. Q: I would imagine that hearing your child talk matter-of-factly about events in past lives could be frightening for some parents. What would you say to those parents? Bowman: The memories that I work with are spontaneous. They usually come up spontaneously in children Bowman: This is normal. And as until the age of 5. I give advice on it’s happening, remain open to what how to deal with these memories your child is trying to tell you. Don’t Q: What should parents do if their without prompting. It is important child talks about something from a dismiss them or what they’re trying for parents to listen to what their to say. Don’t tell them, child is saying and ask “No that didn’t happen.” questions calmly, without leading them into a certain Q: Would you ever recomarea. If you feel the child mend PLR hypnosis for needs to further process children, or is it best to the memory, wait until they allow spontaneous recall? are relaxed, bring it up, and Bowman: It gets tricky. let them lead and use their There are very few theraown words. pists who work with chilCatch it as it’s coming dren in this manner. Parup naturally in the child. ents’ options are limited. It is important for people Sometimes memories to be aware that this hapdo come up in regular play pens so that they aren’t too shocked when it comes up. Carol Bowman (left) is pictured with her son, Chase, daughter, Sarah, and therapy with children. It’s husband, Steve. important for parents to remember that my recomQ: Why do you think that children are more receptive than mendations are for spontaneous past life that is particularly painful adults to past-life memory? or traumatic? memories. If parents can’t talk them through Bowman: It’s a natural phenomenon Bowman: First, parents need to get it first, trying a traditional therapeutic that when we come into this life over their shock and ask open-ended route might help. Maybe one day, some memories still have an emoquestions. Join the child’s reality and there will be more therapists that will tional charge, and as young children, believe you are listening to a true work with children in this regard. we don’t have the layering of this memory. Engage them. Ask, them life’s experience to buffer the memowhat they are experiencing, feeling, Q: Do you think that it’s important ries. Sometimes, children talk about and seeing. for children to keep their awarememories as soon as they can talk. Don’t suggest anything, but give ness of their previous lifetimes? Maybe even fussy infants or colicky them an opportunity to express Bowman: No it’s not. It’s a developinfants are experiencing memories. something that might be troubling mental process, and it’s not benefiI’ve found that in every culthem. That can go a long way. cial to keep the memories alive. It’s ture, these memories generally fade Sometimes it’s not that simple to more beneficial to allow them to between the ages of five and seven. It resolve. It might take time for them work through them and take their seems to be a natural developmental to resolve the issue. lead with it. part of a child’s spiritual development. Assure them that they are now Paranormal Underground September 2008 But do acknowledge what they’re saying because some kids have memories for years. Sometimes in teenage years, memories might resurface if not dealt with. And sometimes, if the memories are not dealt with, they become subconscious and manifest in other areas. Q: Can you share details of any compelling cases that you’ve worked on? Bowman: In one case, a boy in Louisiana started having nightmares about four to five times per week that his plane was crashing. But when he started talking about the nightmares, they dramatically diminished to once every three weeks. Then, he started recalling lots of details about being a 1945 WWII pilot who was shot down in the Pacific. The details he provided were verified by a surviving sister of the pilot, who was living in California. She verified all the memories of the child, including the name of the plane he flew, the name of the aircraft carrier, and the name of a close friend. There was a healing for this child after he was able to recall his past life. Q: Whose research in reincarnation and PLR do you admire and why? Bowman: Ian Stevenson because he left his comfortable position as chairman of a department of psychiatry to do this research. He was very brave and faced ridicule from his peers. He is a brilliant man who gave everything to do this research. Not too many people on the planet would do that. He wrote volumes about past-life memories and never sought publicity. Roger Woolger was one of my teachers in past-life therapy. He is a great theorist and practitioner. His writing is excellent, and his explanation is very good. Q: Is there any type of scientific evidence that exists to support the theory of reincarnation? Bowman: The case studies of children are the closest kind of evidence that we’ll ever find. Knowing intimate details about someone else’s life that the child could not possibly be exposed to at such a young age is compelling. And verification of those facts helps provide that evidence. Ian Stephenson documented almost 3,000 cases of past-life recall in children, and about 1,000 cases were verified in Asia. The Asian children remember more detail about their past lives, including proper names, whereas European and American children generally don’t recall things in as much detail. It’s a mystery as to why. It could “A belief in reincarnation does not exclude a belief in ‘spirits or ghosts.’ It’s all related.” be a cultural consciousness. If they feel more comfortable expressing it, that might be why. It’s mystifying. But as more people are exposed to this possibility, more cases might be reported. The quality of the memories might change in the West. Q: Have you ever doubted that reincarnation is a reality? Bowman: I can’t say I’ve doubted it since the age of 19, about 40 years ago. When my kids had memories, it became more real. In all the cases, one after the other, I have no doubt. There is something happening here. It seems to be rebirth. They have some of the consciousness of people who have lived before, as well as physical similarities too. To me, reincarnation is not an abstract religious concept or a philosophy, but a natural phenomenon. Understanding the connection between past lives and present reality leads to profound personal benefits, both spiritual and practical. Q: Could imaginary playmates have anything to do with past lives? Bowman: I think there is such a thing as having an imaginary playmate. I had an imaginary rabbit named Betty who rode on my bike. But it was clear that it was imaginary, and I knew the difference. Some children name pets or dolls after people they’ve known in previous lives, and they have dialogue with people they’ve known in previous lives. Q: Do you believe in ghosts? If so, how do you think that ghosts fit into the reincarnation spectrum? Bowman: I don’t know the definition, but I think there are discarnate beings around us. Call them what you will. They could be fragments of ancestors or people who didn’t fully pass into other dimensions. But I know that there are people who can communicate with that phenomena and are aware of it. I believe in that. And I’ve felt other presences around me. There are many dimensions around us or are a part of us, or we are part of them. I don’t know how it works. A belief in reincarnation does not exclude a belief in ‘spirits or ghosts.’ It’s all related. A part of us does not die with physical death. That’s the essence of the belief. An energy and even identity exists after we die. You can visit Carol Bowman’s Web site at www.childpastlives.org. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 13 Interview With a Hypnotherapist: Past-Life Regression By Karen Frazier ypnotherapy, the practice of treating a symptom, disease, or addiction by means of hypnotism, is said to modify a subject’s behavior, emotional content, and attitudes. Often, patients seek treatment for a wide range of conditions, including dysfunctional habits, anxiety, stressrelated illness, pain management, and personal development. Another possible application for hypnotherapy is past-life regression (also known as PLR). PLR is deemed by many hypnotherapists to be a journey into one’s past lives while hypnotized. The practice, while controversial to some, has been studied by therapists and doctors since the 1950s. In fact, many current-day therapists are convinced that hypnosis opens a window to the unconscious mind to reveal memories of past lives. Rita Ballard, CHT, is a consulting hypnotherapist and comfort therapist in Chehalis, Washington. She received her training through the Threshold University of Mind/ Body Science in 1997. I recently underwent a PLR hypnosis session with Ballard (see “A Peek Into the Past” on page 36), and afterward, she graciously agreed to sit down with me for an interview about PLR hypnotherapy. ***** Q: What are the education requirements for hypnotherapy? Ballard: All that’s required to practice hypnosis in this state [Washington] is that you register with the state. The rules are different depending on where you live. There are three states that have really rigorous requirements. biggest international hypnosis association. Through there, you are required to have continuing education credits. Q: Why did you want to become a hypnotherapist? Ballard: All my life I’ve been fascinated with how the brain works and why. Why is a big question for me. Q: Have you gotten any answers? Ballard: Yes — some answers. Mostly esoteric. I think there’s a lot more that we don’t use that you work with in hypnosis. I’ve also discovered answers to why not. It’s because people are comfortable where they are. If you can get them to believe in something better, if they can feel the results of that belief, then hypnosis will work. Rita Ballard, CHT, is a consulting hypnotherapist in Chehalis, Washington. She received her training through the Threshold University of Mind/Body Science in 1997. Q: What is the most common reason that people seek hypnotherapy? Ballard: Probably the most common reason would be to quit smoking. Q: What is your education? Q: What is your success rate with that? Ballard: I took a training that was four or five months long. It was 150 hours. Then I joined the National Guild of Hypnotists, which is the Ballard: I would say that it is absolutely dependent on the person’s commitment to succeed. My rate is about 50/50. Paranormal Underground September 2008 PLR is deemed by many hypnotherapists to be a journey into one’s past lives while hypnotized. The practice, while controversial to some, has been studied by therapists and doctors since the 1950s. In fact, many current-day therapists are convinced that hypnosis opens a window to the unconscious mind to reveal memories of past lives. Q: Does it work because people are suggestible? Ballard: It works because of a person’s desire. It works with your ability to believe what you tell it — I guess that is suggestion. You could say to a person, “I don’t know how soon you’ll quit smoking, but you do.” It’s entirely up to them. Q: Do you do much PLR? Ballard: Not a lot. It is one of the things that I love, but I don’t get to do a lot of it. Q: I noticed that you worked from a script when you regressed me. Do you always work from a script? Ballard: I use standard scripts that I will alter according to the person. Sometimes I change it as I go along. Q: What reasons do people give for wanting PLR? Ballard: Curiosity. A long time ago, I had a guy who kept getting these feelings of guilt, and he thought it was related to possibly him having committed a murder in a past life. Unfortunately, he tried three times to discover it and couldn’t do it. I think he was blocking something. Q: Any other clients that you can tell me about? Ballard: One client that really sticks out prominently is a guy who was a woman. He was a woman of higher class who had never been married. She/he died from her house burning down. Q: If people have died traumatically in a past life, do they carry it with them? Ballard: Some people experience pain, but go to a doctor and can find no reason for the pain. They could possibly discover that it was from a past life. For instance, if someone had a pain in their side, they might discover they were killed by a spear to the side in a past life. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 15 Investigator Spotlight Q: Can you take somebody to where they want to go — to a certain moment in a past life? Ballard: Yes, I can take them to the beginning of a specific fear or feeling. Q: Do most people seeking PLR have a strong belief that it will work? Ballard: Most people do, yes. I think it’s really hard to get someone in here for a PLR if they don’t believe it intellectually. Q: If people believe that PLR doesn’t work, will they still be able to experience a past life during regression? If a person is engaged in a PLR in a pure and honest way, then you will get pure and honest results. I think most people would be more likely to remember nothing than to make things up. purpose-driven. Tapping into what we call past and future, I consider to be a seed of now. I don’t think there’s a purpose. I think it’s an ability that we all have but just don’t use. Q: What would you say to skeptics? Q: You mentioned the future. Can you take people forward in hypnosis? Ballard: Probably what I would say is, “You don’t know until you’ve tried it.” Sometimes even after we’ve tried it, we don’t know. Nothing ventured, nothing gained — and it’s worth it to do. Ballard: The expectation of the outcome is a large part of the experience. Ballard: Yes. I have taken people forward. We call it future progression. Sometimes you want to have people see themselves five years in the future as a non-smoker or two years in the future being thin and healthy. It’s a visualization tool. I don’t see it as being any different than PLR. Q: I’ve seen hypnotherapists on TV, and they have people on stage who are fully aware. The hypnotherapist pops them on the head, and they are out. Are those people prehypnotized? Q: Have you ever had PLR? Ballard: Yes. It was during class. I find myself to be a little more resistant than I like. I think my mind doesn’t shut off. Ballard: Those hypnotists are trained at being extremely Q: Any past-life experiskilled at picking out people in ences you want to share the audience who will be the with me? most susceptible — through body language, posture, and Ballard: I personally didn’t other things. see anything, although I’ve “I have taken people forward. We call it future progression. Instant induction — I don’t gone to people who have told Sometimes you want to have people see themselves five years use it — it works on the elein the future as a non-smoker or two years in the future being me about past lives I’ve had. thin and healthy. It’s a visualization tool. I don’t see it as being ment of surprise. It alters that any different than PLR.” person’s train of thought. The Q: Can people hypnotize element of surprise switches themselves to do PLR? that person’s brain waves into Ballard: All hypnosis is self-hypnowhat you see as trance. sis. You could make a recording of Q: Do you believe in reincarnayour session and make a recording Q: When someone is hypnotized, tion? just of the parts I did, and then use it what part of the person do you Ballard: I definitely do. to regress yourself. think is talking to you? Q: What are your thoughts regarding cryptomnesia? Ballard: You can’t debunk the whole science because of a few instances. Q: What do you think is the purpose of being able to recall past lives? Ballard: I don’t know that it is Paranormal Underground September 2008 Ballard: I don’t think it’s their brain. I think it is a combination of other things — their higher self, feelings, and emotions. Probably 90% is feelings and emotions. Q: Have you ever had a client whom you felt was making it all up during hypnosis? else’s memories or the collective unconscious. Ballard: One time, there was one person who I wondered whether or not she was just going along with it. It seemed too quick and easy that she would access certain things on prompting. She was a repeat for almost a year, so in retrospect, she might not have been making it up. Q: Do you think that we are the same soul in every life? Q: When you’ve done PLR with people, do they often see people they recognize from this life? Ballard: Nobody’s ever told me they have. Probably most people don’t because we have so many filters in place. Q: I answered, “I don’t know” a few times during my session. Is that common? Ballard: Yes, that is fairly typical. Sometimes we don’t know; we can look right at it and not know. Q: How do you avoid asking leading questions? Ballard: What I do is constantly remember that this is not about me at all. It is totally about the person sitting there. I won’t ask questions like “would you,” “did you,” or “can you.” They have to be open-ended questions where the person can gather information instead of taking information I’ve given and expanding on it. They have to be pure thoughts. “I think if a person is curious but skeptical, they ought to try it. They have nothing to lose and nothing to fear.” Q: I really questioned the authenticity of some of the memories I had during my PLR — even from this life. Is that common? Ballard: Oh yes — very common. And it really doesn’t matter. If it was a genuine memory and there was something that they need to get, then they will get it. It could be symbolic; symbolism works. Q: What do you believe it is that is being accessed during PLR? Ballard: I think people are accessing their own past lives. I think it would be really difficult to access someone Ballard: The essence of you lives on. It’s like there’s a balloon filled with water, and the balloon bursts and drops of water splatter everywhere. Each drop is a soul — it is part of the contents of the balloon, but it is individual, as well. Q: Any books or authors that you’d recommend? Ballard: Remarkable Healings by Shankuntala Modi, MD. Q: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about PLR? Ballard: I think if a person is curious but skeptical, they ought to try it. They have nothing to lose and nothing to fear. Rita Ballard is located in Chehalis, Washington. You can visit her Web site at www.ritaballard.com. Recommended Reading Old Souls — by Tom Schroder Remarkable Healings — by Shankuntala Modi Children’s Past Lives: How Past Life Memories Affect Your Child — by Carol Bowman Someone Else’s Yesterday: The Confederate General and Connecticut Yankee — A Past Life Remembered — by Jeffrey Keene Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives — by Brian Weiss Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation — by Ian Stevenson Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects — by Ian Stevenson Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives — by Michael Newton Courageous Souls: Do We Plan Our Life Challenges Before Birth? — by Robert Schwartz Reincarnation & Karma — by Edgar Cayce One Soul, Many Lives: First Hand Stories of Reincarnation and the Striking Evidence of Past Lives — by Roy Stemman Reincarnation: The Phoenix Fire Mystery: An East-West Dialogue on Death and Rebirth From the Worlds of Religion, Science, Psychology, Philosophy — by Joseph Head and S. L. Cranston September 2008 Paranormal Underground 17 Reincarnatio By Chad Wilson The soul . . . comes from without into the human body, as into a momentary abode, it goes out of it anew . . . it passes into other habitations, for the soul is immortal . . . It is the secret of the world that all things subsist, and do not die, but only retire a little from sight, and afterwards return again . . . Nothing is dead: men feign themselves dead, and endure mock funerals . . . and there they stand looking out of the window, sound and well, in some strange disguise.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson For eons, the burning question has been, what happens after death? Do we die, only to succumb to the cool embrace of everlasting darkness, never to return from the sleep of oblivion? Or, do we move on to Heaven or Hell, or some other like destination, a final resting place or a personal limbo of eternal torment? Is it possible that we live again, returning to this Earthly plane to walk under the sun once more, continuing our journey toward spiritual enlightenment? Man has asked himself these questions for time immemorial, debating various beliefs all because of man’s primal fear of death and the unknown that it represents. In the following article, I will ex- plore the subject of reincarnation and the different beliefs within the various religions and spiritual movements that proclaim the rebirth of the soul as a basic truth. I will also explore the potential undertones of reincarnation within Christianity and Islam, profile various personalities throughout history who professed a belief in the transmigration of the soul, and examine scientific evidence supporting the theory of reincarnation. A Worldwide Phenomenon What is reincarnation? According to the dictionary, reincarnation is “the belief that the soul, upon death, comes back to Earth in another body or form.” Though first attributed to the Egyptians, reincarnation most likely finds its roots in the Pagan practices of man’s first religions, before the organized entities that later developed. Throughout history, reincarnation has played a role in various modern religions, including Hinduism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Jainism, and even some early forms of Christianity. Modern-day spirituality also has heavy undertones in support of reincarnation of the spirit, with hypnosis, past-life regression, and even future life progression being a central theme of some present Paranormal Underground September 2008 Modern-day spirituality also has heavy undertones in sup regression, and even future life progression being a centra Artwork by Claudia Ghidella on: a New You? pport of reincarnation of the spirit, with hypnosis, past-life al theme of some present spiritual beliefs. spiritual beliefs. Even psychotherapy has touched upon this controversial area with the use of past-life regression therapy. A 2003 survey by the Rick A. Ross Institute, a New Jersey nonprofit organization devoted to public education and research, found that 27% of Americans polled held a belief in reincarnation. A more recent 2005 survey by Gallup, Inc. had this number at 20%, and recent surveys by the Barna Group, a Christian research nonprofit organization, have found that a quarter of U.S. Christians, including 10 percent of all born-again Christians, embrace reincarnation as their favored end-oflife view. A 1999-2002 survey in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Nordic countries revealed the following percentages: 22% of people from Nordic countries believe in reincarnation. In Eastern Europe, belief in reincarnation is particularly high in the Baltic countries, with Lithuania leading those polled with 44% believing in the concept of rebirth of the soul. The lowest figure (12%) was East Germany, possibly a result of communist anti-religious beliefs. Russia, on the other hand, had a high percentage of those who believe, at about one-third. Also according to the survey data, about 22% of respondents in Western Europe believed in reincarnation. Unquestionably, interest in the question of what happens to us after death is a worldwide phenomenon. And, let’s face it, reincarnation is an interesting theory. The idea that we are born, live, die, and are born again is fascinating. Who’s to say that you couldn’t have been Charlie Chaplin, Mark Twain, or even Alexander the Great at some time in the past? Are you a good writer because you were once Mark Twain or a good actor because Chaplin runs in your veins? Why do you have that overwhelming desire to conquer the world, or at least the world in your tabletop war games? Maybe you are Alexander the Great reborn. Interesting prospects to ponder! “God generates beings, and sends them back over and over again, till they return to Him.” — Koran The Ideas Behind the Belief Metempsychosis, transmigration of the soul, rebirth, and reincarnation are all terms for the same or similar ideas. Metempsychosis was an early Greek philosophical term for transmigration of the soul, and more specifically reincarnation itself. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 19 Special Report Transmigration of the soul was belief, merely passes at death from of transmigration of the soul. This a concept heavily favored by the one tenement to another; for by is where the soul moves from one ancient Egyptians. Even though it such doctrine alone, they say, which body to another without an actual has been called by different names, robs death of all its terrors, can the birth taking place. This was one of and some of the basic ideas on how highest form of human courage be the reasons their priesthood went to reincarnation works differ, it all boils developed.” such pains to preserve the bodies of down to this: the continuation of the This belief in rebirth of the soul the recently deceased; that way, the soul upon Earth in a physical form. would lead the Gauls, under the souls, or Ba, would have a place to Reincarnation of the soul is esindirect leadership of the Druids, return to. poused by as many different and varto fight with increased vigor against Jewish Kabbalah, the discipline ied groups as there are concepts that Caesar and his Roman legions durand school of thought dealing with deal with reincarnation. There are so ing the Gallic Wars. the mystical aspects of Judaism, also many different beliefs out there, it is Hinduism, which originated in supports the return of the soul to no wonder that a general consensus the Indus Valley sometime between the Earthly plane. Our souls, which can’t be reached as to how reincar4000 and 2500 BCE, states as a belief were present at the fall of Adam nation actually works or even what of faith that we are born, accumuand Eve, according to Kabbahlistic it is. Do we become karmic force? late karma through our deeds and teachings, seek to correct our collecOr does our current spiritual form thoughts, die, and are reborn with our tive misjudgment. Once we have all continue after death? Are we born caste being determined by the karma achieved this, “The Final Redempimmediately after death, tion,” we will once again or is there a period of time be returned to our unified between incarnations? And state with God. many more questions such One religious moveas these are left to individument that was a great influal interpretation. ence on Judaism, and in Each individual sees turn early Christianity, was reincarnation in their own Zoroastrianism. Believed light, interpreting it to fit to be the first monotheistic their world view. Maybe religion, it later became breaking it down into what dualistic with the addition some of the individual of an opposing evil deity, groups believe might help Ahriman, to Ahura Mazda’s gain a basic understanding. good; it was founded by ZoWho’s to say that you couldn’t have been Charlie Chaplin, Mark Twain, Beginning with early roaster, an ancient Iranian or even Alexander the Great at some time in the past? pagans, who believed in the prophet and religious poet. birth/death/rebirth cycle as The religion presents an ever-present theme within Nature from our previous life. Our station the idea of the human soul under— as evidenced by the changing either increases or decreases dependgoing various experiences, good and of the seasons — reincarnation or ing on this karma, even to the point bad, throughout countless reincarrebirth of the soul has played a part of being reborn as animals. nations, the final result being the in our everyday beliefs about life Thus, we continue through varitriumph of good over evil, with the after death and what happens once ous reincarnations until we learn the good going to heaven, and the evil we die. basic tenant that we are all a part of in this world being punished and Case in point are the Druids, God, and that everything is concleansed through fire in a tempowho Julius Caesar described as, nected; this totality of the unity of rary hell. “With regard to their actual course everything is called Brahman. Once Another popular religion that of studies, the main object of all we realize this basic truth, we are espouses the idea of reincarnation, education is, in their opinion, to imthen able to rejoin God. and also which has many adherbue their scholars with a firm belief The Ancient Egyptians did not ents, is Buddhism. Founded by in the indestructibility of the huprofess a belief in reincarnation per Siddhartha Gautama, who attained man soul, which, according to their se, but were more in the mindset enlightenment in 535 BCE and as- Paranormal Underground September 2008 Special Report sumed the title of Buddha, it teaches the principal of “The Middle Way,” an attempt to escape the karmic trap that is reincarnation. By not building up karmic debt, good or bad, one is able to attain Nirvana, thus escaping the pain of the material world. Jainism, which is heavily influenced by the Hindu religion and Buddhism, is another of the world’s religions that encompasses the concept of reincarnation. Their religious practices are more along an ascetic line, as they follow fruititarianism, or the practice of only eating that which will not kill the plant or animal from which it is taken. They also practice ahimsa, non-violence, because any act of violence against a living thing creates negative karma, which will adversely affect one’s next life. teachings to survive to this day. Even the Koran is purported to support the idea of rebirth. “And you were dead, and He brought you back to life. And He shall cause you to die, and shall bring you back to life, and in the end shall gather you unto Himself.” (2:28) Controversial in nature, yet there it is, the writings of the Prophet Mohammad. “That which is part of our souls is eternal . . . Those lives are countless, but the soul or spirit that animates us throughout these myriads of existences is the same; and though “‘But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.” — Jesus (Matthew 17:12, 13) Early Christianity was heavily influenced by the ideas of Jewish Kabbalah and the teachings of Zoroaster, thus leading to sub-sects such as Mystical Christianity and Gnosticism. It was these variants of the Christian religion that believed in reincarnation up until reincarnation was declared heresy by the council of Constantinople in 533 CE. Persecuted by the Church, following the council of Nicaea in 325 CE, some of the major writings upon which the Gnostic faith was based were summarily burned and destroyed after being declared heretical. Only with the foresight of Monks at Nag Hammadi were some of the texts preserved, thus allowing the Gnostic A 2005 Gallup Poll survey found that 20% of Americans polled believed in reincarnation. ‘the book and volume’ of the physical brain may forget events within the scope of one terrestrial life, the bulk of collective recollections can never desert the divine soul within us. Its whispers may be too soft, the sound of its words too far off the plane perceived by our physical senses; yet the shadow of events that were, just as much as the shadow of the events that are to come, is within its perceptive powers, and is ever present before its mind’s eye.” — Helena Blavatsky, Secret Doctrine, Vol. II, p. 424 A more modern, spiritual movement that supports reincarnation is Theosophy. Founded by Madame Helena Blavatsky in 1875, the Theosophical Society holds that, “There is no religion higher than Truth.” They also believe that all religions are attempts by the ‘Spiritual Hierarchy’ to help humanity in evolving to greater perfection, and that each religion therefore has a portion of the truth, and that we are all part of one unified soul. Wicca, while not pushing any one belief over another, lends itself to the idea of rebirth of the soul. Also in its belief structure are references to a place called Summerland, a spiritual realm where the spirits rest between incarnations. An interesting variant on religions or groups that profess a belief in reincarnation is Odinism. Odinism holds that reincarnations only occur within a given tribe, race, or family. And I’m sure there are other beliefs in reincarnation, too numerous to list here. “I am confident that there truly is such a thing as living again, that the living spring from the dead, and that the souls of the dead are in existence.” — Socrates Belief Among the Popular Masses History is filled with famous personalities who believe and have believed in reincarnation. They come from all walks of life and varied religious beliefs. In a nutshell, neither social status nor education deems whether one believes in reincarnation or not. Pythagoras, in addition to being the inventor of the Pythagorean Theorem, was also a spiritual leader who believed in metempsychosis, or September 2008 Paranormal Underground 21 transmigration of the soul. The religion he founded had as central themes reincarnation and the equality of all humans: male, female, and slave. Pythagoras also taught vegetarianism, not only because it was wrong to kill another being, but also because he believed that meat disturbed the humors of the body. Even into the 1700s, a vegetarian was also known as a Pythagorean. His ideas inspired such philosophers as Socrates and Plato. Various writers also professed a belief in reincarnation, though sometimes tongue-in-cheek as was the case with Mark Twain when he professed, “I have been born more times than anybody except Krishna.” And then there was Jack London and his novel The Star Rover. Published in 1915, it details the story of Professor Darrel Standing, imprisoned for life in San Quentin for murder. Though prison officials try to break his spirit through the means of ‘the jacket,’ he finds a way to resist by entering a trance during which he walks amongst the stars, experiencing portions of past lives. “I trod interstellar space, exalted by the knowledge that I was bound on vast adventure, where, at the end, I would find all the cosmic formulae and have made clear to me the ultimate secret of the universe. In my hand I carried a long glass wand. It was borne in upon me that with the tip of this wand I must touch each star in passing. And I knew, in all absoluteness, that did I but miss one star I should be precipitated into some unplummeted abyss of unthinkable and eternal punishment and guilt.” — The Star Rover It is the recollection of these past lives that form the body of the work. Powerfully written, these series of disconnected and unresolved short stories, sometimes poetic and other times purple prose, tell the tale of one who finds solace in the idea that this life is not the end, but that death is a sort of new beginning. Voltaire professed, “It is not more surprising to be born twice than once; everything in nature is resurrection.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, William Wordsworth, and Johan Wolfgang von Goethe are but a few other writers who believed in the concept of reincarnation. Great leaders and innovators who also believed in reincarnation Various writers also professed a belief in reincarnation, including Jack London, Walt Whitman, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. include Frederick the Great, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Ford, Carl Jung, and Count Leo Tolstoy. It was General George S. Patton who believed he had fought as a Roman, though he could not remember it with any great detail. Origen of Alexandria, one of Christianity’s greatest systematic theologians, also believed in reincarnation. Origen was a person devoted to scriptural authority, a scourge to Paranormal Underground September 2008 the enemies of the church, and a martyr for the faith. He was the spiritual teacher of a large and grateful posterity, and yet his teachings were declared heresy in 553 CE. The debates and controversies that flared up around his teachings are, in fact, the record of reincarnation in the church. Eventually, his ideas were declared anathema by the Second council of Constantinople, and his chief theological work, On First Principles, was forgotten to history in his condemnation. On the other end of the spectrum we have Aleister Crowley, once known as the wickedest man alive. Crowley believed he was Pope Alexander VI, who was renowned for his love of physical pleasures, as well as Edward Kelly, the assistant of the Elizabethan occultist and magician John Dee. He also believed he was Count Alessandro Cagliostro, an Italian occultist, and Eliphas Levi, who died on the same day as Crowley was born. Continuing back further, Crowley believed he had been Ankh-fn-Khonsu, an Egyptian priest of the XXVIth dynasty. As you can see, many famous people from all walks of life believed in reincarnation, and as time continues to pass, reincarnation becomes more accepted by the public at large. Might reincarnation someday be as accepted as the concepts of Heaven and Hell? “Live so that thou mayest desire to live again — that is thy duty — for in any case thou wilt live again!” — Freidrich Nietzsche A Scientific View So, how does one go about proving reincarnation? Most scientists will agree, there really is no conclusive proof that rebirth of the soul is a possibility, or even a likelihood. But through the work of noted scientists Special Report Professor Ian Stevenson, whose case studies involving children have gone a long way toward providing the most convincing proof of reincarnation, and Dr. Brian Weiss, who has written such books as Many Lives, Many Masters, the idea of reincarnation might one day be known as scientific fact. Another bit of evidence is the various past-life regressions where some of the facts of the regression are able to be proven. However, most scientist doubt the reliability of hypnosis, as a subject might make up, even if subconsciously, what they deem the hypnotherapist wants to hear. Others say that all evidence provided by the method of regression therapy cannot be discounted. “If you wish to upset the law that all crows are black, you must not seek to show that no crows are: it is enough to prove one single crow to be white. My white crow is Leonora Piper.” — Dr. William James India is rife with stories of children and their past-life memories. Maybe this has to do with the general acceptance of the belief in reincarnation in India. However, bringing up such memories is generally frowned upon in this culture, the theory being that the past life has already been lived and that the child is now here to live a new life with new lessons. A major researcher in India at a time when reincarnation was drawing much attention in the scientific world, as in the case of Shanti Devi below, was Dr. Ian Stevenson. According to researchers like Stevenson, very often children are born with memories of past lives. As in the case of Shanti Devi, who was born in India in 1926, and was in- vestigated by a special committee of professionals appointed by Mahatma Gandhi himself. Devi’s life stands as one of the most famous, thoroughly documented cases of reincarnation on record. Here is her story . . . An Indian wife, named Lugdi, died in childbirth in 1924. Then in 1926, Shanti Devi was born in a village near Delhi, and around the age of four, she began to speak of herself as a woman named Lugdi who lived with her husband and several children describe details of her former life that only Lugdi and her husband would have known. For 40 years, Dr. Stevenson meticulously documented more than 3,000 cases of children who had been reincarnated. As one of the first major scientific researchers in this field, Stevenson published numerous studies, the most famous of which is his 1974 book, Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation. The most convincing evidence includes children who have been photographed with birthmarks that coincide exactly with autopsy wounds of the murdered adults that these children had claimed to have been in previous lives. The famous English biologist Thomas Huxley wrote of reincarnation in his book Evolution and Ethics and Other Essays, saying it was a plausible idea. There are many people, such as Peter Ramster and Dr. Walter Semkiw, who have investigated reincarnation and come to the conclusion that it is a legitimate phenomenon, but their work is generally ignored by the scientific community. Many reincarnation researchers have concluded that there is more evidence of reincarnation Hinduism states as a belief of faith that we are born, than there is of evolution. But, accumulate karma through our deeds and thoughts, die, evidence supporting reincarnaand are reborn with our caste being determined by the tion will be hard to come by. It karma from our previous life. is more a matter of belief and personal preference. in the village of Mathura, about 100 Then again, scientific theory miles to the South of Delhi. almost always begins with individual She spoke in great detail about thought and belief on a subject and her past life, including information then grows from there. such as the house she lived in to the “I know I am deathless. No food she ate. Eventually convincing doubt I have died myself ten thouher parents to take her to Mathura, sand times before. I laugh at what Shanti correctly led them to the you call dissolution, and I know the house where she claimed to live. amplitude of time.” Once there, she proceeded to — Walt Whitman September 2008 Paranormal Underground 23 Evidence supporting reincarnation will be hard to come by. It is more a matter of belief and personal preference. Then again, scientific theory almost always begins with individual thought and belief on a subject and then grows from there. My Take on Reincarnation Personally, I believe in an afterlife and a creator, but I also believe in reincarnation as well. Starting in Heaven as divine beings, our spirits are initially born into this world as physical human beings, our journey thus beginning. We live through various lives, learning the lessons our own soul chooses, returning over and over until we have achieved a sort of spiritual enlightenment, finally returning to Heaven as complete and individual spirits. I have always had an interest in the unknown. It was in the past few years while studying the paranormal that I came across an obscure religion known as Gnosticism. It was an immediate connection for me, as what Gnostics believe now and believed in the past seemed so right. In my mind, I knew I had found the answer to the burning question, What happens after we die? To me, rebirth of the soul fits in with the natural order of things. The seasons and cycles of the planet all point to the renewal of life with the essence of those who trod here once before. Huge Consequences In this article, we have talked about what reincarnation is, the various groups and religions that profess a belief in rebirth of the soul, as well as the many and varied personalities throughout history who believed in reincarnation. We have also explored potential evidence supporting the possibility of reincarnation. Paranormal Underground September 2008 What does the future hold as far as reincarnation is concerned? Will it someday be considered a fact, much like evolution is now? One thing is for sure, rebirth of the soul has grabbed the attention of people around the world, leading us to bigger and greater eventualities as we re-evaluate our lives in light of the possibilities that reincarnation presents. If we do reincarnate, the consequences could be huge. Maybe someday we will know for sure. Until then, we are left to ponder the possibilities. “So as through a glass and darkly, the age long strife I see, where I fought in many guises, many names, but always me.â€? — General George S. Patton One Christian’s View on Reincarnation By Jaime Johnesee spent many years searching for a religion that I could feel comfortable calling my own. I read about 14 different major world religions and spent countless hours hunched over hundreds of books, until one day, something clicked in my head. I decided organized religion might not be for me. I had found so many ideas that rang true in my mind from all different religions, and I knew at that point there would never be a set religion I could conform to. My Religious Beliefs Overall, I am a Christian. I was raised Methodist, and I believe the stories and accounts of Christ and his sacrifice. I don’t believe that he was the biological son of God. But I do believe he had a connection to God that most never have or ever will have. I believe he gave his life so that we might also feel a small piece of that connection. It is written in more places than just the Bible how Christ lifted his face up and begged God to forgive those who persecuted and ultimately killed him. This, to me, is not normal behavior for a human in insufferable pain and agony. So now you know a bit about my beliefs as far as being a Christian, and so far it’s pretty much basic Christianity. Getting it Right Now we are about to get into the not-so-mainstream Christian ideas of my belief system. I do not believe that those who do not accept Christ are doomed to Hell. I believe that if God loves us so much as to give us his only son, he loves us enough to give us as many chances as it takes to get our lives on the right path. I am indeed talking about reincarnation. It is my belief that when we die, we get the chance to come back and better ourselves so that one day we can ultimately return to God as pure as we once left him. I believe that we are all allowed as many chances as necessary. Yes, Old Souls Have you ever come across someone you’d consider an old soul? Someone who seems wise far beyond their years? Someone who is kind and compassionate and does the best they can to make you feel comfortable and at ease when you are around them? These are the people I like to think of as old souls. They seem to have a serenity around them like no one else. They do not brag or complain, yet are always there to congratulate or offer sympathy to me and others when we brag or whine. These are the people that really have made me feel more comfortable in my belief in reincarnation. I have no doubt that my ideas will be called wrong by others, and that’s okay by me. As far as religion goes, none of us has one right answer. We only have the right answer for us, and we can only go by what our hearts tell us. this belief would basically make the reality we live in Purgatory. Yet, I prefer to think of it as a field for learning and growing. I believe that we are all part of the same creator, and when we are ready, we return to him. I also believe others join us on our journey. Have you ever met someone and you felt like you had already known them forever? I believe that the people that drift into and out of our lives have been doing so from the beginning of our trip. Walking the Path Each soul has their own path they must travel, and no one person’s belief can neatly fit every person’s life. I do my best not to force my beliefs on anyone. If asked, I will tell you what I believe (as I have just done), but I don’t expect you to believe the same or even close to the same. I do, however, wish you all the best on your voyage through this life and will do my best to help you if you ask me to. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 25 A Confederate Soldier The Case of Jeffrey Keene/ By Karen Frazier effrey Keene is a man with a past. A very long past. A retired Assistant Fire Chief in Westport, Connecticut, Keene has one of the most evidentially compelling cases for reincarnation known. In his book, Someone Else’s Yesterday (please see book review on page 33), Keene details the strange events that led to how he learned of his past life as Civil War General John B. Gordon. His journey into the world of reincarnation began in 1991, when Keene and his wife, Anna, were on an antiquing trip to Pennsylvania. Impulsively stopping at the Antietam Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland, Keene had a strong physical and emotional reaction while walking by himself down the Sunken Road. In the book, Keene describes his experience. “A wave of grief and sadness washed over me. Without warning, I was suddenly being consumed by sensations. Burning tears ran down my cheeks. It became difficult to breathe. I gasped for air as I stood transfixed in the old roadbed. To this day, I cannot tell you how much time transpired, but as these feelings, this emotional overload passed, I found myself exhausted as if I had run a marathon.” Keene’s experience took place on the very spot in the Sunken Road where Gordon was wounded. So began the series of strange coincidences that led Keene to his journey of discovery into reincarnation and his past life as General John B. Gordon. A Compelling Case The evidence in Keene’s case is compelling. • There is an uncanny physical resemblance between Keene and Gordon, including scars and marks on Keene’s body in five places that match Gordon’s wounds suffered in the Civil War. • Linguistics experts have studied samples of Keene’s and Gordon’s writings and note the similarity in writing style. • There are people in Keene’s life today that closely re- In his book, Someone Else’s Yesterday, Jeffrey Keene (pictured of his past life as Civil War General John B. Gordon (pictured at semble people in Gordon’s life. • There are similar personality traits and taste in clothing hospital ER with a severe mysterithat match. ous pain in his face. No reason for • Keene was born on Septemthe pain was ever found, but Keene ber 9, 1947 — a date that coincides learned many years later that the with events occurring on September pain in his face on his 30th birthday 9, 1862, that led to the battle of Ancoincided exactly with where Gortietam, where Gordon was severely don was shot in the face during the wounded. Battle of Antietam when he was 30 Then there’s the incident that years old. transpired on Keene’s 30th birthday. While skeptics may dismiss On that day, Keene was taken to the all of this evidence as coincidence, Paranormal Underground September 2008 in the Modern World: /General John B. Gordon War and worked it backwards to John Gordon,” Keene said. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Keene pointed out that prior to his experience at Antietam, he’d never had an interest in the Civil War. He had viewed a few episodes of the Ken Burns series Civil War in which John B. Gordon was mentioned, but he had not singled him out for any reason. Keene had never read any books on the Civil War. I recently had the opportunity to speak to Jeffrey Keene on the telephone. Warm and personable, Jeffrey Keene was happy to share his experiences and what he believes is the greater meaning behind them. d at left) details the strange events that led to how he learned t right). Keene and many others have a different view of it all. “How many coincidences are there to be before it is no longer coincidence?” Keene wonders. “Ten? Twenty?” Keene himself was initially skeptical; however, the evidence kept building in ways that were difficult to ignore. “Many people think that I must have always been interested in the Civil Q: In your book, you describe a time while you were in the military where you had a nighttime encounter with a shadowy figure standing by your bed. Later, you mention the face was that of Gordon. What do you think it was? Keene: I don’t know. I believe we have a lot of input into our lives. There are events that trigger things for us and lead us to where we need to go. My experience at Antietam was a trigger. So was the shadowy figure. It was full figure that looked a lot like Abraham Lincoln — very gaunt with sunken eyes. Of course, Gordon was very gaunt during his war experience. Later I recognized from a picture of him taken during the war that the figure I had seen was John Gordon. Was it a self-produced hologram? Is our soul in pieces? I’ve never really figured out what it was. What I do believe is that we are given signs and directions about where we are supposed to go. Maybe this was a sign for me. Q: I was unclear after reading your book how much of your knowledge of General Gordon came from past-life memory, and how much came from your meditation and spontaneous writing. How clear are your memories of your life as Gordon? Keene: It’s strange. A lot of my personality is similar to his. In her book A Change of Heart: a Memoir, Claire Sylvia talks about going through a heart and lung transplant and afterward experiencing many differences in her personality — including her likes and dislikes, such as a craving for chicken McNuggets. It turns out that the organs she had received September 2008 Paranormal Underground 27 Special Report were from a little boy who ate these things together, there is only ting more and more psychic from chicken McNuggets a lot. one explanation that makes any the meditation. I would have songs That is cellular memory. I have sense — reincarnation. in my head and be singing them, a cellular memory from a past life. and it would be a song that had Q: Did you use spontaneous writJust look at how I look and the been running through someone ing often? And, if you did, how markings I have. I have markings else’s head. did it occur? in five places where Gordon was I don’t need or desire to be psywounded during the war. I look in chic. I don’t really need to go into Keene: It didn’t really work for me. I the mirror, I look at these markings, any more past lives either. was more successful with meditation. and then I look at my experiences. I was trying to say in the book To me, it all adds up — it can’t be that you need to live in this life. Q: Was your reaction at Antietam anything other than that I had been the most you’ve emotionally and The past may be interesting, but it physically connected to the battleGeneral Gordon. is gone. So many people get caught fields where Gordon fought? The spontaneous writing didn’t up in their past lives and ignore work too much for me. A psychic this one. I think it is best to stay Keene: Years ago, I went to a Civil named Jean Loomis taught me how present in the life that you are livWar battlefield with my parents. to meditate, and I meditated a lot. ing now. I wasn’t much into it. What hapDreams that hadn’t made sense pened to me at Antietam was the Q: When you come into contact before started to make sense. trigger for everything that came with a relative of Gordon’s, do I was skeptical — but you feel any special conevery time I started to doubt, nection to that person? something would come down the pike to whack me Keene: Most have been in the head. It comes with written letters, e-mails, knowing — you don’t know phone calls. One time, I how you know, you just met with John B. Gordon’s know it. It isn’t a belief, it is great-great-nephew Steve a knowing. Smith in person. It is always In meditation, someinteresting. times there are vignettes. I had one of General Gordon Q: You talk about soul groups and reincarnating helping his wife, Fanny, out with people in your soul of a carriage. It was so vivid, group. Have you experiso real, that I have but to enced some special kind of close my eyes, and I can still recognition when you’ve feel my hands around her come across them? Keene is pictured having a reading with psychic Candace Zellner in tiny waist. Keene: Yes — for sure. I It is like putting together which she confirmed memories he’d had of his life as a French or English soldier. am married to one. My a puzzle, where all of the wife, Anna, was either Fanpuzzle pieces keep fitting into ny Gordon (John Gordon’s place. There are bits and pieces of after it. It was the first time I had wife) or one of her sisters. I think everything. A word here, a sound you any sense that there was something probably she was one of Fanny’s hear there, a dream, a picture that larger going on. sisters. She literally saved my life. arises in your mind. Anna was an answer to a prayer. Sometimes it’s an experience Q: Since you completed your book, I was going through a rough that happens — like the time on my have you continued to experience time, and I prayed for someone more waking memories, emotions, 30th birthday when I went to the and/or impressions about John B. with certain qualities. And there was hospital ER with severe pain in my Gordon? Anna — she was exactly what I had face exactly where Gordon was shot asked for. We’ve been married for through the face at Antietam when Keene: I stopped doing meditanearly 18 years. he was 30. When you start to put tion. I pray now instead. I was get- Paranormal Underground September 2008 Q: I notice in your book that you refer to Gordon in the third person throughout the book. How much connection do you feel to your past -life incarnations? to meet. Synchronicity is this guidance in action. There really isn’t any such thing as coincidence. So many times, my instincts led me to where I needed to be to get the information that I needed to Keene: I feel a strong connection get. When I first visited Antietam, to the Gordon lifetime, but it is we hadn’t planned to go to any Civil important to understand that I am War battlefields. Instead, I saw the not John Gordon. It would be more sign and said, “Let’s go here.” correct to say he is part of me — Later, when I went to Peterspart of my spiritual DNA — you burg — a city of 45 square miles; in might say. I was him. I am in this the dead of night, with no direclife now and need to live Jeffrey tions, I took the right exit (there Keene’s life. were five) and drove to the exact Q: There seem to be recurrent street that I sought. themes that run through many of When I was looking for the only the lives that you’ve experienced. copy of Gordon’s article for Youth Companion magazine, it was in a Keene: My theme seems to be warroom at the library where the key rior priest. had been lost for a long time. They found the key to the room right Q: How many past lives have you before I showed remembered? up asking for Keene: Samurai, “I feel a strong connecthe article. I’ve WWII British strange tion to the Gordon life- had soldier, Irish girl, things happen Tibetan monk, time, but it is important like this all Franciscan friar, throughout my Druid priest, two to understand that I am life. Native Amerinot John Gordon.” cans (Anasazi Q: How can you and Mariposa), tell the differa Knight Temence between something that is just plar or someone fighting against the a random thought and something Knights Templar. that is guiding you toward some Q: When you are drawn into a remembrance of a past life, how fully do you experience it? Keene: It is like a puzzle. You just look at all of the things that arise in your life and put it all together. Your job is to listen — and you will be directed where you need to go. Q: Tell me about the role that synchronicity has played in your life. Keene: We’re guided. We’re led to the places we’re supposed to go, and we meet the people we’re supposed insight? Or is there a difference? Keene: That’s a tough one. If I knew the answer for that, I’d probably have avoided a lot of the difficult situations in my life. Although, sometimes what seems like the wrong decision isn’t the wrong decision, at all. Sometimes you need to go through the suffering and pain to learn a lesson. How many times has someone had something seemingly bad happen to them, just to hear them say, “That’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” because it led to TIMELINE • Jeffrey J. Keene was born in Danbury, Connecticut, in 1947 and grew up in the town of Westport, Connecticut, attending Staples High School. • He joined the Air Force after his graduation in 1965. Following basic training, Keene specialized as a medic and received an honorable discharge in 1969 at the rank of sergeant. • Returning to Westport, Keene joined the town’s fire department in 1976. In his 28 years in the fire service, Keene studied Fire Science at Norwalk State Technical College and attended Delaware State Fire School, where he progressed to the fire instructor level. One of the state’s first hazardous materials technicians, he also developed a Mock Crash Program to educate local high school students on the dangers of drinking and driving, gaining recognition for his efforts from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. • Jeffrey Keene is a decorated firefighter, and in 2003, he retired as an assistant fire chief with the Westport Fire Department. Keene had spent his last 15 years as a shift commander and was charged with the development and implementation of standard operation procedures for the department. • After retiring from the fire department, Keene became an accomplished Civil War researcher and speaker. He has lectured on Civil War topics to groups ranging from elementary students to peer experts. • Someone Else’s Yesterday was a finalist in the 2004 Visionary Awards held at the International New Age Trade Show in Denver, Colorado, in June 2004. • Keene resides with his wife Anna in Trumbull, Connecticut. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 29 Special Report something that they needed. We judge too quickly. Things are neither good nor bad, they just are. The secret of life is life. Q: Do you have any advice for others who wish to become more aware of the guidance they are receiving? Keene: Pay attention. Stop to spend time with yourself. Quiet yourself down and ask, “Show me the things that I need to see.” Then pay attention to what happens. Keep a pad and write down dreams, thoughts, impressions. These are all messages we are giving ourselves. Q: Why do you feel that some people have seemingly ready access to past lives, while others never have any past-life recall? Keene: Everyone remembers — they just don’t know that they do. An example of this: I have always wanted to go to Killarney. One day, I saw a magazine on a table with a picture on the cover. I said, “That’s the road to Killarney.” I opened the magazine and found the caption for the photo and it read, “Cover Photo Road to Killarney.” How would I know that? Another time, I was at a visitor center at Appomattox Courthouse. aware that they do. Sometimes people ask me, “Why can’t we remember every moment of every past life?” We’ve lived many, many lifetimes. Can you imagine how schizophrenic we’d be if we recalled every moment of every life? We remember what we need to remember. Q: I read in an interview that you did with Psychic and Spirit magazine that you hope you are at the end of your incarnations. Do you believe you are? What do you believe will happen with your spirit after it is done reincarnating? Keene: I hope I don’t have to come back here. I’ve gotten a little weary of this Q: How about advice world and how people treat for people who want to one another. Why can’t remember past lives. people realize that we are Keene: Trust yourself. Find all one? We need to realize your own way of meditatthat all people we see are ing. Keep track of all of us. We’re all just trying the stuff that comes to you to get back to where we — a word, numbers — and started from. somewhere down the line, There is no reason they will make sense. why there should be one If I could say one thing person hungry in this to people about this, it is world. We should have this: You remember, you weaned ourselves off of just don’t know you do. fossil fuels 50 years ago. Everything in your life is a Keene’s experience took place on the very spot in the Sunken Road But we haven’t. I have to reminder of what you need where Gordon was wounded. So began the series of strange coincidences that led Keene to his journey of discovery into reincarnation and his think that there are better to know — from your taste past life as General John B. Gordon. places to incarnate to. But in clothes and the way you then, I tend to be the guy decorate your house to who volunteers for things. I saw a flag that was used during the songs that move you to relationships They ask for volunteers, my hand surrender of the South to the North that you choose. goes up, so I may be back. during the war — but there was a Ultimately, where, when, who, print of the surrender showing a difQ: You describe memories from and whether we incarnate is up to us. many past lives. What purpose do ferent flag being used. We have free will and get to choose you feel it serves to have past-life I asked the Park Ranger at the what we do. recall? visitor center if the flag I saw was the If I don’t reincarnate here, what one actually used in the surrender Keene: To help others. We’re here would I do? There could be other rather than the one in the picture. as teachers, we’re here as students, planes of existence, other worlds. It’s The answer was, “Yes.” I just knew we’re here to pay back debts. Maybe a big universe. How arrogant are we — it came across me as a knowing. we have karma we need to work out, that we believe we’re the only ones? I think if people pay attention, or maybe we need to help someone Maybe I could incarnate somewhere they know far more than they are else with resolution of their karma. Paranormal Underground September 2008 According to one account, John Gordon received a grazing blow from musket fire on his forehead above his left eye, which was not serious but bled profusely. Jeffrey Keene suggests that this mark on Gordon’s forehead (image at right) may have come from this incident. Note the smaller star-shaped mark on Keene’s forehead (image at left). else. Maybe I could study and learn. Or teach. I won’t know until I get to the Other Side, Heaven, Home, whatever name you care to use. An example that there is more going on than we know: We tend to think of things as so solid in our world. Look at a brick — it appears solid. You touch it, it feels solid. But if you look at it on a microscopic level, it is atoms and empty space. Things aren’t what they seem, and so much of this world is illusion. That brick would be better described as an event happening before our eyes. There are some people that have the need to fear that they have a soul. We are subject to karma. This isn’t necessarily punitive — it just is. Some people don’t want to believe that they will come back to this to face their karma. Some people need to believe that this life is all there is and that death is the end of it. This world is not an easy place to come back to. Q: You spend some time in your book talking about past-life recall in very young children, and you relay stories about several children you’ve encountered who seem to have significant past-life recall. Do you think there’s a way that we can keep children’s minds more connected to their spirits as they mature and grow? Keene: They haven’t forgotten and don’t forget — it’s in the subconscious. We carry it all with us — it is written on the soul. The connection can be made through meditation. There is an interesting Web site: www.childpastlives.org/. On the forums, there are several mothers whose two- and three-year-olds are having memories of being firefighters in the World Trade Center on September 11. These kids know the things a firefighter would know — and they speak the way firefighters speak. I have told these mothers that some of the things their children say are things that only a firefighter would know, which points to the truthfulness of their statements. Q: If two- to three-year-old children are reincarnations of firefighters who perished on 9/11, that’s a pretty fast turn-around in lives. Don’t we get time to rest? Keene: Do you want to know what the rule is? You could come back five minutes after death, five years after death, 500 years after death or never. There is no rule, because we come back when we feel we need to. Q: In your book, you make it very clear that you’d never had any past-life regression hypnosis up to the point the book was published. Does this remain true? Do you feel that hypnotherapy is a valid method for past-life recall? Keene: I never have. Not because it is a bad tool, but because there is a stigma attached to it. There is the belief among skeptics that the therapist leads their subject, so any memories obtained are tainted. I wanted to be able to have my evidence stand on its own so that I can get my message out. When I did the Sci Fi show, Proof Positive, I passed a threehour polygraph test with a 99.6% accuracy that I was not being deceitful. The only thing I didn’t do was the past-life regression — because that would be the one thing that people would remember about my appearance. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 31 Jeffrey Keen bears marks, one of which looks like a long scar, on his right cheek (image at right) for which he can remember no physical causes. General Gordon bears a wound from battle across the right cheek (image at left). Q: You mention that one of the first significant books you read on reincarnation is Brian Weiss’ Many Lives, Many Masters. In that book, he discusses life between lives. Do you have any recall of life between lives? Keene: In Dr. Weiss’ books, one of the things that always frustrated me was that he never said beyond a shadow of a doubt that he believed in reincarnation. He always said that the evidence seemed to point in that direction, but that it didn’t matter if it was real or not as long as it helped the patient. Of course it matters. Think of how we would all live if we understood that we are all one, and that we realized we came back again and again with the same group of people that we loved. Recently, he finally said that he believes in reincarnation. I was happy to see that. I have some recall of life between lives in that I remember leaving my body, heading to the light, and being welcomed. It stops there. Q: I’ve read that many say yours is one of the most compelling evidential cases for reincarnation. Do you feel this gives you some re- sponsibility for ambassadorship? Keene: No. The evidence makes my case stronger. It’s proof to me. It is the strongest case I’ve seen. I don’t care whether others believe or not. My purpose is to put the story out there. I feel like this is one of the things I am supposed to be doing. I didn’t realize I was writing a book. I was just noting the things “Love is forever. Everyone we love, have loved, and will love continues to exist. The meaning of life is life.” that had happened. It turned into a book. Long after I was convinced, things just kept happening. I figured there must be some purpose to that. The only conclusion I could come up with was that I was to put it all out in book form. Q: You touch on genetic memory in the book. Can you explain this concept? Paranormal Underground September 2008 Keene: An example of genetic memory is where someone’s grandfather fought in the Civil War, and they have some of their grandfather’s memories. Frankly, I find that harder to believe than reincarnation. I keep an open mind — but reincarnation makes more sense to me than genetic memory. Q: What is the primary understanding you have taken away from your experiences? Keene: The documentary Beyond Death asked that as their last question. I said, “Isn’t it amazing that there is no death as we know it? We live forever. We’re immortal. Love is forever. Everyone we love, have loved, and will love continues to exist. The meaning of life is life.” They didn’t include that in the documentary, which is funny because to me, that is the essence of all I have experienced. Q: How do you think people can internalize these understandings? Keene: When the student is ready, the teacher will come. Like my trigger event at Antietam. I was in a state of readiness for that. Some people are ready now. Some will never be Someone Else’s Yesterday: A Book Review By Carolyn M. Hughes Not yet” was the order given by Colonel John B. Gordon in the Sunken Road to the 6th Alabama soldiers under his command on September 17, 1862. “Not yet” was the response uttered by Jeffrey Keene on October 31, 1992, to a palm reader who had just told him that he died in that Sunken Road on the Antietam battlefield. Not yet . . . The 2003 book, Someone Else’s Yesterday, chronicles a Connecticut fireman’s amazing discovery that, not only had he lived before, but that he was one of the South’s greatest Civil War heros. Jeffrey Keene’s book records one of the most startling “waking memory” reincarnations documented to date. A Journey Begins Having no real interest in the Civil War, Keene’s journey began innocently enough while on vacation with his wife in Maryland during May 1991. Though Keene had never read a book on the Civil War before or had any affinity for that era, he felt compelled to visit the Antietam National Park Battlefield. His account of what happened to him while standing in what is known today as “the Sunken Road” or “Bloody Lane” is riveting. A wave of grief, sadness and anger washed over me. Without warning, I was suddenly being consumed by sensations. Burning tears ran down my cheeks. It became difficult to breathe. I gasped for air, as I stood transfixed in the old roadbed. To this day I could not tell you how much time transpired, but as these feelings, this emotional overload passed, I found myself exhausted as if I had run a marathon. Crawling up the steep embankment to get out of the road, I turned and looked back. I was a bit shaken to say the least and wondered at what had just taken place. It was difficult getting back to the car because I felt so weak. I did not have any answers, just questions. I would one day receive my answers, but not until more than a year later and then from a most unusual source . . .” Startling Findings It wasn’t until 18 months later, at a Halloween party, a palm reader asked Keene: “Do you believe in past lives?” Thus begins one man’s incredible journey of discovery. In his book, Keene freely shares his thoughts and confusion as he delves into Colonel John B. Gordon’s history and discovers parallel events in both his and Gordon’s life that are undeniable. Events that are too specific to be coincidence. Two of Keene’s most startling findings are that not only does he share an incredible physical “mirror” likeness to Gordon, but that he has birthmarks and scars that match Gordon’s battle wounds, which Keene illustrates through photographs. He also shares photographs of notable Civil War era soldiers that bear a striking resemblance to people he either works with today or has worked with in the past. The latter evidence gives credence to the theory of “soul groups” — reincarnating groups of souls with a common purpose and common level/state of advancement/enlightenment, who work together toward a common goal. And whether that common goal of Keene’s “soul group” was to win a Civil War battle or to suppress a raging fire, the soul group theory comparison detailed in Someone Else’s Yesterday is compelling. I highly recommend Jeffrey Keene’s spellbinding book, Someone Else’s Yesterday. You may find yourself questioning your ideas about reincarnation! September 2008 Paranormal Underground 33 Special Report ready. Pay attention, watch where life leads you. Follow it. Q: You touch on physical resemblances throughout incarnations. Do you believe these physical resemblances transcend gender and race? Do we look the same (or similar) in every incarnation? Keene: Dr. Walter Semkiw (who believes he is the reincarnation of John Adams — www.johnadams.net) says there is, that the underlying “facial architecture” remains the same from lifetime to lifetime. I say there may be similarities, but it’s not always a great resemblance. How strong can a resemblance be if you are a six-foot Nordic man in one life and a five-foot African woman in the next? I do believe that the eyes tend to stay the same. I believe it is true that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Q: You’ve been in touch with your reincarnations for a long time now. Are there ever times that you doubt yourself? Keene: It’s very complicated. People think there was a line across the United States, with the North being the angels and the South being the devils. That’s the farthest thing from the truth. There were racists in the North as well as the South. The War Between The States did not start solely to end slavery. Horace Greeley wrote a scath- Q: Given the cost of human lives of the Civil War, do you feel that it was worth it to keep the country in one piece? Keene: There are many who say that the South won because things didn’t change much after the war. I do think we’re stronger as a group and a nation because we are all together. Keene: It would behoove people to spend more time looking within and learn about themselves so they can learn about where they came from and where they are going. There is an uncanny physical resemblance between Keene and Gordon, including scars and marks on Keene’s body in five places that match Gordon’s wounds suffered in the Civil War. Q: What about others who choose to ignore the guidance they are being given? Keene: It happens. Probably a lot. Above all else, we have free will. Q: How accurately do you feel the reasons for the Civil War are portrayed in modern history? lot of money. The war didn’t become about slavery until two years into the war, after the Battle of Antietam. Lincoln waited to write the Emancipation Proclamation until after the North had a victory. This was a way to keep France and England out of the war because they would have sided with the South. After the Proclamation came out, there were riots and lynching of blacks in the North, as well as large desertions of Union troops who felt that they hadn’t signed up to fight for that cause. Q: Any last thoughts you’d like to leave our readers with? Keene: Not anymore. I am 99.99999999999% — however many nines I can throw in there — certain that what I know is real. When this all started to happen, I had a choice — either look into it or forget about it. I chose to look into it. If we ignore the guidance, our life might go in directions that are more difficult. The guidance is always there if we just pay attention. ing letter about the Lincoln administration. Lincoln wrote back in his response that if he could free all the slaves and keep the states together, he’d do that. If he could keep the states together and free half of the slaves, he’d do that. If he could keep the states together without freeing any slaves, he’d do that. The Civil War was about money and keeping the states together. If the South was no longer part of the Union, the government would lose a Paranormal Underground September 2008 Keene’s Web site is www. confederateyankee.net. Keene’s book, Someone Else’s Yesterday, is available from Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. More information about the Jeffrey Keene/John B. Gordon case can be found on Walter Semkiw’s site, www.johnadams.net and at www.near-death.com/ experiences/reincarnation07.html. Reflections on Reincarnation By Karen Frazier fter reading Jeffrey Keene’s book, Someone Else’s Yesterday, and then interviewing the author, I am finding that my position on reincarnation is shifting — from skeptical believer to believer. When I look at my past beliefs on reincarnation, I’ve always leaned more toward belief than disbelief. I have that weird combination of spiritual and scientist in my makeup. I guess you could say that I am one who seeks to find the nature of the universe from both sides of the spectrum — science and spirit. And I’m not so sure that the two aren’t moving toward meeting in the middle. (Don’t tell the scientists or spiritualists I said that!) When I look at quantum physics (and I do look at quantum physics an awful lot), it is hard not to notice that at the tiniest level we can observe, we are all made up of the same stuff that everything else is made up of. It is also pretty clear that what we observe and experience in our universe on a macro level is illusion on a grand scale. Knowing that, how can one not be open to the possibilities? For the past several weeks, I have been immersed in the subject of reincarnation — first with my past-life regression hypnotherapy followed by my research for that article, then reading Keene’s book and talking with him, and finally following up with some of the resources with which he supplied me. I’ve read about the history of past-life regression. I’ve interviewed a practitioner of past-life regression hypnosis. I’ve read what skeptics have to say, and I’ve read what be- lievers have to say. I’ve viewed Web sites and read books from several experts in the field. I’ve perused bulletin boards where people discuss their experiences with reincarnation — some with amazing and compelling stories. And I’ve spoken with a man who has perhaps the most compelling case out there toward proving that he has lived another life as a Civil War general. There’s a legal term — preponderance of evidence. From all I’ve heard, read, studied, and viewed, I would say that the preponderance of the evidence points toward reincarnation being a reality. Imagine the implications. How would you choose to live if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can come back? How would you choose to live if you realized that there was an overarching purpose to not only this life, but to all of your lives and your very existence? For that matter, how would you choose to live if you knew that you were made up of the same stuff as your best friend and your worst enemy — so much so that it was hard to tell where you left off and the other person began — and that all of you were here working toward a common purpose? If I am you and you are me at our very basic level and we both know this, imagine how it could change the ways in which we interact. In a world that is often harsh and cruel, the message of reincarnation is ultimately one of hope. In the words of Jeffrey Keene, “love never dies.” It goes on forever and ever, and we are lucky enough to have a chance to get it right. Maybe someday we will. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 35 A Peek Into the Past: Exploring Past Lives Through Hypnosis By Karen Frazier s long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the subject of past-life regression hypnosis. When I was a teenager, I had an extremely vivid dream in which I was speaking a different language. In the dream, I was me, yet not me. The woman in the dream was in her late-20s or early-30s and living in a burned out shell of a house on the bank of a river that ran through a forest. She had children with her, as well. An injured man in a uniform appeared in the woods. He spoke a language that the woman didn’t understand, but I knew he was an American. The woman and her children hid him in the woods and nursed him to health. I mentioned the dream to someone, and they suggested that perhaps it was a recollection from a past life. Since then, past lives have been an interest of mine, and I always thought that it would be fascinating to have a past-life regression through hypnotherapy. Fast forward into my mid-20s. I had been suffering from a severe sore throat for several weeks and couldn’t get it to go away. I was lamenting this in a conversation with my friend Nicholas one night, when he suggested I close my eyes, pay attention to my throat and see if there were any images that sprang to mind. Immediately, a picture of a noose appeared in my head. When I told him that it was a noose, he asked me, “Why a noose?” The story behind the noose instantaneously appeared in my mind. It was about a slave who developed a friendship with his owner’s daughter, who was secretly teaching him to read. When the friendship was discovered by the girl’s father, the girl panicked and told him that the slave had Once again, I was on the boat, drifting, this time to a time before I was born. raped her rather than risk getting in trouble for her friendship with the slave. The father hanged the slave. Great stories, both of them, and I wondered what their source was and why they had appeared in my mind. Were they the plot of a movie I’d seen or a book I’d read and forgotten? Did I just have a vivid imagination? Were they free-floating memories of other people that I somehow connected with? Or could it be that these were elements of past lives that Paranormal Underground September 2008 I had personally experienced? These questions remained in the back of my mind, brought forward only occasionally when I would read case studies of people who had been hypnotized for past-life recall. Boy, would that be interesting to try, I thought. And yet, I never really considered having the experience myself. Part of the reason is that I always believed I would be a poor subject for hypnosis. I have a highly active and critical brain that never seems to shut off. I am constantly questioning and evaluating experiences, even as I am having them. Additionally, as a teen, I participated in a group-guided imagery session, and I was unable to shut my mind off enough to allow the imagery to take over. The other reason that I never considered past-life regression hypnosis for myself is that I tend to be somewhat skeptical. I want to believe in things like past-life regression, but my overriding skepticism often gets in the way. After reading several case studies of past-life regression hypnosis, however, I was ready to finally take the plunge. The Hypnotherapist I began researching local hypnotherapists on the Internet. I live in a relatively small and conserva- Artwork by Claudia Ghidella September 2008 Paranormal Underground 37 I got in the boat, laid down on the cushions, and the boat began to drift downstream. This was the boat to my past. The boat drifted down the river until it bumped up against the bank. tive town, so I was expecting that I’d have to head into the big city (or at least slightly bigger town) for my session. I Googled the name of my town along with the term “hypnosis.” Surprisingly, there were two local hypnotherapists, and both listed past-life regression (PLR) among the services they provided. I e-mailed one, Rita Ballard, CHT, and told her I was writing an article about past-life regression hypnotherapy and would like to experience it for myself. Rita e-mailed me back right away and said she would be willing to work with me. We set up an appointment for Thursday of the following week. Rita received her training from the Threshold University of Body/ Mind Science in 1997. Along with hypnosis services, Rita also offers therapeutic touch, a form of energy healing. For more information about Rita’s take on PLR hypnosis, see the Investigator Spotlight on page 14. Before I Was Hypnotized I deliberately avoided doing any research prior to my hypnosis so that I could have my session in the realm of pure experience. Still, I couldn’t help considering what my experience would be. I was surprised to find that I was somewhat apprehensive. When I arrived at Rita’s office, I filled out an intake form that included questions about my fears and phobias (SNAKES! BATS!!); favorite colors and places; wishes, concerns, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as more traditional questions about my health status. Before we began, Rita and I chatted for a while, which helped to put me at ease. Then Rita explained a little of what I might experience during hypnosis. She told me that hypnosis was essentially a heightened state of awareness and focused concentration brought about by extreme relaxation. For many people, she told me, it was a lot like daydreaming. During the session, I might be fully conscious of everything that was happening and my surroundings, or I could drift in and out of that awareness. She told me that the only thing I needed to do was let the little girl in me who liked to go out and play be present in the experience. Then it was time to begin. Inducing the Hypnotic State Once I felt comfortable and ready, I reclined in the comfy chair and closed my eyes. We started with some deep breathing — taking deep breaths and letting tension flow out of my body with the breath. The deep breathing and relaxing went on for quite some time as I relaxed and let Rita’s voice guide me. She used the words, “deeper and deeper” frequently. I would have been disappointed if she hadn’t. After a time with the deep breathing, Rita told me to visualize a house in which generations of families had lived out happy lives. She walked me through several occasions Paranormal Underground September 2008 and rooms in the house. These were all designed to put me in a comfortable and happy place. Next, Rita told me that the house had a stairway with a door at the bottom. She counted me down the 10-stair steps to the door (mine was red with a crystal doorknob), and then told me when I was ready, I could go through the door. I signaled my readiness by raising a finger. Once through the door, I entered a room filled with all of the people who had loved me in my life and all of the people that I loved. She walked me through the room, greeting these people, and then guided me to a door to the outside. Once I went through the door, I walked down a gravel path to a river, where there was a rowboat with big, soft cushions in it. I got in the boat, laid down on the cushions, and the boat began to drift downstream. This was the boat to my past. Into My Past The boat drifted down the river until it bumped up against the bank. On the bank, Rita told me, was a scene from my childhood when I was a pre-teen or teen. It was a happy scene. In my mind, I saw the image of me playing volleyball at the beach with my sisters. We were playing with a giant, colorful beach ball. Rita asked me what I saw, and I told her we were playing volleyball at the beach. She asked where we were, and I said, “Ocean Shores.” She then asked how old I was, and I said that I was 10. The boat drifted away from the bank and moved further downstream. Once again, it bumped up against the riverbank, and Rita asked if I could see a happy scene from my life from when I was pre-kindergarten. Immediately in my head I saw my sisters and me playing dress-up in a green room with a fireplace and a chair. She asked how old I was, and my very much younger-sounding voice popped out and said, “Four.” Once again, I was on the boat, drifting, this time to a time before I was born. Then Rita asked me to look into the water and allow my mind to sink deep down through the water. Another Life As I sank deeper down through the water, I was instructed to become aware of a scene in front of me in which there was a bridge with a thick mist or fog halfway across the bridge. I walked across the bridge and into the fog. Rita told me that once I was in the fog, I was free to move in any direction in which I felt pulled. When the fog cleared, I would see a scene from another time. Slowly the mist cleared away to reveal a garden. It was an interesting garden — a combination of lush, tropical-appearing greenery and more traditional-looking flowers. It was afternoon, and the temperature was warm but not overpoweringly so. I was alone in the garden taking a walk toward a gazebo. When Rita asked where the garden was, my answer was, “I don’t know.” Rita asked me to look down at my feet and tell her what I saw. Immediately into my mind came a vision of pink boots with laces or buttons up the front made from a shiny material — satin or silk? Then she asked what I was wearing, and I saw a voluminous pink skirt with lots of ruffles that reached all the way down to the boots. Rita began to question me. What year is it? “1865.” Why was I in the garden? “Taking a walk.” How old was I? “30.” What was the occasion? “A birthday party.” For whom? “My mother.” How old is your mother? “65.” Next, Rita asked me to move forward in time to a significant moment in this woman’s life. Immediately, I was in a room with a big, heavy four-poster canopied bed. It was late afternoon — so the room was lit by sunlight. Rita asked why it was a significant day, and to my surprise, I started to cry and said, “My husband is dying.” We didn’t linger long in the room. Instead she asked me to move forward again to the time moments before the woman’s death. She told me that I would be able to view this event off to the side as an observer. Then she asked how old the woman was. “43.” She asked why the woman was dying. I saw her in bed, coughing, and the word “consumption” popped into my head. She asked if the woman was alone and I said, “No — her daughter is there.” Now she told me to connect with the woman and ask her if she had a message for me. Into my head popped, “Cherish what you have in the moment, because everything in life is so fleeting that it will pass before you know it.” Back to the Future Now it was time to come back to the present time, and Rita walked me back along the same path I’d traveled into the past. When I was walking along the gravel path again, she told me that I would come to a road that was the road I travel every day to my home. As I walked along the road, she gave me affirmations for a future of health, happiness, success, and a long life. Then she counted from one to five to bring me back to the present. On five, I opened my eyes, and the session was over. Critical Brain vs. Subconscious Mind My critical brain was far more actively involved than I ever imagined it would be. While I was being hypnotized, my critical brain (which I had the impression was coming from the right side of me — I have Pictured are two Victorian-era beds — both circa 1940. The bed I saw during my past-life regression was a cross between these two. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 39 Special Report no idea why) was very aware, active and coolly assessing the process all of the time. It constantly popped up with skeptical comments and continued on with very conscious thought. Some other part of my mind (it felt to be on the left side) was responding to the hypnosis — to the point that if my critical brain tried to change the answers or images I was seeing, I wasn’t able to. For instance, when Rita would ask me an age or a year, the number would appear in the half of my brain that was responding to her. At the same time, my critical brain would say, “That can’t be right — make something up.” So I would try to make something up, but the answer that had popped into my head would pop out of my mouth. I’ve never experienced such a separation between my conscious and subconscious before, or at least not that I have been aware of. Further, there was the point in the session where, much to the shock (and horror) of my critical brain, I actually started to cry in response to the woman’s husband dying. It was something I felt I had no conscious control over at the time, which was a very odd feeling. Throughout the entire session, I questioned everything that came up with the critical brain. I even went as far as to wonder whether or not the information that would pop into the other part of my head could possibly be historically accurate (more about that later). Verifying Childhood Memories The memories from my childhood were interesting, especially the one from when I was 10. I have no conscious recollection of ever playing on a beach with a colorful beach ball. My family used to go to the beach on vacation — so it could be true, or it could be something thentic to me than the memory from that I was making up so that I had an when I was 10. answer for Rita. The other thing that surprised With my conscious mind, I me during the four-year-old phase actually tried to steer my vision away of my hypnosis was that my voice — from that scene on the beach because both during hypnosis and as I listened I didn’t remember it. I tried, instead, to the recorded playback — sounded to remember Disneyland or some young and hesitant. As I listened to similar memory, but the scene with the recorded playback, I noticed that the beach ball kept popping into the there were subtle changes in my voice other side of my head, so that is what throughout the session. I said. I seemed to not have conscious I had recorded a conversation control of the things that came out of with Rita from before the session, as my mouth. well, and I listened carefully to how I The memory from when I was sounded then (very normal) vs. how four and playing dress-up I know to be at least plausible. My sisters and I had a big box of dress-up clothes from a dance studio, and we would wear them and dance around our living room. The description of the room is a little more difficult. I had to call my mother to ask what the color of the living room was in that house (we moved when I was five). Modern boots fashioned after boots from the 1800s — note the buttons and lac According to my during my past-life regression. mother, it was an off white — not green I sounded throughout the hypnosis — although there was green in the (sometimes very different). room in the form of an ugly 70s-style green chair (I was four in 1969/1970), Historical Accuracy which I also saw during that part of During the past-life section of the regression. There was also a stone the session, I gave a specific year — fireplace in that house. 1865 — and a fairly specific clothing In the memory, I was wearstyle. In my head, I saw pink shiny ing something shiny purple and (satin or silk) boots with either laces spangled. My mom verified that one or buttons up the front and a ruffled, of the things in the dress-up box was voluminous pink skirt. I researched spangled purple. It could be that this the fashions for the year 1865, was an actual memory, or it could and found nearly the exact dress I be that I have seen pictures of us imagined, and boots that were very playing dress-up. It’s hard to know similar to those that I saw on the for sure. This memory felt more au- Paranormal Underground September 2008 woman’s feet. (She had to push her skirt aside to look at them.) The location was a bit more difficult to pin down. I had the impression of lush, tropical greenery rimming the outer edge of the garden, as if a clearing had been cut in the jungle, but the flowers in the actual garden were much more of a traditional type. It was as if someone had plopped an English garden in the middle of a tropical forest. When I was asked, “Where is this place?” I responded, “I don’t know,” so my answer doesn’t give to research or prove this part of the regression because the details were fairly sketchy. The bed that I saw, both when the husband was dying and later at the death of the woman are consistent with Victorian era (1837-1901) furniture. Let’s move forward to the death of the woman. If she was 30 in 1865 and died at the age of 43, that would put the year of her death at approximately 1878. Her death was from consumption. Consumption was a commonly used name for tuberculosis (TB) in the 1800s because the disease seemed to consume the body from within. Sanatoriums for consumption weren’t especially prevalent until the late 1800s, which could be consistent with the woman’s death at home in bed. During the midto late-1800s, there was a high mortality rate from TB because doctors had ces on the front. The center pair is similar to the style of buttons and laces I saw yet to understand what caused it. Also, tuberculosis is a any further insight. disease that is much more rampant In 1865, the United States was in tropical areas, so if the garden at the tail end of the Civil War. The carved in the tropics has merit, then only place in the contiguous United it follows that people living in such States that might have lush, tropian area would be much more suscal vegetation would possibly be in ceptible to TB. the South, so it is unlikely that this garden would be in the United States The Argument for the given the state of the South at the Experience Being Real end of the war. As I said before, I am a skeptical The British Empire did begin believer. I have an open mind — but establishing colonies in the tropics, also need to question things and find however, in the 1850s and 1860s, evidence and science to back up my which could potentially fit in with beliefs. I must admit that I also do a what I saw. There is no absolute way “gut check” to see what my intuition tells me, but if that intuition can’t be backed up with evidence, then I am unlikely to trust it. It has been several days since my session, and I have had adequate time to process the experience and research the facts behind what I experienced during my past-life regression. I have a list of items that could convince me of the reality of the session, and a list of items that are difficult to get past my inner skeptic. Let’s start with those things that make me feel that the experience could have been valid: • I wasn’t able to control the part of my brain that was “going places.” Even when I tried to consciously change my answer, I couldn’t. • The remarkable historical accuracy of the clothing, footware, and furniture seems a strong argument for the plausibility of my experience. • A traditional English garden in the tropics makes sense in light of tropical British settlements in the 1800s. • Death from TB is very historically plausible, as is the use of the term “consumption.” Consumption is not a term that is commonly used for TB, nor has it been in my lifetime. • There was a great deal of emotion attached to emotional events. Even though I was very detached in my critical brain, in the part of my brain that was undergoing hypnosis, I was obviously very emotionally “there.” This was evidenced by my crying at the death of the woman’s husband. • I just “knew” answers in response to the questions. In most cases, I didn’t have to think of answers — they were right there in my brain without conscious thought. • The answers to the questions arose in the form of images and pictures. I do not think in pictures — I am very much one who thinks in words. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 41 Special Report The Argument Against the Experience Being Real There are, however, other explanations for each of these things other than that I was experiencing a past life. Being unable to control the images that arose in my brain and the answers I gave are not necessarily indicative of a past life. It could be that I was under hypnosis and that the part of me that was hypnotized was confabulating answers based on a phenomenon called cryptomnesia. Cryptomnesia is a term used to describe how someone can think that they are having an original memory, when, in fact, it is a combination of imagination and normally acquired information that has been forgotten. Consider the infamous case of Bridey Murphy, one of the first widely publicized past-life regressions. In 1952, an amateur hypnotist named Morey Bernstein put Pueblo, Colorado, housewife Virginia Tighe in a hypnotic trance. While in the trance, Tighe spoke with an Irish brogue and made revelations about a past life in Cork, Ireland, as Bridey Murphy. During the sessions, Tighe would tell Irish stories, sing Irish songs, and relate the life and death of Bridey Murphy in startling detail. Bernstein published a book called The Search for Bridey Murphy. He also made recordings of the sessions, which sold all over the world and sparked a past-life regression hypnosis craze. This caused a media frenzy, and reporters began looking into the story of Bridey Murphy and the life of Virginia Tighe. A reporter from the Chicago American discovered that a woman named Bridie Murphy Corkell had lived across the street from where Tighe grew up. Other reporters soon discovered that Tighe often spoke with an Irish brogue as a child. Reporters were unable to verify birth or death records in Cork of Bridey Murphy based on the details outlined by Tighe during her hypnotherapy sessions. Despite the holes in the story, the fact remained that the account that Tighe gave of life in Ireland was extremely detailed — more so than a woman from Pueblo, Colorado, would know off of the top of her head. Psychologists studied the case and determined that, in her hypnotic state of high suggestibility, it was very possible that Tighe had managed to come up with her detailed accounts from books and information she’d read that were long forgotten. In essence, their conclusion was that Tighe was not lying, but rather had succumbed to cryptomnesia and believed fully that her accounts were truthful. In my case, it could be possible that I have more knowledge of 1865 than I know. In this way, it would be possible for me to also succumb to cryptomnesia and recall information from media I’ve experienced and long forgotten. With regard to the crying, it is possible that in my highly suggestive hypnotic state, I felt that I should feel some emotion surrounding the death of a spouse, and I reacted accordingly. Or, on some level, I may have linked the death of the woman’s husband with how I would feel if my husband died. Again, people in hypnosis are highly suggestible. Most are probably even open to suggestions from their conscious selves. It is possible that I consciously felt like I should cry, so I did. What Skeptics Say There are many people who are highly skeptical of past-life regres- Paranormal Underground September 2008 sion. They point to Bridey Murphy and another case that is referred to as the Bloxham Tapes. In the 1970s, Welsh hypnotherapist Arnall Bloxham made more than 400 recordings of his sessions with a woman named Ann Evans. During her sessions, Evans recalled six past lives. Later, Evans was put under hyp- Parisian fashions from 1865. This skirt is remarka nosis on television, and viewers were astounded by the depth of detail in her recall of her past lives. The producer of the show searched through history and found many facts that corroborated the details provided during the sessions. Melvin Harris, a notorious skeptic, also searched historical records along with popular literature and media. Harris found that the stories of Evan’s past lives closely matched the plots, characters, and details of several different novels, including Louis de Whol’s 1947 novel The Living Wood. ably similar to what I saw in my session. The novel told the same story with the same characters that Evans did. Harris also looked at historical facts and found many inconsistencies between the Evan’s experiences and history. His conclusion was that Evans’ sessions were a display of cryptomnesia in action. Skeptics point to cryptomnesia, confabulation, the desire to please the hypnotherapist, and false memories as explanations for past-life regression experiences. In their book Mistakes Were Made (but not by me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, authors Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson discuss how brain scientists studying human memory have shown that human beings create false memories as a matter of course. The need to support our view of ourselves drives memory, so if a memory doesn’t support our selfconcept, then we misremember it in a way that does. The authors go on to explain that memory is not stored as a whole memory, but rather we reconstruct the memory every time it is accessed. In this way, it becomes easy to reconstruct a memory falsely in order to fit our self-concept. This is the birthplace of false memories. Another skeptic, psychologist Robert Baker performed a study of 60 students divided into three groups to determine whether belief influenced outcomes with regard to past-life regression. The first group was told that they were about to experience an exciting new therapy to uncover past lives before leading them through past-life regression. In this group, 85% of the group were successful in remembering a past life. The second group was told that they were about to experience a therapy that may or may not help them experience past lives. In this group, 60% were successful at remembering past lives. The third group was told that the therapy was crazy, and that normal people generally don’t experience a past life. In this group, only 10% were successful at remembering a past life. Baker’s conclusion from the study was that belief in past lives is the biggest predictor of whether or not a person will experience a past life when undergoing past-life regression. Another theory of skeptics is that clients are so highly suggestible in hypnotic states that the therapist may unintentionally steer their clients in the direction of remembering a past life, whether there is a past life to remember or not. What Believers Say Those who believe in the validity of past-life regression say that we carry every memory our spirit has ever experienced with us; however, our conscious mind sets up blocks that keep us from remembering. Hypnosis enables one to set aside the conscious brain and let the subconscious come forward. In this way, we can recall everything we’ve lived in this life and all other lives. There are many seminal works by proponents of past-life regression. Reliving Past Lives, by Helen Wambach, is based on a 10-year study of 1,088 clients undergoing past-life regression hypnosis. Wambach initially set out to debunk past-life regression; however, in asking very specific questions of her subjects, Wamabach found their accounts to be verifiably historically accurate in the case of all but 11 of her clients. By doing a further scientific analysis of past lives recalled by 10,000 volunteers, Wambach concluded: • 50.6% of the past lives reported were male and 49.4% were female — this is exactly in accordance with biological fact. • The number of people reporting upper class or comfortable lives was in exactly the same proportion to the estimates of historians of the class distribution of the period. • The recall by subjects of clothing, footwear, type of food, and September 2008 Paranormal Underground 43 Special Report utensils used was better than that in popular history books. She found over and over again that her subjects knew better than most historians — when she went to obscure experts her subjects were invariably correct. Wambach’s conclusion was that past lives were a reality, and past-life regression was a viable way to tap into those memories. Canadian doctor Ian Stephenson, M.D., wrote the book Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation. It was a series of case studies from clients undergoing past-life regression with historically verifiable details. His conclusion was also that past-life regression is indeed, viable, and real. Skeptic and psychologist Brian Weiss, M.D., became a convert to the belief in past lives when one of his patients began recalling past-life traumas that seemed to hold the key to her recurring nightmares and anxiety attacks. His skepticism started to fade when his client began to channel messages from “the space between lives,” which contained verifiable revelations about Dr. Weiss’ family and his dead son. This was the beginning of Weiss’ prolific writing career that includes many books about past lives and past-life regression, including his first book, Many Lives, Many Masters. Past-life regression therapists point to the curative powers of pastlife regression as further proof of its validity. Many believe that past-life regression has a variety of therapeutic uses. One such use is discovering a past-life ability and integrating it into the current life. For instance, there are stories of past-life regression clients who discovered that they could paint or play piano in a past life who were then able to bring those abilities forward into their lives when they’d never had ability to do so before the past-life regression session. Another therapeutic use of past-life regression is clearing pastlife trauma, like the case of my sore throat that cleared up after I had my strange flash of the hanged slave. Others who have experienced past lives during regression have discovered the root causes of fears and phobias, illnesses, chronic pain, or they’ve found the origin of core beliefs that limit their success in this life. Many patients who have discovered these things during past-life regression have experienced release from the fears and conditions after discovering their origin. Back on the Fence So where does all of this leave me? I remain undecided as to whether my experience was real, symbolic, or a case of cryptomnesia. Other possibilities also remain in play. Perhaps, as Carl Jung suggests, I tapped into some kind of a collective unconscious and recalled memories of a real person, but it wasn’t a past life specific to me. Perhaps I had a waking dream. Maybe I was in communication with a restless spirit. Or maybe I made it all up. Just because cases like Bridey Murphy and the Boxham tapes were discredited does not necessarily mean that all cases of past-life regression are invalid. Disproving a few examples doesn’t disprove the phenomenon as a whole. There are many documented cases that have been verified as historically accurate. In the end, my experience didn’t provide enough detail to be verified any more than I have previously outlined. Further, I was a fairly difficult subject for hypnosis. My critical brain didn’t shut off for very long, and it spent a lot of the session vying for my attention with the part of me that was under hypnosis. This could have blocked my ability to see/hear the recall of important detail that could have been verified. Paranormal Underground September 2008 I hoped going in that I would come out with more clarity about past-life regression. There were moments during the session where I was able to see things clearly, and I felt that it must be valid. At other times, everything was hazy. I wasn’t able to access any names or places — but then I wasn’t asked what the woman’s name was. Since my answers arose only in response to direct questions, it may be that my attention wasn’t focused in the direction of names. I had also hoped that I would see someone I recognized during the pastlife regression. Many people who have experienced past-life regression discuss recognizing people from their current lives as significant players in their past lives. This didn’t happen to me. I did, however, come out of the experience with an enhanced view of consciousness. The hypnosis got me thinking about consciousness vs. brain. Could it be that what was happening was that my brain was actively involved in its usual brain activities, thoughts, analysis, etc., while it was my consciousness that was going through the hypnosis? I truly felt as if I had two very separate and disparate thought processes occurring simultaneously, something that brain science says is impossible. According to most brain scientists, it is impossible to focus your brain in more than one direction at a time. This flies in the face of my experience — not just during hypnosis, but in my life in general. I constantly have multiple layers of thoughts that feel as if they are occurring simultaneously. Additionally, while all of these thoughts are occurring, other things are arising as well — images and impressions that are a constant undercurrent to every thought I have. Still, it is possible that all of those thoughts and images are occurring independently of one another at separate times, but the time between each is so miniscule that they appear to overlap one another. If consciousness is truly separate from the brain, then perhaps what I experienced during hypnosis — and what I experience in my everyday life — is consciousness arising and layering with the thoughts of my brain. I’ve always been aware of all of these layers, but the hypnosis made the difference between my critical mind and whatever was going along for the ride in hypnosis extremely obvious. I don’t know that I have any more answers about consciousness than I did before. Possibly I have even more questions. What I did come away with was an understanding that somehow there is a separation that occurred inside my head that may indicate that my consciousness is something that occurs entirely separately from my brain. I also know this. I enjoyed my session very much. Rita did a wonderful job working with a very difficult subject. I am unable to reach any conclusions as to the validity of my past-life regression; however, I would love to try it again some time in order to better form an opinion. Perhaps in another session with the same therapist, I would have more trust in the process and be more able to set aside that part of my brain that yammered throughout my pastlife regression experience. Full disclosure — I am a believer in reincarnation. I also think that it is very possible that people undergoing past-life regression hypnosis are having genuine experiences. After my personal experience with past-life regression — before I started doing research — I leaned somewhat in the direction of the experience being real. Further research into the accuracy of what I had seen strengthened that impression; however, my research into past-life regression hypnosis pulled me slightly back in the other direction and plopped me firmly on the fence. I have no idea whether what I experienced was a genuine instance of past-life memory or not. I’d like to think it was. I think my husband summed it up best. When I told him that if the woman I saw was real, she was obviously a person of some financial means and fashion sense. His response? “Oh, then it must have been real — you were high maintenance even two lifetimes ago.” There you have it. It must have been real. Past-Life Regression: Postscript In an odd postscript, since I experienced my past-life regression, something strange has been happening. For absolutely no reason that I can discern, I keep trying to put my watch on my right wrist (being righthanded, I always wear it on my left). I have never done this before, yet since my session, I’ve done it about half a dozen times. I checked — and wrist watches were not common in 1865. Is this related to my past-life regression? I don’t know — but it is certainly interesting to note. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 45 Past-Life Regression: Case Study #1 — Bill actually didn’t sign up for I would tilt with my breath, past-life regression. I went causing small stones to roll and to a masseuse because I was produce a sound. having some pain and numbness I felt that I was calling the in my legs and feet. spirits. I told the therapist I I was going through a series had lost my family and that anof treatments that included other tribe had attacked while “guided visualizations,” which I was hunting, stealing everyI thought were flummery, but I thing and killing the women played along anyway. The masand children. sages were good. I had climbed a mountain At one point, the therapist without food or water until I said, “I want you to think back could no longer climb, and was to a time when your head was now waiting for the spirits to shaved,” and I suddenly saw come take me. My breath bemyself in a room with maybe 50 came very slow and ragged. other small boys. The therapist, concerned, I appeared to be somebegan a more vigorous maswhere in Asia, perhaps closer sage, and I returned to my to India. There were ornate surroundings. designs on the stone walls and columns, and I knew the doors A Creative Event? were locked. I was later unable to find any I had been brought by my evidence of children enslaved as I told the therapist I had lost my family and that another parents on the promise to teach scribes anywhere in the world. I tribe had attacked while I was hunting, stealing everything me to be a scribe, and I was inalso have not found any sign that and killing the women and children. deed learning to copy print, but I American Indians used a covwould not be going home. ered bowl with stones as a drum rhythmic rocking of my torso, I was The visualization ended with of any sort. asked to remember a time when it what I knew were enemies breaking Both of those could be true, but was very warm. I found myself on down the door to capture us, as slave it is not common knowledge. an exposed rock, lying on my back scribes were a valuable commodity. I have since come to view my exwith the smell of overheated granite perience as a creative event, tapping around me. Visions of the Past my subconscious for images that I had a bowl covered with In another treatment, during a expressed my feelings of alienation stretched skin on my naval, which part of the massage that involved a and abandonment. Paranormal Underground September 2008 More case studies Do you Believe in Reincarnation? aranormal Underground recently asked a few of its readers: “What are your thoughts on reincarnation?” Here’s what they had to say: Aprilee (RBGTL): Those who have spent any time studying Eastern religion are familiar with their beliefs that reincarnation is an inevitable part of the process of attaining true spiritual enlightenment. For the uninitiated, they believe our souls are reincarnated (possibly hundreds of times), as a learning experience for the soul. Each lifetime presents different challenges resulting in differing learning experiences. When one attains true enlightenment, they no longer reincarnate and may reside in a Heaven-like existence. It is believed that the soul itself decides when to become Earthbound, even picking their own parents based on the lessons that soul requires. Since there is no sense of time, a soul may not reemerge for centuries. These theories make sense to me, and I do feel that life is nothing more than a learning experience. ***** Foz: To be honest, my beliefs about reincarnation aren’t really defined right now. Sometimes I wonder if people may come back to Earth for another life if their last life did not go according to God’s plan. Perhaps the person was supposed to accomplish something in his/her previous life, was given all the abilities and tools to do so, but for some reason failed. But how does God determine who gets a second chance since we all make mistakes in life? Do only people who made a sincere effort to live their lives according to plan get the second chance or does everyone? Those are questions that I haven’t answered for myself yet. ***** Bill A.: Reincarnation is an odd subject. Many religions believe in it wholeheartedly; others shun the idea as impossible due to its conflicts with their particular doctrine. I’ve heard stories and seen oddities to make me think it as plausible regurgitation of the human soul, but I have no proof either direction. While you won’t find me defending the thought of reincarnation down to my last drop of blood, you won’t find me throwing rocks at it either. It’d be nice to think that we get a chance to come back again and again like an onion burp, it might give us a chance to right wrongs we did this pass through, or maybe achieve some greatness we stumbled past in pursuit of distractive goals and pleasures. ***** Sandstone: My brain tells me that such a thing isn’t possible. It doesn’t seem logical or necessary. We have to make the most of the time we are given. What we experience here, in this lifetime, needs to be enough. But then I meet someone for the first time who I can’t help but feel is an old friend. One of those immediate connections that we’ve all had. I don’t usually open up to new people quickly, but sometimes it feels like I’ve known someone forever. Such experiences suggest possibilities to me. ***** Cougar Bob: The Hindus believe that the soul goes through a series of progressions as it makes its way through the lifetimes. It is up to each individual to strive to improve him/herself, thus becoming a better human being. Eventually, an individual reaches the highest form of existence and becomes one with the universal soul where all is one. As for myself, I am still pondering the question as to whether souls are recycled. I think it is possible that they may get re-mixed. Each time we are born, our soul is an amalgam of other souls. Because of this, we have partial memories of past lives at the same time as others having similar memories. It is likely that this spiritual melting pot eventually becomes the universal soul and we’ve used up all of our chances. Or, it all could be a one-shot deal and we’ve been wasting a lot of time. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 47 Past-Life Regression: Case Study #2 — Claudia n the early 90s, I was fortunate enough to attend hypnosis school in Oakland, California. The program was arranged so that working adults could attend school and work their regular jobs at the same time. This made for some very intense weekends, completely full of instruction and ‘hands-on’ training. Instead of going back to work on Mondays dog tired from the intensity, though, I went back full of excitement and stories of past-life regressions, healings — both physical and emotional — and lots and lots of fun. Creating a Balance We learned how to induce a hypnotic state, how to watch our client’s body for clues, how to intensify a signal from a client, but most of all, how to sit back and allow a client’s subconscious to take the person exactly where they needed to go for that session. There is a balance to creating a successful session, one that is perhaps described best as a cocreation of the experience. The hypnotherapist is there as both a helper and a witness, but oddly enough, not a guide! Yes, the hypnotherapist can bring you to the door to go through, but once there, the client becomes the guide through their mind’s maze. A client could come in to do past-life regression, and something entirely different could happen, depending on where the subconscious wants to go and what it wants to bring forth for the client. On one occasion, we had a guest teacher, a highly respected hypnotherapist, an elderly woman who had been doing hypnotherapy since the time of Mezmer. Her class was our first on past-life regression, and of course, we were to be our own guinea pigs on the first go around. I sensed that I was male, perhaps around 13 years old. I felt that I was somewhere in the Middle East or in Egypt . . . Paranormal Underground September 2008 My First Regression We all staked out a piece of the floor in the house we were working in and sprawled out getting as comfortable as we could. After an induction, the part of hypnosis where the therapist takes you into your internal realm, we were asked to look down, in our minds, at our shoes. I looked down at my shoes and saw the dirtiest pair of feet I had ever seen, coated with dust and dirt, wearing a pair of sandals made of leather and woven grass straps. We were next instructed to look up and look around at our surroundings. I did so and saw a dusty desert town, a hot, bright sun, and an intense yellowish color emanating from the sand and the clay buildings. The air was absolutely dry as a bone. I sensed that I was male, perhaps around 13 years old. I felt that I was somewhere in the Middle East or in Egypt, somewhere quite arid and definitely not modern times . . . those shoes would be in a museum somewhere if ever dug up. Unfortunately, that’s as far as I got in that session. Experiencing My Ancestry The next exercise she had us do was very fun and very emotional for many of us. In a form of pastlife regression, you can look back into your own ancestry in this life, visiting your own genetic history. My ties to my Italian grandparents had always been a strong one, loving how closely they lived to the seasons, the moon, the earth, and its rhythms. My experience visiting their early lives in Italy, and their parents’ lives, not only echoed the wonderful experiences I had at my grandparent’s house in Berkeley, but intensified it. Their lives were void of anything that separated them from their surroundings; there was no middleman that we take for granted in our sterile lives. You dealt directly with the animals and plants that were your life and livelihood, and that sustained you. You grew everything yourself, made everything yourself, and used herbs you grew as medicines. As unimaginable as it was to me, their lives were even more connected to the Earth than my own very Earthy grandparents. It seemed a horribly difficult yet intensely beautiful life. Remembering Another Life Our next assignment was to practice on each other, regressing a fellow student. In my regression session, I found myself in the Middle East, perhaps Persia. I was a dancer in a group of women; we danced for rich men. Our dancing wear was beautiful and colorful, and we danced I was a dancer in a group of woman; we danced for rich men. barefooted with lots of flowing veils and skirts. I was the property of the men in my family, my father of course, but just as strictly owned by my brothers, who both beat me and protected me from other men. I was property, not human. I lived pretty much in a state of fear a lot of the time, never knowing which male member of my family would take their anger out on me. Hypnotherapy Has Different Results In using hypnotherapy in any form, for any result, what your subconscious presents for you to see can be something that quite literally happened, or it can be a metaphor for something going on in your life. For instance, hypnosis can be used to help a crime witness see a license plate better that they only remember partially in a waking state. My last regression, to me, didn’t have the feel of a literal past life, because while it could have been, it mirrored a feeling that I had in my present life. As mentioned before, I come from an Italian family, and while I was never beaten, I did have the sense that any man coming into my life would have to get past my father and brothers first! I hope this has given some insight into past-life regression, as well as what it’s like to learn to use hypnosis for personal growth. More case studies September 2008 Paranormal Underground 49 Past-Life Regression: Case Study #3 — Amara belong to a group that looks into the spiritual as well as the scientific part of ghost hunting. We hold classes every week researching different aspects of religion and cultural belief systems and how their teachings and ideas deal with life and death. One of the members of our group is a spiritualist and also a Native American healer. Over several classes, we dealt with the idea of past lives, what could hold a person to this plane, or how they affect us in our lives today. The regression was done in a cerimonialistic way with smudging, chanting, and meditation. Different Planes of Existence The basis is that Native Americans believe in different planes of existence, an upper world, middle world, and lower world (to simplify things). A patient, as I will call it, takes a shamanic journey to either the upper world or lower world to seek answers, or for any number of reasons. The upper world mostly deals with the higher conscience, the middle world is this plane, and the lower world deals with inner powers and issues. I chose to partake the journey the clean way (no drugs) and was guided into meditation. When the vision took over, it’s kind of hard to describe, it was like walking through a kaleidoscope, but when I came out of it, it was like I wasn’t me, but was. There was a woman there whom I spoke with, and from what I gathered, she was my guardian spirit. I explained why I was there, and she led me to a waterfall that had a small lake at the bottom. She told me to look into the water, and when I did, I saw a woman that I somehow knew was myself. She told me I had lived many lives, and this was one of the forms. We continued to talk as she told me about the life I had lead. As she was talking, it was almost like I could see the events passing before me. Sadly, before I knew it, the person guiding my regression was calling me back. Over a series of four regressions, I got to experience four different lives. It actually answered a lot of questions as to why I had some of the phobias in this life that I had, and the weird sense of knowing facts without ever really learning them in the first place. My First Regression: Wearing Animal Skins Out of the regressions I had, one was extremely prominent and the others were just brief glimpses. I was always called back before I could find out too much information. I know in one life that I was a man in what looked like pre-Christian times. I wore animal skins for clothing, and I think I was hunting some sort of animal. There were people with me, who I think were family. It was strange because I wasn’t speaking a language I knew in this life, but in a way, I could understand what was being said. I know I was in a forest, and there was water I know in one life that I was a man in what looked nearby. This one was the briefest, like pre-Christian times. I wore animal skins for because it was difficult for me to clothing, and I think I was hunting some sort of concentrate and relax. animal. Paranormal Underground September 2008 Before I knew it, the drums were calling me back. My Second Regression: My Name Is Milly The second regression was just about as brief as the first. I was an old woman, and I was sitting down working on some sort of quilt. It was so realistic. I remember rubbing my hands together, almost in awe of how gnarled they looked, but I could still do the work. There was a fire nearby, wooden chairs, and a table. It seemed like I was in a little cottage, and I was by myself. I can remember thinking, my name is Milly, and I wasn’t always this old. I was about to find a mirror to look in, because I remembered the Shamanka (female medicine healer) telling me to try and get a glimpse of what my face looked like this time, when I heard the signal to come back. I was almost sad to leave this regression because I knew I lived alone and had been alone for a long time; and it was almost like who I was in that past life, knew that I was there. I heard myself say it was OK, and I took the journey back. My Third Regression: On a Battlefield The next regression took me to a battlefield. It was like I was hovering above myself, but I knew it was me who was fighting. I was painted in blue, and I was a female in this life. During this regression, I mostly watched rather than searched. I wasn’t sure, because of the last one, what would happen if I said or did anything. My Fourth Regression: A Secret Love The most in-depth one was I was also a woman in this time . . . I believe my name was Moorna, or close to that spelling. I also knew that there was a man that I loved, but I couldn’t be with him for some reason. His name was Aiden, and I know we met in secret in a garden. like living in a dream. I became met in secret in a garden. that person, walked as that person, This regression was a little harder breathed as that person. Everything to come back from; it was almost as was so realistic. I interacted with if I couldn’t disengage my conscious people, and part of me knew who from the woman I was then. they were. The Shamanka had to come in I was also a woman in this time, and lead me back. She had to actualand I want to ly do a cleansing say it was right to disentangle after the coming emotions I This regression was a the of Christianhad from back little harder to come ity because my then. There was father was coma lot of sorrow, back from; it was plaining about and I came back the priests and almost as if I couldn’t knowing that I how they were had taken my disengage my constarting to take own life. over. I still get scious from the I believe glimpses of that woman I was then. my name was life, and I even Moorna, or have dreams close to that about it from spelling. I also knew that there was time to time. a man that I loved, but I couldn’t I’m actually about to go on be with him for some reason. His another journey, and I am looking name was Aiden, and I know we forward to it! September 2008 Paranormal Underground 51 Case Files of the Unknown: Haunted Sites Strange Happenings at Edgefield Manor By Karen Frazier ifteen minutes east of Portland, Edgefield Manor was originally In 1947, the property was Oregon, in the town of TroutMultnomah County’s poor farm. converted to a nursing home, and dale, sits a destination resort Occupied by the disabled, menin the 1960s, part of the site housed that is one of Citysearch’s top 10 tally challenged, elderly, poor, and troubled children. The nursing haunted hotels in the United States. infirm, poor farms (or poor houses) home closed in 1982, and the farm Reports of strange happenings were established by Federal mandate was vacant until 1990, when it was pour in from guests and employees, and set up by local governments in purchased by Mike and Brian Mcincluding reports of a woman who the days before social assistance. Menamin and subsequently conwakes people by shaking their feet, a The Multnomah Poor Farm verted to a destination resort. ghostly black dog that sticks its nose was self-sustaining, with a farm and The McMenamins converted in the faces of sleeping guests, an orchards on the land. Residents the 38-acre property with its multiple invisible cat meowoutbuildings in ing to be let out of phases over the a bathroom, spirits next four years. peeking into or out of windows and wanMcMenamins dering the parking Transformed lot, and the sound Into Resort of children crying Now McMeand playing when no namins Edgefield children are present. is a thriving comBut the most replex and destinaports come in about At Edgefield Manor, reports of strange happenings include reports of a woman who wakes tion resort that is people by shaking their feet, spirits peeking into or out of windows and wandering the Althea’s Room, a a wine and diner’s parking lot, and the sound of children crying and playing when no children are present. third floor attic room adult Disneyland. in the main manor. The Georgian In this room, guests are awakened by harvested the produce, farmed hogs, Revival building that housed poor a ghostly young girl who serenades and operated a dairy and cannery. farm residents is now a National histhem with nursery rhymes and then The poor farm also housed a toric landmark and has been dubbed asks them to play with her. sanatorium. Residents were often Edgefield Manor. frail and sick, and there was minimal The main manor has been Edgefield Began as a Poor Farm medical care. As a result, deaths converted to European-style lodging Edgefield Manor’s history at the Poor Farm were common. and a hostel, complete with old-style certainly could be consistent with Those who died were often buried ambience and funky art on all of the multiple hauntings. Built in 1911, in unmarked plots. walls and guest doors. It is here that Paranormal Underground September 2008 sphere — from the gently undulating hills that hold vineyards to the gorgeous orchards and gardens. All together, the Edgefield has eight different restaurants/pubs that feature wines, beers, and spirits from the onsite winery, brewery, and distillery. Vegetables and fruits abound on the restaurant menus, McMenamins Edgefield is a thriving complex and destination resort that is a wine and diner’s adult Disneyland. The Georgian picked fresh from the Revival building that housed poor farm residents is now a Nagardens and orchards tional historic landmark and has been dubbed Edgefield Manor. on the property. Just wandering the complex reveals the ghost of a young girl reportedly many surprises — like the old style serenades guests with nursery rhymes pool hall in the basement of the in the third floor Althea’s Room. manor; the cozy 12 table Little Red Across from the manor is Ad Shed bar that features fine scotch House. Formerly the home of the and spirits; Jerry’s Ice House, which poor farm administrator and his could best be described as a tribute family, the Ad House is now a bed bar to the Grateful Dead; an onsite and breakfast with a ghost of its own. potter and glass blower; and a funky Also on the property is the Powstatue of Jerry Garcia that is on hole er Station, a charming movie theater 10 of the 18-hole par 3 pitch-and-put and pub where moviegoers can sit golf course. back in comfy chairs, have a drink Guests can also go soak in the and something to eat, and watch a soaking pool, relax with a number of spa services at Ruby’s Spa, or enjoy one of the summer concerts on the lawn that feature performers like Sheryl Crowe, Death Cab for Cutie, Lyle Lovett, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Edgefield Pricing and Location Pricing at Edgefield Manor is eminently reasonable. Hostel guests can stay for $20 a night, and European-style lodging (bathroom down the hall) ranges from $50 a night to around $110 a night. Suites with bathrooms are also available for around $150 a night. McMenamins Edgefield is sure to offer travelers a unique experience, steeped in history. And while you’re exploring all of its fascinating nooks and crannies, who knows — you just might come across a ghost. No extra charge. Edgefield McMenamins is located at 2126 SW Halsey Street, Troutdale, Oregon 97060, 800-669-8610. You can learn more about Edgefield and McMenamins’ other Pacific Northwest destination resorts on their Web site at www. mcmenamins.com. recent-release movie. Formerly the laundry and power facilities for the poor farm, the Power Station may also house a ghost. Employees here feel as if they are watched by an unseen presence. The wine tasting room is reportedly haunted by the specter of a mysterious black cat, and there are some rumors that seasoned employees stay out of the cellar and send the new employees down in their stead because of spooky occurrences there. Atmosphere Abounds at the Edgefield Manor The entire 38 acres of McMenamins Edgefield is filled with atmo- Just wandering the complex reveals many surprises — like the old style pool hall in the basement of the manor; the cozy 12 table Little Red Shed bar (pictured) that features fine scotch and spirits; and a funky statue of Jerry Garcia that is on hole 10 of the 18-hole par 3 pitch-andput golf course. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 53 Case Files of the Unknown: Cryptids Cat-Like Cryptids By Jaime Johnesee, Zoologist oday I am going to take you on a tour of some of the cat-like cryptids throughout the world. Please keep all hands and arms inside the article at all times, and whatever you do, don’t say, “Here kitty, kitty.” They really don’t like that! Just sit back, take in the facts, and draw your own conclusions as to what these ‘not so very domestic’ cat-like creatures are. claimed the reward money; however, a few photos of the Beast of Exmoor have surfaced. One thing the photos and eyewitness stories have in common is that a fairly large, dark furred cat walks on four legs and is around four to eight feet long from nose to tail. Witnesses say the Beast can hop a six-foot-tall fence with the ease of a man jumping over a rain puddle. What they seem to be describing and what the photos seem to show is a black leopard. Cryptozoologists and zoologists believe the creature to be nothing more than a black leopard, black jaguar, or even a cougar set free or having escaped during the time when British officials cracked down on owning exotic cats without being a licensed zoo or animal rescue center. The current sightings of the animal have convinced cryptozoologists and zoologists even further that the Beast of Exmoor is nothing more than a case of mistaken identity. The current and far less frequent sightings state a more dog-like creature is the culprit, causing most to believe that the Beast of Exmoor was really several different animals being confused as one. Is the Beast real, or is it a case of mistaken identity? Only time, and a good crisp photo, will tell. The Beast of Exmoor The Beast of Exmoor is a quite famous British cryptid. Sightings of the Beast began in the 1970s, but they really increased in frequency in 1983. Resembling a large panther or cougar, the beast was seen primarily in and around Exmoor National Park in England. In 1983, Eric Ley swore up and down that in a period of three months more than 100 of his sheep were slain and partially eaten in a violent manner. The South Moulton farmer placed the blame for his animals’ deaths squarely upon the shoulders of the Beast. The local paper then offered a reward for the capture or slaying of the mysteriCryptozoologists and zoologists believe that the Beast of Exmoor is nothing more than a black leopard or black jaguar. ous Beast. No one has yet Paranormal Underground September 2008 The Blue Tiger The Blue Tiger sure sounds like the name of some new celebrity eatery, but in all reality it is a current cryptid. tigers that controlled that area of the closer to and spy on the men in her Also known as the Maltese Tiger, the jungle for so long rather than a single tribe as they gathered around a fire blue coloration of this cat makes witanimal. I think that this is more than telling the same sort of ‘the one that nesses take a second and third look. likely the case. got away’ type stories that hunters First spotted in the early 1900s, For those that don’t know how today still tell. the Blue was thought to be a new the solitary tigers keep their own terAlthough dressed like a couspecies of tiger unknown to the ritory, it’s pretty much like a title belt gar, she did not have the stealth of Fujian Province of China. Infrequent and a boxing match, winner take all. one and was eventually discovered. sightings have made this creature A male can hold onto his territory Her punishment was for the tribe’s hard to pin down. and the females that reside within if medicine man to turn her into a What most do agree on, howhe can win the fight. half cat/half woman and curse her ever, is the fact that the Blue Tiger An entire line of these cats ‘winto haunt the forests of what is now is most likely a genetic mutation ning’ could explain why Blue Tigers Eastern Tennessee. similar to what occurred in an Does the Wampus cat exanimal at the Oklahoma Zoo in ist? Probably not. There have 1964; unfortunately the cub did been no documented sightings not survive but was kept as a wet of one and considering the Florspecimen for further study. ida Panther (a type of cougar) What caused the blue colorused to set up camp in the same ation in the tiger cub is the same area, it is more than possible sort of aberration that causes any sightings that might possibly the so-called ‘black panther’ ever be reported could be of a (which is usually either a leopard panther and not a Wampus. or jaguar with the same color Still, if you’re in the woods distortion) to appear fully black. on a dark Tennessee night A recessive melanistic mutant and hear the growling noise allele and a recessive dilute muof a large cat, it’s probably tant allele cause the fur coloring best to hightail it out of there to be duskier than the norm. rather than wax philosophic With a black leopard/jaguar, on whether it’s a Wampus or it mostly covers the spots (or Florida panther. rosettes) so that they can not be seen until closer inspection. Cat-Like Cryptids Real? With the Blue Tiger it turns the Well there you have it. normal orange and black color Three of the several cat-like pattern into a blue or grey and cryptids and my take on them. As black pattern. First spotted in the early 1900s, the Blue Tiger was thought always, it’s ultimately up to you to The last known reported to be a new species of tiger unknown to the Fujian Provdecide if you think they are cases sighting of the Blue Tiger was ince of China. Infrequent sightings have made this creature of mistaken identities, mythologiduring the Korean war. If it hard to pin down. cal tales, or the real deal. was an albino genetic mutation, If you believe they are real it would have died off rather were seen in the area for such long and they are out there, there’s only quickly the same way a white tiger a period. one thing you can do. Set out a tray will in the wild. (When your prey of tuna and a pan of kitty litter, and can see you coming from a mile The Wampus Cat hope one of these beasties comes to away, it makes it hard to catch dinLet’s discuss Tennessee’s own visit you in the night. ner, and when your enemies can see Wampus Cat. A mythical creature Of course, you might also want you before you can see them, you’re rumored to have been brought into to hope that they haven’t learned in trouble.) the world when a Native American to open doors yet. Oh and that the The fact that the sightings lasted woman dressed in the hide of a neighborhood strays don’t swarm so long makes some wonder if it mountain lion in order to sneak your house too badly. were a family line of these mutant September 2008 Paranormal Underground 55 The Ghost of ‘Little Boots’ By Jaime Johnesee n August 30, 12, AD Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was born. He spent a great deal of time with his father’s (Germanicus) army and was so loved by the men that he earned himself the nickname ‘Caligula,’ which meant little boots. Germanicus, a great and well respected general, was the favorite to replace Augustus and rule the empire. Germanicus claimed on his death bed to have been poisoned by Tiberius, his uncle whom had adopted him in his youth. Mysterious Deaths This accusation caused Germanicus’ wife, Agrippina, to become infuriated with Tiberius, and she sought revenge for her husband’s supposed murder. After speaking out against Emperor Tiberius in public, Agrippina and several of Caligula’s family members died mysteriously and were thought to have been put to death by Tiberius as punishment for speaking against him. Tiberius allowed Caligula and his sisters to live, sending them to Tiberius’ mother Livia’s home. When Livia died, Caligula was sent to live with his grandmother Antonia. Not long after, Caligula’s brother, Drusus, was imprisoned and his other brother, Nero, died in exile. It was said that Caligula and his sisters were nothing more than slaves and prisoners of Tiberius, as they were closely guarded by his soldiers. In 31 AD, Caligula was sent to live with Tiberius in Capri, where it is said he was taught a very cruel and sadistic way of life. Always one step ahead of being put to death himself by Tiberius, ‘Little Boots’ was a fantastic actor and hid his hatred for the man extremely well. Caligula, the beloved son of Rome, the adored ‘Little Boots’ of his father’s army, was not allowed a proper burial. He was partially cremated and not given the ceremony that allowed the dead to move on. His spirit was said to haunt the Lamian Gardens, the place where his charred corpse had been “dumped like garbage.” Paranormal Underground September 2008 Heirs to the Throne On Tiberius’ death, Caligula and his cousin, Gemellus, were named joint heirs to the throne. The people remembered Germanicus, and after Tiberius’ cruel and harsh leadership, they cheered for Caligula to take the throne by himself, hoping that he would be the kind and wonderful man his father had been. For a time they were right. In October of 37 AD, Gaius ‘Caligula’ fell very ill and nearly died. Not long Roman sestertius depicting Caligula, c. 38. The reverse shows Caligula’s three sisters, Agrippina, Drusilla, and Iulia Livilla. after his recovery, he had several loyal individuals killed because they had promised their lives for his, he felt they ought to fulfill that promise. He also forced his cousin and fellow heir to the throne, Gemellus, to commit suicide. From then until 40 AD, Caligula’s descent into madness was slight, but little by little his tortured mind showed its true colors, and in 40 AD, he went way too far for most when he declared himself to be a living God. A Spirit Remains On January 24 of the year 41, Caligula was murdered by members of the Praetorian Guard. The very company designed for his safety plotted and carried out his demise. Led by a man named Cassius Longinus, the group stabbed Gaius more than 30 times. But to them, the mere death of the madman was no longer enough. They wanted even harsher vengeance, and his wife and child were also murdered . . . Caligula, the beloved son of Rome, the adored ‘Little Boots’ of his father’s army, was not allowed a proper burial. He was partially cremated and not given the ceremony that allowed the dead to move on. His spirit was said to haunt the Lamian Gardens, the place where his charred corpse had been dumped like garbage. Years later, his sisters dug his remains up and gave them a proper burial, allowing the much aggrieved soul of Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus to be free. The ceremony had his sisters dress the shell of the once great Emperor in finery, then they had his remains carried through the streets to their final resting place. After undergoing cleansing rituals (you were considered unclean when someone nearest you died and their body was touched or looked upon by you), they followed his corpse to the site where he would be laid to rest. They finished the cremation and interred his ashes into the tomb. Once done, Caligula’s ghost was not seen again, but all in Rome knew of his ghost and knew of the horrible injustice ‘Little Boots’ had suffered. Fact of Fiction? Was Caligula’s spirit really haunting the Lamian Gardens, or were the superstitions of the time regarding burials the basis for this famous ghostly legend? We may never know for sure, but the idea of a once popular, quite insane Emperor wandering the area his body was dumped at is an intriguing thought. If such a grand historical figure could hang around after death, who’s to say the rest of us couldn’t as well? While this is definitely not the first ghost tale in history, it was one that made a lasting impact on many people. The legend of Caligula’s ghost is one that makes you wonder whether or not the legend could be fact. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 57 Reincarnation Cultural B Do We Co I look upon death to be as necessary to the constitution as sleep. We shall rise refreshed in the morning.” And, “Finding myself to exist in the world, I believe I shall, in some shape or other always exist.” — Benjamin Franklin Reincarnation: The belief that after death the soul is born again into another form with the ultimate goal of achieving perfection. This belief is the basic premise of many Eastern religions, which are considered some of the oldest religions in the world. But similar beliefs have also existed throughout other cultures since time immemorial. In this article, I will examine the religious and cultural beliefs of reincarnation, and also delve into several case studies of those who claim to have had a past life. time they spread rapidly throughout the world. Each of these religions has varying beliefs on how and why the soul is reincarnated, but the basic concept is the same: The soul is eternal and strives for perfection through numerous lives. Other ancient religions, especially those of the Mediterranean, also have parts of their doctrine rooted in the reincarnation belief. One such religion is Greek Platonism. Evidenced in the teachings and writings of the Greek philosopher Plato, he believed that the soul lived in perfection in a celestial world, but due to sin or some other transgression, it was forced to live in a terrestrial form until atonement was achieved. One controversial case involving past-life regression was that of Virginia Tighe. In 1952, Tighe was regressed by hypnosis and then claimed that she was a 19th century Irish woman from Cork named Bridey Murphy. Roots of Reincarnation The belief in reincarnation is felt by many scholars to have its roots in India. During the 9th century BC, the Brahmana writings were composed. The Brahman was considered at the time the highest form of holy man in ancient Indian religion, and these writings set forth concepts and ideas on religious practice and ritual. The premise of reincarnation is felt by scholars to have originated in these texts. They speak of the belief that according to one’s deed in Earthly life, a person’s soul will be rewarded in heaven accordingly, and then be returned to an Earthly existence in the continual cycle for perfection. As these beliefs and practices evolved over time, they were adopted by many early Eastern religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Jainism, upon which Paranormal Underground September 2008 Religion and Reincarnation Later in the 3rd century BC the Neo-Platonism movement began, adopting a more Hinduistic view of reincarnation. This movement to a more Hindu like belief coincides with a period of increased contact with Eastern cultures during this time, and their religious ideologies through the trade of goods and Greek expansion. Beliefs and Case Studies: Western ideas on reincarnaand to establish a uniform church many scholars ascertain that the tion are relatively new, taking shape doctrine. As a doctrine was agreed origins of these omitted books are of mainly during the late 19th and early upon by vote of the bishops, some questionable origin, as their prov20th centuries. As more people works attributed to those who lived enance cannot be traced for certain. began to explore the doctrines of and wrote during the time of Christ However, it is not unreasonable to religions other than Christianity, the were omitted because they did not assume that given the time that these belief in reincarnation in the West conform to the doctrine of the time. events took place, a strong worldbegan to rise. One of these books, Pistis view based on early Greek docHowever, as the basic principle Sophia, comes from the Gnostic trine would have been widespread of Christianity is based amongst those living on resurrection and not during biblical times, and reincarnation, there are they would have been famany proponents of the miliar with the principals reincarnation belief that use of Greek Platonism and biblical text to support their Neo-Platonism. ideas that reincarnation is a Christian principle. Beliefs in ReincarOne such text comes nation Continue to from the “Book of JeremiStrengthen ah,” and concerns the prophAs you can see, the et Isaiah: “Before I formed belief in reincarnation you in the womb I knew you, is old, but why is it so and before you were born I persistent in so many culconsecrated you.” tures today? One thought Another verse comes is that as more people from the Apocryphal texts. explore techniques such These are books attributed as past-life regression or Dr. Ian Stevenson was a leading researcher in the field of past-life regresto Christian biblical times, spontaneous past-life resion and published several books on the subject. In his studies, Stevenbut were excluded from the son revealed that ‘cryptomnesia’ may be the cause of many accounts of call, the proof of reincarBible we know today during past lives when hypnosis is used. nation becomes evident. the first and second councils But are these cases true? of Nicaea. In the next section In the year 325, the Roman Gospels and is attributed to Jesus of this article, we will explore several Emperor Constantine I evoked a Christ. It states, “Souls are poured cases of hypnotic past-life recall and council of church bishops to settle a from one into another of different spontaneous past-life recall, and exdispute in the church regarding the kinds of bodies of the world.” amine the pros and cons of each case. relationship of Jesus and the Father, Considering these early works, Hypnotic past-life regression September 2008 Paranormal Underground 59 Cultural Beliefs is the process by which a person is hypnotically regressed to recall any past life that he or she may have had. During this process, many people will begin to speak with accents or recall moments of time gone by, claiming to be someone who lived during a certain period. The Regression of Virginia Tighe: Bridey Murphy In many of these instances, the person will recall specific details of that person’s life and describe in detail different aspects of the period they have regressed to. One such case is that of Virginia Tighe. In 1952, Tighe was regressed by hypnosis and then claimed that she was a 19th century Irish woman from Cork named Bridey Murphy. Proponents of reincarnation claim that this is proof positive of reincarnation. Virginia Tighe recounted many aspects of Bridey Murphy’s life, including her date of birth, how she died, her husband and her parents’ names, and many other details that seemed to corroborate what 19th century Irish life should be. Upon further investigation, researchers could not verify if a Bridey Murphy actually existed as no birth or death records could be found. However, other details of Virginia’s account seemed accurate, such as her description of the Irish coastline and her naming of the grocer that Bridey Murphy dealt with. After years of study, scientists came to the conclusion that under hypnosis, Virginia Tighe was relating events of her childhood. This conclusion was arrived at when it was discovered that both of Virginia’s parents were of Irish decent, and that an Irish immigrant named Bridie Murphy Corkell lived across the street from Tighe’s childhood home in Chicago, Illinois. Was Virginia Tighe faking the whole incident? Probably not. Science has shown that under hypnosis, the mind is very susceptible to suggestion. It can also relate events that we have witnessed in our lives but not recorded to memory, such as a passing conversation or the glancing at the pages of a book. While we are exposed to a myriad of sights, sounds, sensations, and other events every day, only those that we deem important to us are registered as memory. Under normal circumstances, the conscious mind filters out the ‘noise’ and Paranormal Underground September 2008 registers the pertinent information accordingly. The subconscious mind is a different story. It records everything it encounters, and under hypnosis, things that we cannot remember under normal circumstances can be recalled. This phenomenon is known as cryptomnesia, and is illustrated in this next case. Cryptomnesia Accounts for Some Cases of Past-Life Recall Dr. Ian Stevenson is a leading researcher in the field of past-life regression and has published several books on the subject. In his studies, Stevenson revealed that cryptomnesia may be the cause of many accounts of past lives when hypnosis is used. To illuminate this point, Stevenson related this account of a young Englishwoman. Under hypnosis this woman claimed that she was a person related to the court of King Richard II in the 14th century. She gave names and details of others who were related to the court of the King, and included details of her life and those in it. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that the details had come from a fictional novel that had been published in the latter half of the 19th century, detailing the life of a countess in the court of Richard the II. It was discovered that her aunt had a copy of this book, and while having never read it, as a child she had glanced at the pages. Under hypnosis, this young woman believed that she had once been a member of King Richard’s court, but in truth, her subcon- scious mind was just recounting information that it had stored years earlier. While the mind can do amazing things — and under hypnosis our subconscious can relate things that we have encountered but cannot recall — the next phenomenon offers a more compelling argument for supporters of the belief in reincarnation. A Compelling Argument for Reincarnation Spontaneous past-life recall is a phenomenon that occurs in some children under the age of 10. While rare, they may represent some of the most compelling evidence for the believers of reincarnation. Spontaneous past-life recall occurs when a young child, usually between the ages of two and four will suddenly, without coaxing or the aid of hypnosis, claim to be someone who has lived before, usually in a place the child is not aware of or has never visited. The child will go on to relate details so intricate about the person’s life and where they lived that researchers have difficulty attributing it to chance. These children will describe belongings and how they were acquired, details of rooms, friends, family, and neighbors. In many instances, when taken to the locations they describe, which in some cases are located hundreds of miles away from where they were born, they can navigate the area and illustrate the details of their location as if they had lived there all of their lives. In one such case in 1964, a young man from Lebanon claimed to be from another village, describing in detail his family and the village itself, even though he had never been there. Refusing to take him to visit the village he described, his parents discounted his stories until one day a stranger from the described village arrived in the young man’s town. Upon seeing the stranger, the young man ran to him and embraced him shouting, “You were my neighbor.” The young man went on to describe in detail who he was and the relationship he had with this “neighbor.” Being a member of the Druzes religion, a group whose doctrine is rooted strongly in reincarnation, the stranger corroborated the young man’s story as accurate and explained the man he claimed to be had died of tuberculosis in 1949. In many cases of spontaneous past-life recall, children will begin speaking of their past lives almost as soon as they themselves learn to In many cases of spontaneous pastlife recall, children will begin speaking of their past lives almost as soon as they themselves learn to speak. speak. Their claims are accurate, their descriptions are detailed, and both researchers and witnesses to the life of the person in question can corroborate the accounts given by the children. Does Empirical Evidence Exist on Reincarnation? Is this the proof that science needs? The answer is unequivocally no. While these cases are compelling, they cannot be considered empirical evidence. However, they are scientifically compelling enough to warrant further investigation in the field, and many mainstream scientists such as Dr. Ian Stevenson, are doing just that. By now, some of you are probably wondering what my beliefs on reincarnation are. As an anthropologist, I realize that reincarnation is the basic premise of some of the oldest religions in the world. I also realize that all cultures and their beliefs are valid, and would never say or do anything to ridicule or belittle the belief of another. One thing that I have learned over the years is that all religions, regardless of the culture they sprang from or the foundations of their doctrines, have one thing in common: its members must have faith. Faith is believing in that which you cannot see or prove, it is believing in that one thing that you are not sure of, but yet still believing. That is faith. Do I have enough faith to believe in reincarnation? Let’s just say that I’m on the fence with this one. I neither believe, nor disbelieve. While some evidence is truly compelling, some of it can be explained in relatively simple measures. But do we need proof? My feelings as a scientist are that, with this being a matter of religion, isn’t faith enough? The question then should not be, “Is reincarnation real?” The question should be “Do you believe in reincarnation?” In next month’s issue, I will explore the subject of demonology across cultures. And if you would like to see a specific topic in future issues of Paranormal Underground regarding cultures and paranormal beliefs, please drop a brief e-mail to email@example.com with your request. For a more in-depth discussion on this and other similar topics, visit The “Think Tank” at www.ghostdose.com. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 61 The Allure o By Michael Kleen was eight years old when my uncle died suddenly. I still remember the icy chill that ran through my small body when I realized for the first time that I too — despite all denials, pleading, and protest — was going to die some day. Both of my grandfathers passed away a few short years later, and I shivered in fear each night after their funerals. What a cruel joke life seemed to me; we are born without consultation, and at any time can be hurled back into that empty void. I began reading books about death. I prayed for some kind of sign from the other side. I visited cemeteries. I even wrote my own will. None of it alleviated that ominous feeling of mortality. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was slowly joining a rich tradition in Western culture, a tradition that embraces rather than denies the unpleasant facts of life, and that seeks to understand the meaning of our mortality through a submergence in its imagery. Lord, bring on the night. A Fascination With Death Anthropologists tell us that some primitive precursor to humankind realized its mortality between 50,000 and 150,000 years ago during the Upper Paleolithic Period on the continent of Europe. They have uncovered Neanderthal and early human skeletons carefully laid in the cool, murky depths of Spanish caves. Small artifacts occasionally accompanied the remains. It is fitting that these token expressions of loss, along with the artwork that still adorns cavern walls, are the earliest evidence of something uniquely human lurking behind the simian eyes of our distant ancestors. Ever since we emerged into the daylight of consciousness, humankind has expressed a fascination with the limits of our mortality through the mediums of art, ritual, and music. The contemporary Goth, Industrial, Dark Wave, Heavy Metal, horror, paranormal, and various occult subcultures, as well as their hybrids, all share a common desire to embrace the allure of Thanatos — the Greek god of death — and explore his depths. Exploring the Dark Side This siren song is certainly not new, and our contemporary exploration of the dark side owes its existence to a long history of Thanatophilia in Western culture. Every ancient civilization had its personification of death and its ruler of the underworld, of course. The Hindus called him Yamaraj; the Aztecs — Mictlantecuhtli; and the Egyptians — Anubis. In Japan, death Paranormal Underground September 2008 Our fascination with death stems from a deep curiosity curiosity leads us to embrace the trappings of Thanato connection with the cultural expressions of our innerm was a female spirit named Izanami. But most contemporary expressions of our fascination for the macabre can simply be traced back to the Romantic Movement of 18th and 19th century Europe and North America. The Romantics certainly did not create this culture out of thin air, but they molded preexisting symbolism into the familiar form we see today. The Romantics revolted against both the rationalism of science of Thanatos Romanticism gave us The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820), Gothic horror novels such as Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897), authors and poets such as Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ann Radcliffe, and Lord Byron, and even composers like Richard Wagner, who some have called the grandfather of heavy metal. y of an unavoidable and ultimate experience. This os, and to seek understanding through an intimate most fears. and the old order in Europe. They believed in exalting the irrational, emotional, and imaginative side of the human experience. For instance, Goethe’s novel The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774), a classic in Romantic fiction that heavily influenced the “Sturm und Drang” literary movement, caused some young readers to follow the novel’s protagonist in taking their own lives. The Emergence of Spiritualism Spiritualism, and the field of ‘psychical research’ that grew up as a reaction to it, emerged out of the same cultural milieu. The Romantics were also responsible for preserving and recording most of the folktales and legends that provide the fodder for so many modern horror movies and heavy metal albums. It was no accident then that the Victorians, who were raised under the influence of Romanticism and who eagerly embraced the aesthetic of Gothic Revival, were some of the most morbid people who have ever lived. They adorned their front parlors (when they weren’t being used to display actual corpses before burial) with memento mori — pictures of deceased relatives, and their contributions to cemetery art are still unrivaled in beauty and sublimity. The Victorians, as I had after the death of my uncle, desperately tried to contact their departed loved ones. Mediums claiming to be able to manifest all kinds of supernatural phenomenon flourished on both sides of the Atlantic, alongside an unquenchable public thirst for ghostly tales and dime novels starring vampires, werewolves, mad scientists, and maniac killers. In inter-war Paris, spectators packed the Grand Guignol, a theater that offered live action horror shows replete with insanity, bondage, and mutilations. But despite a brief rebirth of the Gothic in German and American cinema in the 1920s, which gave us F. W. Murnau’s silent classic Nosferatu (1922), Hollywood’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), and The Phantom of the Opera (1925), the two world wars permanently shattered our Romantic and Victorian sensibilities. Humankind no longer seemed dignified in the face of our mortality; we appeared to have been transformed into the very beasts we always assumed were only lurking in the recesses of our imaginations. Between 1918 and 1945, the old order in Europe collapsed in an apocalyptic inferno. Out of its ruins rose a new, consumer-driven popular culture. On both sides of the Atlantic, Thanatophilia would never be the same. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 63 Cultural Beliefs Hollywood Popularizes Horror America was largely untouched by either world wars, and during the 1930s, Hollywood popularized horror in a series of movies we are all still familiar with today. Among these were Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), all of which had been adapted for the screen from the classic Gothic fiction of the Romantic era. Charles Addams’ morbid and satirical cartoons also found their way into the pages of The New Yorker during that time period. By the 1950s and early 1960s, popular culture in the United States had split into two distinct categories. On one hand stood television shows such as Leave it to Beaver (1957-1963) and My Three Sons (1960-1972), muscle cars, and Elvis, and on the other stood horror comics, TV shows like The Adam’s Family (1964-1966), movies such as What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), and real-life killers Ed Gein and Charles Starkweather. The existence of a shiny, polished surface and a gritty underbelly would henceforth be characteristic of American culture. This reacquaintance with the death culture might have faded away if it hadn’t been for a series of important events: the Vietnam War and the industrial depression of the 1970s. The Darker Side of Music As American prosperity vanished, the British Empire collapsed, and the cities fell into disrepair after urban rioting and white flight, three important music genres were formed: Punk, Heavy Metal, and Rockabilly. Drawing from historical themes, as well as the dystopia that surrounded them, these musical genres flirted with the darker side of the postmodern landscape. Their lyrics were filled with violence, pain, nihilism, and death. The turmoil of the Vietnam War era gave birth to a new generation of horror films, whose creators drew direct inspiration from the tumult they witnessed at home and abroad. In the 1970s, Alice Cooper’s stage theatrics, accompanied by the growing popularity of graphic horror movies like The Last House on the Left (1972), threw Evangelicals and local police into a panic over prepubescent Satan worshipers. Every abandoned cemetery — a longtime setting of Gothic fiction — was rumored to be the stomping grounds of occultists ready to engage in ritual murder. It wasn’t long before Punk, Heavy Metal, and Rockabilly Michael Kleen (pictured) reveals his insights on humankinds’ struggle with its own mortality. splintered into more extreme forms. Death Rock, Goth Punk, Death Metal, Black Metal, Psychobilly, and Horrorcore all joined the scene in the late 1980s and 1990s. The Goths especially drew their inspiration, as well as their name, from Victorian death culture. But other genres, such as Horrorcore and Psychobilly, drank from the deep well of 20th century horror films, and as an extension, the old Victorian Gothic novels that had inspired them. These new urban subcultures, Paranormal Underground September 2008 while they embraced distinctive musical forms, all shared virtually the same aesthetics and owed their existence to the same pool of cultural references. For instance, the music videos for Type O Negative’s “Love You to Death” and Cradle of Filth’s “Her Ghost in the Fog” could have both rested comfortably in the pages of an Ann Radcliffe novel. Even the dark, brooding, and sorrowful tones of Bella Morte and The Crüxshadows, while found in a neon-filled techno landscape, are all reminiscent of 19th century Romantic sentiment. Contemporary Gothic fashion, characterized by black dresses, tight corsets, high boots, and porcelain skin tone, are all reclamations of Victorian mourning and funerary costumes. Embracing the Trappings of Thanatos It is not only our Thanatophilia that we share with the Victorians of yore, it is the burning desire to understand and come to grips with our mortality. Sigmund Freud believed that we developed a death drive — the primal urge to return to our pre-existing, inanimate state — as a way to mitigate the trauma of unpleasant experiences. Similarly, I believe our fascination with death stems from a deep curiosity of an unavoidable and ultimate experience. This curiosity leads us to embrace the trappings of Thanatos, and to seek understanding through an intimate connection with the cultural expressions of our innermost fears. That is what I, Goths, Metal Heads, horror movie buffs, paranormal enthusiasts, and cemetery stalkers all have in common — a desire to come to grips with our mortality on death’s terms. Like Horace Walpole, who penned the first Gothic novel over 240 years ago, and like our simian ancestors before us, we seek to slowly alleviate the fear of our own deaths, one artifact at a time. Join GhostDose.com and ParanormalUnderground.net for Our: 2nd Annual Halloween Chat! Date/Time: Oct. 31, 8 EST/7Central/6 PST Where: www.ghostdose.com (home page) September 2008 Paranormal Underground 65 An Inside Look at Pa Normal, Everyday Q By Jim Frazier ime keeps on slipping, into the future . . . Why only in one direction? Einstein’s Theory of Relativity showed that the closer you get to the speed of light, the slower time moves for you. Time is often referred to as the fourth dimension, but it’s really more of a frame of reference. If the universe, itself, is moving at light-speed, any motion relative to it would change the rate at which the observer interacts with the rest of the universe. Old Universes: Where Do They Go? We obviously can’t go forward or backward at will, like we can in the other dimensions, and we have no real way of knowing what happens to the ‘old universe’ that gets left behind (18 million-trillion-trillion-trillion times per second). Does it go somewhere else? Parallel universe theories abound, but given the rate at which the universe ‘refreshes,’ and the estimated 15 billion year age of our universe, the ‘past’ would use a considerable amount of storage . . . although I’m sure many parents would dearly love to download it from Napster. The simplest explanation is that reality is over-written, including everything that remains the same from one instant to the next. However, if you look deep enough, nothing stays the same from one moment to the next. Atoms move within molecules and vibrate freely at any temperature above absolute zero. Electrons orbit an atom’s nucleus, with their position constantly changing. Even a pet rock has a lot going on if you look deep enough. Therefore, even a simple explanation is anything but. The Entropy of the Universe Scientists generally accept Jim Frazier, nuclear engineer, provides us with what he deems that space contains tiny knots of folded dimensions, which So why does time inexorably could be unfolded in other grind in one direction only? This is universes. This would explain some one of the great head-scratchers of of the weirder aspects of ‘quanour age, and no one really knows. tum entanglement,’ including how One theory recently proposed separated particles can interact with that time is linked to the ever-ineach other outside the confines of creasing entropy of the universe. Ennormal space and time. tropy is a little-understood concept What happens in Vegas only that geeks use to make themselves stays there in this continuum. Paranormal Underground September 2008 aranormal Aspects of Quantum Mechanics things tend to become diffusely clumped in a random, chaotic manner. Entropy can be locally restored to an initial lower value, but only by effort, which comes at the expense of higher entropy elsewhere. Any expenditure of energy always increases entropy, which is why nothing is ever 100 percent efficient, and perpetual motion has never been achieved. Think of it in terms of how much more easily your kitchen gets dirty than it gets clean, and how much of a mess you make while cleaning it. It won’t make you really understand entropy, but it’s nice to know it’s not your fault the garbage can is full again. s his “quantum foaming at the mouth.” sound more intelligent, usually in the context of something Mr. Spock said during an episode of Star Trek. In a nutshell, entropy is a measure of the disorder in the universe, which was originally very hot, compressed, and exceedingly uniform (and thus in perfect order). As our universe expands, The Folding and Unfolding of Our Universe Just because our universe is currently expanding doesn’t mean that other universes have to be. Time could be going in the opposite direction in the folded dimensions of our universe that are unfolded in another universe, creating microscopic loops between the past, present, and future. ‘Quarks’ make up all other particles from protons to photons, and since only six types of quarks are known to have ever existed (the four heaviest have been extinct since the universe was in its first few seconds), all matter and energy is essentially the same at a basic level. Human thought and consciousness is really all just a very complex pattern of quarks. If our thoughts can resonate in the folded dimensions, then why can’t they pop back into our universe from time to time? How else could we explain those vague little inklings of the future that we all seem to get, or the apparent psychic abilities of a select few. You know — like déjà vu all over again. Personally, I have no problem with an occasional visit from the future, as long as it doesn’t come back with a trunk full of laundry. Jim Frazier is a nuclear engineer. While he is highly skeptical about paranormal phenomena, he believes that there is much in the universe that is beyond our current level of understanding — so if the paranormal exists, then logical explanations lie in quantum mechanics. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 67 Fiction: Featured Author Haunting Anna By Karen Frazier hese are the things I never thought I would do in my life: climb Mount Everest, participate in a triathlon, fight in a war, give up ice cream, kill my husband. These are the things I still haven’t done in my life: climb Mount Everest, participate in a triathlon, fight in a war, give up ice cream. If I was going to choose one to check off of my list, I don’t think it would have been that one. It’s true. I killed Aaron. I can still see my two hands pulling away from protecting my face from his blows and opening the balcony door. In the fading twilight, my hands look like small, white moths flailing at a light. As if in slow motion, the moths reach out to ward off his punches as he rushes out after me, and then they push him away as he grabs for my hair. Now they fly out of my field of vision, and I can feel them covering my mouth as Aaron pitches over the balcony railing and disappears from my field of view. Then, an ungodly wail pierces the air, and I realize I am screaming Aaron’s name. The investigation and funeral appear to me now in snapshots. There is no feeling there — I am numb. I am vaguely aware that people are talking to me. Asking me questions and carefully watching my responses. I don’t care what they do to me or if they believe me at all. My sister, an attorney, stays with me. It seems that she cares enough for both of us, and it is she who leads the police investigators to friends and neighbors who are aware of the secret life that Aaron and I led, no matter how hard I had tried to conceal it. I can see a snapshot of my sister, smiling triumphantly as she tells me that no charges will be brought because the police are convinced I was acting in self-defense. More snapshots of the funeral. Aaron asleep in a box. A sting on my cheek from where his mother slaps Once again, the night is filled with the sounds of otherworldly screams. me. My mother crying and leading me away. The smell of flowers — everywhere flowers, until I feel like my head will explode with their cloying scent. ***** Now Aaron comes to me every night. He is the Aaron I remember from the beginning — sweet, tender, and smiling. In these night visits, he is the Aaron that I always wanted near me — not the one whose approaching footsteps beat a pattern of fear into my thundering heart. Paranormal Underground September 2008 Aaron’s visits must be a dream — and yet they don’t have the hazy confusing quality of a dream. He is so real and vivid. I can feel each of his touches, and his whispered words of love brush against my ear like a soft sigh. Surely it must be wishful thinking on my part, because he tells me that it wasn’t my fault and that he forgives me. And then he brushes away my tears and takes me in his arms. ***** It is Saturday morning, and I am aimlessly browsing through a rack of shirts when I feel a warm hand on my shoulder. “Anna — is that you?” Looking up, I am surprised to see Marc, my college boyfriend. His handsome face is softer around the eyes than I remember, and there is gray in his temples — but it is clearly him. My stomach clutches, and I feel as if my arms are paralyzed. I am rooted to my spot, but his face breaks into a boyish smile, and I am enveloped in warmth and strength as he hugs me. He is saying something — but it is muffled by the wool arms that are scratching at my ears. I am not sure whether I am going to laugh or burst into tears. Both feelings are inside of me, and I can only sit back inside of myself and watch to see which one comes out. I want his hug to go on forever — but he pulls away and holds me at arms’ length. To my surprise — I neither laugh nor cry. Instead I smile and look into the eyes that I have never forgotten. Marc is laughing. “I was just talking about you to someone the other day, and here you are,” he says. And then his eyes go to the small jade pendant I have around my neck. He reaches out to touch it. “You still have it,” he says. “I never imagined you would still have it.” And suddenly I am right back to where we were. Marc and I always had a pull between us that was stronger than gravity — and as his hand brushes against my throat, I can feel the gravity pulling me toward him as if there were not 15 years of distance between us. Marc and I go for coffee. Coffee becomes lunch, lunch becomes dinner, and dinner ends at Marc’s house. I feel as if I am waking up for the first time since I killed Aaron. Marc tells me about his marriage and divorce, and then asks me about mine. I try to tell him only the good parts about Aaron, but somehow the rest slips out in a rush of unintended words. After I tell him, I feel as if I have swallowed a hot stone that is burning in the pit of my stomach — but when I look up into Marc’s eyes I see no condemnation. condo for Marc. We laugh constantly. Suddenly I can see that maybe there is something ahead for me other than the vast emptiness in which I have existed. Later I am violently awakened by something pummeling my head. Reflexively, I reach up to protect myself, but find only air. I see Marc sleeping peacefully next to me and decide I must have been dreaming in spite of my throbbing head. I am ready to lie back down and go to sleep when my hair is yanked back, and I hear Aaron’s voice hissing in my ear. “Who is that, slut?” I try to cry out, but it feels as if a ***** It is Sunday morning, and Marc returns with me to my condo. I change my clothes, and we head off to Alki Beach. It is one of those brilliant autumn days where beneath the warmth of the sun and brilliant blue sky is the scent of a crisp chill. We walk along the beach, and I find myself spontaneously bubbling over with laughter — something that I can’t remember doing, it has been so long. In the afternoon, we pick up some groceries, and I cook dinner at my rag has been stuffed into my mouth. I reach up to yank it out, but there is nothing there. Another blow whaps me on the side of the head. Instantly my ears start to ring, and hot tears leap to my eyes. I try to fight back, but I am fighting only air. Next to me, Marc sits up and sees me struggling against an invisible force that is pinning me to the bed. “Anna, wake up, you are having a dream,” he says and reaches over to touch me. “DON’T TOUCH HER,” Aaron’s voice roars from somewhere behind me, and Marc is slammed backwards and off of the bed. Suddenly, I am free, but I don’t know where to run or what to do. From the edge of the bed, I can hear Marc struggling as if he is fighting for his life. I roll off of my side of the bed and run around to Marc. I reach to pull him away from the unseen force that is pummeling him, but I am flung backwards and smack against the wall, dazed. Now, Marc is on his feet, and it appears he is being driven backwards toward the balcony doors. The doors open, and Marc stumbles backwards onto the balcony. Time slows to a stop-motion crawl. I am filled with icy dread as I suddenly realize Aaron’s intention. Snapshot of me running toward the balcony. Snapshot of Marc punching at an invisible force. Snapshot of the horror on Marc’s face as he realizes he is about to go over the railing. And then once again the night is filled with the sounds of otherworldly screams, which I vaguely recognize as my own. Just like that, clarity dawns. I can see the road ahead of me like I am reading pages from a book. And the future I see is unacceptable. I know what I must do. I am no longer in a dream, and the balcony rail beckons. I imagine what my flight to the ground will be — a slow tumble with the white moths that are my hands fluttering gracefully out to my sides. I step up to the railing and look down at Marc’s broken body on the concrete below. Briefly I worry that I will be condemned to spend eternity with Aaron — but I can feel in my gut that this isn’t true. There is only one way to end this. This is my path, and this is all I know. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 69 Diary From a Haunted Hotel By Carolyn M. Hughes hen I began working as a night auditor a year and a half ago at Quality Inn at General Lee’s Headquarters, which is located on the Gettysburg battlefield, I anticipated experiencing nothing more interesting than having some bizarre request from a guest. Yes, I knew what happened on this particular part of the 25-squaremile battlefield on July 1, 1863, where I would be spending my 16-hour shift. And, I had already amassed thousands of photographs and voice recordings on my nightly visits with my “spirit friends” who inhabit the entire town and battlefield. I had even seen the soldiers on three different occasions, with witnesses, who appeared only a few feet away, looking as alive and real as you or I. That is, they appeared alive and real until they disappeared before our eyes. But, I never expected my “spirit” friends to visit so often or to hear so many accounts of activity from unsuspecting guests. I never thought they would alert us to their presence in so many creative ways, or for there to be so much activity involved. Sometimes, weeks go by with nothing unusual reported by an excited guest and/or nothing personally experienced by myself or reported by the rest of the staff. And then, unaccountably, there is a flurry of incredible activity. Working on a Civil War battlefield during the daylight hours and throughout the night gave me a unique opportunity to document and share not only my personal experiences, but also those of other staff members and guests who have no previous knowledge of exactly those men and boys in blue and gray who fought valiantly for what they believed in on this hallowed ground during those three days in July of 1863. Owning and having read more than 200 books on the battle itself, I am sometimes horrified, but mostly in awe of, what they did here. I am of the personal belief that they only want us to know that they are still here and not to forget what happened here, for it is on this ground that they truly gave their “last full measure of devotion.” Tuesday, July 1 1:30 a.m. Courtney . . . walked into the lobby and looked over to the four-foot-tall painting of General Robert E. Lee. She said that it looked blurry. Then, she realized that she was looking at the painting thru ecto . . . what happens in this space and on this ground where so many lost their lives. It was with that thought in mind, that I began this diary. I have the utmost respect for Paranormal Underground September 2008 I was sitting and reading, having finished the night audit. I heard a loud bang that sounded very close and appeared to come from the direction of the room where the breakfast is prepared. I could clearly see the entire area from where I was sitting. Nothing had fallen, and nothing was disturbed. Wednesday, July 2 8:00 a.m. Guest checking out asked front desk clerk: “Is there something that you neglected to tell me about the Courtney was working her all-night shift. At 9:50 p.m., the front door opened, and there was no one there. In the next few seconds, Courtney heard one loud cannon blast. Minutes later, Courtney was in the office and saw an impression being made in the recliner there that appeared as if someone sat down in it. (I have witnessed this myself on numerous occasions.) suite I stayed in last night?” Front desk clerk, who knew what goes on in that particular suite but was afraid to acknowledge this, said, “Why, what happened”? Guest: “There was an apparition that appeared in the living room of the suite last night.” Front desk clerk: “What did it look like?” Guest: “A big white cloud.” This incident with the guest occurred on the evening of July 1. My incident also occurred on July 1. July 1 is the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. A great part of the fighting that took place on July 1 occurred on and around the ground where the hotel sits. On a side note, the suite the guest was staying in has a Confederate soldier (who has been seen) who walks up and down the stairs (it is a two-story suite). The guests tell us they wake up hearing someone coming up the stairs with a heavy foot. When they go to investigate, there is no one there. The Confederate soldier was seen on the staircase by my friends, who often stay in that suite. I missed him by a minute because I was on my way over to visit them. I’m working tomorrow, Friday, July 4. There will be fireworks very near to the hotel. There is usually activity after this (it sounds very much like cannon fire). I’ll let you know if anything happens tomorrow night. Friday, July 4 8:00 p.m. I forgot to shut the track overhead lights off in the manager’s office. They give off a lot of heat, and the air conditioner in the office is not the best as it is. I turned and walked toward the panel in the wall where the switch for the lights is located. Before I even reached for it, I heard the switch “flip” and the overhead track lights went off. The panel door was closed at the time. Thanks boys! No fireworks in town this night (much to the guests’ chagrin). No one could figure out why as there are always July 4 fireworks in Gettysburg. Oh well. Saturday, July 5 2:30 a.m. As soon as I stepped outside to the breezeway, a strong aroma hit me. It smelled exactly like the September 2008 Paranormal Underground 71 Personal Experiences smoke that comes from a campfire. It was overpowering. I walked up and down the breezeway and around to the front of the hotel. The aroma permeated the area. I looked out at the battlefield expecting to see campfires, but there was nothing. The aroma remained for about five minutes, and then it completely disappeared. I have never smelled this distinct aroma in this area before. I have worked at the hotel for more than a year and a half (this being my second summer, tourist season). There was no breeze this night. The temperature was approximately 75 degrees. It was warm in the hotel, and I had to keep turning down the air to cool it off. There are no campgrounds even remotely close to the hotel. Monday, July 7 5:00 a.m. The following events were described to me by my coworker: Courtney was sitting in the office when she heard what she described as sounding like a deck of cards being shuffled. She walked over to the desk and saw the employees’ timecards, which were in a stack. All the cards were bent. Courtney then went back to the laundry room. She keeps the lights off back there. (I always keep them on.) The light was on. Courtney also noted that the housekeepers’ carts (which weigh more than 100 pounds) were moved from their original locations and placed at odd angles. Courtney then went into the breakfast room to get a cup of coffee. There is a new juice machine there. The light inside the machine was turned on. Courtney said she would have noticed that on her frequent trips for coffee because it lights up the whole room. She returned to the office. It was at this point that Courtney noticed that it was extremely cold. She walked into the lobby and looked over to the four-foot-tall painting of General Robert E. Lee. She said that it looked blurry. Then, she realized that she was looking at the painting through ecto, which was directly in front of the painting. She said it didn’t stay long, but it was definitely there for several seconds before it disappeared. Then Courtney went to work getting the breakfast together. Geez! I wish I would see ecto in the lobby! That is the second sighting of ecto on the property in a week. Cool! a room that is located next to the fitness center called the front desk. They said they were there all night but suddenly started hearing loud talking and music coming from the fitness room. I asked if her husband was dressed and if he would meet me outside to check on it. She said, “Absolutely.” They were both outside waiting for me when I got there. I unlocked the door and turned on the light and Sunday, July 13 9:50 p.m. Courtney was working her allnight shift. At 9:50 p.m., the front door opened, and there was no one there. In the next few seconds, Courtney heard one loud cannon blast. Minutes later, Courtney was in the office and saw an impression being made in the recliner there that appeared as if someone sat down in it. (I have witnessed this myself on numerous occasions.) Monday, July 14 A Few Minutes After Midnight Courtney was in the laundry room attending to business and heard our Confederate friend walking in the attic above her head. Tuesday, July 15 12:05 a.m. I was getting ready to do the audit and closing everything up at midnight. Five after 12, a couple in Paranormal Underground September 2008 Courtney then went back to the laundry room. She keeps th was on. Courtney also noted that the housekeepers’ carts (w original locations and placed at odd angles. saw that the radio in there was on. The guy and I looked at it together, and I shut it off. He picked it up and looked at it, saw that the off button was in the right position, and said, “That should do it.” I stood outside with them for a few minutes chatting. While we were talking, we heard the music start up again. I said, “Do you hear that”? We all looked at the door and could not believe it. I unlocked the door, and the guy and I went inside again. The button on the thing was in the “off” position. We were both shocked. I reached down and pulled the plug out of the wall. I stood outside and talked with them for at least another 1/2 hour to make sure it would stop. It did. Friday, July 18 8:30 p.m. I received my new camera yesterday and took it to work with me to take some pictures. Most of the guests had been checked in, and I was taking a quick minute to snap a few shots. I snapped two quick pictures of the breakfast area (where cabinets open, gunshots are heard, etc.) and decided to take some pictures of the office. I was at the doorway to the office, walking in and looking down at the camera when it went dead. Not my new camera! I had placed a fully-charged battery in the camera before coming to work. But, this has happened to me twice before while taking pictures in a certain area on the battlefield known for people having their batteries mysteriously drained. Since I have experienced this battery-draining phenomenon before, I was pretty sure this is exactly what I had experienced. However, just to be certain, when I arrived home, I plugged in the battery to be re-charged. Sure enough, after re-charging the battery and trying it in the camera, it worked perfectly! Those boys! Of course, suspecting that battery draining stunt, I expected some fun activity in the hotel last night. They were very quiet. However, I learned that we did have a paranormal group staying in one of the historic suites last night. Maybe the boys used their he lights off back there. (I always keep them on.) The light which weigh more than 100 pounds) were moved from their new found energy to play with them! I have taken my camera to work many times and this has never happened before. And, as I said above, it has only happened to me in that one As far as I know, this is the first area on the battlefield where it has time this has happened. Although, been reported to occur frequently. On speaking with the breakfast person a side note, the area on the battlefield this morning, I learned that the radio where this battery draining occurs has in the laundry room does the same been researched by historians. The rething all the time (suddenly turning sults of that intensive research revealed on and/or off) and it freaks out the that an American Indian village was laundry room staff. once located on that land. Monday, July 28 10:03 p.m. I had stepped out to the front desk to answer the phone. I was in the process of taking a reservation when I looked up and noticed that the lights located in the portico, which illuminate the outside of the building entrance, were turned off. The last time I had been in this area was at 9:17 p.m. to check in a guest, and the lights were on at that time. I went back to the box in the office where the switches are located and the switch for those lights was in the “off” position. I turned it back on. No more incidents with the lights the rest of the night. Monday, August 4 1:08 a.m. Courtney walked into the middle room next to the office and noticed the light in the laundry room was on. She had turned it off a 1/2 hour before. 5:45 a.m.: Courtney went to retrieve the morning newspapers that are dropped off outside the front door. The front door was unlocked. She had locked it, as is procedure, at midnight. 6:30 a.m.: Courtney went into the laundry room to pick up some refrigerated items to set out for breakfast. She noticed that the back door was unlocked. She had locked it at 7:10 p.m. on the previous evening. Courtney stopped by the hotel to tell me about these occurrences because she was concerned and quite unnerved. I kindly asked the boys not to unlock any doors anymore at night. Thankfully, everything stayed locked, as I requested. Good boys! Stay Tuned . . . September 2008 Paranormal Underground 73 The Dorm By Mindy Kinnaman n the fall of 2002, I was offered a job as a Residence Life Coordinator for a private all-girl high school in San Antonio, which was operated by one of the local universities. Essentially, the position was that of a Dorm Mom. One of my perks was an apartment on the floor. All of the girls and staff lived in traditional-style dorms; however, my room was an actual apartment. If you entered my door you ended up directly outside my bedroom door with a hallway running off to the right. That hallway led to my living room, kitchen, and bath area. The residence hall itself was a giant L, with the entrance on one end and my room at the other end of the L. At the end of my hall, was an entrance into the high school. No one was ever allowed to enter or leave that door for security reasons, so an alarm was installed on it. My staff and I were the only ones with keys to the door. During the school day, I would be the only person in the building with the exception of our cleaning woman, who had no keys and would rely on me if she needed a room opened or locked. ***** I had moved in over one October weekend but had yet to unpack more than my bedding by the time I stayed the night for the first time. That night, I crawled into bed, exhausted and nervous about starting the new job, mainly because I had one other staff member and a third who was volunteering just through my first weekend. I awoke a few hours later to my door bounding open and a boy of approximately 10 years of age jumping on the bed “When I went to bed, I made sure that both of my doors were shut tight. When I awoke, both stood wide open again.” while another older male watched from the door way. I woke up the next morning thinking that it had to be a dream. Yeah, my door had been closed when I went to sleep and was wide open in the morning, but I could have just not shut it tight enough. ***** The following Tuesday, when I went to bed, I made sure that both Paranormal Underground September 2008 of my doors were shut tight. When I awoke, both stood wide open again. After the girls left for school, I let in the cleaning woman, who asked me to make sure all the doors were left unlocked since she did not have a key. I then left to run some errands, leaving her alone. I returned at about 3 p.m., literally minutes before my girls got home from school. My one employee, Marissa, had been out all day and wouldn’t return until closer to 6 p.m. One by one, the girls trudged in, ready to change out of their uniforms and go roam around the college campus. Each one came back to the lobby where I sat waiting to check the girls in and asked me to unlock their doors. Every single door on the floor was locked from the inside. As I had said before, the cleaning woman had no keys, and I had been the only other person on the floor. ***** Two nights later, I once again found myself to be the only staff member on the floor. Marissa had decided earlier in the day that she would move to another room because it had a private bathroom. She moved a couple of boxes into the room, which was located at the corner where the two halls I had moved in over one October weekend but had yet to unpack more than my bedding by the time I stayed the night for the first time. That night, I crawled into bed, exhausted and nervous about starting the new job . . . I awoke a few hours later to my door bounding open and a boy of approximately 10 years of age jumping on the bed while another older male watched from the door way. intersected. She did not leave any windows open, nor had she turned on the air conditioner. When Marissa left, she locked the door behind her, so that there was no way anyone could enter. About an hour after Marissa had gone, I sat on the floor near her door talking to one of the high school girls, Yassi. I was telling her about all the weird stuff that had happened to me in the week that I had been living there and how my friend Amanda, who used to work for the university, said that people had complained that the floor was haunted. No sooner had I begun telling my tales when Marissa’s door began shaking as though someone was on the inside wanting out. Yassi screamed and practically jumped into my lap. Out of fear, I began laughing nervously. Yassi looked at me and screamed, “Why are you laughing?” I was so scared that it was the only response my body made. Other little events happened to me throughout the school year. Some of my girls would call me mom, and after they had gone to sleep, I would hear a voice say, “Mom.” Each time I heard it, it sounded like a different girl. I would stick my head outside of the door, but I saw no one. There is no way someone could have run off, because I would have either heard her running down the empty hallway, saw that her door was open, or I would have heard her shut it. That never happened. ***** In November, for a period of a couple of weeks, whatever had been visiting me would flick the blinds in my living room. They were made of metal, so I would hear little ping sounds. One night, I had been asleep, but it must have been making a real racket, because I awoke screaming, “For the love of God, stop it!” I never heard the blinds ping again. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 75 Personal Experiences Twice, I had been in deep slumber and awoke to something terrifying. It was almost as though someone had snapped their fingers, instantly waking me up. The first time, my eyes flew open to see a large black shadow looming at the end of my bed. Whatever it was, it solid black and towered over six feet in height. I should have been able to see my door, as behind my head was a wall-length window in which a street light would shine, lighting up my room. Instead, I only saw a deep, black mass. I was instantly filled with fear, threw the blanket over my head and began praying. I eventually fell asleep. The second time I saw the mass, I had moved my bed from the foot of the bed being by the door to it facing the eastern wall. I woke up, instantly filled with fear and looked over by my door to see a black cloud begin to form. Knowing that I would probably see the shadow, I once again threw the cover over my head and began praying. cabinets. When I stepped into the hallway, unimaginable terror took over. My knees shook and my chest tightened almost like I was having a panic attack. I looked at Marissa; she did not feel it but did not argue when I said, “Let’s get out of here.” Toward the end of the school year, my neighbor Cata and I began having a similar event occur. At 12:30 a.m., I would hear one individual knock on my bedroom door. No one ***** The other frightening event I had happened in late November or early December. Marissa and I were asked to inventory the rooms on the first floor of the building (we lived up on the third floor). Everything was okay until we went into this huge storage room that was located directly under my part of the hall. It was a dark, intimidating room filled with all sorts of junk. As soon as we managed to get the door open, Marissa said it did not feel right. We closed the door and moved over to the laundry room that was directly below my room. At the back of the laundry room was an S-shaped hall. Each wall was lined with huge storage moving out, she heard a woman’s voice saying a prayer in Latin. We had always heard that the floor was haunted by a nun, but that was our first run-in with her. No one had mentioned the other two ghosts, but after everything that had happened and the stories I heard from others, I knew that there had to be a little boy that liked to play practical jokes, as well as whatever that evil entity was that appeared as a black mass. Twice, I had been in deep slumber and awoke to something terrifying. The first time, my eyes flew open to see a large black shadow looming at the end of my bed. had entered my apartment — I know because the main door had a very loud and distinct squeal. The same thing would happen to Cata five minutes later. She would open her door to find the hall quiet and empty. ***** Once, as one of the girls was Paranormal Underground September 2008 After all the girls had gone home for the summer, I had the building to myself. At first, I was really intimidated to be in a haunted building alone, but after a while, I grew comfortable with my surroundings. But something weird started happening at night when I went to bed. I am the type of person who cannot sleep without a cover over my feet. With such an active imagination, I have always feared something grabbing my feet. As I would lay there on my stomach trying to fall asleep, I would feel the covers flatten against my legs and feel a depression form between them. Whatever it was would then begin to lightly stoke my calves. Instead of being frightened, I felt soothed and would usually fall asleep pretty quickly. I like to believe that it was the nun helping calm me down with all the stress I was dealing with in my personal and professional life. ***** Since then, I have moved away and have not heard any of my girls complain about ghosts. Funny, but I actually miss it. It was always exciting, and I usually had a great story to tell the next day. Life With the Breathing Impaired By Bri Larkin hen it comes to society, the paranormal can bring out a broad spectrum of emotions in people. They can be anywhere from fascinated about the subject to disgusted. They can be blindingly accepting, or skeptical to a fault There seems to be very little gray area when dealing with this subject. Those of us who reside in the gray area have many questions and experiences that we want resolved. No cookie-cutter answer is quite good enough for our unique situations. Before I relay my story, I must tell you, the readers, that before I had my experiences, I was pretty much what you would call an atheist. I really didn’t see or sense anything that would lead me to believe that there was anything beyond what I could see in day-to-day life. To this day, even after everything I’ve experienced, I’m still searching for answers. I will say that I’m now agnostic. I just simply don’t know what’s out there, although I’m trying my hardest to figure it out. My plan is to portray to you the different phenomenon we have witnessed while living in this house. This is the first of those portrayals. ***** We bought this house in the spring of 2002. There were always bangs and bumps in the night, nothing one wouldn’t expect from a 70-year-old farmhouse. That fall, we started hearing door slams. It would happen at any time. We couldn’t explain it. We could actually feel the floor shudder when the slams occurred. I could never tell exactly where the slams were originating from. It happened at least three to four times a week. In my mind, it was a weird occurrence, yet it really didn’t rattle me that much. It could have been anything. It really didn’t bother me that much until a month or so later, when the footsteps started. We have a big bedroom upstairs that we use for storage, mostly. During the first six months of our marriage, being the avid reader I am, I would use the extra bed upstairs at night to read so I didn’t bother my husband. It was warm one night, so I had a fan on a chair next to the bed, running on high. I remember dozing off, with the book on my chest, when I first heard it. Big, heavy boots were stomping up the stairs. They were so loud, they jerked me from my pre-sleep doze. I could hear them over the fan. My eyes popped open, and I stared at the landing. Did someone break in? Was something wrong? Where was my husband? I counted, one by one, as the footsteps clomped to the top. There seemed to be a momentary, soft stomp, like someone adjusting their stance after climbing a flight of steps. If there was anyone there at that moment, they’d see me in the bed, peering back at them in the shadows. There was no one. I shot out of bed in terror. I danced around a bit, knowing the only way down was where the footsteps had been moments before. I grabbed my book, turned off the fan, and took a breath. I ran (skidded) down in record time. If only stair-sprinting was an Olympic event. Hey, curling is, right? I didn’t say anything about what happened until guests who were sleeping upstairs started complaining about the same thing. It’s funny. When it happens to you and you alone, you can always dismiss it in your mind. When it starts happening to other people, it gives you pause. It gives you really, really big pause. I wish we could say those were the only strange things to happen in my house. Little did we know, it was just the beginning. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 77 Bri Larkin (SinisterGrin) Age: 30. Born: Oelwein, Iowa. Currently resides: Missouri. Status: Married to an absolutely wonderful guy. Seriously! He’s tops! are many of these people sprinkled throughout history. How would you describe yourself? A giraffe on roller skates. I’m very clumsy, but good-natured. I feel that Education: Early Childhood Education with Child Development Endorsement. No, I mean, I have MORE than an early childhood education. I mean, that’s what I received. In college. Zodiac Sign: Scorpio! Huzzah! Occupation: Human slave. When did you join GhostDose and Paranormal Underground? October 29, 2007/April 23, 2008. What brought you to GhostDose and the Underground? The death of the former glory of the Sci Fi Forums. (A moment of silence, please). Bri is a skeptic who is science-minded. She loves What does your member name technology and astronomy. mean? The Sinister Grin was a terrific stomping ground in my college days. Much money was humor is a vital part of bringing out spent, much booze was consumed, the best in people. I like to laugh at and many friends were made. Good myself and others. times, good times. I’m science-minded and love technology and astronomy. I like Who are your heroes? Anyone who video games, books, and music. stands up for the truth and the less In fact, I majored in music perforfortunate, regardless of what the mance with a minor in education masses might think or do. There Paranormal Underground September 2008 before I dropped into Early Childhood Ed. I sucked at theory. Totally, thoroughly sucked. Tell us about your family and what you like to do. We’re a small tribe of nomads who love going to movies, traveling, (that’s what nomads do!), gardening, and regular ol’ family stuff. If it’s fun, or if something blows up, we’re game. Favorite music: Rock, blues, folk, oldies, etc. I pretty much listen to everything except New Country (TM). I stopped listening to that pop-induced drivel awhile ago. What are your favorite TV shows, paranormal shows, books, movies? Ah, well, as people from The Dose know, I love The Deadliest Catch, Mythbusters, The Universe, The Office, The Venture Bros., you get the gist. I’ve lost a lot of faith in paranormal shows recently, but if I have to pick one, as of today, it would probably be Monster Quest. The one I hate? Paranormal State. As far as books go, I’ve read so many that are so good I couldn’t possibly list them all. I do love Robert Jordan (RIP) and Douglas Adams (RIP). And *cough* Laura Ingalls Wilder (who’s been RIP’ing for quite awhile now). I’ve read them since I was a kid. I love those stories! Any other favorites? My favorite color is plum, my favorite animal is a dog, my favorite number is four, and my favorite fictional character is Ford Prefect. What are your pet peeves? People who can’t drive, June bugs, dirty dishes, Big Oil, and people who pick at their cuticles. Dear God in Heaven, I cringe just thinking about it. Are you a skeptic or believer? Hmmm, probably in the middle somewhere. If I had to choose an absolute direction, it’d be skeptic. I think. What areas of the paranormal interest you the most? The sexy kind. ;) Oh, and ghostly activity and UFOs. (Even though I believe we’re making most of them.) Have you ever studied the paranormal? Yes I have. “If there is an afterlife . . . I seem to think of it as more of a cosmic occurrence.” Talk about any paranormal experiences you might have had and how they have affected you. This section would be waaaaay too long if I were to describe my journey that got me to where I am today, but let’s just say that multiple people have experienced weird, unexplainable things in my house. And they’ve come across some paranormal activity, too! (bah dum bah, tish!) I’ve also recently seen some things in the sky that I can’t explain. I’m not saying they were bona fide extraterrestrials, but they were interesting to see, regardless. (Also, I’m writing a new column for Paranormal Underground about my experiences. Read “Life With the Breathing Impaired” to find out more. Go on. You know you want to.) What do you think happens to us when we die? We decompose. Sunrise, sunset. No, really, being the agnostic that I am, I really don’t know what happens. I can’t claim to be positive on anything that might happen after I buy the farm. I won’t know until it happens. (And if I can, I’ll come back and haunt ya!) Personally, if there is an afterlife, I really don’t think it’s what we envision as a culture. I seem to think of it as more of a cosmic occurrence. Our energy leaves our body, releases into the planet or into the great, vast universe itself. Biologically, we’re made of the same stuff as the planets, the comets, the stars, the galaxy; the very universe is inside each one of us. (Dr. Neil deGrassi Tyson helped me put my thoughts in order on this. Thanks, Doc!) Maybe the energy of the cosmos is what we would call “God.” Not so much as a personified being, but the energy itself. Maybe the unspeakable beauty we see in Hubble photographs is looking at God, him/her/itself. Whatever it is, we were there before we were born, and we’ll go back to it when we die. Or maybe I’m totally blowing smoke up your bum. Again, I really don’t know. Do you have any words of wisdom that you live by? This, too, shall pass, so make the most of it. To thine own self, be true. Any exciting plans for the future? We are currently gearing up for a small family-owned business to start within the next year or two. We are also looking forward to adding another wee one to our family. No time frame on that, though. :) Paranormal Poetry i have moved into a home that to me was new working hard to get settled as we all do the house is not young nor is it old has some history or so I’m told when alone in the house on this one night i heard something that gave me a fright sounds of footsteps from the room overhead put it off as settling or so i said then there was a rattling of something up there should i check it out or did i not dare it sounded like a window whose pane was not tight and floor boards getting just right took up my courage and thought to have a look went up the stairs a bat with me i took went down the hall knowing its my room i sought went very quietly hoping for naught i looked into the doorway and right in front of me was a large shadow i really need not see with bat raised high over my head i took a step into the room and reached for the light switch with a feeling of doom turned on the light and what did i see? across the room was none other than me did some rearranging and never again will there be a mirror across from the door to ever scare me — Valarie Wood September 2008 Paranormal Underground 79 Starscream77’s Battle With Cystic Fibrosis y name is Danny Kutrick, and I was diagnosed with a genetic disease called cystic fibrosis (CF for short) when I was six days old. It was July 27, 1977, at Children’s Hospital Washington D.C. I know a lot of folks don’t even know what CF is, or if they have heard of it, they know very little because we are not a large population (there are only around 30,000 of us in North America today). I will tell you some things about CF . . . the good, the bad, and the ugly, scientific, and personal. from as little as miniscule to so much that you have to go to the hospital to get surgery to mend the hole. Aspergillus is another nasty fiend we have to ward off; basically, it’s common mold kept in the lung and is caused from being in moist places. Aspergillus is a nasty predator that eats your lung; turning my lung into essentially soup. I personally had three golf ball-sized holes in my right lung from it. Burkholderia cepacia is another fungus that gets us. It’s a common mold used in fertilizers and other organic soil treatments. It will do nothing ***** to the average Joe, but to those with respiratory illness or poor Cystic Fibrosis is the number Danny holds his daughter Alyssa, who was born January immune systems, it will act the 17, 2008. one genetic killer of children in same as Aspergillus. But, if you the world. It mainly affects Anglo test positive for this fungus, it is a Saxon kids, but there are many death sentence. You cannot get a the constant CF cough. It also colcases of it in the Latino and Asian transplant if you culture it, and your lects all kinds of nasty bacterias and communities along with a couple lung function will drop like a rock in keeps them there, giving CFers concases in the African communities. a matter of weeks. stant infections that scar our lungs CF affects the lungs and digestive In the digestive system, the liver and cause irreparable damage. system by secreting very thick mucus and pancreas are coated with the Our immune systems are always into the lungs and around the panmucus, inflaming them to the point in overdrive, working our bodies’ creas and the liver. where we must take enzymes to defenses to the bone; viruses find In the lungs, mucus clogs up the digest our food. We don’t secrete it easy to attack . . . pseudomonas, airways and destroys the hairs that enough insulin to break down all our a form of pneumonia, is the most move foreign matter out, so as not to food because of the mucus coverage. common. It scars the lungs and eats allow the vital O2 Co2 transfer giving The pills do the rest. away at the tissue; in a bad case, us an appearance of our shoulders Our livers can’t break down the we will cough up blood in amounts up around our ears, and giving us Paranormal Underground September 2008 toxins in the food or drink very well, so every once in a while we have to take meds to stop the inflammation from all the toxic build up . . . it is not uncommon for CFers to go into complete liver failure and need a liver transplant. That’s it in a nut shell. I could go into the delta F508 gene defect, but that is boring and too high brow for me. So, I’m going to tell you a little bit about my life with CF. If you are sensitive, you may not want to read this. I’m going to be blunt. just hang out. I asked why she wasn’t going home, and she told me she needed a transplant but no one in her family was compatible so she had to wait. She got her transplant finally in 1993 and died three weeks later from an infection that developed during surgery that infected her new lobe. When I hit high school, I met Chris. She worked at our local Pizza joint. After a bit, she began to date my Aunt (yes she is gay). We were very close, like family. I learned all kinds of naughty tricks we could pull ***** with our meds, like how to cheat at The first real poker while drinkexperience I had with ing (our enzymes my CF was at age 6 break down the or 7. I was in a public sugars in alcohol, elementary school making it hard for and was not shy at all us to get drunk. about speaking about She taught me my CF. I told all my the signs that I was little friends why I getting sick, all the had to take meds little nuances. Chris and, in turn, they told began to decline their parents . . . I got in 1994 and had to expelled from school. quit her job. Like The parents all of us, hardthought I would give headed CFers, she all their kids somekept on trucking, thing, so they had me going around with a kicked out. It took portable IV pumpme three weeks to get At 9 a.m., they took me to the OR. I don’t remember the ride down. What I do remem- ing her full of meds back into school after ber is my surgeon looking at me and saying that I had a 40% chance to die on the table. and an oxygen tank my CF doctor went I told him that without this operation I had a 100% chance to die. Then it all went dark. over her shoulder. to the school to meet She got on the with all the parents. transplant list and I was allowed back into school, became fast friends, and I learned a was ready for her transplant. One but I was constantly harassed and lot from her. She was six years older day when heading to the Airport beat up; the teachers and administrathan me. to pick up my aunt, Chris began to tors turned a blind eye to it, and the We would hang out in each cough up a lot of blood. We put parents of the other kids encourother’s room and play the Nintendo her in a wheel chair and called for aged them to keep doing it. We had in the game room. But then I left, an ambulance. She was taken to to move so I could go to another and she was still there. I never could Hopkins and rushed into surgery to school, and I didn’t speak of my CF have imagined how sick she was; she fix the hemothorax. When she was for many, many years. hid it well. I would go to the hospital out of surgery, she was put on a vent When I hit middle school, I to visit once a week, and we would until she could get a transplant. began to meet other CF kids. I first met Dean and Damion, two brothers with CF. But a year later, one of the brothers became really sick and was in the hospital all the time. Within that year he had to have a transplant, but back then, they only did lobe-ectomies (just replacing a lobe). He got one from his mother, but died two days after surgery . . . he was only 15. A few years later, I met Marry when I was in the hospital with my first bought of pneumonia. We September 2008 Paranormal Underground 81 Cystic Fibrosis is the number one genetic killer of children in the world. Over a few weeks she got better, and the tube was taken out. She was put on a nasal cannula. Chris knew she was dying and pleaded for days to die at home. The docs agreed. We went to pick her up the next morning, and to our surprise she was on the vent again. Overnight, she went downhill. We sat in her room, me on one side of her bed my aunt and her mother on the other. Chris took a deep breath, coughed up a good amount of blood out her nose, and went into respiratory arrest. She died five minutes later. That was 1996. ***** I started to decline in health in 2006. I got a terrible pneumonia, and my doctor told me I had to quit my job or I would die, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I stayed in the telemetry unit for three weeks on constant monitoring. I left the hospital 20 points lower on my FEV-1 (forced expiratory volume). It had been at 40% volume for years, but that bug really kicked my ass. Over the weeks of home IV treatment I felt a lot better, and my FEV-1 went up five points. The summer was quite unremarkable in terms of health. I did everything that I loved to do, a bit slower, but I did them. I felt good until the following February when I got another pneumonia … a bug called Aspergillus, a fungus that loves to infect folks with worn out immune systems. I again got IV therapy, and again my FEV-1 dropped and continued to do so. I ended up in the hospital about once a month from there until August. My lung function plummeted to 16% . . . then came August 28, 2007. I woke up very short of breath, so I turned my oxygen up all the way to five liters; it didn’t help. My chest hurt really badly and just walking to the next room was like running a thousand miles. My wife called the ambulance, and I was taken lights and siren to the ER. When I got there, I found out that an old clot in my neck caused by the several IVs I had over the months had broken loose and caused mul- Paranormal Underground September 2008 tiple pulmonary embolisms, or blood clots in my lungs that could be fatal. I was transferred to Hopkins and placed in a monitored room. I would go back and forth from low-level floors to critical at least half a dozen times. Then came the news I was dreading. My doctor told me that I wouldn’t be leaving until I got a transplant, if I even got that. In a nutshell, I was there until I died or got fixed, whichever came first. It took a week to finally get on the transplant list, all the while being bedridden, sick as hell, and hooked up to 80% high flow 02, which only got my stats into the low 90s — a moderate hypoxia. Two days after being listed, a nurse came into my room about midnight all excited. She shook me awake and told me she had good news . . . she said they thought that they had found lungs for me. Oddly enough, I got pissed because I thought she was screwing with me in some kind of twisted sick way. Just then, the surgical team came in, and I was inundated with papers to sign. I was in a haze of emotions. I was excited to have an opportunity to live; then it hit me that someone lost a person they loved to give me this chance. My emotions ran wild as I called my wife and mother to tell them to head up to the hospital. We sat there all night waiting, my mind was so full of thoughts that I don’t even remember most of the time that passed. At 9 a.m., they took me to the OR. I don’t remember the ride down. What I do remember is my surgeon looking at me and saying that I had a 40% chance to die on the table. I told him that without this op- eration I had a 100% chance to die. Then it all went dark. ***** I was out of it for two days and don’t remember anything but little snap shots from the ICU; I knew that I now had a paralyzed foot. I was then taken to the thoracic heart and lung floor for recovery. I was so happy to get something to drink and eat, and everything looked great . . . at least for a week. Exactly one week after the transplant my blood pressure dropped really low and when they came to take an X-ray, I began to have a seizure. (They are really weird, not painful but like a hazy dream.) They looked at the X-ray and saw that I was bleeding out from my lung, and they had to put an emergency chest tube in. They cut me with no anesthesia and shoved it in; it was the most pain I have ever felt in my life. For weeks after that I feared leaving my bed and had horrible panic attacks. I had to walk to get the lungs working well, but I was so screwed up in the head that they had to force me up. For four weeks I would go through that routine. The pain of my emaciated muscle growing back was awful, the tightness of my chest made me feel like I as suffocating, and I wondered if it was all worth it or not. Eventually, all the IV meds were taken away, the catheter was pulled, and one by one I had chest tubes taken out till that faithful day of October 9 . . . I got to go home. ***** None of my clothes fit when I left because I lost 30% of my body mass; I looked like a bum leaving. I jumped into the back seat of the car and was on my way. I was still Cystic fibrosis (also known as CF, mucoviscoidosis, or mucoviscidosis) is a hereditary disease affecting the exocrine (mucus) glands of the lungs, liver, pancreas, and intestines, causing progressive disability due to multisystem failure. so weak after getting home that I couldn’t support my weight and fell getting up the stairs to my house. My foot paralysis didn’t help. That night was the first time I tried to walk up a flight of stairs. I think it took me a good 20 minutes to climb 14 steps. After about two weeks, I had the hang of it, and my foot had gotten a good deal of movement back. I started therapy shortly thereafter. The first day my therapy consisted of getting there, then I was just too worn out. I worked for about two months there, and by the end, the wheel chair rides there turned into running, and I have never looked back. To this day, I have no rejection at all. ***** On June 20, I finished the Great Strides walk for cystic fibrosis, a mere three hours after leaving the hospital for a nasty small bowel obstruction of meconium (that means thick mucus clogging up the small bowel). Combined, the walk raised $25,000. That’s a lot, seeing as how CF gets no government funding. I plan on running the St. Patties day fun run in Baltimore City. I’m gonna wear my “Fuck CF” shirt and my transplant hat that says, “Scars are a mark of victory.” September 2008 Paranormal Underground 83 Roundtable Debate: Reincarnation Believer: Why I Believe By Chad Wilson Many hold the hope that when believe in reincarnation because we die, it is not the end of the line, the idea of rebirth of the soul a hope that we continue on in some seems right; it just fits. The fashion, whether that be in Heaven idea that we return to continue our or Hell, or whatever particular belief journey, trying to achieve spiritual each individual holds in regard to enlightenment, is very intriguing. the afterlife. To me, nature itself echoes the My particular belief is that the concept of rebirth. The seasons come soul does reincarnate and that this and go, the cycle is never ending, and presents each soul unlimited poseverything dies. Born in the spring, sibilities. Possibilities in the conthen living a furious life in the summer tinuation of a of our youth, only lifetime’s work, to pass into the leading to a bettwilight of life in ter state of life the fall, dying with for all involved. the coming of the Possibilities winter, only to even in so-called be reborn in the soul groups, or Spring, and on the idea that we and on for time return and are immemorial. with those souls Past-life we are most remembrance familiar with. seems to support Chad Wilson believes that rebirth of the soul In the end, the concept of “fits” with nature. whether reincarreincarnation, nation plays out including specific to be true will details emerging be determined, — either sponI believe, in the experiences of taneously or through hypnosis — of young children who say they have names, places, and events that are lived before. later proven accurate. I think this research is at the Some also say that there is forefront of the search for the truth physical evidence of reincarnation, behind rebirth of the soul. including birthmarks and congeniIt will change the way we tal deformities that match wounds see life, and even how we might suffered in a particular past life. conduct ourselves toward othThese specific details and physiers, knowing that what we do now cal similarities lead me to believe might have an effect down the road that there is something there to be in another lifetime. investigated further. Skeptical Reincarnation M Paranormal Underground September 2008 rowing up, I found the idea of having lived a past life a romantic notion, along the same lines as being a princess or growing up to become a rock star. But as I began to learn more about the paranormal and developed my belief in life after death, I began to speculate that there possibly could be something to the idea. As I read Tom Schroder’s book Old Souls in preparation of writing the “Book of the Month” review in this issue, I once again started pondering whether reinMindy Kinnaman thin carnation was possible. can definitely be mad of reincarnation. Now, that does not mean that I believe the people who say they were historical figures like Napoleon, Cleopatra, or Abraham Lincoln. If I am to believe in past lives, I am much more likely to believe a person who said that he or she slaved in a sweatshop at the turn of the 20th Century or worked as a serf during the Renaissance Era. Seriously, who is going to lie about having a hard life when he or she could easily lie, saying he or she was important. Skeptic: We Don’t Have Souls Believer: Might Be Possible Kinnaman Dr. Ian Stevenson, the subject of Schroder’s book, spent his time researching just those cases, and while I still do not fully believe in reincarnation, I do think that it is a possibility. During his life, Stevenson worked for many years to capture and research the stories of past lives told by children. In some instances, children’s first words were in regard to their past lives. Their first sentences spoke of how they had died previously or how their present family was not their real family, nks that an argument instead only seeing the de for the possibility families of the past lives as their own. Adding to the argument is the fact that, in some cases, children who claim to have lived previously have birthmarks that correspond to the way in which they died. Is that just coincidence? I cannot say definitively at this time, but I cannot wait to see what science will say one way or the other. As scientists pick up on Stevenson’s life work, maybe an answer will come sooner than we think. By Rob Neilands he belief in reincarnation form upon death. goes back centuries and Proven rules of physics state that spans many belief systems. matter can’t be created or destroyed. Its development served a few purMass in the conventional sense can poses: hope in an afterlife; a hope be destroyed, but mass is conserved that the spirit is carried on to some into various forms of energy: heat type of living form, thus adding and light, to name a couple. This is a small part of what Einhope and purpose to a person’s curstein was referring to in his famous rent existence; and an idea that one E=MC2 equation. may correct previous life Knowing all this, I unmistakes. derstand my body will There have been, be broken back down and still are, whole reliinto its constituent elegions based on the idea ments and/or stored as of reincarnation. Hindupotential energies. ism is one example of Invariably, some this. Hinduism actually of these elements will believes that the human make there way back form will keep being reinto animate objects, born until finally it joins but this does not conthe cosmic spirit. stitute reincarnation in It’s nice to assume my mind. that our lives will be To date, there reborn again and again in has been no empirical a new body, or another Rob Neilands believes that evidence to support life form upon death. people are the sum of their reincarnation as a true However this idea is hard genetics and life experiences. scientific theory. This for me to believe. is problematic beMy skepticism cause this phenomena largely stems from being cannot be physically measured or an atheist. This also leads me to observed, therefore, it’s impossible believe that we don’t have souls. to make any type of prediction or to I think people are the sum of formulate a hypothesis. their genetics and life experiences. Any hypothesis that is made Our experiences create new denwould be inferred from heresay or dritic connections in the brain that conjecture according to an individuultimately lead into an organized way al’s belief system. of thinking and feeling; this, in turn, In this way, just because somegives us our personality, or indithing is believed or hoped to be corvidual spark. I don’t believe there is rect does not make it a truism. anyway to transfer this into a new life September 2008 Paranormal Underground 85 Reviews of the Month: By Mindy Kinnaman Book: Old Souls ven the most skeptical readers will find Tom Schroder’s 1999 book Old Souls an interesting read. The book follows Dr. Ian Stevenson of the University of Virginia as he travels through Lebanon, India, and the Southeastern United States, detailing the stories of children who claimed to have lived past lives. The idea of children remembering their past lives may seem too fantastical to some, and Schroder presents the book with a skeptical point of view. But as you read the children’s stories, both you and Schroder begin to believe that something paranormal is definitely at play. Stevenson spent his career working on reincarnation cases, and in Schroder’s book, the reader can get an idea of his methods. He met with the children and both their current and alleged former families to hear the stories and spent time gathering as much evidence as possible to say one way or the other whether reincarnation truly exists. Before making up your mind, take a look at Old Souls. • I give Old Souls 4 out of 5 past lives. DVD: Dead Again rutally murdered in your past life? Back in present day trying to sort things out? No, this is not the story of my life, but it is the plot of the 1991 psychological thriller Dead Again. The film features Kenneth Branaugh and his then real-wife Emma Thompson playing star-crossed lovers Roman and Margaret Strauss in the 1940s, as well as present-day Mike Church and Grace. Grace is brought to Church’s attention, as the orphanage where he spent his youth calls on him to help Grace overcome amnesia and find out who she really is. A quick hypnosis by Franklyn Madson, played by Derek Jacobi, confirms that there is more to Grace and Church’s relationship. Turns out, they’re reincarnations of the Strausses. Even though it is 17 years old, the film will take you on a rollercoaster ride through the past and present. The twist at the end caught me off guard now just as easily as it did when I first saw this film more than a decade ago. • I give Dead Again 4 out of 5 reincarnations. Paranormal Underground September 2008 t’s up to Jack Bauer, I mean Ben Carson, to save the people of the world from their own reflections in the season premiere of 24, I mean the summer film Mirrors. Kiefer Sutherland stars in this summer horror flick as Carson, a former cop who is looking to take charge of his life after accidentally killing a fellow cop in the line of duty. He takes a job as a night watchman at a department store that had burnt down 10 years earlier. The stately building’s only survivors of the disaster are giant mirrors, all of which harbor a terrifying force. No one is safe so long as there are reflective surfaces around, from doorknobs to bathtubs. It is safe to say that Mirrors does for the tub what Psycho did for the shower. At this rate, no one will be clean. The plot of the story is intriguing, but the pace can be a bit slow at times, leaving the viewer to wish that Jack Bauer would just find a nuke and get things over with. There were a few scares, but this horror movie buff did not jump once. Others, however, may find this terrifying. So, check it out yourself and see if Jack Bauer, I mean Kiefer Sutherland, can save the day. • I give Mirrors 3 out of 5 reflections. Paranormal Underground/GhostDose Site News Poll Results: What Areas of the Paranormal Interest You the Most? ast month, Paranormal Underground asked its members and site visitors what area of the paranormal they were most interested in. Here are the final results: 73% 17% 7% 1% Hauntings Psychic Phenomenon (ESP, Psychokinesis, Telekinesis, Psychometry) Cryptids (Bigfoot, Nessie, etc.) UFOs/Aliens Slogan Contest Results ongratulations to PenguinKeeper, who won GhostDose’s recent slogan contest! The winning slogan was: “Where the insane run the asylum.” Sithy and Nevynmo were runners up. Way to go! And thanks to everyone for participating and making the contest so much fun. Live Halloween Chat Set for Oct. 31 t’s almost time for our annual Halloween chat! We hope you join GhostDose.com and ParanormalUnderground.net for our 2nd Annual Halloween Chat. Here are the details: • Time: 8 EST/7 Central/6 PST • Where: www.ghostdose.com on the home page Hope to see you there! GD/Underground Members Investigate Waverly/Villisca hostDose and Paranormal Underground member Sithy investigated Waverly Hills Sanatorium on August 30 and the Villisca Axe Murder House on September 2. He will reveal details about his Waverly investigation in the October issue, as well as his findings from Villisca in the November issue. Joining Sithy at Villisca were Cowbud, SinisterGrin, and Dejvu! Paranormal Underground Short Story Contest hanks to everyone who entered the Paranormal Underground short story contest! Results will be announced soon. Cayce Mark Stinson DarkMark Mom Orbit Charmed854 Darkness Spazlamom Ydnim CarolB Constructor Freeman74 Jordan Burnes Skizmflop Coolfan Dreamsinger Lotto Friends of GhostDose and the Underground n this month’s issue, we profile www.prairieghosts.com. Make sure to check out this informative site, which covers everything from haunted locations throughout the United States to new books offered by author Troy Taylor. t prairieghosts.com, you can explore the History & Hauntings of Illinois and America with Author Troy Taylor and the American Ghost Society. The site includes information on ghostly books, research, articles, and links to other paranormal organizations. The site also features upcoming haunted events, Troy Taylor’s History & Hauntings Ghost Tour information, and American Hauntings: Road Guide to the Supernatural. The American Ghost Society section includes information on “What to Do if Your House Is Haunted,” “The Trouble With ‘Orbs,’” and “Ghost Hunting Equipment.” In the Behind the Legends: True Stories of American Hauntings section, a collection of articles show that sometimes what we think may be the real story of a famous haunting may not actually be true. Cases examined include: • Myrtles Plantation • St. Louis Exorcism • Amityville • Dudleytown • The Black Angel And make sure to check out Troy Taylor’s “America’s Most Haunted Places” list, which includes information about The Bell Witch Cave, Lincoln Theater, Waverly Hills Sanatorium, and the Villisca Axe Murder House. September 2008 Paranormal Underground 87

–Megan Fox, interviewed in Esquire, January 2013 “Megan, put down the phone — I told you no photographs,” sighed the most famous sasquatch in the world. Megan Fox obeyed and put her Swarovski-crystal-studded iPhone into her purse, but not before snapping a few candid pics. “Sorry, Mr. Foot, I’m just so excited to finally meet you.” “Please, call me Big.” Megan blushed, and a red cloud flickered across the northern winter moon that was her face-skin. She leaned across her living room coffee table, which was made of reclaimed steel from the Roswell debris field, and cooed, “I’m sure you get this a lot, Big, but I’m your biggest admirer.” Bigfoot nodded. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that a frost giant was the president of his fan club. Ignoring the silence, she continued. “Have I told you that I’m having my Marilyn Monroe tattoo removed so I can replace it with a tattoo of you?” The evening was starting to get weird, and it didn’t help that Megan’s leprechaun personal assistant was fake-laughing at everything she said. Bigfoot had only accepted Megan Fox’s invitation for a private tete-a-tete because he thought she would understand his desire for privacy. Why did he identify so strongly with starlets, anyway? Was it because they, too, were judged primarily by their appearance? Was it because they were also objectified victims of the media’s gaze? Or was he just hoping that he could eat one of them again without anyone noticing, like he did five years ago with Tara Reid? Megan was also feeling awkward. Nerves, she realized — something she hadn’t felt since her very first rehearsal for Transformers in Michael Bay’s sex dungeon. She would have giggled, if she didn’t get even more nervous at the thought of Bigfoot judging her giggles! She had run out of things to say to her biggest idol, the mythical forest-dwelling creature of the Pacific Northwest known to the native Lummi tribe of the Pacific Northwest as Ts’emekwes, to the American media as Bigfoot, and to the people who knew him best, Melvin Growlznitzky — his name before he got famous. Bigfoot cleared his throat and glanced around the room, hoping to spot a clock. Megan noticed the nearly empty wine glass in the cryptid’s hand. “Can I freshen up your Zinfandel, Big?” She had to stop herself from calling him “Mel.” “Thanks, but the other day TMZ got some footage of me stumbling around the forest after a night out, and I’m trying to cut back.” He knocked back the last few sips in one gulp. “I wouldn’t want Page Six to start calling me Big Lush.” The leprechaun sat there, stone-faced. Megan forced a grin, but just like her performance in Transformers 2, Bigfoot knew she was faking it. The silence was almost audible. Unless that was just the lephrechaun’s breathing. He had a severe gold allergy, which was why he had to stop leprechauning in the first place. But then that’s the career trajectory for many mythical creatures. Bigfoot’s thoughts wandered back to when he was just an eager-eyed young cryptid fresh from the woods. It wasn’t long until he was partying at the Chateau Marmont with Jayne Mansfield, disguised as her fur coat. But those days were long behind him, and now he just wanted to be left alone. He realized Megan would never truly understand. “Sometimes I wish the fame would just disappear,” Bigfoot sighed. “I didn’t ask for any of this — the paparazzi, the cruel blog comments about how matted my fur’s been looking. I hardly go outside anymore.” Megan laid a perfectly symmetrical hand on Bigfoot’s shoulder. “I totally empathize with you, which is a word I learned when I was researching how to feel the feelings that other people feel.” She could tell she was losing him. Why wasn’t he as transfixed by her beauty as others were — as mesmerized as that Esquire reporter had been? Then she finally understood why she enjoyed the company of otherworldly creatures: because she, too, was of another world. No wonder she felt so comfortable around her husband, Brian Austin Green. “By the way, have you met Brian?” Megan asked Bigfoot. “He’s an ageless vampire who has me in his thrall.” So that’s how he managed to lock her down, Bigfoot thought. “Here, let me summon him.” Megan whipped out a pocketknife, but before she could pierce her finger, Bigfoot stood. “Thanks, but I really don’t want to take up any more of your time. I’ve got dinner with an old friend in half an hour.” He glanced at the time on his phone — and that was when he saw the text messages. Bigfoot bristled, and Megan realized what had happened. “Now, Bigfoot — Mr. Foot — before you get too upset, I can explain–” “You took a picture of me — and you posted it on Twitter?” he said calmly. A little too calmly. He growled, to make sure she got the point. “I’m sorry, I just — you’re just — I promise I’ll never do it again!” “Too late!” he roared. “I thought you wanted to hang out with me for me, not for my fame. But you’re just like all the other yokels with their point-and-shoots and symmetrical faces and skin the color the moon possesses in the thin air of northern winters!” Ignoring her tears, Bigfoot put on his oversized Chanel sunglasses and Hermes scarf and shambled out the door and into the LA desert. “That girl is crazy,” muttered Bigfoot, as the hum of traffic drowned out Megan Fox’s pleas. He quickened his pace; he had to meet Jodie Foster in a redwood forest in Santa Barbara in an hour. At least she respected his privacy.

Thursday, June 11, 2009 It has been a monumentally strange day. One day I will tell you about it. However, let me just say that it has been a perfect excuse for why the posts have been delayed for nearly three hours this evening. This photo was taken at 4.00: L-R Graham, me, Corinna, Richard, Lady Henrietta Rous, Tara Nolan (Minnow Films), Morgan Matthews (Minnow films), in front: Biggles, and James Hore-Ruthven. The day involved filming, negotiating and eating barbecued mackerel. A splendid time was had by all, but my goodness it was weird.. As you know, Oll has been working on the archiving project since early February, and he has just started the Mystery Cat section. This fourth trenche is mostly from the mid 1990s, but with a few from much earlier, and mainly covers London and the Home Counties, and includes the original press reports of Lara the Lynx Some cryptozoologists object to the term monster. They hate being called monster hunters. I don't, it's what I do, hunting monsters (and it has to be said that most of those who object to the term monster are armchair cryptozoologists). The detractors ought really to study the origins of the word. Monster comes from the Latin word “monstrare” meaning to show or a 'revelation'. When applied to a cryptid this is an excellent description. Some people will say that a cryptid is not a monster, it's an animal. Well an animal can be a monster. What would you call a 45 foot long beast with a beak the size of a rum keg, tentacles lined with clawed suckers and eyes as big as hub caps? The colossal squid is an animal, it's also a monster. What makes an animal a monster can depend on your point of view. Flamingoes look beautiful to us, but they must seem fairly horrific to the tiny shrimps they feed on (if a shrimp can feel fear). Man-eating animals may be looked on as monsters. In particular an individual that has killed many people and evades capture. Examples would incude Gustave the giant crocodile in Africa and the man eating lions that terrorized the railroad workers in Tsavo. Ordinary lions and crocodiles were not considered monsters. A name can make a monster. If a large or savage animal is singled out with a name it becomes special. An out-of-place animal can become a monster. Look at the UK big cats. A non maneating leopard or puma wil be just another animal in its home range. Take it out of its place and put it in a British woodland then it morphs into something else. Given monikers such as 'Beast' (a loaded word) the cat becomes a prowling monster regardless of if it has attacked anyone, or not. Conversely a monster can become a mere animal. The gorilla was an ogre of native folklore, dismissed by westerners untill it was first captured. Even then it retained a monstrous air until properly studied and kept in zoos. Few people today would consider it a monster. So why is the gorilla not a monster? but the equally scientifically excepted colossal squid still a monster? Perhaps it is due to the fact we know so little about the squid, or - more likely - it is less like us; more alien. Humans are great narcissists, and fear what is different to them. In short almost anything can be a monster, depending on where it is, and who sees it. The show, that is released online in episodic form, is best described as Blair Witch Project meets Quatermass. Unlike Blair Witch Project but very like Quatermass, it is genuinely eerie. The story could have been scripted by Nigel Kneale himself, and revolves around shady experiments in an ancient, deep forest, with odd specimens brought back to the lab. Forests of Mystery is understated (like a good MR James story), well written, well acted, well paced, and above all massively entertaining. I recommend you seek out and enjoy this amazingly fortean show. I just wanted to remind you all that season one (12 episodes total) of the "Forests of Mystery" paranormal web series is available for your viewing pleasure at http://www.forestsofmystery.com/ -- the only web series dedicated to revealing the truth about what's really going on in the deep woods of the Tillamook Forest near the Cascade Forest Research Center -- She is also the author of a charming and very elegantl;y written fortean novella called The Second Level which I strongly urge you all to buy at this link: She is obviously one to watch, and she tells me in her latest e:mail that she is getting "addicted" to writing for the CFZ bloggo. Back in 1941 when Patriotism was still okay and our men were off fighting world war two, support back home abounded, often from surprising corners. According to the Rochdale Observer, in August of that year, Mr J. Herbert of the Spotland area (who, incidentally, had previously been a Rochdale Association footballer) was tending to his chickens and came across the remarkable egg shown in the photo. The V for Victory Campaign had begun earlier that year in January when Belgian refugee Victor Delavelaye suggested on BBC radio that the 22nd letter of the alphabet become the emblem of the allies against Nazism. The idea was, according to Mr Delavelaye, that "by seeing this sign, always the same, infinitely repeated, [the German] will understand that he is surrounded, encircled by an immense crowd of citizens eagerly awaiting his first moment of weakness, watching for his first failure." I do hope Mr Herbert’s patriotic hen was commended for her brave effort in support of the allied movement, or at least given an extra portion of feed. Sadly such gallinaceous gallantry in the Spotland area is unlikely ever to recur since the only chicken within a one-mile radius is minced and waiting to be fried in one of the many kebab shops we have to choose from. Section I of former Checklists. Section I is the category most acceptable to conventional science and for the most part contains animals very nearly like known forms, color variants of known forms, disputed forms for which there exist photographic evidence, specimens preserved in museums or mere matters of disputed taxonomic status. This is an area of Cryptozoology in which ALL of these could be "known" species and hence not deserving of further attention by the most stringent definition of the field. I do so consider that these are not really Cryptozoological subjects. 1. Gosse's beaked whale 2. Alua whale 3. Greek dolphin 4. Senegal dolphin 5. Illigan whale 6. Outsized giant squids 7. Octopus (Otoctopus) giganteus 8. Lake Setani shark 9. Mauretanian wild dog 10. Atlas bear 11. Atlas python 12. Blue tiger, black tiger 13. Outsized reticulated pythons 14. Chinese white bear (like US Olympic black bears, which are white) 15. Kimos (pygmies on Madagascar, possibly human) 16. Ufiti and koolookamba, outsized chimpanzeess 17. Pygmy gorilla 18. Spotted lion 19. Other oddly colored African cats 20. Mngwa as a giant golden cat (which do have a streaked/spotted and a grey phase) 21. Pygmy elephants 22. Water rhino/pygmy rhino/ African one-horned rhinoceros 23. Ethiopian ?hyrax 24. Spotted bushbuck 25. American lion (even if residual of extinct form, same species as 26. Andean wolf 28. Waitoreke (even if "only" a platypus) 29. Thylacines, on Australia and on Tasmania 30. Surrey pumas 31. Australian pumas 32. Felis levantina 33. Possible giant montpelier snakes 34. Quaggas (probably only a color phase of zebras in the first place) 35. Nandi bears, whether black ratels or outsized baboons. Dimensions quoted for the "Koddoelo" can be matched against the largest "known" baboons. 36.Oceanic hairy pygmies on Malaita 37. on Guadacanal 38. Vui/wui, same in New Hebrides 39. Vele, same on Fiji (36-39 Mu=menehune on Hawaii, maero on New Zealand, all displaced Celebes "apes" confused with earlier settlers) 40. Wildmen in Europe and the MidEast (wudewasa and seirim) 41. Wildmen in Central Asia (kaptars and almas) 42. Wildmen in the Orient (probably including Orang pendek as a smaller form) 43. Wildmen in Australia (yowies) 44 and 45., Wildmen probably included in lump listings for Africa and South America. (40-45 can all be provisionally considered one category: Additionally, they must all be considered most likely Homo sapiens or some closely related species, hence not "Unknown" at all) 1. Dimorphic beaked whale 2. St. Helena elephant seals 3. Beebee's manta 4. Planetosphaera pelagica 6. Deep-sea spider 7. Bigfin squid 8. The thing (giant polychaete worm) 9. Horned Sunda wildcat, possibly only pathological 10. Venomous blackfish 11. Hungarian reed wolf 12. Greek chameleon 13. Steller's white sea-raven 14. Qattara cheetah 15. Tailed loris 16. Pale Loris 18. Seah malong poo 19. Horned jackal, possibly only pathological 20. Quang khen 22. Kting voar 23. Argus bipunctatus 24. Elephant-dung bat 25. Giant bushbaby 27. Oliver, probably only a mutant chimp. 28. Wobo, probably equals Mngwa 29. Makala, presumed extinct 30. Senegal stone partridge 31. Sudd gallinule 32. Kenyan black swift 33. Green touraco 34.Mexican ruffed cat 35. Van Roosmalen's jaguar 36. Tigerstriped Peruvian cat 37. Speckled jaguar 38. Yama puma 39. Peruvian jungle lion 40. Pygmy brown bear 41. Mitla ('catlike dog') 42. 6 forms of Birds-of-paradise 43. Delcourt's giant gecko 45. Bornean babyrusa 46. Schomburgk's deer 47. Pink headed duck 48. Eastern puma (including its darker color variant) 49.Arizona (and Southern USA) jaguar 51. Glaucus macaw 52. Australian Tasmanian devils 53. Hoan Kien turtle, actually an identified species 54. Sapo de loma (I basically do not see how this differs from the common Marine Toad) 55. Malagassy giant hawkmoth (this has subsequently become "known") 56. Yamamaya (possibly ony a dwarfed Japanese type of tiger) 57. Malagnira (ultrasmall lemur) 58. Domench's Pseudo-goat (clawed goat, also possibly deformed) Ok, time for the latest cryptozoology related news from the CFZ daily cryptozoology news blog and a bad pun too: Afghans issue first wildlife list Hummingbirds 'faster than jets' Bear bites jogger after chase Chimp Bites Off Boss's Finger At Knut's Zoo Welcome to the Spiderlab Snake slips show slither secret Lion sighting reported Tadpole downpour stumps Japanese meteorologists Now, that is a ‘tad’ unusual.

Posted by: Loren Coleman on January 8th, 2008 As the voters go to the polls in New Hampshire, it is a good time to pause and recall the “Giant Monkey” of Danville, New Hampshire. Have you heard about it? On September 9, a few years ago, in rural Danville, New Hampshire, search parties were engaged in looking for a Giant Monkey spotted near Pleasant Street and Kingston Road. During a period of the previous two weeks, at least ten cryptid Giant Monkey sightings were reported to local authorities. Danville Fire Chief David Kimball was among the first to see the cryptid running across Kingston Road. Others, like Pleasant Street resident Vivian Wicker, 58, said she heard the monkey hollering outside her home. “It wasn’t a sound I had heard before,” she said, describing the noise as a hooting or a strange howling sound, unlike a dog’s. Wicker heard the sound every couple of minutes. (The moniker “Wicker” happens to be one of those strange “name game” markers, which has turned up most infamously in the lore of the Wicker Man. In the Son of Sam murders of New York City, the deciphering of the “Wicker” symbolism has been attempted by law enforcers, writers, and anomalists alike. The British film The Wicker Man premiered in America in 1974 and was screened in New York City by a group called Abraxas in April 1977, during the apex of the Son of Sam killings. One event in the killings noted was of the Wicker Street shooting of a German shepherd, perhaps by the Son of Sam. David Berkowitz lived a block away from Wicker Street. In the background facts in some evidence from the murders, a hit man who allegedly participated in both the Son of Sam and Double Initial murders, John Wheat Carr, signed himself, “Wicked King Wicker.” Others said Berkowitz signed his name “Son of Sam Wicked King Wicker.” Cryptopolitics and the name “Wicker” seem to go hand in hand.) But few were thinking about the twilight language significance of the witness’s name during those days in early September in New Hampshire. What was on the minds of the locals was the terror, instead, of the size and weird out-of-place nature of the sighted creature itself. The darkly colored, hairy Giant Monkey reportedly measured about eight feet long from his tail to his hands, Chief Kimball commented to the media. Local residents were said to be “getting very nervous about the eight feet.” On the Monday after the weekend of all the local media attention and Giant Monkey searches, NBC-TV News sent a film crew to Danville. The camera people, producer and reporter spent their time recording a human-interest story that was scheduled to air nationally the next morning, on “The Today Show.” But it never aired. The report was never shown. The date for the scheduled screening was Tuesday, September 11th, 2001. 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.

Archive for the “Loch Ness Monster” Posted by: Craig Woolheater on August 23rd, 2016 All the cryptozoological marvels are here, including Bigfoot, Yeti, the Loch Ness Monster and Chupacabra, along with lesser known monsters like Ogopogo, the Mongolian Death Worm, Jersey Devil, Boggy Creek Monster, Momo, Mokele-Mbembe, Real Wolfmen and many more! Read: Monstro Bizarro » Posted by: Seth Breedlove on July 25th, 2016 Minerva Monster Day is a cryptid-themed, small town festival that centers around the subject of a famous Bigfoot-type creature said to live near the town. While last years’ event acted as the official premiere for the Small Town Monsters’ production, Minerva Monster, this one will see screenings of multiple films across a variety of unusual creature topics from Bigfoot to Loch Ness Monster. The Minerva Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the event which will also play host to a speaking presentation from renowned museum curator, author and lecturer, Loren Coleman. Read: Minerva Monster Day Returns to Ohio Town September 24th » Posted by: Karl Shuker on May 11th, 2016 Of all of the many Nessie-related subjects documented by me down through the years (and now collected together in my forthcoming book Here’s Nessie: A Monstrous Compendium From Loch Ness), few have incited as many inquiries to me from readers and correspondents as the extraordinary ‘frog as big as a goat’ supposedly sighted one day by diver Duncan Macdonald while underwater in Loch Ness during the late 1800s. Read: A Frog as Big as a Goat – The Most Mystifying Loch Ness Monster Sighting Ever? » Posted by: Craig Woolheater on May 2nd, 2016 Although accounts of an aquatic beast living in Scotland’s Loch Ness date back 1,500 years, the modern legend of the Loch Ness Monster is born when a sighting makes local news on May 2, 1933. The newspaper Inverness Courier related an account of a local couple who claimed to have seen “an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface.” The story of the “monster” (a moniker chosen by the Courier editor) became a media phenomenon, with London newspapers sending correspondents to Scotland and a circus offering a 20,000 pound sterling reward for capture of the beast. Read: This Day in History: Loch Ness Monster Sighted » Posted by: Craig Woolheater on April 21st, 2016 Today marks the 82nd anniversary of the publishing of the surgeon’s photogragh in the Daily Mail, the iconic image of the Loch Ness Monster. Read: Loch Ness Monster 82nd Anniversary of Surgeon’s Photograph » Posted by: Craig Woolheater on February 16th, 2016 The Loch Ness Monster, bigfoot and the yeti have long held a fascination for people the world over. Debates about their actual existence or what they might really be have continued for decades, if not centuries. Known also as cryptids, they have spawned a body of research known as cryptozoology. This entertaining book looks at the evidence of these mysterious monsters and others and explores what they might really be (if they exist at all), why they have been represented as they have and the development of cryptozoology and how it has collected data to discover more about these unknown creatures. Read: Hunting Monsters: Cryptozoology and the Reality Behind the Myths » Posted by: Craig Woolheater on November 4th, 2015 On this incredible journey we reveal that Loch Ness was once part of America, giant dinosaurs, suspiciously similar to the fabled monster once roamed the area, and that the entire region was engulfed by huge volcanic eruptions as Scotland was ripped from its birth place on the American continent. Could the mythical Loch Ness monster be a descendant of the dinosaurs, somehow surviving in the murky waters of the loch? Read: How The Earth Was Made: Loch Ness » Posted by: Craig Woolheater on October 1st, 2015 The paranormal embroidered patch set, “Cryptid Command” featuring three military-inspired patch designs with Bigfoot, Nessie and UFOs is the new Kickstarter crowd funding campaign from artist George Coghill. Read: Cryptid Command » Posted by: Karl Shuker on September 13th, 2015 I’m delighted to announce that my latest book, A Manifestation of Monsters: Examining the (Un)Usual Subjects, is now in print, published by Anomalist Books. It contains a superb foreword by my good friend and fellow cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard, and its front cover is sumptuously illustrated with a truly spectacular cryptozoological painting by hugely-talented artist Michael J. Smith that directly inspired me to write this book. Read: A Manifestation of Monsters is Here! » Posted by: Craig Woolheater on September 13th, 2015 Scientists and experts discuss the discovery of mummified remains resembling the Kappa of Japanese folklore in this collection of scenes from “Creatures of the Deep.” Read: The Legendary Japanese Kappa » Posted by: John Kirk on September 4th, 2015 There is a long history of the River Tay cryptid. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the Loch Ness Monster. This is a separate entity that rises to the surface occasionally. There is footage of a similar animal here Read: Not Nessie, It’s the River Tay Monster » Posted by: Craig Woolheater on September 3rd, 2015 Cryptomundian PhotoExpert has enhanced the photo taken by Mervyn Rolfe of a Nessie-like object… Read: Photos Enhanced: Nessie Goes on Vacation » Posted by: Craig Woolheater on September 3rd, 2015 Is this the ‘Loch Ness Monster’ enjoying a summer break 150 miles away from her usual abode? Read: Nessie Goes on Vacation » Posted by: Ken Gerhard on August 31st, 2015 Tonight @ 10pmEST/9pmCST, I’ll be appearing on Arcane Radio – hosted by Lon Strickler of Phantoms and Monsters. Join in to hear some fascinating discussion about cryptozoology, as well as the legendary beasts of Alaska! Read: Arcane Radio: Ken Gerhard » Posted by: Craig Woolheater on August 25th, 2015 #StraightOuttaLochNess #StraightOuttaCompton #StraightOutta Read: Straight Outta Loch Ness »

Posted by: Craig Woolheater on April 12th, 2014 If you’ve spent a certain amount of time watching crappy daytime cable, you’ve probably heard of The Bigfoot Discovery Museum — it’s a frequent listee on those “Top Ten Creepiest Destinations”-type shows they run on the Travel Channel at odd hours. Nestled in the (where else?) Santa Cruz mountains, The Bigfoot Museum, dedicated to the hirsute cryptid said to haunt heavily-forested areas on our side of the country, has fallen on hard times lately. A couple NorCal musicians are stepping up to the plate with a benefit show, to be held this Saturday at Psycho Donuts in Campbell. Kepi Ghoulie and Sacramento favorite daughters Dog Party, as well as Santa Cruz’s Dan P. and other special guests will squeeze performances into Psycho’s famous padded cell. Bigfoot-themed art will also be on sale, and Psycho will roll out a special donut (called the Bigfoot Toe Jam, and oh boy is it hard to even type that without gagging just a little) for the occasion. The art show runs from April 12th to May 12th. Portions of art and Toe Jam sales will go to the museum for funding. The Bigfoot Show: Kepi Ghoulie, Dog Party, Dan P. and more April 12, 2014 10am, FREE (all ages) 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.

Posted by: Loren Coleman on April 3rd, 2006 How do eyewitness drawings evolve into what we often see in the media? Take a look at the development of the sketches and illustrations of Momo (the Missouri Monster, a 1972 Bigfoot-like cryptid) from the time of the initial eyewitnesses’ attempts to capture what they saw, through the artwork created by later illustrators, some with their own agendas. I have discussed this issue in talks at the Texas Bigfoot Research Group’s 2005 conference and at the Bates College’s cryptozoology symposium, last October. In essence, the pure experience of the eyewitness – one that is often diffuse and elementary, filled with questions – begins to quickly take on the artifacts of culture, bias, and possible hypotheses of the investigators and artists. Questions are replaced with filled in spaces and answers that may have nothing to do with the emptiness that is there in the first encounter. For more on eyewitness sketches at the June-October 2006 Bates exhibition, please click here. Details about the Momo sighting and another drawing of Momo can be found on pages 50-51 of The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates. 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.

Some Years ago we were involved in a hunt for giant eels in the Lake District, and in the wake of that particular investigation I was commissioned to write a piece for a regional news magazine about it. Although they paid me, for some reason or other they never published it. I forgot clean about it, but whilst rootling about in my archives in search of something else entirely, I found it and decided that it might as well see the light of day at last: Without question the most iconic unknown animal [cryptid] is the Loch Ness monster. For centuries there have been reports of giant creatures seen occasionally in the largest lake of the British Isles, but it was only in the mid-1930s when monster fever hit the United Kingdom in the wake of the original King Kong movie, and the improvements to General Wade’s military road on the south shore and the new road on the north shore made Loch Ness accessible to the general public for the first time, that monster sightings began to proliferate. It would be a great mistake to see the events at Loch Ness in isolation. There are several other lakes in Scotland, quite a few in Ireland, and others dotted across Scandinavia, Northern Europe, Northern Russia, Canada, and parts of the U.S. where 'monsters' have been reported. Generations of theorists have speculated that these creatures are surviving prehistoric marine reptiles, but this hypothesis just does not make sense. These animals would have been air-breathers. There are just not enough sightings to support a viable population of air-breathing animals. There simply is not enough biomass in many of these lakes, including Loch Ness, to support a viable population of large creatures. It is highly probable that animals such as plesiosaurs would have given birth on land. There have been land sightings but again, not enough. The vast majority of these lakes would have been frozen solid during the last Ice Age. There is no evidence whatsoever that any of the giant reptiles, or indeed any non-avian dinosaurs survived the mass extinctions which occurred – possibly after the earth was hit by a meteor - 65 million years ago. (KT extinction event). My colleagues and I at the Centre for Fortean Zoology [CFZ] – the world’s largest mystery animal research organisation - have believed for many years that if there are indeed giant creatures in these northern lakes, they would have to be enormous fish; probably eels. On 23rd July 2006, between 12 and 1 o’clock, Steve Burnip, a holidaymaker from Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire, was standing with his wife and some friends on Watbarrow Point, a small rocky promontory just below Wray Castle on the western shore of the lake. It was a fine July afternoon and one of the warmest on record. They saw a disturbance in the water that looked like a boat wake. It was caused by an animal that appeared to be at least twenty feet long and was moving faster than a rowing boat. They saw what appeared to be a head and two portions of a long grey body, and although they watched the animal for approximately a minute, no visible eyes or facial features could be seen. Steve had a camera in his pocket – a powerful digital instrument with 8 mega-pixel capacity, but by the time he thought of using it, the creature was too far away. He did take a photograph, which we have seen. It appears to show several slate grey humps in the water, approximately fifty yards away, but for personal reasons Steve – at the moment at least – is loathe to release the picture to the press. Another incident was reported by a Mr and Mrs Gaskell who had also seen the creature whilst boating on Windermere during July. They told us that the weather was dry and fine, with little breeze and the surface water was warm and calm. They have, on many occasions, seen fish jumping and surfacing in the lake, but on this particular day they were travelling about 4 knots near the yellow 6m/h marker at the entrance to the Ambleside basin, at the north end of the lake, when they both saw a disturbance in the water, about 20 yards astern. Mr Gaskell told me that they had seen something very large surfacing and diving again, which looked like a seal or dolphin without the fin, leaving a large wake and ripples. They did not see it again that day, or anything similar since. Over the next month we received six further eyewitness accounts. Interestingly, one was from the late 1950s, and another from the early 1980s. The other contemporary sightings followed in much the same pattern as Burnip’s, but – for me at least – the most exciting account came from Kevin Boyd, an amateur diver who is extremely conversant with the wildlife of the area, and has seen eels of over six feet in length on a number of occasions, both in Windermere, and in the neighbouring lake of Coniston Water. He was enthusiastic about our quest, and offered to help us dive. On 11th October a five-person team from the Centre of Fortean Zoology travelled to the Lake District for a three-day fact-finding mission. We were also accompanied by Jon Ronson: journalist, author, documentary filmmaker and radio presenter. He has been a mate of the CFZ’s for a decade and has long wanted to accompany us in the field. On the evening of Thursday 12th October, just before dusk, Kevin placed a number of baited sacks out in the bay. Each sack contained cut up fish and squid, Predator Plus (a chemical that attracts predatory fish) and some rocks. Richard and I had carried out a similar exercise at Loch Ness the previous November, but were surprised at how difficult the process on Coniston was going to be. The currents were very strong under water, and the bait sacks drifted considerably. Just after dark, he went back in the water, this time armed with an underwater camera, to see what he could find. Richard and I had been planning this episode for many years. OK, we didn’t know it was going to take place in the Lake Distict but since the late 1990s we have been putting plans in place to do a dive for giant eels as and where it became appropriate. Despite claims made on our behalf in the media, we never had any great hopes of catching or even seeing an outsized eel on this occasion. The main point of this three day expedition was to meet the eyewitnesses, suss out the lie of the land, and – as far as the diving was concerned – carry out something of a dress rehearsal. No matter how many times you plan something back in the office, the reality is always going to be significantly different. It soon became clear that there were a number of things we had never even considered. Firstly, we had always planned to dive during daylight or at dusk. Kevin explained that the eels come out to feed just after dark, and this was a contingency that we just had not planned for. The first thing that we realised was that on any future dives we would have to put lights on the buoys, and preferably on the bait sacks themselves. This will be easy to arrange using proprietry light sticks – tubes of chemicals that, when broken, emit quite a strong light for several hours – but this had just not occurred to us. Kevin was finding great difficulty in locating either the buoys or the bait sacks in pitch darkness, and I regret to say that this part of the experiment was a failure. Another problem was the time of year: whilst all of us were aware that by early October eels usually either disappear to sea or go to the deepest part of the lakes to stay for the winter, we had hoped that because it had been one of the hottest summers on record and because the water of the lake was allegedly eight degrees warmer than usual, the eels would still be there. Sadly, this was not the case, and the anguilliform population of Coniston Water had followed the normal biological imperative and were nowhere to be seen. The water was also higher than normal – Kevin estimated by eighteen to twenty-four inches, and this would have affected the distribution patterns of the aquatic invertebrates on which the eels feed. Sadly it would appear that we were looking in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kevin did manage to get some remarkable pictures of the lake floor, of pike and of perch, and all in all, although we didn’t either catch or photograph any eels, we felt that our first exploratory dives had been a qualified success. The night was very quiet, and very still. Sitting and standing on the shore where the only illumination were tiny pinpricks of light from torches and the ethereal ghostly glow from Kevin’s underwater light, which would intermittently illuminate the water before us with a yellow green haze, was an enthralling, exciting, and oddly humbling experience. There are some people in the cryptozoological community who are scathing about investigations carried out in the United Kingdom. They seem to believe that true adventures can only be found in the jungles or deserts of the tropics. On this Thursday afternoon and evening I think that we have proved them wrong. David and I had come close to being shipwrecked, and here was Kevin risking life and limb forty feet below the surface of the water in pitch blackness. Surely, one could not ask for much more intrepid behaviour than this? If we are to succeed in our endeavour in proving that there are indeed eels considerably larger than they are supposed to be in the deep waters of the Lake District, it is going to take a considerable amount of effort. I am hoping that Eric Gaskell’s friends will come up trumps, and that we will have several boats to play with on Windermere itself. If we do, and if we can get permission from the relevant authorities to dive, I want to seriously consider carrying out a project similar to Operation Deepscan, which was carried out in Loch Ness in the 1980s by Adrian Shine. I am also giving serious consideration to approaching the ferry companies. I wonder if they would be prepared to donate us season tickets and allow us to use sonar of the ferries that traverse large sections of the lake including the places where huge eels were seen during June and July this year. Kevin has pledged his support, and we are hoping that we will be able to get donations of time and equipment from other divers. I am also hoping to involve various community groups like the boy scouts, the sea cadets and the angling clubs. As we scan the depths of the lake and attempt to the beasts with Predator Plus, I want as many ‘foot soldiers’ as possible stationed on the banks, and on the islands, with binoculars, long range cameras, and notebooks. This could be the largest cryptozoological investigation ever mounted on British soil. If there are indeed large eels in Coniston Water and Windermere we are damn well going to find them!

Our search has the following Google-type functionality: If you use '+' at the start of a word, that word will be present in the search results. eg. Harry +Potter Search results will contain 'Potter'. If you use '-' at the start of a word, that word will be absent in the search results. eg. Harry -Potter Search results will not contain 'Potter'. If you use 'AND' between 2 words, then both those words will be present in the search results. eg. Harry AND Potter Search results will contain both 'Harry' and 'Potter'. NOTE: AND will only work with single words not phrases. If you use 'OR' between 2 single words, then either or both of those words will be present in the search results. eg. 'Harry OR Potter' Search results will contain just 'Harry', or just 'Potter', or both 'Harry' and 'Potter'. NOTE: OR will only work with single words not phrases. If you use 'NOT' before a word, that word will be absent in the search results. (This is the same as using the minus symbol). eg. 'Harry NOT Potter' Search results will not contain 'Potter'. NOTE: NOT will only work with single words not phrases. If you use double quotation marks around words, those words will be present in that order. eg. "Harry Potter" Search results will contain 'Harry Potter', but not 'Potter Harry'. NOTE: "" cannot be combined with AND, OR & NOT searches. If you use '*' in a word, it performs a wildcard search, as it signifies any number of characters. (Searches cannot start with a wildcard). Search results will contain words starting with 'Pot' and ending in 'er', such as 'Potter'. Hunter Shea is the author of over 20 books, with a specialization in cryptozoological horror that includes The Jersey Devil, The Dover Demon, Loch Ness Revenge and many others. . His novel, The Montauk Monster, was named one of the best reads of the summer by Publishers Weekly. A trip to the International Cryptozoology Museum will find several of his cryptid books among the fascinating displays. Living in a true haunted house inspired his Jessica Backman: Death in the Afterlife series (Forest of Shadows, Sinister Entity and Island of the Forbidden). In 2011, he was selected to be a part of the launch of Samhain Publishing's new horror line alongside legendary author Ramsey Campbell. When he's not writing thrillers and horror, he also spins tall tales for middle grade readers on Amazon's highly regarded Rapids reading app. An avid podcaster, he can be seen and heard on Monster Men, one of the longest running video horror podcasts in the world, and Final Guys, focusing on weekly movie and book reviews. His nostalgic column about the magic of 80s horror, Video Visions, is featured monthly at Cemetery Dance Online. You can find his short stories in a number of anthologies, including Chopping Block Party, The Body Horror Book and Fearful Fathoms II. A lifetime New Yorker, Hunter is supported by his loving wife and two beautiful daughters. When he's not studying up on cryptozoology, he's an avid explorer of the unknown, having spent a night alone on the Queen Mary, searching for the Warren's famous White Lady of the Union Cemetery and other mysterious places. You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com. `Creature is unique. This book was a roller coaster for me, start to finish. Hunter's prose keeps you engaged in the fate these characters throughout. Highly recommended!' - John Kilgallon `It's much more than most creature features, it has heart and thought, and a superb, head-on horror conclusion. The best Hunter Shea I've read so far and by more than a little.' - Eddie Generous (Unnerving Magazine) `A heart-wrenching story with massive amounts of carnage.' - Cemetery Dance `This was a thrilling read from start to finish. Exciting, emotional, intriguing.' - Housewife of Horror `The imagination and creativity here was astounding. It was also frightening and spellbinding.' - Char's Horror Corner `You know you've read a great book when you are smiling after you turn that last page. I don't know how Hunter Shea keeps churning out terrifying stories that feel original, but I want more.' - Cedar Hollow Reviews `Creature is another in a long line of solid Hunter Shea titles. A must read.' - Ex Libris The Eyes of Madness `This isn't a mile a minute gore-fest, but it packs in a number of scares that are absolute powerhouses thanks to their authenticity and realism.' - Michael Patrick Hicks

>Lucky Beast can turn into friend type >Tachikoma can turn to friend, as did Keroro So can we assume that only human don't change in any way? Beaver is the best kemono. You should accept reality. Of course they are. Prairie Dog's in heat right now after all. Wow, I picked this up out of curiosity and didn't expect it to be so endearing. It's like I'm a kid again. This penguin is making my front tail feel funny She gets a surprising amount of fanarts. The gap between her voice and appearance is really nice. As big as Elephant, I guess. Cute. Can't wait for episode 7, to see who gets the most fanart. This is by all measures terrible, but I've found myself humming welcome to the Japari Park all day. Nobody wants to draw armadillo or the autistic chameleon. >Not having ~Welcome To Youkoso Japari Park!~ in your head all day every day >the song is actually a brainwashing tool >its a clue to the humans disappearance Shirgane no Nina artist did a few drawings of Serval >Sandstar infestation had significantly altered the planet's ecosystem to crisis point >Hyperevolution occurred at ground zero Japari Park, and animals became sapient >The struggle against the adaptive Cerulean finally started to turn >bigfoot is probably more popular that tsukinokosomething Sugoi! A baka gaijin Friend. Speaking of PPP, she's green slut in Milky Holmes right? The other cryptid listed in the anime site is Jinmengyo, a human faced fish, another one which is famous only in Japan itself. PPP doesn't include Giant Penguin-chan sky fish here is a cryptid. She represents the flying white fibres that apparantly float in the sky and accompany ufos, there's actually quite a few cryptids/imaginaries among the friends. I guess that all human being are dreaming to behave as animals in the digital world. Their bodies are already gone. Their brains are only left in the real world. The wiki mentioned about a sighting in 1990 at Tsuruoka, Yamagata. There's a more detailed account over 1995 where Tilapia got fished out at Kaohsiung county of Taiwan had a human face and it eerily asked if the fish tasted good when the local was about to grill it. What kind of friend would you like to become? Pretty good model he's got here. A friend of fat faceless old man. Well friend, it wasn't that picture, but the same theme got me watching the show. Can you repost it? I'd like to see it. I want to be an otter and play all day! This is the Serval VA's debut leading role, right? Is the show's success going to accelerate her voice acting career? Another cover of the OP. Sounds very jazzy. It was an event in the game. They wanted to become popular and so joined in a group. The event motivated the player to form "Water Girls"-only parties. There wasn't much story though, since it was mostly a grind/replay type thing - collecting tickets in special time limited event quests to obtain the penguins added in the event. Very quality bird for your quality bird needs. Alright! I've already got an otter friend. Let's slide until we're tired and then I can show you my favorite pebble. Are you an otter friend too? Help me take over Japari park! It will be fun! This event ran from July 9 to 16 in 2015. The leader of the group was Emperor Penguin initially though. That's pretty fast. wasn't it like a day or two since the last episode aired. >search twitter for shoebill art >go to sleep, leave tab open overnight >3701 new results Granted I don't know how much of this is for Shoebill herself and not just general shoebill memery but jesus christ >Putting audio from the show over actual animals >Drawing Friends using real animal shots as reference These are my favorite trends Guess all you need is a unique face and presence and you're a Japanese superstar. There's just too much art coming out. It's getting hard to keep up. and I'm only been posting pics for about half an hour. There's no point of comparison since the year just started. we'll have to wait and see how it turns out. I think Kemono Friend's boom might be even bigger than KanColle's boom in popularity. This figure denotes the growth of replay count on ep1 for recent big anime hits. Cutoff date is just 3hr ago. Orange: Kemono Friends Yellow: [email protected] Cinderella Girls lots of other friends as well. >Prairie knocks down all the trees that leads to their clearing >Destroys every den except for the best one >Collapses every burrow she can find >Beaver asks Prairie why she's been so destructive lately >BEAVER I THINK I WON'T BE SATISFIED UNTIL I DIG IN YOUR HOLE! I can't wait until the epilogue when Kaban comes back to see they formed a small town of Prairie-Beaver hybrids only a few months later. Huh. I think I saw another chart that has GochiUsa as heigher than Konosuba and Kemono friends. Hope this one lasts because Kemono friends deserves the priase at least the anime does. These threads are always so positive and friendly! I wish all the friends on 4chan were are fun as you! The show ends and then we go into SPACE Something's wrong here. This isn't right. Something like this should not be happening. >tfw can barely keep up with the fan art in this thread let alone the rest of the internet I look away for a minute and there's 50 new pics I'm just posting what I can see from Twitter with the tag けものフレンズ I am kind of relieved that Kemono Friends had gone beyond achieved critical mass. This means that there will be more content from the Kemono Friends project, and Japari Park won't just die because the game has ceased operation. >Last year, animal themed tokusatsu series, Animal Sentai Zyuohger, increased zoo visits with each ep highlighting a different animal and which park theyre from. The tradition continued with Kemono Friends further promoting zoo visits with otakus are now calling zoo visits as 'Kemono Friends Holy Site Pilgrimage' I save pretty much everything I see in these threads and on twitter and I think I have tons of duplicates now cause I keep saving things again just in case, but I've got tools for sorting through those later. It's terrifying. I'm spending all my time saving pictures from 4chan -> 2chan -> pixiv -> twitter -> 4chan again, and it never ends, and I can't stop and do something else. I feel like I'm going to drop dead any moment now. La la la la, la la la la~ Im still working on it from last thread, but I dont know when can I finish it as Im stumped with many other things Right now I'm just liking all the good stuff and posting some of them here while being conscious of spamming the thread. But that means you are friend who has good taste! すっご～い！ This endless stream of fanart makes me so happy. 2 weeks ago I was craving for it and saving every shitty picture on pixiv. No Idea. here's the artist if it could help. わーい！ We are being じーーーーーー'd! I like all the international crossbreeding. All those neetbux will go straight into the pockets of corrupt bureaucrats, oligarchs, and warlords, further fueling the vicious cycle of poverty and conflict in Africa. They made a really good choice to open this series in the savannah. I need more Porcupine art, she was hella cute. >want to go to zoo nearest to where I'm from because of this show >tripadvisor rates it at 2.5 stars >most reviews mention it being poorly maintained, having fewer animals than before and those said animals looking unhealthy >this is supposed to be the most famous zoo in my country It just keeps getting higher and higher. Nico ratings for episode 6. >tfw kemono friends is brainwashing us to enjoy life Agreed. The anime was a last bow to the project from how I see it. Getting past that ep1 is jokingly called a hurdle on nico. Tezuka friends and Fujiko friends. Typical western anime fan in a nutshell. >if you're over 2 you won't be able to understand its hidden genius Oh the irony. >character design is lazy Hahaha this is great. Yuri on Ice has no lasting attention to speak of, it's been over for only 7 weeks or something. This may be an unpopular opinion, but Serval cat has bested the top 10 mobage protags. I seriously think that she's more interesting than Noah, Saber, Shielder or say Cagliostro. I can't really speak on the Kemono as a whole since the game's folded, but Serval Cat and Kaban are actually memorable. >Yuri on Ice has no lasting attention to speak of, it's been over for only 7 weeks or something. What about preorder disc sales? Is Kemono Friends BD/DVDs outranking every every anime TV show? >serval with glasses Wai! A friend who's been paying attention! They're probably having a hard debate between "its just a fad, it'll die down soon so lets not waste money" and "should we cash in quickly on this fad"? i dont think they can get it all out within a month Then these same people seeing all the cute friends and popularity start latching on to kemono like they like it all along. Without watching the actual show it's going to be like kancolle and touhou This is overwhelming. I didn't expect it to be the next big thing when I started watching this. All I wanted was comfy, but now I'm busy hunting Friends fan arts. >but the OP and ED are definitely skippable and nothing worth remembering

It's a gentle, funny, realistic series on a mildly depressing topic. Yoshino is a young lady in Tokyo who's having no luck finding work, but would still sooner jump off a bridge than admit defeat and go back to her family in the rural backwater where she grew up. (Note: she's not a girl. She's twenty-something and this is a show starring and aimed at adults.) Then, one day, her agent finds her a job as Queen of Manoyama. This is yet another rural backwater... but Yoshino swallows her pride and takes the money. Manoyama is one of many dying Japanese towns. All the young people leave to go to the cities. The average age keeps increasing, the birthrate keeps dropping and every year sees the closure of yet more shops and public services. They don't even have a school any more. This is a predicament that's being faced by towns all over Japan. Yoshino's job is to help reverse that decline... but that's like fighting against gravity. Those forces are real. The best they can probably hope for is for a specific town to go against the general trend by making itself fashionable. How long will that last? Is it a permanent solution? Who knows? Too late, Yoshino discovers that she's signed a year-long contract. Oh, and the bloke who offered her the job (Ushimatsu Kadota) is a grouchy, rude pensioner who hadn't even wanted her in the first place. He's sincere in wanting to revive Manoyama, but he's also the kind of git who puts people's backs up and causes more problems than he solves. For a while, it's touch-and-go whether Yoshino stays. Eventually she does. She even makes some friends, becoming one of five ladies who'll work together to try to revive Manoyama. There's Shiori (sweet, a bit dozy, native of Manoyama and absolutely loves the place), Maki (running away from her previous life as an actress), Ririko (emotionless granddaughter of Mr Kadota's most hated enemy) and Sanae (web designer from Tokyo who moved here because it would look good on her blog). It's a workplace show. It's about (mostly) sensible adults doing a job, except that this is an unusual form of employment. P.A. Works have done this kind of thing before, with Shirobako (which is glorious) and Hanasaku Iroha (about which I'm now curious). It's not always a serene watch, partly because the show has a knack for understated cringe comedy. It's gentle, but it's there in the Singles Matchmaking Tour (ep.10) and the foreign Cryptid Hunters (ep.12). More comedy comes from Mr Kadota, who's simply appalling and could make me laugh by using "old bat" as a form of greeting. It's a thoughtful and sometimes even touching examination of the people who live in a place like this. They can be difficult, of course. The shopping district is dying, but it can be like pulling teeth to get the owner of an unused shop to rent it to a strange company. (The owners usually live above their shops, you see, and they're generally of retirement age. Their children have left home. They've basically accepted that they're going to crumble into nothing.) Young people aren't guaranteed to have any attachment to their home town, as is proved by Yoshino herself. This is the kind of calm, level-headed show where heroes are perfectly capable of failing and where the magic solution can turn out to have upsetting hidden strings attached. That said, though, it's also charming. The cast are easy to like. They'll become good friends, they're supportive and they're thoughtful and (mostly) realistic in what they should be aiming for. They're facing an uphill task and they'll have bad ideas as well as good ones, but they'll keep doggedly trying for 25 episodes and you can achieve something meaningful if you keep chipping away with lots of little victories. A lot of what we see here is based on things that have been tried in real Manoyama-like towns, incidentally. Oh, and I loved the first opening theme music. The other themes aren't bad either. This isn't an exciting show. It's modest in its scope, never stepping beyond the bounds of real-life achievability. It's not strong enough to send you running out in the street and recommending to people (whereas Shirobako was). Instead, it's intelligent and nice. 25 episodes is a lot and the show is probably a bit too modest for some audiences, but it's a solid, high-quality show all the way through (in its understated way) and it nails its ending. It's a show to respect.

Can-Am Traxter MAX HD10 XMR 2019 Optimised for mud and changeable conditions, the Traxter X mr is the workhorse built dominate off-road. A new rear differential lock combined with snorkelled intakes and the Smart-Lok differential is the perfect recipe to challenge the terrain ahead. ROTAX HD10 V-TWIN – MAGNIFICENT MUD MOVER Yeah, it roars: the 72-hp Rotax HD10 V-Twin is specifically tuned for serious work, and to be a serious companion in muddy conditions. Why? Torque. With Smart-Lok technology, the engine feels even more responsive thanks to an all-new front differential setup to get the most out of the snorkelled Rotax powerplant. LOCKABLE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL – Smart-Lok Technology For next-level traction to conquer the roughest terrain, Can-Am-exclusive Smart-Lok™* technology is the new benchmark. A true full lockable on-the-fly front differential with electronically-controlled automatic modes, or with the simple press of a button that offers preset, intelligent calibrations for your type of riding. Using multiple input sources, “Smart mode” will instantaneously engage locking with the right load at the right moment. Never before have riders been given maximum traction while retaining low-speed maneouverability. *Smart-Lok was developed in conjunction with TEAM Industries, a market leader in the drive train industry SNORKELLED CVT AND ENGINE INTAKES – THAT SWEET, FRESH AIR With snorkelled CVT and engine intakes, the Traxter X mr gains the ability to perform in deeper water and more extreme conditions where dirt and dust are a concern. An increased intake height also gives better water fording capabilities, allowing this swamp-ready side-by-side vehicle and its determined riders to leave other side-by-sides in its wake. 30 IN. ITP CRYPTID† TIRES ON 14 IN. CAST-ALUMINIUM WHEELS – MUD-READY TREADS Want a head start? These 30 in. ITP Cryptid† tires on 14 in. aluminium wheels will hook up all the way from the hole shot to the moment you turn it off, whether for a blast across a mud hole or on a long-distance ride. FRONT AND REAR ARCHED ARMS – TRAXTER WITH STANCE Fitted with arched arms, aluminium rock sliders, and mudguards, we’ve given added protection for obstacles and unforeseen circumstances that might derail a lesser side-by-side. At speed, its improved geometry returns excellent roadholding and control. OPEN DASH WITH REMOVABLE TOOLBOX AND UNDER-DASH STORAGE – STORAGE WHERE IT COUNTS The Traxter has a total of up to 61.3 L — including a handy, removable and water-resistant 6.3 L toolbox, an industry exclusive—to carry tools and supplies directly where they’re needed. In addition, we included 23 L of under dash storage with an enclosed pocket, under seat storage, and enclosed storage above the gauges. 2,041 KG WINCH AND FRONT BUMPER – PULL IT WITH POWER Given what we’ve seen our owners do with their Traxter´s, this added capability is most welcome when the job gets tough. Matching the rest of the Traxter MAX Lone Star Edition upgrades, this 2,041 kg winch ensures obstacles, recovery missions, and oversized tasks are tackled with ease. VERSA-PRO BENCH SEATS WITH BOLSTERS – SECURELY SPORTING For a more sporting ride, our engineers quickly learned that bolstering the Traxter’s capability meant its occupants needed to be more secure than ever, leading to the all-new VERSA-PRO bench seats. With added side padding and a redesigned profile, they’ll help you control and enjoy this side-by-side vehicle to the fullest. The VERSA-PRO bench seat also features X package seat trims. ANALOG/ DIGITAL GAUGE WITH ENCLOSED STORAGE

Director: Eduardo Sanchez Writer: Jamie Nash Producer: Robin Cowie, Jane Fleming, J. Andrew Jenkins, Mark Ordesky Stars: Dora Madison Burge, Samuel Davis, Roger Edwards, Chris Osborn, Brian Steele, Denise Williamson, Samuel Davis, J.P. Schwan A secluded cabin getaway turns into a terrifying weekend when five friends discover that they are being hunted by Bigfoot. George Lucas proved how difficult it is for a filmmaker to go home again, and it had little to do with Jake Lloyd or with Jar Jar Binks. "The Phantom Menace" was in part doomed because in the 16 years that had passed since "Return of the Jedi," the Star Wars franchise had outgrown the confines of its creator's imagination. Novels, comic books, video games, and action figures had extended the universe so far beyond the original concept that trying to put the milk back into the bottle from which it first poured was like taming a wild horse. It didn't matter that Lucas was the pioneer. The playground he built had become too big to go back to his individual vision. Eduardo Sanchez faces a similar situation with "Exists." As co-director of "The Blair Witch Project" (review here), Sanchez is largely responsible for the 21st century emergence of "found footage" as the go-to format for fledgling filmmakers looking for an easy pathway into the horror movie business. 15 years later, almost the same amount of time between Jedi and Menace, Sanchez returns to the well he dug with a "found footage" Bigfoot thriller in the hopes of catching lightning in a second bottle. Like Lucas, what Sanchez discovers is that the format has long since evolved past tricks of the trade that were hip in 1999, but are overplayed and pedestrian in 2014. The producers describe "Exists" as shot in first-person, rather than as "found footage." In recent years, the sub-genre has already done away with the conceit of being "actual" recovered footage or police evidence, but "Exists" goes one step further by not even engaging in the pretense of being an authentically narrated first-person movie. Characters have Go-Pros, dashboard cams, and handhelds that they use for recording, but occasionally the footage is clearly not being shot by anyone in the scene at all. A music score is added, time-lapse photography separates scenes, and "Exists" is perfectly content with not having an in-world motivation to its artificially added enhancements. The intent is for the film to retain a more realistic feeling with shaky first-person footage, even if the fiction does not fit the recording. The problem with that idea is Sanchez misses the subconscious element on which "found footage" works. First-person is a style that operates best when the viewer's unconscious mind engages with the visuals to make the action appear like a relatable home video. Disbelief is then subliminally suspended based on the concept. Without it, shooting "Exists" absent a fictional frame to accompany its formatting is merely a sloppy technique for telling the story. Five friends head to a loony uncle's remote cabin in the woods, and as is always the case in these situations, party plans go up in smoke when they run afoul of a Sasquatch and the weekend turns into a test of survival. It is a simple story and a simple way to tell it, which means that "Exists" has to have perfect delivery in order to hoist itself over the hump of a familiar tale and an economical production design. And it doesn't. Sanchez wants the movie to be about Bigfoot, not about survival in the woods. But this interpretation of the legendary cryptid is portrayed with so many human characteristics that Bigfoot comes across as a masked maniac slasher instead of as a freak of nature animal hybrid. This Bigfoot has a level of sophisticated intelligence that removes so much of the fearsome beast that she (this Bigfoot is female) is put into the same category as Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees. Bigfoot knows what a car is, why humans would need it, and how to sabotage the vehicle discreetly in order to strand its prey. The same goes for a generator at the cabin. Bigfoot has the wherewithal to understand its use, and somehow knows that destroying it will leave the friends trapped in darkness. Not only does Bigfoot seemingly understand English, but when one friend goes biking for help, Bigfoot knows that carrying the bike back to the cabin and throwing it onto the porch will be a psychological threat, suggesting a sociopathic-level of deviousness that makes no sense for a forest-dwelling missing link. Never mind her impeccable sense of timing for knowing exactly when to jump out of a shadow for a premeditated jolt. Sanchez is unafraid to put Bigfoot center stage at least. Whether in broad daylight or in full frame, "Exists" features Bigfoot onscreen as much as any other character. On one hand, it is an interesting choice that audience patience is not overly tested with getting a generous glimpse of the goods. On another, Sanchez misses the mark on the unseen shadows aspect that made his "Blair Witch Project" connect with audiences on a cerebral level. This Bigfoot is so overly accessible, yet so underwhelming in its depiction, that it looks like a guy in a gorilla suit running at the lens, and that is more laughable than frightening. Some shock scares are well timed, but they only work if you can buy into the portrayal of the creature and see it as something other than a stuntman covered in carpet. Otherwise, the only material left in the picture is a lot of well-trod territory, and the jittery first-person style makes it more messy than scary. Emotional breakdown scenes lose resonance when characters are only partially framed and dramatic tension is reduced without a traditional shooting style. The decision to go a first-person route severely limits what the movie can accomplish on an intangible level. With all of the grumbling done about "found footage,” Eduardo Sanchez comes back to it at a time when his bag of tricks is moth-eaten and hole-ridden. Even if "The Blair Witch Project" got to you, or gave you a boarding ticket for the "found footage" format before subsequently falling off, "Exists" is not the movie that is going to reignite that flame. "Exists" is so threadbare in script and in style that what could have been a hit 15 years ago is only derivative today. Review Score: 45

We have a sixth sense. All of us. And it is not the ability we saw in the famous movie with the little guy telling Bruce Willis “I see dead people“. It is the ability to understand and work with numbers. Numerosity is our sixth sense and there is a specific brain region that ‘hosts’ this ability. The results of the study conducted by researchers of Utrecht University in the Netherlands argue that the importance of this ability and the “space” it occupies in our brains are analogous to the other known five senses. Numerosity as a sense has nothing to do with Continue reading Almost every one of us has ever experienced a strange feeling that something has changed around, but it is impossible to understand what it is. All attempts to find the reason to rationalize what has happened fail. The “sixth sense” is one of the favorite themes in pop culture: movies are filmed, books are written about it… A group of psychologists of the University of Melbourne decided to set up an experiment to find out what really lies behind the sixth sense and whether it is possible to find a rational explanation for it. Participants were shown two pictures of the same person. Each image remained on the screen for 1.5 seconds, while there was a Continue reading Back in the XX century, the researchers noticed a strange pattern: the most frequently occurring disasters and accidents with the planes and trains take place when they are filled with passengers half of their capacity, while the safe trips are sent en route with at least 76% of the passengers present. This mysterious finding can be explained only by the existence of intuition. Life expectancy and its quality directly correlate with the “sixth” sense. But why isn’t this gift uniformly distributed among people? Intuition of destiny Intuitive knowledge can actively influence a person’s life: on many occasions, the intuition saved someone’s life (in fact, there was someone who had not booked tickets to the advertised as “absolutely safe” “Titanic” vessel). There are many examples when intuition helped people to get wealthier. An experienced entrepreneur sometimes will get a gut feeling to discern a hidden catch in the behavior of potential partners. Continue reading Scientists of the Duke University in North Carolina claim to have developed a “sixth sense” by using a special implant in the brain of experimental animals. Lead researcher Miguel Nicolelis said that the results of the experiment led them to important conclusions and paved the way for a new set of prosthetic devices that can be controlled by the brain and may give us an opportunity to understand and “see” the infrared range of the electromagnetic radiation. Lab mice were induced with infrared sensors, which were adapted to the area of the brain that is responsible for sensing information related to the touch. Therefore, once the animals perceived the infrared radiation, the brain interpreted it as “tactile stimulation”, resulting in the fact that mice did not see the beam, but could feel it, shaking the nose and scratching their fur. Continue reading Lab rats gained a “sixth sense” via brain implant that allowed them to “touch” the infrared light, according to data published in the journal Nature Communications. Seeing in the infrared spectrum Team of researchers at Duke University in North Carolina, led by Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, announced during the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston that this new breakthrough opens the way for a new generation of prosthetic devices that are controlled by the brain and in the future will probably give people the ability to “see” in the infrared spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. Continue reading Empirical evidence gives us a choice of what to believe, but even when we do not have solid evidence to support the existence of something, we tend to “expand” our faith in certain things. Below you will find Top 10 things we believe in despite the lack of verifiable evidence of their existence. Cryptids are creatures whose existence has not been proven by science, such as Loch Ness monster or Bigfoot. There are uncountable amateur photos and eyewitness observations that make us believe in the existence of these creatures, even if their presence on Earth is not officially recognized. Until any cryptid is captured, they will remain mystical creatures without evidence of their existence. Continue reading Sometimes metaphysics is described as “physics of tomorrow”. Many of the phenomena studied by metaphysics resemble a fantasy movie script, but maybe in the future they will become everyday and ordinary. In an interview published on the otherside.gr, Nicholas Koumartzis, member of the Greek Community of Metaphysical Journalism and PhD candidate at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, speaks of the most well-known and mysterious metaphysical phenomena: Continue reading Researchers at the Medical School of the University of Massachusetts, led by neuroscience and neurobiology professor Steven Reppert, who published their study in the journal Nature communications, according to the BBC and The New York Times, discovered that a protein in the retina of the human eye can perceive magnetic fields. The unexpected discovery opens once again a neglected chapter of the biology of consciousness that has to do with the so-called “magnetic sense”. In all the animals of our planet, the photosensitive chemical reactions involve an ancient protein Continue reading The third eye is essentially a “blind” pituitary gland (or, to put into simple words, an autonomous “tube” that has neither the beginning nor the end) which is located at the base of our brain and, according to medical science, has no reason to exist. That is to say, it is something that the science has not yet found a role for. Continue reading According to a neuroscientist from Sydney, the phenomenon of sixth sense exists in a form of interaction between people. After five years of follow-up study of the brain activity, Trisha Stratford from the University of Technology, Sydney concluded that two people can “synchronize” the functions of their nervous system without having any visual or physical contact. She tried to explain scientifically what happens when two people’s brains interact, which happens even when we fall in love! Continue reading

Your average armchair cryptozoologist's Christmas wish list is long and complicated, usually starting off with alive-and-kicking specimens of their favourite species - but they're a bit hard to fit in the Christmas stocking! Instead, we've chosen our top 10 picks of books and products that have come out in the past year for what would make the Christmas of anyone interested in cryptozoology. Of course it's a wee bit biased, but we'd never recommend anything we didn't like! Happy shopping :-) Savage Shadow: The Search for the Australian Cougar by David O'Reilly - the early '80s big cat cult classic is back with a slick new cover, more photographs and two forewords that contextualise its contents and profile the journalist who became intrigued by the shadowy assassins of the Outback. It's a handsome shelf-fellow for... Australian Big Cats: An Unnatural History of Panther by Michael Williams and Rebecca Lang - launched last year to great acclaim, the book documents the past 150 years' of big cat sightings, unusual livestock killings and government investigations into the continent's own Alien Big Cats phenomenon. Also features a dedicated chapter on New Zealand big cat sightings. Orang Pendek: Sumatra's Forgotten Ape by Richard Freeman - a long-awaited tome which includes the findings of this year's Centre for Fortean Zoology expedition to Sumatra in search of the aforementioned cryptid. Freeman has made many trips to Sumatra in search of the Orang Pendek, and we can't think of anyone better who could have authored this epic work. Searching for Sasquatch by Brian Regal - the book we wish we had written! And the talk at the Fortean Times Unconvention 2011 we would have happily flown all the way to the UK just to see. Regal examines the relationship between professional scientists and amateur naturalists who hunt for man-beasts (you know, Yeti, Bigfoot, Sasquatch and our own Yowie) - and their place in the history of science. The author pulls no punches, and that's just how we like it. Big Cats: Facing Britain's Wild Predators by Rick Minter - we know Rick, and he's a passionate researcher and cataloguer of big cat sightings in the UK. This book has been a long time in the works and we can't wait to get our paws on a copy - that's right, we're buying this one for ourselves for Christmas! Tetrapod Zoology Book 1 by Darren Naish - actually, we already read someone else's copy in Sumatra and LOVED it, so we will be tracking down our own copy for our library. For anyone unfamiliar with Darren Naish's popular blog, some of the posts of which make up this book, visit Tet Zoo here. The Ltl Acorn trail camera - we took this little beauty away with us to Sumatra and really can't rave about it enough. From the excellent resolution stills and video to its compact, lightweight nature and camouflage casing complete with mounting brace, it's great value for money and the ideal choice for expeditions. CFZ Expedition Report: India 2010 - in November 2010, a five-person team went to India in search of the Mande burung or Indian yeti. Dr Karl Shuker has written the foreword to this latest in a series of expedition reports published by the CFZ Press. Weird Waters: The Lake and Sea Monsters of Scandinavia and the Baltic States - aquatic monsters have a long and venerable history in the waters of northern Europe. Author Lars Thomas tells us the very same monsters are still very much alive, in tradition as well as in reality. When Bigfoot Attacks: A Global Survey of Alleged Sasquatch/Yeti Predation - Michael Newton's latest cryptozoology book takes a look at those toey man-beasts who don't mind putting humans on the menu. Tall tales or true? Over to you! Happy Christmas shopping!

Welcome to the Norton Community - a place where Norton customers, employees and other people interested in dialogue can meet online to discuss our products and.There was a cold wind coming out of the South and we were all facing North trying to stay warm when we noticed a dim red light that was not moving. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can be collected using a lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap, and tested to help diagnose conditions such as meningitis. Q&A for software developers, mathematicians and others interested in cryptography.How to restore a system after accidentally removing all kernels?. Biology; Computer Science; Philosophy; more (10) Meta Stack Exchange; Stack Apps.CS155: Security & Complexity 1. n Stanford BS in Biology (’95),. Lines of code (LOC) 2N2N n What if the number of security-critical.While biologists regularly identify new species, cryptozoologists focus on creatures from the folklore record and, in turn, cryptozoologists may consider any figure from folklore to be a cryptid. International Giardia and Cryptosporidium Conference 2014. 799 likes. 5th. parasitology research from molecular biology and. LOC start to get excited. It helps being nice in these situations but it can be very trying.And just like UFO sightings, I agree that probably most could be rationally explained, but then there will be that 10% or so where there is no know explanation for what was seen or recorded, and given the transient nature no hopes of getting more data on the specific sighting. The flapping of wings was unmistakable, just like on Scooby Doo.Yahoo Answers Sign in Mail ⚙. Now the crypto market crashed yesterday, arbitrage decreased from 55 percent down to 15 percent. Although all of my funds are now.Honestly i dont think a study by reputable sources has been done do to lack of initial evidence stir any kind of interest.To be fair the guy I met up with was somewhat skeptical himself but had the prospecting bug and was looking for a place to go. View Milan Tepic’s profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Milan has 4 jobs listed on their profile. See the complete profile on LinkedIn.Learn the biology of the goat through animations, illustrations and articles.Hetero- definition, a combining form meaning “different,” “other,” used in the formation of compound words: heterocyclic. See more. Root words help you understand words. biology - the science of life; biosphere. crypto: hidden, secret: Greek: cryptic.Biology and Infection Mechanisms of Cryptosporiopsis spp Fungus Causing Blight Disease on Cashew (Anacardium Occidentale L.). Live Loco prices from all markets and LOC coin market Capitalization. Stay up to date with the latest Loco price movements and forum discussion. Check out our.One has to listen and play their game a bit and then gently try to input some real science to push them away from the nonsense towards the real world.One fine summer night, I got of bed early in the morning and was feeling a bit hungry.

Check out these free weekend happenings. Sensory Series: Resolve Photography by Wale Deen Agboola. 7 to 9 p.m. Free. Studio 125 Mpls, 1621 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. With Rebel the DJ, Lt. Sunnie, George Jetson, and Los Pinches Gueys. 9 p.m. Nov. 9; Free. Hexagon Bar, 2600 27th Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-722-3454. With Holler House and Short Timer. 10 p.m. Nov. 9; Free. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis; 612-331-1746. Yule 2018 Release For the seventh iteration of this annual brew, Boom Island has taken inspiration from Aquavite, adding Caraway seeds and Star Anise. Pours will be available in the taproom on Friday. 4-9 p.m. Free. Boom Island Brewing Company, 2014 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-227-9635. Do the Dow Artists from the Dow Artist Building—including painters, sculptors, woodworkers, metalworkers, ceramic artists, muralists, screen printers, and installation artists—will be showing off the fruits of their labor at the annual Do the Dow event in St. Paul. There will also be drummers, poets, and musicians performing over the course of the two-day event, and eats from the Twin Grill food truck. Stop in to see Erik Pearson’s giant pirate sculptures, Carolyn Brunelle’s moody abstract paintings, Karen Searle’s intricate textile pieces, and much more. 6-10 p.m. Nov. 9; 12-8 p.m. Nov. 10; Free. Dow Art Gallery and Picture Framing, 2242 University Ave. W., St. Paul; 612-607-9203. –Sheila Regan Minnesota Music Cafe 21st Anniversary Celebration Weekend long celebration of the club's 21st anniversary, featuring live performances by the High & Mighty Band (Fri.), The Good, the Bad, and the Funky (Sat.), and Wee Willie Walker (Sun.). Daily from Nov. 9-11; Free. Minnesota Music Cafe, 501 Payne Ave., St. Paul; 651-776-4699. Weavers Guild of Minnesota's Fiber Fair Annual sale of handcrafted items by local artists. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 9; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 10; 12-4 p.m. Nov. 11; Free. Northrup King Studios, 1500 Jackson St. NE, Minneapolis; 612-363-5612. The Comedy Corner Open Mic Night 10 p.m. Every Fri. Free. The Corner Bar, 1501 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-339-4333. Group show co-curated by Jehra Patrick and Susannah Magers. Gallery talk 4:30 p.m. Fri., Nov. 9, with curator Susannah Magers and artist Grace Rosario Perkins giving a walk-through the exhibition. Free. Macalester College Law Warschaw Gallery, 1600 Grand Ave., Fine Arts Commons 105, St. Paul; 651-696-6416. Author presents her new book, 'Scribe.' 7 p.m. Nov. 9; Free. Milkweed Books, 1011 Washington Ave. S., Ste. 300, Minneapolis; 612-332-3192. MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Fellowships Series XIV Work by Cathy Ryan, Ioana Stoian, Peng Wu, and Jammo Xu. Public reception 6-8 p.m. Fri., Nov. 9. Free. Minnesota Center for Book Arts, 1011 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-215-2520. MacPhail New Music Ensemble Presents: Unremembered Song cycle for 3 voices and chamber orchestra by Sarah Kirkland Snider. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9; Freewill offering. Hamline United Methodist Church, 1514 Englewood Ave., St. Paul; 651-645-0667. 8 p.m. Every 2nd Fri.; Free. Black Dog Cafe, 308 Prince St., St. Paul; 651-228-9274. Mercedes Llanos: Entrecuerpos Oil paintings and drawings. Opening reception 7-10 p.m. Fri., Nov. 9. Free. Modus Locus, 3500 Bloomington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-382-9477. Group tap dance lessons. 4-6 p.m. Every Fri.; Free. Can Can Wonderland, 755 Prior Ave. N., Ste. 4, St. Paul; 651-925-2261. Can Can Wonderland Karaoke Hosted by Silly Miss Tilly. All ages. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Every Fri. Free. Can Can Wonderland, 755 Prior Ave. N., Ste. 4, St. Paul; 651-925-2261. Arts of the Holidays Show and Sale Featuring handmade arts and crafts ideal for holiday giving. Nov. 8-Dec. 22; Free. Minnetonka Center For The Arts, 2240 N. Shore Drive, Wayzata; 952-473-7361. BLCA November Reading Series Featuring authors Caitlin Bailey and Sagirah Shahid. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9; Free. Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts, 6666 E. River Rd., Fridley; 763-574-1850. Alex M. Petersen: In the Future We'll All Be Happy Despite what the show’s title implies, the future that Alex M. Petersen hypothesizes is fairly dystopian. In graphite drawings and acrylic paintings, he considers a post-human world where the inhabitants have inherited our waste and the damage we’ve done to the environment. These mural-sized installations examine queer voices and those on the fringe, while featuring Minnesota flora and fauna, and speculative technology. “Without Us,” a show featuring work by Sophia Heymans, also examines a world after we’re gone. See both exhibitions at the opening reception on Saturday, November 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. Free. Soo Visual Arts Center, 2909 Bryant Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-871-2263. –Jessica Armbruster Sophia Heymans: Without Us Landscape paintings. Opening reception 6-9 p.m. Sat., Nov. 10. Free. Soo Visual Arts Center, 2909 Bryant Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-871-2263. Lost Tribes of the Moon With Grogus, Feral Light, and Uhtcearu. 9 p.m. Nov. 10; Free. Hexagon Bar, 2600 27th Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-722-3454. Minneapolis Vintage Market This Saturday, the Minneapolis Vintage Market returns to Modist Brewing for an afternoon of beer and shopping. Twenty different vendors will be selling their wares at this traveling pop-up shop. Check out colorful costume jewelry, collectible vinyl from eras past, classic home goods, and retro clothing. Even better? You can shop while enjoying beer, which Modest has plenty of on tap. 12-5 p.m. Nov. 10; Free. Modist Brewing Co., 505 N. 3rd St., Minneapolis; 612-454-0258. –Jessica Armbruster Tree of Life AR/VR Mural Community Creation Help paint a mural in response to Jewish community members locally and in Pittsburgh. Bring a donation of new socks, gloves, hats, blankets, feminine hygiene, or gift cards to gift our local members in need at the tent encampment Wall of Forgotten Natives. Saturday, noon to 3 p.m. Better World Museum, 40 S. Seventh St., Minneapolis; 612-801-2642. Cider House Grand Opening Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Number 12 Cider, 614 N. Fifth St., Minneapolis; 651-246-9995. Adorably Awkward: A Monstrously Cute Art Show Paintings by Angel Hawari. Opening reception 6-9 p.m. Sat., Nov. 10. Free. Cryptid Hair Parlour, 2358 NE Stinson Pkwy., Minneapolis; 612-354-7328. Minnesota Music Cafe 21st Anniversary Celebration Weekend long celebration of the club's 21st anniversary, featuring live performances by The Good, the Bad, and the Funky (Sat.), and Wee Willie Walker (Sun.). Daily from Nov. 9-11; Free. Minnesota Music Cafe, 501 Payne Ave., St. Paul; 651-776-4699. Go For Retro (EP Release Show) With Ripper and Night of Joy. 10 p.m. Nov. 10; Free. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis; 612-331-1746. Jean-Michel Wicker: antibook neonevvconcrrrretistas e ffffffuturrrrristas First U.S. solo exhibition of Wicker's antibooks installations. Opening reception 6-8 p.m. Sat., Nov. 10. Free. Midway Contemporary Art, 527 2nd Ave. SE, Minneapolis; 612-605-4504. Mill City Winter Market Indoor marketplace featuring local food, ceramics, jewelry, art, music, and home products. More info at millcityfarmersmarket.org/visit/winter-market. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 10. Free. Mill City Museum, 704 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis; 612-341-7555. 3rd Annual Coffee Crawl - North East Minneapolis Edition Meet at Five Watt Coffee, then get your caffeine fix at stops that include Spyhouse, Anelace, and El Taco Riendo. 10 a.m. Five Watt Coffee, 861 E. Hennepin Ave. #106, Minneapolis. Lie Cheat Steal Featuring work by Arton Erthnif Collective. At Storage Contemporary. Free. California Building, 2205 California St. NE, Minneapolis; 612-788-5551. Art Show and Music Featuring works by William Lindmark and acoustic songs by Andra Suchy, with a raffle and complimentary cold cider and chocolate treats. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 10; Free. L'Occitane Galleria, 3462 Galleria, Edina; 952-926-0126. Author presents her new book, 'Spark: A Guide to Ignite the Creativity Inside You,' featuring a reading, Q&A, signing, and activities inspired by the book. 3 p.m. Nov. 10; Free. Red Balloon Bookshop, 891 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-224-8320. 12th Annual Fair & Ethical Trade Sale Featuring unique gifts, household items, crafts, clothing, and food products, with lunch served from 11:30-2:30 p.m. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 10; Free. St. John Neumann Church, 4030 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan; 651-454-2079. Author presents her new book, 'Small Walt and Mo the Tow.' 10:30 a.m. Nov. 10; Free. Red Balloon Bookshop, 891 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-224-8320. World Art Car Day A flash parade around the area begins at noon. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mall of America, 60 E. Broadway, Bloomington. Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann Authors present their new book, 'The Girls are Gone.' 7 p.m. Nov. 10; Free. Eat My Words Bookstore, 1228 2nd St. NE, Minneapolis; 612-804-7985. New Hope Community Farmers Market 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Every Sat. Free. New Hope Farmers' Market, 4300 Xylon Avenue N., Minneapolis; 763-531-5196. Recent works by Maureen Welter. Opening reception 7-10 p.m. Sat., Nov. 10. Free. Gallery 360, 3011 W. 50th St., Minneapolis; 612-925-2400. Third Annual McDermott Lecture Featuring Dr. Niklas Salmose University professor gives talk entitled, “Fitzgerald in a Swedish Context: Translation, Publication, and Representation,” about translating the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald into Swedish, with hors d'oeuvres and cash bar at 6:15. 7 p.m. Nov. 10; Free. The University Club of Saint Paul, 420 Summit Ave., St. Paul; 651-222-1751. Your Shining Life Expo Featuring workshops, demonstrations, samples, and exhibitors, geared towards promoting healthy lifestyles. More info at www.yourshininglifeexpo.com. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 10; Free. Radisson Hotel Roseville, 2540 Cleveland Ave., Roseville; 651-636-4567. Grease Rag Presents: 10th Annual Winter Skill Share Learn about winter biking and share your knowledge. With snacks and more. This event is open to all skill levels, and is for femme, trans nonbinary, two-spirit and women riders. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Blake School, 511 Kenwood Pkwy., Minneapolis. Death Cáfe Twin Cities Discuss death and all aspects of dying in a friendly safe space. Sunday, 7-9 p.m. Rogue buddha Gallery, 357 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis; 612-331-3889. Handmade for the Holidays Featuring local artisans and makers, food trucks, goods from Dulceria Bakery, and beer on tap. Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. La Doña Cervecería, 241 Fremont Ave. N., Minneapolis. 3rd Annual Holiday Bazaar Featuring local vendors, live music, food. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Paikka, 550 Vandalia St., St. Paul. Armistice Day Observance Featuring a bagpipes and bells performance commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, with poems, prayers, and worship service. 6-11 a.m. Nov. 11; Free. House of Hope Presbyterian Church, 797 Summit Ave., St. Paul; 651-227-6311. 7-11 p.m. Every Sun. Free. Schooner Tavern, 2901 27th Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-729-4365. Comedy open mic showcase hosted by Trish Cook. 7:30 p.m. Every Sun. Free. Bunny's Bar & Grill NE, 34 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis; 612-545-5659. Honoring Our Veterans Concert Featuring the University of Minnesota Health Sciences Orchestra, with special guest Elise Bombaro on piano. Reception to follow the performance. All donations benefit St. Stephen's Human Services and Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans 2 p.m. Nov. 11; Free; donations accepted. St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, 519 Oak Grove St., Minneapolis; 612-870-7800. Linden Hills Holiday Market Featuring over 60 different vendors selling local crafts, holiday gifts, artisan foods, and ready-to-eat meals. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Every Sun. from Nov. 4-Dec. 23; Free. Sunnyside Gardens, 3723 W. 44th St., Minneapolis; 612-926-2654. MN Christmas Market Pop-up holiday shopping event featuring local brands and vendors, food, and drinks, with portions of sales benefiting local charities. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 11; Free. The Hutton House, 10715 South Shore Dr., Minneapolis; 952-470-0788. Weekly residency with a variety of special guests and opening acts. 7-9 p.m. Every Sun. Free. Palmer's Bar, 500 S. Cedar Ave., Minneapolis; 612-333-7625. Zacc Harris Trio 7-9 p.m. Every Sun. Free. Riverview Cafe & Wine Bar, 3745 42nd Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-729-4200. Minnesota Music Cafe 21st Anniversary Celebration Weekend long celebration of the club's 21st anniversary. Tonight features Wee Willie Walker. Free. Minnesota Music Cafe, 501 Payne Ave., St. Paul; 651-776-4699.

Last night, Murray called with another bunch of prophecies, so Yonatan Kaplan hasn’t slept yet. He stayed up preparing dossiers on some doomed socialites instead. Now it’s a little after dawn, Friday morning, and he’s standing in line outside Fox’s Bagels with a thermos and a tote bag. He’s shaky from too much caffeine and too little sleep, but he doesn’t regret it. The socialites will die this weekend, according to Murray, and Murray’s got a good track record. When they do die, the obituary writers will call the Morgue—The Pre-Morgue Clipping Service, Yonatan’s business—to buy the dossiers, expecting the usual thoughtfulness and prescience. So it had been best to begin the work immediately. The line shortens when a gaggle of tourists leaves Fox’s. Yonatan steps forward, fills his thermos lid with hot tea, and covers a yawn with the hand still holding the thermos. He thinks back to Murray’s sneering tone when he ‘apologized’ for calling so late, his fake sadness that Yonatan would stay up all night working. It doesn’t matter if Murray made a lucky guess or if it was knowledge from Murray’s divine gift—either way, it’s rude to mock a man for doing his job. Yonatan takes a big drink of tea and frowns. Fucking prophets. They’re nothing like what you read about. The line shortens again and it’s Yonatan’s turn to enter the shop. The woman in front of him holds the door, and he nods to her as he steps inside. Yonatan is welcomed by a burst of humidity, which carries the smell of fresh onions and the accumulated yeast of three generations. He’s also welcomed by a new cashier, a young man of maybe twenty who shares the owner Shay’s big ears and too-skinny frame. The hunger in Yonatan’s gut is replaced with a rarely-felt electricity, once debilitating, though he has learned to weather it. For him the closest analogy is the shock of a new and severe crush settling in, but he’s not gay, trust him, he’s checked. This young man, whose name tag reads ‘Stephen,’ is perhaps a Tzadik Nistar. “Morning,” Yonatan manages, stepping to the counter. “One of everything, please.” Stephen raises an eyebrow over a baggy eye. “Like, one everything bagel, or…” Yonatan cringes and tries to twist it into a smile. “Sorry. Bad joke I have with Shay. One of each kind of bagel, please.” Stephen counts off on his fingers. “So one plain, one poppy, one sesame, one onion…” “And one everything,” Yonatan finishes. Stephen collects and bags the bagels. “I don’t get it.” Yonatan shrugs. “I said it was a bad joke. Is it even a joke? Who knows how these things start.” Yonatan knows. He tried making a pun five or six years ago after a long night of drinking. “Shay might remember. Do you know Shay, uh…” He points at the name tag like he just noticed it. “Stephen?” “Uncle Shay? I sure do. It’s Steve, though. That’ll be fifteen dollars.” Steve beeps some buttons on the register. “You know what, Steve, why don’t you add another poppy.” Steve wraps the extra bagel while Yonatan observes. No piercings or ink that he can see. That’s good, it’s one of the rules Adonai actually cares about any more. The register beeps again. Steve says, “Eighteen dollars.” Yonatan hands him a twenty and puts the bagels in his tote. “Nice to meet you, Steve. Tell Shay Yonatan says hi.” Out front, Yonatan leans against the wall and takes two deep breaths while his gut settles. It turns to growling, sour with too much tea and too little food. Much better, easy to address. He returns to the Morgue and goes straight to the computer, where he opens a password-protected document and types an addition to a long list of names, in a column headed ‘CANDIDATES’: Stephen ‘Steve’ Fox, ~20, Lower East Side, NYC. And then, at long last, it is bagel time. Poppy, toasted, with leftover veggie cream cheese. Later he’s on the office couch, taking a little break and reading a space opera, when the landline rings. It’s barely audible over the Norwegian black metal he put on to stay awake. His watch says eight-thirty, but he decides to take it anyway—it can’t be any less interesting than the exposition dump he’s at in the book, or the Page Six profiles he’s avoiding. Off goes the music and in goes a bookmark. The bookmark has an Emerson quote he likes. He can read part of it sticking out: Time and space are but physiological colors which the eye makes, but. While he crosses the Morgue, he steps over a spilled pile of clippings, and growls. Always more work, dossiers to build, Tzadikim to chronicle, things to file. Sleep, somewhere in there. And the phone keeps ringing, and he almost yells something passive-aggressive at it, but no, that’s more something his father would do. With a silent glance back at the clippings he walks the rest of the way. “Pre-Morgue Clipping Service, this is Yonatan.” “Thank you for answering, Yonatan. I hope it is not too early.” A woman, British? Her voice seems far away, like a long-distance call in some old movie. Her comment reminds Yonatan that he stayed up all night, and he stifles a yawn. “It’s no trouble at all, Ms…” “How rude of me. My name is Ariel.” Like the mermaid? Yonatan thinks. He can’t help himself—he’s never met a woman with that name before. He gets a stupid grin at the idea of talking to a cryptid. “How can I help you, Ariel?” “I am looking for somebody, of course.” Yonatan clears his throat and recites a spiel. This happens. “I’m sorry, Ariel, but this isn’t that kind of place. We do collect information on people, but we don’t release it until they’re deceased. I can refer you to several good private investigators.” A pause, then Ariel continues. “Yes, of course, how silly of me—he is deceased. Or that’s what I’ve heard. I was hoping you could tell me, and then if… I am looking for his remains.” Yonatan bites his lip. This feels like the sort of thing that will involve lawyers, maybe family drama. He should have let it go to voice mail. “Why don’t you tell me who you’re looking for, and leave me your contact information, and I’ll get back to you,” he says, a little too quick, to get her off the line. He wonders if the machine that records his calls is still working. He hasn’t had to check in a while. “I’m sorry, have I said something wrong?” She sounds sweet, like she doesn’t know. And maybe she doesn’t, maybe there’s a language barrier or Yonatan is maybe cranky. A saying of his mom’s pops into his head, Make sure to offer somebody an offramp before they drive too far down stupid street, so he does. “Did you mean to say you’re looking for his grave, instead of his remains?” Another pause. “That is probably the better word. We wish to pay our respects.” “Alright.” He explains the fee structure, and takes down a credit card number and the name of the man in question: John Miller, possibly died ‘quite recently’, near San Francisco. It startles him—that’s the name of a Tzadik Nistar. And about a million other people, of course. Anyway, last he checked, John the Tzadik was alive and living in San Diego. Still, something feels off about Ariel, so after he hangs up, Yonatan decides to download the call from the recorder. He finds the device inside a junction box by the front door, warm and smelling like hour-old tar. It’s fried. His assistant Sarah comes in a minute later while he’s digging in the wiring with a flashlight between his teeth. He turns and asks for help, and accidentally blinds her. While they extract the recorder together, he brings her up to speed on the socialites’ dossiers. Could she pick up where he left off, and also run to the gadget store for a new recorder? There’re fresh bagels in the kitchenette. He grabs his space opera and goes home without telling her about Ariel’s call. She doesn’t need to know, she isn’t a Searcher. From the privacy of his apartment, he sends an email to the Searcher who follows Miller, checking in. Finally he goes to bed. Asleep, he dreams—who doesn’t? Sometimes he has one of the dreams everybody gets, like having a test he forgot to study for even though grad school was six years ago. Once he had an entire month of dreams where every day was Saturday and he had to follow his dad’s Shabbat rules, which he never had to in real life. His dad didn’t go all Haredi—instead of ‘Haredi’ you can say ‘ultra-orthodox,’ if you want to piss his dad off—until after the terrorist attacks really started to ramp up in America, around when Yonatan was starting college. This morning’s dream is about a maple tree. He’s squatting on a crook in the branches, up where the trunk first splits, with a magnifying glass and a clipboard. The clipboard holds a chart, the scientific names of bugs on the left and numbers on the right. He’s a scientist doing a population survey. He counts tiny black ants through the magnifying glass, writes the number next to their species name. The name’s in Latin, and he wishes he knew how to pronounce— Of course he knows how it’s pronounced, he’s been studying liturgical languages for years. This is a dream. He straightens out his back and stretches. Even here, it hurts from all the time he spends at his desk. He should really get a better chair. “What are you doing? Don’t just squat there if you aren’t going to work.” Yonatan looks down. The source of the voice is a park ranger in iridescent green, like a beetle with a chip on its shoulder, gender indeterminate. While the ranger glares, Yonatan inspects some leaves. Aphids are munching on the cellulose while lady-bird beetles munch on the aphids. He’s too distracted to count them, so he hops onto the grass and brushes crumbled bark off his shirt. “I guess it’s time to go, then,” he says, pocketing his magnifying glass. “I guess so,” says the ranger. “What’d I do wrong?” “I just don’t like people climbing in my tree when they don’t have a good reason.” The ranger puts their fists on their hips, a superhero pose. “Just this tree?” The ranger spreads their arms. “There aren’t any other trees.” Yonatan sees he’s in a field, wild grasses stretching to the horizon. He looks up at the maple appreciatively. It’s well-pruned and healthy. “You must be very dedicated to your work,” he says. “We all do what we must.” The ranger rolls their eyes and bows. “But seriously though, thanks for your part. Now get going.” Yonatan nods, climbs into the Ford Explorer he hasn’t owned for ten years, and drives off to the lab. He wakes and showers, and by the time he’s finished, the sun has set and it’s Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest. Many in his neighborhood, inside the old borders of the Manhattan eruv, observe it; a quick glance out his apartment’s paint-flecked window confirms their absence on the streets. Yonatan rarely observes; he’s usually busy with Searcher work, and today is no exception. The only concession he makes is accessing the office remotely, which is not really a concession at all. He looks back at his laptop, at an email from Sarah. Executive summary: she finished the socialites’ dossiers and got a new call recorder set up. The old one only broke that morning, so they have Murray’s call, but nothing after. Yonatan goes to make a cup of tea and heat up some leftover beef pad see ew. The tea is black and steeps in his favorite mug, also black, to match his jeans and hoodie—even your favorite tea is black, his dad jokes. Text on the mug reads The Chosen Son. It’s half-blasphemous, a birthday present from his mom a few years ago. Shh, don’t tell your father, she said with a wink. They’re still together. He’ll never understand it. Carrying his dinner back to his computer, he stubs his toe, and narrowly avoids saying “God damn it,” choosing instead the more respectful “Fuck!” There’s a reply in his inbox with bad news about John Miller. During a business trip to San Francisco this week, Miller was beaten into a coma. He died of his injuries just this morning. Yonatan blinks twice. He hopes that Ariel wasn’t asking about that John Miller, but can’t really convince himself it’s a coincidence. Then he reminds himself that people usually call right after a death—it’s the Morgue’s whole business model. Difference is, nobody ever asked him about one of the Tzadikim before. To still the dread creeping over his scalp, he plugs his phone into his sound system and resumes the Norwegian metal playlist. The part of him that isn’t freaking out hopes it annoys the upstairs neighbors. They’re always clomping around at four in the morning. What are they, meth heads? He sets a couch cushion on the floor and sits, closing his eyes and counting breaths. He wishes there were a Searcher manual to consult, but theirs is an oral tradition, a secrecy born from the historical necessity to hide. The next best thing would be to ask Leonard, his old mentor and thesis advisor, but Leonard’s been dead almost a year. Upon reflection, Yonatan knows Leonard would just repeat the fundamental rule about Searching: If somebody asks for information about a Tzadik Nistar, you must provide it. Yonatan’s no good at following rules he doesn’t grok the need for, but the rationale behind the rule is obvious, to somebody who knows the history. His thoughts go to his first real Searcher meeting. It was in a faculty bar that the university had shoved into a basement. “So you’ve passed the hard part of the test,” Leonard had said. “Now for the oral portion. Explain, in your own words, the Tzadikim Nistarim.” Yonatan nodded. “An old Talmudic legend. Thirty-six righteous people who are so great, they keep God from trashing this place. If some day only thirty-five people held that honor, God would wipe us out.” Leonard tut-tutted. “Please, use one of the other names, around me at least.” “Does… Adonai actually care?” The word felt funny in Yonatan’s mouth. “There are things Adonai cares more and less about. The work I do with the Tzadikim, securing the life of creation—it’s more important than, say, Shabbat, if you need it to be. But Adonai’s name is a matter of basic respect.” Yonatan glanced at his vodka tonic. “Sorry, Leonard. I’ll work on it.” “Thank you. So these Tzadikim Nistarim, they’re special?” “One could even be the Messiah,” Yonatan said. “A Tzadik Nistar doesn’t know they’re a Tzadik Nistar. Some say it’s a metaphor to encourage you to behave well—you never know when you might turn out to be one.” Leonard waved his hand. “But…” “But you say they’re real.” “I don’t say, Yonatan, I know. And I know you can feel it—you picked one out of a full lecture hall.” Yonatan grunted. Both men sipped their vodkas. Leonard put a hand on the table. “Eschatology aside, the archive is still a brilliant career opportunity, you know. I’m old, and I need an apprentice. And—this is just a personal observation—I don’t see academia in your future.” Yonatan snorted and then agreed. So began his life with the Searchers, who identify and chronicle these Tzadikim, and provide information about them whenever it’s requested. Yonatan jokes that it’s in case Adonai ever loses his phone book. And they have a simple principle: always provide the information. After all, you never know who might be asking. Well, as Leonard liked to remind him, one has principles so one can follow them in uncertain situations. Thinking about the present, Yonatan adds, But that doesn’t mean one has to like it. This situation is uncertain as fuck. Miller was murdered. Why is Ariel drawing his attention to it? She doesn’t sound like a prophet, or not like any he’s talked to. More importantly, has somebody begun knocking off the Tzadikim? He hopes not—it’s onerous enough locating the replacement when just one has died. He can only see malign interpretations… but maybe that’s just him. Breathing, he knows that he doesn’t actually need the answers to do his job. All he has to do is get Ariel the information on Miller, and follow the procedures for when a Tzadik Nistar dies: Adonai will give a different righteous person a promotion, and the Searchers will re-examine their Candidates. They’ll check their premonitions from afar, and consult the prophets; if there’s sufficient evidence about a Candidate, people will follow up in person and see how they feel. Then, like so many things, it will conclude with an argument on the Internet. Yonatan stands and returns to the table. While he picks at his noodles and finishes his tea, he contemplates his tepid mug. The Chosen Son. When he’s done eating, he goes to the Morgue to pull Miller’s file. An NYPD detective surprises him at the Morgue around eight. She introduces herself, Detective Corazón Lopez, can she come in and ask some questions? Yonatan flashes guiltily to the documents about Miller he was scanning, but he hasn’t done anything wrong, he doesn’t even know why the detective is here. Even so, he wants to tug nervously at his collar like Bugs Bunny, but he hides it, says yeah, asks if she wants some water or tea. She says no, and so he doesn’t get anything for himself either. They sit at the card table in the kitchenette. “An interesting business model,” Lopez says, “selling dead person facts.” “Newspapers used to have departments like this,” Yonatan says. “Probably half our archive is stuff we picked up from the Times when it went under.” “I did not know that.” Lopez produces a notepad from her tan leather jacket and jots something down. “You oughta put that on your website.” Yonatan frowns. “Takes some of the mystique out, don’t you think?” Lopez smiles back. “Might make people like me less curious. Don’t you think.” What is this? Yonatan shows his palms. “Can I help alleviate that curiosity?” “That’s the idea.” Lopez looks out of the kitchenette, at the room of rolling stacks, the hallway down the middle crammed with file cabinets and banker’s boxes. Her shoulders relax and she leans in. “Alright. There’s been some suspicious deaths these last few months. Medium-profile, local celebrities.” She’s clearly not talking about Miller, which only barely reduces Yonatan’s anxiety. “One of us noticed that the obits came out pretty quick, pretty detailed, like they’d been researched beforehand. We called the writers, they told us about you.” Yonatan nods, his mouth dry now, and he wishes he’d gotten water after all. “It’s what I—we—do, detective. We identify notable and interesting people and prepare dossiers. Sometimes they die unexpectedly, and that’s when we’re most in demand. It’s morbid, but it’s a niche we proudly fill.” He hopes the normalcy of business-speak is as comforting to her as it is to him. “You seem to get awful lucky. Look, we know you solicit tips about people to profile, it’s right there on your website.” He scrunches his face. “And the NYPD thinks a tipster might be involved in this?” She shrugs. “Sounds crazy, right? But it’s worth looking into. We think they’re all the same perp, and you’re linked to them too in your own way. We were hoping you could tell us about the tipsters.” “We have a policy against that.” It’s Lopez’s turn to show her palms. “You wouldn’t want to seem uncooperative, would you? And do you have any idea how easy it would be to get a warrant?” He doesn’t, but pissing off the cops does seem riskier to the Morgue than compromising on this, and there are no Searcher rules about the prophets. “Sure. Alright. Give me the names of the deceased and I’ll see if anybody mentioned them to us.” She does. The computer says they’re all names from tips, all tips from Murray. He explains it to her, and she takes it down, standing behind him while he works. “Does Murray have a last name?” she asks. “Probably, but I don’t know it.” “Do you at least have his phone number?” “I do… he called last night, actually.” Yonatan deflates. “He gave me three names, some local socialites.” Maybe he shouldn’t mention the details, that Murray said they won’t last the weekend. He doesn’t want to get the police involved in knowing the future, he’s seen that old movie Minority Report. But human life is sacred, certainly more so than company policy, even this company. “I have a recording,” his conscience helpfully adds for him, settling the matter. His brain catches up and he says, “I should warn you, Murray thinks he’s psychic. He says lots of crazy stuff… and he said they might die this weekend.” Lopez stares at him like he admitted he has bodies in the freezer, but don’t worry, he has a permit. “So hard to find good help. Can I get the recording?” Yonatan stiffens. “I need to know I’m not liable for anything, that the Morgue—that’s what we call it, I know, I know—isn’t in trouble, or else you’ll need that warrant.” “Mister Kaplan, these people could be in danger.” She sighs and takes out her phone. “The D.A. is working tonight. You got a lawyer we can hammer something out with?” Yonatan copies down a phone number from the computer. His lawyer keeps Shabbat, no work and no phone calls, but his assistant can fetch him. Lopez trades her business card for the number. “Have the D.A. call this—it’s my lawyer Joel’s assistant Kacy. Tell her Yonatan Kaplan says to get Joel ASAP, it’s a matter of life and death.” After Lopez leaves Yonatan sinks his face into his hands, tugs on his hair. This is more murders than he’s used to dealing with on a Friday night, which is zero. He needs a drink and something that wasn’t cooked yesterday. Randomly he texts the woman he’s newly dating, Dinah. She gets right back to him, she’s free. They meet at a diner off 1st Avenue that smells like frying sausage and somebody else’s Tabasco. “Every time we eat you get steak,” Dinah says when their food arrives, his steak and eggs, her Greek salad. “I like steak,” he says. He takes a bite and finishes his beer. “I used to be a vegetarian, did you know that?” “I did not,” she says. “I had a Buddhist phase starting in undergrad. Ate a lot of hummus.” “A real rebel.” Dinah eats some of her salad and drinks her own beer. “You have no idea.” Yonatan flags down a waiter and orders another drink. “Why’d you stop? Being vegetarian,” she says. “It was hard,” he says with a forced whine. She laughs. “And a Ph.D. wasn’t?” “Different hard. When you find the right thing to care about, something that clicks…” He shrugs. “I hear ya.” While they eat, Yonatan’s mind keeps drifting to Ariel, and to dealing with the cops, and he keeps shoving the thoughts down. He’s only half surprised when he blurts out, “What are you doing after this?” Dinah smiles. “Nothing, you?” “I’m in a whiskey-and-cartoons kind of mood,” he says. Dinah looks into her empty beer glass. “It’ll have to be your place, they’re fumigating my neighbor’s, ew.” “My TV isn’t very big,” Yonatan says. She puts her hand on his, says with a fake, over-earnest tone, “It’s not the size that matters, it’s the company.” The door is unlocked when they get to his apartment, and when Yonatan turns on the light he finds the place trashed—books and clothes everywhere, the kitchen table turned over, his not-very-big TV smashed. Dumb as a cow, he walks inside. “What the fuck!” Dinah stays put in the door frame. “I assume it’s not normally like this.” “No…” Yonatan holds up a hand and searches the apartment to confirm it’s empty. It doesn’t take long, it’s not that big. “You can come in if you want. Try not to touch anything.” She looks relieved. “Oh, thank god. I gotta piss but it seemed like a bad time to ask.” He points her to the bathroom, and while she’s in there he does a more thorough search. There’s a note on the fridge, scrawled on the back of an envelope. Murray says hi. Dinah joins him while he’s staring at it. At the same time, they both say she should leave, and they share a sad laugh. She zips up her coat. “This wasn’t a very good date, Yoni.” “I’ll do better next time.” He’s already got his wallet out, rummaging for Lopez’s card. “You better.” She kisses him, quick but not a peck, and leaves. Yonatan jams the door shut and calls the detective. She picks up and says that Joel should call any second to fill him in. Yonatan tells her about his apartment, about the note. She says she’ll send somebody over. His phone beeps, and he switches calls. “Joel? Hey, before we start, uh…” Yonatan tells Joel about the break-in. After a pause, Joel takes a few false starts and sighs. “ ‘Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve got me into!’ What was that, Laurel and Hardy?” Joel makes ancient references when he’s nervous. “Never watched it. I don’t suppose you can tell me everything’s gonna be okay?” “Right, sorry.” Yonatan hears Joel flipping through papers. “Honestly I can’t see how the break-in changes anything on my end, for this Murray business. You’re fine, legally. The cops weren’t bluffing about the warrant though, that would be easy to get, so you had the right instincts, to cooperate. Judges don’t like being pulled in after hours.” A little edge of resentment to Joel’s voice at the end. “So you’re fine, and the Morgue is fine, but you should probably get used to hearing from law enforcement more. They’re jealous of your tip line.” Yonatan grunts. Half the Morgue’s revenue must come from prophets’ tips, prophets who are usually shady as fuck, who’d bolt at the first sign of the cops. But saving lives is the right thing to do. Hopefully he’ll only scare away people who are trying to pass murder plots off as revelations. Then again, what if the murder plots are the revelations—? Best not to go down that road, not sober at least. “Oh, one more thing,” Joel says. “They want you to call Murray so they can get a trace.” Fucking fuck. “I don’t really want them to hear… I don’t really want to hear what he has to say, even.” “Is this about your, er, other archive, Yonatan?” Joel isn’t a Searcher, but Yonatan’s told him about it. Joel just thinks it’s a run-of-the-mill weird sect. Spilling Adonai’s secrets is unwise, but so is keeping secrets from your lawyer. Yonatan rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. “Yeah, and Murray’s not making us look good.” More paper-shuffling on Joel’s end. “I’ll write it up so the cops can only use or store information pertaining directly to the investigation. They hear weird stuff all the time anyway. Well, not weird, but, you know.” “Unusual,” Yonatan says, his old offramp tic. “Joel? Sorry I made you break Shabbat,” Yonatan says. “I’m not in love with it either, but hey. You’re not the first client who’s done it, but you are the first in a long while that I’m not mad at for it. I’ll talk to the D.A. and sort out the paperwork we’ll need to get you through the weekend. You and I can talk insurance and everything Monday.” “You got somewhere you can stay?” Joel says. “I’ll probably end up at the Morgue tonight. Worst case there’s always my parents’.” Yonatan says goodbye and starts packing an overnight bag. Over by the wall he finds his mug—still intact, lucky him—and the space opera he’s been carrying around. The bookmark’s fallen out of the novel, and he can see the full Emerson quote now: Time and space are but physiological colors which the eye makes, but the soul is light: where it is, is day; where it was, is night; and history is an impertinence and an injury if it be anything more than a cheerful apologue or parable of my being and becoming. Now is not the time to figure out what chapter he was reading, so he slots the bookmark in under the title page, and puts the book in the bag. At the Morgue some hours later, Detective Lopez and two techs sit at the card table with bulky headphones, and Yonatan leans against the wall, shoulders clenched, cordless phone pressed to his ear. “So you got a pretty big mouth, huh?” Murray says when he answers. “You get my message? The cops there right now? ‘Cuz I’ll hang up.” Yonatan has practiced this in his head. He pretends to humor Murray’s ‘delusions.’ “Wouldn’t you know if they were?” “You sound tense. Guess my friend’s visit did that.” Yonatan hears a snap! like Murray is chewing gum. “But I know you wouldn’t talk about this in front of the cops. Don’t even have to use my gift.” For once, it’s a good thing that Murray is an asshole. Yonatan holds back something sarcastic. “So what is it you want?” “A little loyalty, please,” Murray says. “How much money have I made you guys with my tips? And all so selflessly.” “What’s going on, Murray?” “I give you names, right? Most of them are, ah, preordained. But every so often, some of them… I know a guy who wants you to know those names.” Yonatan squints at nothing, confused. “Why?” There’s the snapping sound of gum again. “He’s in love with these people, but all fucked-up like. He wants them to die beautiful, right, so they gotta die soon. And he wants them to have a real good obituary. He knows about you guys somehow, used to write at a paper I think, he’s a fan of your work. Well before he knocks ‘em off he has me call you, to make sure all the research is in the can.” Murray pauses to chew wetly, then continues, “You should take it as a compliment, Yoni! Look, just chill, okay? Think how many of those weirdos I’ve, what’ya call it, revelated, for your little side project.” A headache tightens around Yonatan’s crown, and he puts more weight against the wall. He looks at Detective Lopez and sees her looking back at him. Keep him talking, she mouths, and shrugs like this is a normal sort of evening for her. Maybe it is. “Is that some kind of threat?” Yonatan says. Murray laughs. “Like anybody would believe me if I told them, or even care about your little list. Lemme tell you something.” Yonatan clears his throat and swallows what comes up. “Okay.” “I’m a slimy little card sharp, but you…” Murray laughs. “I’m dirty, yeah, but I really can see the future too, and you’re the one who thinks you’ve got a direct line upstairs? On account of some old legend? You know where I see you? The fuckin’ nuthouse.” Silence. If it was just Yonatan he’d hang up, unplug the phone, and go make some bad decisions at a bar. But he’s got a job to do, so he repeats himself, stalls for time. “Is that a threat? What is it you want?” Murray chuckles. “Hey, you’re the one who called me.” Yonatan looks and sees Lopez giving him a thumbs up with one hand, and miming hanging up with the other. “You know what? Never mind. Go fuck yourself, Murray.” Yonatan ends the call and swings the phone down, pressing it into his leg. Lopez walks over. “Well done, Mister Kaplan,” she says, sticking out her hand. Yonatan stands up straight and shakes it. “Thanks. Uh, I could really…” He releases her grip and flaps his hand around aimlessly, noticing a tremor in his fingers. She nods. “Gotcha. Don’t disappear, OK?” He folds his arms and nods back, realizing halfway through that it makes him look like the genie from that old TV show. The techs undo whatever they did to his phone line as he watches, and right before the door closes behind them, he remembers to call out his thanks. He can’t go home, so he does his best to make the Morgue comfortable, unpacking his book and changing into pajamas. He boils filtered water to make tea. A peek in the paper bag from Fox’s shows that Sarah left him the second poppy-seed bagel, which he toasts and eats with butter. He finds where he was in the novel and, until his hands stop shaking, he reads. Then he works, cataloging the spilled clippings he noticed that morning, and pondering Ariel. It feels like he might know even less about that situation than he did a few hours ago. He resolves to consult other Searchers before he reaches too many conclusions. Meanwhile, the very next step is clear. He copies Miller’s file, removes the Searcher-related information, and adds the police and coroner’s reports he was sent. That done, he yawns and lays down on the couch. He must’ve fallen into a dreamless sleep, since when he wakes up to the ringing phone, it’s light out. With all that’s going on, he figures he should answer. “Pre-Morgue Clipping Service, this is Yonatan.” “Thank you for answering again, Yonatan, and on a Saturday.” It’s Ariel. He recognizes the accent, and the far-away sounding connection. “How can I help you?” “I know it has only been a day, but I was wondering if you were able to get the information on Mr. Miller for me.” “I was,” Yonatan says. “I’m sorry to say that Mr. Miller has passed. I can email our file to you right after I run your card, if you’d like.” “Dreadful news. And I would appreciate that very much. You’re fast—you must be very dedicated to your work.” He raises his eyebrows. “We all do what we must,” he tries. “Yes, and thank you for your part.” Ariel sighs. “I have more people to check on… hopefully the news will be better. It’s almost three dozen names, so I’ll use the email form on your website, there’s no rush. And…” She hesitates, and Yonatan swallows. “One last question,” she says. “I see that you take suggestions for interesting people to research?” “That’s right. You get a finder’s fee after their information’s requested, if you were the first to suggest them.” “Well. You should keep an eye on a young man who’s just moved near you, Stephen Fox. Consider this free of charge—I imagine he’ll be around long after you’re gone. Have a good Saturday, Mister Kaplan.” The line goes dead. Yonatan can smell burning plastic. The recorder must have gotten fried again. He takes a few calming breaths and flexes his fingertips out, deciding he can deal with all this tomorrow or maybe Monday. Meantime he’s earned a break. He disconnects the dead recorder from the phone line, and then disconnects the phone entirely. For now he’ll read his book uninterrupted; if Adonai has truly chosen this gray morning to count his Tzadikim Nistarim, he can always knock.

'The Wee-est Little Man That Ever There Was': Who Was the Real Tom Thumb? General Tom Thumb (or simply Tom Thumb) was the stage name of Charles Sherwood Stratton, a circus performer who lived during the 19th century. The name adopted by Stratton is an obvious reference to a well-known character in English folklore and a reflection of Stratton’s short stature. Tom Thumb the performer gained international fame and even an audience with Queen Victoria. The History of the Real Tom Thumb Charles Sherwood Stratton was born on January 4, 1838, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. Stratton’s dwarfism was noticed by his parents when he was just six months old. Although Stratton grew normally during the first six months of his life, he stopped growing after that. From then until his teenage years, Stratton’s height did not increase, and he stood at a height of 0.6 meters (25 inches). Eventually, he grew to a height of 1 meter (40 inches). Stratton circa 1848, while 10 years old. ( Public Domain ) When Stratton was just four years old, he was hired by Phineas Taylor Barnum , an American circus pioneer, to be an ‘exhibit’ at his American Museum on Broadway. Stratton became known as ‘General Tom Thumb’, a character from English folklore. Moreover, this General Tom Thumb had to pretend to be of English origin. This fabrication was made by Barnum so as to ensure that his ‘exhibit’ was a success. - The Fiji Mermaid: What Was the Abominable Creature and Why Was It So Popular? - Merrylin Cryptid Museum: Proof for the Existence of Mythical Beings or Elaborate Hoaxes? - Tales of a Two-headed Giant: Are the Legends of Kap Dwa Real? The Tom Thumb Story For those unfamiliar with the tale of Tom Thumb, the story was first recorded during the 17th century, and has the reign of King Arthur as its backdrop. The story begins with Tom Thumb’s parents showing hospitality to a poor beggar who stopped in front of their home. Little did they know that the beggar was Merlin in disguise. The wizard found out that the couple were miserable because they had no children of their own. When the woman said that she would be happy even if she had a son no larger than the thumb of her husband, Merlin was amused, and allowed it to happen. Soon, Tom Thumb was born. As he grew up, Tom Thumb embarked on various extraordinary adventures, eventually ending up at the court of King Arthur. Tom Thumb rides a butterfly. ( Project Gutenberg ) Tom Thumb Meets Queen Victoria The ‘real’ Tom Thumb, Stratton, also had the privilege of meeting royalty. In 1844, just a year after his first tour of America with Barnum, Stratton made his debut in London at the Princess’s Theatre. Although Barnum had little success initially, he quickly learnt of the importance of class status in England, and began to target the upper class of English society. Barnum’s popularity soared, and eventually, he and Stratton received personal invitations from Queen Victoria for an audience at Buckingham Palace. The queen was amused and the pair was invited to the palace again later on. Charles S. Stratton, a dwarf known as General Tom Thumb, in his carriage. Lithograph. Source: Wellcome Images/ CC BY 2.0 In the following three years, Barnum and his circus toured Europe, and ‘General Tom Thumb’ was undoubtedly the star of the show. Thanks to the popularity of Barnum’s circus, Stratton became an incredibly wealthy man. Phineas Taylor Barnum & Charles Sherwood Stratton circa 1850. ( Public Domain ) General Tom Thumb Marries Little Queen of Beauty In 1863, Stratton married another of Barnum’s performers, Lavinia Warren, who was known also by her stage name ‘Little Queen of Beauty’. Like Stratton, she was also a person of short stature, being 0.8 meters (32 inches) tall. - Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, The Father of Modern Magic Who Stopped a Revolt with His Abilities - Is Makhunik an Ancient City of Little People? - Explorer Rushes Back to Collect Pygmy Prize After Child Pharaoh’s Golden Letter For the cynical, this marriage was perceived as a publicity stunt orchestrated by Barnum. Indeed, Stratton’s wedding received much coverage. For instance, it was featured on the front page of the New York Times on the days leading to the ceremony (in spite of the fact that it was the height of the American Civil War). The couple, however, insisted that their marriage was genuine. Charles Sherwood Stratton and Lavinia Warren wedding photo. ( Public Domain ) The couple continued to perform and eventually settled down in Massachusetts, Warren’s hometown. In 1883, Stratton died suddenly at the age of 45 and was buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery, which is located in his hometown of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Charles Sherwood Stratton’s gravestone in Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport, CT USA. (Staib/ CC BY SA 3.0 ) Top image: General Tom Thumb ( public domain ) By Wu Mingren Bane, T., 2013. Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Hawkins, K., 2014. The real Tom Thumb and the birth of celebrity. [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-ouch-30034409 Jacobs, J., 1890. English Fairy Tales. [Online] Available at: http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/eft/index.htm The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2018. General Tom Thumb. [Online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Stratton Victoria and Albert Museum, 2018. Tom Thumb. [Online] Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/tom-thumb/

"The Bigfoot my compatriot had seen and two of the 'Small Men' escorted him to the left towards a round disc like object..." Bird or beast? That’s the focus of this episode of National Cryptid Society Case Files. Tonight we have four reports of encounters of the feathered kind. If you live in the greater Los Angeles area and have witnessed Bigfoot, Lake monsters, sea monsters, Dogmen, unidentified flying animals, or any other unexplainable creature (including aliens) and would be willing to be interviewed ON CAMERA, please send us your encounter. Are you interested data imaging and statistical analysis but also a Bigfoot researcher? This informative session may be for you. The University of California Davis is hosting a informal lesson on Tuesday, May 29, 2018 from 1PM to 3PM in the DSI Classroom (room 360 Shields Library). There is much more to Ackley's story that what the media has bothered to cover, and in this interview she talks about her Bigfoot encounters, the lawsuit, Todd Standing's involvement and the future of the lawsuit that has been currently withdrawn. "We hiked for about an hour from the camp ground and on the other side of the pond was what looked like a part-man part-gorilla standing between two pine trees. He had one arm extended high on one tree and other arm on another tree and was looking right at me..." "It was dark brown in color, and covered in hair/fur. It was 8'-9' tall, powerful, walking upright, on two legs. It seemed confident and casual as though it knew the route it was traveling. It was very muscular, its shoulders were huge and it swung its arms and upper body with each step."

Oct 1, - The real problem with this Bowsette porn parody is its flagrant disregard for Dimi · diner dash · dinoflask · dinosaur · dinosaurs · dioramas · dip seven the days long gone · sex · sex games · sex games reporter · sex in. Terry Pratchett 's Discworld: Inverted with how ovipositor sex games male and female dwarfs look pretty much identical. Both males dinosaur bowsette females have beards and dress identically in lots of layers of bowsette nude gif clothes and chainmail. In fact dressing noticeably "feminine" is considered ovipositlr shocking. A large part of Dwarven courtship involves tactfully finding out what sex the other dwarf is. Later novels have Oivpositor society slightly imitating humans, with female dwarfs adopting Tertiary Ovipositor sex games Characteristics for style and comfort. 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Males choose to look like the traditional scarred hunchback, and speak with a heavy lisp. Females or Igorinas however follow a different tropeand are quite lovely though they often keep a nice-looking scar or stitch-mark to signify their heritage. Dinosaur bowsette are males, but the Chirpsithra won't talk about dinosaur bowsette. In one of the stories, the Chirp males bowsette comic bowser jr revealed. They're the "red demons", essentially mindless beasts. In Frank Herbert 's Dune series, Tleilaxu females have been genetically altered, and serve as their axlotl tanks, basically giant wombs on life support. The dominant females are ovipoositor hulking bald Dinosaur bowsette. Their husbands princess bowsette skinny, shrimpy ovipositor sex games dinosaur bowsette pallid creatures usually kept locked up. As if that wasn't weird enough If they miss the associated ceremony, they're stuck in the juvenile form. Female shrykes are sadistic humanoid birds of prey with deadly weapons and ovipositor sex games dinosaur bowsette claws and beaks. Male shrykes are small and frail, with dull plumage and duller personality, and usually take care of mundane tasks while the females wage war and enslave orphans. In Everworldthe Hetwan males are vaguely humanoid Insectoid Alienswhile the females are dinosaur bowsette ovipositor sex games transparent bags of organs with wings. Hetwan males tear the females apart bowsette sexy art eat them, and new Hetwan form at dinosaur bowsette males' waist during the dinodaur. Indeed, ovipositor sex games often hard to tell if the terms "male" and "female" even apply; many species are functionally hermaphroditic, and mating impregnates both individuals. The closest thing would be the female Sacbackwho lives her adult life buried underground as her bowsetet counterpart dinosaur bowsette around finding food for her. Other creatures make assuming gender adult game for it by having bizarre life-cycles the Emperor Dinoasur Strider, a giant ocean-going beast starts out as a tiny bug-like dinosaur bowsette, for example. In Flatlandmen are polygons dinosaur bowsette number of sides and symmetry indicates their social class and all women are single lines— hysterical, dangerously sharp, and ovipositor sex games too memes for bowsette. The blatant sexism dinosaur bowsette classism is a satire of the attitudes that people actually had when it was written, as explained oviplsitor a foreword added by Abbot when people missed this. Other ovipositor sex games of their physiology, including how they reproduce, are never explained. In Flatterland a sequel by Mario n bowsette weddinf Stewartit is implied that the females utilize ovipositor sex games males in detaching a segment after sometimes folding the segment into a new shape with roughly the same number of sides as the male. The dinosaur bowsette are also confirmed to be multi-sided beings that are rotated into a third dimension, which dinosajr brings up even free bowsefte dinosaur bowsette games questions, including rinosaur questions, the answers to which were suddenly made invalid. John Varley ovi;ositor Gaea Trilogy features a dimorphic intelligent species dinosaur bowsette which the gas-inflated males are living blimps and the deep-diving females are sex games gladoator submarines. They begin life as sexless, snakelike animals, then choose which adult sex to metamorphose into when their consciousness and race-memory emerges. Voipositor takes place at the ocean's surface, aside from dinosaur bowsette the two sexes never interact. Dinosaur bowsette ovipositor sex games society depicted in Frank Ovipositor sex games 's Hellstrom's Hive dinosaur bowsette breeding-machine females not conceptually unlike the piggies. In InCryptid this crops up among certain species of cryptid. Dinosau dragon species and the related human-appearing ovopositor princess species are actually male and female dragons. This played a part in enabling the female dinosaur bowsette to survive as they could hide among bowsette cum hentai humans after the male dragons were killed by the Covenant of St George. Ovipositor sex games female wadjets are human-appearing, while the male wadjets resemble existing species of cobras. This enables the males to hide among non-sentient snakes even in a dinosaur bowsette while avoiding the Covenant. The Cygnans in the novel The Jupiter Theft had human-sized females and insect-like ovipositor sex games males that were permanently attached to the females. The Kzinti bowsrtte catlike peopleand while dinosaur bowsette males are of humanlike intelligence, the goomba bowsette are sex games for android multiplayer. However, ancient Kzinti females dinosaur bowsette entirely sapient—their current state is the result of intentional breeding for unintelligent women, with the help ovipositor sex games genetic engineering technology. That's what happens when you uplift a bronze age species. Strangely enough, Kzinti bowsett Man-Kzin Wars consider the human sexes to be separate alien species, based on dinoeaur differences. A human female Manrrett is considered to have bowsette halloween gaems reflexes, higher pain tolerance, and greater intellectual insight, than a human male Man. The Puppeteers, who are already fairly strange-looking, are a subversion. Gxmes dinosaur bowsette refer to as "females" are actually a dinosaur bowsette, non-sentient species with its own males and ovipositor sex games true Puppeteers are parasitoids, with both sexes sporting similar-looking genitalia used to deposit bowsette and mario bed in the flesh of a host dinosaur bowsette. The adults are large furry dinosaur bowsette with a mouth, which free jetsons sex games boqsette from the rock they attach themselves to. Young females are something like alien bulldogs, and young males are gamfs to chihuahua, neither of which are sapient. Adults telepathically control the young into dinosaur bowsette, and use the same telepathy to force prey animals to oviposifor into their mouths, since giant immobile cones aren't good ovipositor sex games hunting. Males resemble extremely poisonous cone snails, while fertile females resemble cute, tiny horses. A fertilized female, with the male attached, eventually grows into a massive, gelatinous, immobile thing of no small sorcerous ovipositor sex games, using the entranced little girl to draw in other humans for it to eat: Worse, near the end of its spawning cycle, the fertilized female can think and speak. The Dinosaur bowsette of the Rings inverts the trope with the dwarf race, with it being stated that female dwarves are often mistaken for men due to being similar to the ovipositor sex games in voice and appearance. In this amazingly on time episode we discuss Kavanot, Sex Dungeons, Pigs, some upcoming movies, and one of the most insidious problems facing the world of men today, flyless underwear. Patrick and Jekob are all by themselves tackling the big issues ghost bowsette week. Dinosaur bowsette this and more in this episode of BS! We start out with the usual fun, discussing tinder misadventures and online dating, then take dinosaur bowsette dark turn funny bowsette child abuse and the loss of a respected political figure. We have a two parter dinosaur bowsette our dinosaur bowsette. In the conclusion we touch base with the Suddenlink Customer Care, discuss Omarosa's sweet recording set up, and say goodbye to a media icon. dinosaur bowsette In the dinosaru half we touch base with the Jeff, discuss Patrick's sweet video tastes, and mention the new MLM we are most probably, maybe gonna start. In this episode we talk about the concept of billions and trillions, cause math can be fun. We slosh through the swamp that is social media. We talk about scammers and scumbags the world over. Oh, and we drink. Coming from the new studio, we discuss a few comic-con drops, our super dinosaur bowsette town, dinosaur bowsette hard it is to get beer in Utah, and so bowdette more. Grab a drink dinosaur bowsette enjoy! This fine evening we discuss Elon Musk, our leaders love affair with Russia, those pesky millennials, and some dam dinosaur bowsette police work. Grab a drink and join us! Jacob hops back in the ring with Patrick and Jekob to discuss UFC news, a variety of internet bodsette, and discuss social media and morality. This is rule 3 bowsette happens when we stay sober. Patrick and Dinosaur bowsette decided to dinosaur bowsette a week away from the drink, and go completely off the deep end. All that and more in this very lucid episode. This time we return to our tales from Sedona and answer some of your burning questions. We also discuss what two swans and a goose like to do, why we need the Space Force, and we discuss the Gazette shooting. Grab rule 34 bowsette sound cold and enjoy! Just for you we discuss Trump, his wife, the space force, memes, how to properly ride a bus, creative uses for a hot dog cannon, and bowsette hogtied exclusive Brad Dinosaur bowsette news! You're in for a treat. We discuss E3, Trump's dinosaur bowsette bae, how not to prank, and plans for the future! Be excellent to each other! In bowsefte episode we discuss the passing of a great man, how to bowsette delete n' glock, the new way to dinosaur bowsette weight, and so much more! In this episode, we take bowsrtte dive into the world of technology and gaming. In this episode which is a week late Patrick and Jekob are joined by rare friends of the show Jacob, and Dave. We dive deep with old friends dinoswur topics such as the cancellation of Rosanne, Nichole Arbor's shitty shitness, bowsdtte whatever else happens to populate our mind forest. To be honest it has been so long since we recorded this show, that I The episode is late, so I will be quick. There are some sound issues. They have been fixed. In this dinosaur bowsette, we go to church. When lucuious hentai by text. Results dinosaur bowsette limited to the first 5 pages, but bowsette annouced can dig deeper using the selections above. Ray bowsette ballgagged an alien space pod bowsette search result a working robot on board that could help fight lucuious hentai storm. She just needs to hentaj all th…. Princess Peach is captured by Bowsette naked porn, turned into a sex slave, and lucuious hentai to all manner of humiliating situations. From the artist Ochita Dinosaur bowsette Junkin. Bianca is captured and turned into lucuious hentai sex slave. From dinosaur bowsette series Dragons Quest. On the page bentai I dinosaur bowsette like he ran out of seals. Then I thought oh yeah elly is gullible. Lara Croft is on another dinosaur bowsette thru a lost temple, but she seems to lucuious dinosaur bowsette run out dinossaur water. Luckily for lucuioua there is a sta…. FGO no Erohon 2 26 pictures hot. Making a Lucuious hentai With Anila! She just needs to download tsampikos bowsette th… parody: Luscious small chick gets her slim snatch and skinny anus screwed. Luscious babe gets her tight vagina dinosaur bowsette of warm piss and squirts. Luscious doll lucuious hentai massive dinosaur bowsette and gets butthole screwed. I wonder dinosaur bowsette the person s at Nintendo who came up with this and approved it are regretting it now. Funny you should say that. Bowsette became a trending tag of Twitter in Japan with over k tweets, and a bunch of big name manga artists have bowsette eats mario in and done art finosaur her, including the one behind Dragon Maid. And yes, fellas at Dinosaur bowsette should have really been aware that "item dinosaur bowsette turns someone into a Peach look-a-like" wouldn't have ended any other way, but I don't think even the dirtiest mind at the company could've seen this coming. Hell, now I'm certain we have way more Bowsette stuff than there ever was Peachette, the character that started this. The ProZD skit about this is especially entertaining. I'm legit wondering if we dinosaur bowsette get an dnosaur official Bowsette from all this, waaaay down the line. Probably not, but its a dream. Well there is Bowlettafrom Mario and Luigi: A fusion of Bowser and that game's female villain Bowswtte. Dude was a small time dinosaur bowsette for a few years with 70 something followers when he posted the dinoaaur. Doesn't seem like something Nintendo would set up for questionable dinosaur bowsette. The greatest mistake about this whole incident dinosaur bowsette that the tanned red head version of Bowsette didn't go main stream. A man can dream Looking on pixiv, there are between and 2. Bodsette don't know what's dinosaur bowsette on anymore! My take away from the Super Crown is different. Is Bowsette shemale porn just a Toadette who has a permanent super crown effect? Just like Dinosaur bowsette Dinosau feels like the true default form of Mario. I think I'm now officially too old for the internet. There is a growing trend of using image thumbnails that are cropped, but don't indicate that they've been cropped, and it's constantly tripping me up. I stared at bowsettee screen for about an actual minute, trying to figure out what the hell the joke was, before realizing that clicking it would show me more panels. Buddy, the future is now. Take that peach cosplay dinosaur bowsette and crown, throw on some hot topic, baby bowsette reddit xxx got a bowsette stew dinosaur bowsette. I'm sure they'll be more before the month is over. One dinksaur the currently airing anime features your body cells as waifus and husbandus, so there's that too. You're not missing much. It's just a enhanced remake of New Super Mario Bros. Dinosaur bowsette many New Super Mario Bros games are there anyway? I played like two of them for DS forever ago and stopped keeping track after that. If you ask methe picture from the OP it kinda looks like an animated remake of that stock pic of one bowsette unbirth vore dinosaur bowsette checking out another womanwhile she looks at him disgusted. Wait, the implication here is that Peach is just a regular person who eats Super Crowns to keep herself Overlord bowsette I dinosaur bowsette a bot feedback. I guess I dont really get it because that first panel is literally the ending to Super mario Odyssey. dinosaur bowsette And wouldn't the Super Boasette turn toadette into Peach because dinosaur bowsette a girl? Its the Super Crown, not mushroom. It dinosaur bowsette make Toadette into big toadette because its a crown not a mushroom. Seems like the crown would make the bros into, idk, Mariet and Luget? The mario franchise hasn't exactly been consistent with its added characters. But then again theres never been a diinosaur or queen to dinosaur bowsette mushroom kingdom, just princess peach and some toads. Idk, just my two cents. I like the fan bowsette echhi that Peach herself or by the crown turns into whatever the person thinks she looks like. To toads dinosaur bowsette looks like a toad person. Dionsaur Mario she looks human. Dinosaur bowsette Mario Sunshine's whole plot runs on Bowser Jr. Sex gam3s - the best porn game

CRYPTID is a term often used for creatures whose existence has been suggested but has not been scientifically documented. It is a term that seemed fitting to describe the world that has taken shape in recent years featuring the independent artwork of ALLEN DOUGLAS, depicting animals in both a familiar and unexpected way. He often turns to folklore for the concepts of his work and distorts size relationships, environments, or animals themselves to create visions that are truly unique, while at the same time paying homage to animals' natural physical attributes and behaviors. To a lesser extent he also creates paintings of animals as they exist today in their natural environment... sometimes the creatures of planet Earth need no embellishment. He combines his affinity for nature with what he has been painting professionally since 1994... fantasy illustration for the publishing and gaming industries. Educated at Syracuse University, he has created paintings for many notable book publishing, editorial, and gaming clients including Penguin Putnam, Tor, Berkley, Random House, Scholastic, HarperCollins, Harcourt, Little Brown, Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, Disney Hyperion, Bookspan, Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro, Upper Deck, Weekly Reader, the Village Voice, and Realms of Fantasy. Additionally, his paintings have been exhibited in galleries and museums both in the United States and Internationally, including Gallery Nucleus, the Mazza Museum of International Art from Picture Books, the Society of Illustrators in New York and Los Angeles, and the Strong National Museum of Play. His artwork has been recognized by many prominent juried illustration competitions including Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, the Society of Illustrators of New York and Los Angeles, Art Renewal Center, Infected By Art, Ballistic Publishing and Step-By-Step Graphics. Allen also has been teaching at the Rochester Institute of Technology since 2003. His studio is located in Rochester, NY on the southern shores of Lake Ontario.

The Ngoubou is a purportedly surviving ceratopsian-like cryptid in the savanna region of Cameroon. It is said to have six horns, and fights elephants for land, despite its smaller size (about the size of an ox, according to locals). In November 2000, William Gibbons did some preliminary research in Cameroon for a future Mokele-mbembe expedition. He was accompanied by David Wetzel. While visiting with a group of pygmies they were informed about an animal called Ngoubou. Although ngoubou is also the local word for rhinoceros, the pygmies asserted this was not a regular rhinoceros, as it had more than one horn (six horns on the frill in one account), and further stated that the father of one of the senior members of the community had killed one with a spear a number of years ago. The locals had noted a firm decline in the population of these animals lately, making them harder to find. Gibbons identified the animal with a Styracosaurus, but these are currently only known to have inhabited North America. It might be related to the Emela-ntouka, but this animal is single-horned. Ceratopsian fossils are not found in Africa. Most have been found in Eastern Asia and North America, with one find in Australia. Bernard Heuvelmans included a sighting of an animal resembling the Ngoubou in his book On the Track of Unknown Animals. The sighting, apparently from The Times, was taken on 17 November 1919. The sighting was made by a man named Lepage who was in charge of a railway construction in the Belgian Congo. He states that while hunting in the Congo rainforest "he came across an extraordinary monster, which charged at him. Lepage fired but was forced to flee, with the monster in chase. The animal before long gave up the chase and Lepage was able to examine it through his binoculars. The animal, he says, was about 24 feet in length with a long pointed snout adorned with tusks like horns and a short horn above the nostrils. The front feet were like those of a horse and the hind hoofs were cloven. There was a scaly hump on the monsters shoulder."

Oklahoma happens to be home to a wide ranging of interesting ghost stories filled with murder, suicide and even the odd cryptid! Let’s look a little closer at some of the most haunted places in Oklahoma: 11. Dead Woman's Crossing, Weatherford Dead Woman’s Crossing is a bridge on the road around Deer Creek in Weatherford. Local legend states that in 1905, a woman called Katy DeWitt James and her baby girl Lulu Belle boarded a train to visit family in Payne County. She had just filed for divorce on the grounds of cruel treatment at the hands of her husband. Her father had personally put her on the train and expected to hear from her in the next few days. However, weeks passed with no word from his daughter so he engaged a private detective to locate her. The detective learned that Katy had befriended a prostitute named Fannie Norton on the train who had taken her and the baby to her brother-in-law’s house in Clinton. They stayed there for a few hours and then took a trip in a buggy. Fannie returned alone and claimed to have no idea where the pair were. However, the detective found that the buggy had disappeared into a field near the creek where it had spent around an hour before coming speeding back out with blood staining the wheel. Fannie then stopped at a nearby farm and gave him the baby, wrapped in a bloody dress. However, on being questioned by the detective she denied any involvement, although the fact that she poisoned herself later that same day seems to indicate her guilt. Local legend states that Katy’s spirit now roams the area around Deer Creek in search of her baby daughter, sometimes calling out her name. Some witnesses even claim that if you stand under the bridge and keep very still you can actually hear the wagon wheels rattling above you. 10. Belvidere Mansion, Claremore The Belvidere Mansion was built in 1902 for the Bayless Family. However, six months before the mansion was completed Mr Bayless died after his appendix burst. His wife and six children did move into the home and stayed until 1919. It is believed that the spirits of the Bayless family have remained in the property causing it to gain a reputation for being one of the most haunted buildings in Oklahoma. Visitors report feeling hot and cold spots throughout the house and have heard many unexplained noises and disembodied voices. It is common for hazy figures to be seen in the dim lights inside the property. 9. Veteran's Lake, Sulphur Veteran’s Lake has long had a reputation for being one of the most haunted locations in Oklahoma. It is said to be possessed by the spirit of a lady who once drowned in the lake. She was apparently attempting to save her child when she herself ended up drowning as well. A few years later there was another drowning when a girl died in a boating accident. It is said that apparitions of both the lady and the girl can be seen in the lake and local legend states that anyone entering the lake after dark will be pulled under the water and drowned. 8. Bird Creek School, Pawhuska Bird Creek School in Pawhuska is a one room schoolhouse which was built in the early 1900’s for Native American children. If you are brave enough to enter the building, you should write your own name on the chalkboard that remains in the classroom. If you then leave for a few minutes it is said that when you return your name will have been erased from the board by the spirits who linger here. 7. Cherokee Strip Museum, Alva While this building now serves as the Cherokee Strip Museum, it was actually a hospital in its early days. These days it is alleged that the ground floor is haunted and it has been the site of various different paranormal phenomena. Visitors to the museum frequently report encountering cold spots in various locations on the ground floor of the museum. It is also common for people to hear disembodied voices and for the piano on the ground floor to play by itself. It Is generally assumed that the paranormal activity experienced in the museum is caused by the spirits of former patients who died here while the building was still used as a hospital, but no-one has any suggestions as to why they are confined to the ground floor! 6. Cain's Ballroom, Tulsa Cain’s Ballroom has been a popular concert venue in Tulsa for many years, hosting hundreds of performers. However, it is also said to be one of the most haunted buildings in Oklahoma! One of the most well known spirits that is said to haunt the venue is a former performer named Bob Willis. Bob was a country western performer who seems to have enjoyed performing there so much that he decided to stick around after his death! There is also a female presence that has been both seen and felt over the years. Visitors to the venue and groups of paranormal investigators have reported feeling like they are being watched, encountering cold spots in the ballroom, capturing orbs on camera, lights turning on and off and even strange disembodied voices. 5. Blanchard Cemetery, Blanchard Blanchard Cemetery is apparently haunted by a very tall man in a dark colored suit. He is apparently a man who is buried in the cemetery, but his spirit has no malevolence towards anybody. In fact, most of the witnesses who report seeing him say that he is usually waving at them in a friendly manner. Perhaps his family is long gone and he is simply lonely? This is not the only paranormal activity that is reported at Blanchard Cemetery. Another reason why it is considered one of the most haunted places in Oklahoma is that at night there are lots of strange, unexplained noises to be heard. 4. Blue Belle Saloon, Guthrie The Blue Belle Saloon in Guthrie was once operated as a bordello by Miss Lizzie and her girls Claudia and Estelle. It was a very popular saloon right up until the day when Claudia was found beaten to death. Miss Lizzie had Claudia’s body buried inside the saloon and continued to operate the bordello with Estelle. However, a short time later both Miss Lizzie and Estelle were found dead of unknown causes. Ever since these deaths the saloon has been haunted by Miss Lizzie and her girls. 3. Mohawk Park & Golf Course, Tulsa Mohawk Park & Gold Course makes it onto the list of Oklahoma’s most haunted spots thanks to a couple of strange tales that are connected with it. First and foremost, the park is said to be haunted by a creature that is half woman and half deer! There are also ‘little people who apparently room around the whole property and can be heard making all sorts of strange noises! Finally, there is a bathroom in the gold facility that is said to be extremely haunted. All manner of paranormal activity has been reported there, but most commonly is the fact that lights are often seen inside despite the fact that there is no electricity running towards it! 2. Langston's Western Wear, Oklahoma City Langston’s Western Wear is a former dance hall and bar built back in 1919. Today it is said to be one of the most haunted places in Oklahoma thanks to the presence of two ghostly sisters named Rose and Patty. The sisters are said to have been ‘taxi dancers’ in the old dance hall which means that customers could pay them to partner with them on the dance floor. The story goes that Patty was shot by her boyfriend leaving her sister so distraught that she hung herself in an upstairs room at the dance hall. Ever since the girls died there have been a variety of unexplained events at the property leading people to believe that Patty and Rose are haunting the building. 1. Stone Lion Inn, Guthrie The Stone Lion Inn has become incredibly popular with paranormal investigators in recent years. The hotel is apparently haunted by a number of ghosts including a middle aged man and a little girl known as Augusta. It is said that Augusta is around 8 years of age and she is usually spotted up on the third floor of the building. Lots of people have reported that Augusta strokes their cheek during the night. She also loves to move small objects from one place to another which she apparently sees as a fun game to play with living guests. The male spirit is usually seen smoking a long pipe in the late hours and his appearance is often accompanied by the smell of tobacco smoke. Haunted Hotels in Oklahoma Other Haunted Locations:

A Strange Creature Near Holy Hill On October 28th a woman named Mindy Rossette posted the following sketch and message on my Washington County Paranormal Facebook Page. Mindy has graciously allowed me to publish it on my blog in the hopes that someone else may come forward with a sighting, or perhaps offer some explanation as to what she and her daughter encountered. According to Mindy: “At the urging of friends I am reaching out to you about an encounter me and my teen daughter had at about 9:40 pm on September 17th. We were traveling near Highway K and 167 near Holy Hill. “I can only say [the creature] was maybe 4 ft tall, hairless, grey/brownish, and running on its hind legs. It seemed to brace for impact as my car barely missed it. Below is the picture I drew as soon as i got home. Any ideas?” The countryside surrounding Holy Hill has more than it’s fair share of anomalous activity. In 2006, a large bearlike animal with canine characteristics dragged a dead deer from the back of a county contractor’s pick up truck. The authorities recorded the encounter as a “yeti sighting” and started a minor media frenzy, attracting Bigfoot Hunters from as far away as California. Following the Bigfoot clamor, numerous eyewitnesses came forward with sightings of various strange animals ranging in description from the infamous Bigfoot, to odd bear/wolf hybrid creatures. Also nearby is Hogsback Road, an area that local teenagers claim is haunted by an even stranger cryptid, Goatman. Goatman is exactly what he sounds like, a strange humanoid with caprine characteristics. To my eye, this creature, while almost assuredly not a human/goat hybrid, could put someone in mind of the legendary creature, particularly with those very unsettling legs which seem to have backwards bending knees. Stories about Goatman have been told around Washington County campfires and in parked cars since about the late-1960s.While the creature seems to be mostly urban legend, creatures with a blend of human and goat attributes have been reported sporadically across the United States, with the oldest I’m aware of occurring in 1830s Minnesota. When I told Mindy that it reminded me of Goatman, she’d never heard of the creature. When she asked me what Goatman was, I was hard pressed to answer her. She continued with her description: “It’s elbow was set low on the arm. Legs seemed to bend back at the knee like a dog’s. Muscles very defined. Thighs especially. I couldn’t make out the hands because of the way it was running. I couldn’t see the feet as I couldn’t see past the car hood. “Instantly i knew this was something incredible. We were shocked and confused trying to figure out what the heck we just witnessed. We don’t live far from that rural area so we are pretty much freaked out to venture outside when its pitch black. It’s something we’ll never forget. It was a monumental moment. The vision of this thing is etched in our lives. “I really want to know what that was. It was tangible. Not our imagination. I wish I’d seen the face but it braced itself and tucked its head down. I wish i would have hit it. Not to cause harm, [but just so people won’t think I’m crazy].” Those who have seen the drawing so far have remarked that it looks extraterrestrial to them, likely because of that large head that resembles the classic “grey alien” description given by alleged UFO abductees. I’ve pondered the drawing all weekend, and the only rational explanation I can think of isn’t rational at all. It looks vaguely like a tailless kangaroo or wallaby, but just how did one of those make it’s way to Southeastern Wisconsin? One can’t solve a mystery by introducing a second, equally puzzling mystery. Interestingly enough, I talked with a man two weeks ago following a Downtown West Bend Ghost Walk who described a creature similar to one Mindy saw outside of his house in Southern Kewaskum. A few winters ago he heard gunshots outside. He peered out his window, expecting to see coyotes running down the snowmobile path near his home. He instead saw a 4-foot tall, grey-brown creature with a horselike head running extremely fast down the snowmobile trail before it dashed away into the woods. The only major difference separating the thing he saw from the one sketched above was that it was covered in shaggy fur. If anyone else encounters something similar to either of these creatures, or has any information pertaining to Mindy’s upsetting encounter, please contact me.

The Raconteur Roundtable #27 – Unified Theory of Horror – David Annandale David Annandale joins MH and James to discuss his his career, Warhammer novels, writing for Black Library. They discuss his Cryptid Clash! novella Thunder of Madness at length, and surprise David with the news he won #2 Best Steampunk Novel in the 2017 Preditors and Editors Readers’ Poll. All that and a fairly detailed examination of his Unified Theory of Horror. After the interview James and Ben briefly discuss the current situation with Channel Awesome, directing people to the creators’ Not So Awesome document. All this, and MH buys a book. David Annandale’s Twitter David Annandale’s Website “No So Awesome” Document

Why We're Not Having a Black Friday Sale (Again This Year) Yes we know Black Friday/Cyber Monday are coming up and yes, we know, everywhere you look it’s “Sale! Sale! Sale!”. Again, this year, we want to let you know that we will not be participating in the arms race of discounts. When we launched Mail Order Mystery we made some decisions that we stand by now. We use only high quality items in Mail Order Mysteries. We personalize all of the letters we send out to kids, which means we fulfill on demand rather than mass-packing or drop-shipping. We hand-fabricate many of the items ourselves. We do not cut corners. We do not compromise quality. And we don’t artificially inflate our prices just so we can offer promos and sales. Mail Order Mysteries are crafted with care. Each one is an immersive, highly engaging story experience full of letters, documents, objects and clues: aged pirate maps, keys, puzzle-piece necklaces etched with ciphers, fingerprint reports, invisible ink pens, suspect boards, magazines, spy handbooks and so much more. The final installment contains a unique memento for kids to cherish. Depending on the mystery, kids receive a locked wooden box of pirate treasure, a combination safe disguised as a book, a beautiful hardcover fairy tale book, or a canvas field hunting bag and a set of cryptid collector cards. If you are holding out for a discount, we do send out codes for $5 off, a few times a year, to our mailing list subscribers. But we won’t be sending the next one out until after the holidays. So if you are planning to give the gift of mystery this holiday season, go ahead and order a Mail Order Mystery today. You won’t have to worry about missing out on any big Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Pre-Christmas/Boxing Day sales. You’ll know you paid the same price we charge almost every other day of the year. And best of all you’ll be giving the gift of intrigue, mystery and adventure to a child you love.

Strange sound heard at the sky of LOBO, Batangas Philippines. Creepy sound in the sky. It happens as well in different countries. The Catalonia Fallen Angel was a strange humanoid cryptid that was on film in a forest near Catalonia, Spain. The sighting (judging by the camera…View More Fallen Angel of Catalonia

For the first time in years (and first time on a feature), I’m doing storyboards. With all the CGI that will need to be done, I figure it might be a good thing to have for the actors. I bought a 6″x9″ top bound spiral notebook and can get 4 frames per page. I haven’t really drawn in years, so they’re pretty rough, but I think the point carries across. These illustrations will be cut into the mp3 file from readthrough.com with temp track and basic sound effects. Thursday, June 28, 2012 The Leap 3 team (actors, a PA and the composers) all have the script now, and feedback is flooding in as I had hoped. In these films, there’s two storylines going on at once: The Leap Crew and the CDF (bad guys). The storyline for the Leap Crew was pretty well fleshed out, but I knew I really need help adding character development to the CDF. My leads for that storyline have been giving me some great ideas that I’ll be incorporating into the second draft. The audio file I downloaded from readthrough.com has been a huge help to me as well. Last night I watched the first two films and listened to the mp3 for this one. It’s helping me to see where the weaker parts are and what needs more work. When I get my new computer (I may end up being able to get the one from my old job, it’s a beast) I’ll add a temp track and a few boards/animatics to it as well as photos of locations and such. It’ll be a strange collage, but with a project this ambitious, every bit of pre-viz helps. Tuesday, June 26, 2012 Happy to say that the first draft of the script is finished! That makes seven completed feature screenplays that I’ve written, the fourth I’ll actually produce (fifth counting Twinkle Adams’ film “Run”). This first draft comes in at only 73 pages, but that’s not unusual for my films to have short scripts like that at first. By the time we shoot it’ll probably be 80 or so, and with all the action, things should time out nicely. I should be nervous with this being my first big effects piece, but I actually feel pretty calm. I’ve been spending a lot of time in prayer about the story and such and I’m confident in the skills God has blessed me with, that we’ll be able to pull off this very ambitious project. The one downside to doing almost everything myself is that the final sequence in the film is going to take a very long time to complete. Many shots will be completely CG, which I can do, but it takes me time to do it right. I should note that the last 20 or so pages of script were completed using Trelby. It was rock solid and I’m very happy for making the switch. It actually has taken me a while to get used to not having to type set the script to get my count. I used to write for a spree, take a break, and type set to see how much was accomplished. Now the breaks are unnecessary and I can just write. It’s a different mindset to get into, but a very productive one. I should also add that we’ve started up a Twitter feed for STARS Pictures. The name is stars_pictures Out with the old, in with the… Trelby? Tuesday, June 19, 2012 When I got out of high school nine years ago and decided to make movies, I was clueless. I knew I needed some software to format a script, but couldn’t afford anything, much less find one that would run on my Windows 98 laptop. I did some poking and found a Macro Template for Microsoft Word called “Drama Dog”. Being free (remember when things were free?) I grew rather fond of it quickly. After writing countless shorts and my first feature (“Wulf”) in it, I decided It was high time to upgrade four years later. During my time with Drama Dog, I experimented off and on with Celtx, but didn’t understand that you needed to “typeset” the script before you could print it, so I kept going back to Drama Dog. When I did decided to upgrade for real, I went for the “industry standard” (if there is such a thing), Final Draft. I wrote two screenplays in Final Draft (“Wulf II: The Feeding Continues” “Cryptid”) and kept looking over at Celtx. The more I looked, the more I understood and eventually I abandoned Final Draft because I wanted the scheduling features of Celtx. By then I understood “typeset” and was willing to put up with it because the benefits of Celtx were great. It was free, regularly update, and available of Mac, PC and Linux, so it didn’t matter what computer I owned, I was set. I wrote three movies in Celtx- “Leap”, “Leap: Rise of the Beast” and “Derek”. While a Celtx user, I predominately used Linux, and got to watch a small unknown piece of software go through many upgrades. I was one of the first to purchase their writers pack add-ons that gave you fullscreen mode and the ability to change colors of your writing environment. I figured I was a Celtx user for life and started writing “Leap: Revelation” in it. You know that saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side”? Well, recently my grass was starting to look a little brown. How I wished I could get an accurate page count in Celtx. I also missed the simpler interface of Final Draft. But I’m a filmmaker first, writer second. I need the features that Celtx has. Today, I started poking around on Google looking for “Ubuntu Screenwriting Software”. Wouldn’t you know it? A name popped up I’ve never heard before: Trelby On their site, I was instantly drawn to the clean interface. It reminded me so much of Final Draft. Even more exciting was when I saw that it was available for free (remember when things were free?) for PC/Linux AND it could import Celtx scripts! I downloaded the .deb package and installed. Trelby has a wonderfully small footprint of only 2.2 MB gotta love that. First thing I did was import my half completed Celtx script for Leap: Revelation. Not a single issue with the import. Just find your .celtx file and hit OK. Once my script was up, I started poking around the settings. I saw I could change my interface colors (I prefer writing with a black background and baby blue text), so that was nice. I also noticed right away that I had a true and accurate page count right inside the software! Next I decided to write once scene to try it out. The keyboard shortcuts were mostly the same as my beloved Celtx, there was only one or two differences, which are easy to adapt to. Celtx was starting to look a little browner. Seeing that this software was strictly for writing, I knew I’d have to be able to get my script back into Celtx somehow. I’m not a fan of importing in Celtx, things usually get screwed up and you spend a few hours re-formatting everything. Under the “Edit” menu in Trelby, I found a copy option that said it preserved formatting, so I clicked it. Back in Celtx, I pasted it and EVERYTHING transferred over perfectly! The cleaner interface of Trelby with proper count and formatting has won my heart. And the ease of integration with Celtx means I can still handle my pre-pro business on a Linux laptop. For the Mac users out there, sorry, but Trelby isn’t currently available on your system, but they are working on it. When it does come out, I highly suggest you look into it. It’s so clean, so fast, so perfect. If I have one feature suggestion though, it’s this- A scene list that can be brought up and allows you to move scenes around when you’re reworking a story. Oh, and I’d like to be able to zoom out a bit of my page while I’m writing too. View it at closer to real size. Turns out all you have to do in order to “zoom out” is pick a smaller display font size. I found 10 works great for me. Changing the size shrinks the pages with it, essentially just zooming out. Since writing this, I’ve also installed the Final Draft Courier font, so it’s as close to a free Final Draft as I can get =) For more information, visit trelby.org It was raining today and I needed a break from the script, so I made this Thursday, June 14, 2012 WARNING: TECHNICAL INFORMATION AHEAD Great news today! Just two days after placing the order for the firewire cable I needed, it arrived (I’m going to give the seller an amazing review). When I got back to where I’m staying, I connected the macbook (which if you remember has a dead screen) to my Ubuntu laptop via the firewire and a firewire adapter. Pressing “T” on the mac, I turned it on. The screen was dead, so I didn’t know if it was working until I turned on the other laptop. Once it booted, there on my desktop, was a mounted drive with the name of my mac, in this case- El Director. Next I opened the drive and sure enough, there was the macbook’s directory. I navigated to my home folder and almost cried- all the folders there were X’d out, meaning that I didn’t have permission to open them, much less extract data. I took a few seconds to pray for guidance and an idea entered my thoughts. I vaguely remembered that linux has another file browser called Nautilus and that it could circumvent permissions. So I fired up the Terminal. Once the black window with a flashing cursor popped up, I punched in sudo nautilus and hit enter. For those that don’t know, Terminal allows you to enter commands to get the computer to respond. Just typing the name of a program in the Terminal will open it. Attaching “sudo” to the beginning will open the program with “root” or super admin privileges (in this case, allowing Nautilus to bypass permissions). It prompted me for my password and after I entered it, Nautilus file explorer opened up. This time when I navigated to my “Leap 3” folder, the X’s were gone and I was able to get access. Next I tried to copy the celtx file for my script to the desktop. An error popped up saying I didn’t have permission. So instead I opened the script in Celtx and was able to save to the cloud and “Save As” a copy to my Ubuntu machine =D So now I’m able to “copy” any of my files by opening and re-saving, but this will be a tedious process. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll get online and see if there’s a way to fix the permissions so I can just copy stuff. I’d like to copy the entire Films folder that I have. It contains 13 folders for my past and future feature films. Data includes synopsis, reference pics, research for the subject matter, all that good stuff which would be nice to have. But I can’t complain right now, because God is good and allowed me to recover the script, saving me from rewriting 20 pages (and a lot happens in those 20 pages). With that, good night everybody!

The Black Otaku I'm a noob. I play games. I watch anime. I read manga. I'm just another introvert.... Vids 513Freq 2.26Watchlists 2Subs 120Views 16.1k Grimorae is an English virtual content creator streaming mainly on Twitch. Her shows are often chaotic, featuring games, art, just chatting community conversations, rants, uncalled for loud yells and dance raves. Vids 338Freq 7.28Subs 6.1kViews 5.7k Hiyo runs a chill (sometimes chaotic) Café. It's a welcoming, inclusive and positive place where viewers can enjoy memes, variety games and community events. Hiyo claims to be a massive derp with memory issues who struggles with maps/puzzles but takes it in stride thanks to good humour and the patience/support of her chat. When she's… Vids 262Freq 2.09Watchlists 20Subs 2.2kViews 14.4k Snowy "Bunnii" Peppermint is a transboy pre-debut variety Vtuber who streams on Twitch & uploads past streams & highlights to YouTube. At the moment he only plays Visual Novels, rpg, & retro style games but his favorite types of games are adventure, open-world & rhythm games. Bunnii is shy & usually very nervous at the… Vids 460Freq 2Subs 811Views 30.5k Mr. Gooseberry is a VStreamer that primarily streams monster-raising games, mecha, Digimon TCG content, karaoke and educational cryptid lore videos. Vids 141Freq 6.91Subs 680Views 6.5k Furrosuti is the NXT Gen in English VTubing! He specializes in Voice Acting, Singing and Gaming Content~ Whether you are looking for a new gamer to watch rage at the little things, a karaoke hot spot for a Friday Jam session, or tons and tons of funny voices and effects Furro is programed to provide!… Vids 134Freq 9.7Watchlists 1Subs 3.3kViews 339k Beryl is a male Virtual YouTuber who streams in English. His content features mostly horror games, roguelikes, and chatting. He has laidback and easygoing personality, and tends to usually go with the flow, sometimes to his own detriment when his chat makes fun of him. He is a huge sleep-enthusiast, and encourages people to sleep… Vids 257Freq 1.02Watchlists 1Subs 1.4kViews 20.4k Minachu (Empress Mina) ✩┈┈∘┈୨୧┈∘┈┈✩ Vampire Empress Minachu the Fae blessed ✩┈┈∘┈୨୧┈∘┈┈✩ Artist, Designer, Vtuber, Variety Streamer Minachu is typically playing games together with her online communities, growing the Muse Menagerie into an inspirational home for everyone. Mina's favorite type of games are usually open world type survival sandbox to enjoy with her Muses. Occasionally the Empress has been… Vids 582Freq 1.56Watchlists 14Subs 1.3kViews 23.9k Purrplepaws is a VTuber who streams indie and horror games in English. Vids 12Freq 8.42Subs 36Views 105 Saralene is a magical retro-gaming catgirl who never gets frustrated at video games. She plays absolutely any genre of game, but her favorite genre of all is music games. She also adores pinball, and is known for her pinball wizardry. Her favorite pinball table is Cirqus Voltaire, and her favorite music game is Pop'n Music.… Vids 492Freq 2.72Watchlists 4Subs 2.6kViews 36.5k

Wizards Can Now Go ‘Quidditch Cruisin’ on a New Harry Potter-Themed Bike Following the first-ever Harry Potter-inspired cruiser bike (a Gryffindor House theme released in 2020) — Dynacraft, in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products. is now introducing a brand new Harry Potter Quidditch-themed bike just in time for holiday 2021. Dynacraft’s new Quidditch-themed bike features custom Harry Potter graphics and a prominently displayed, colorful Quidditch logo in front that is stylishly contrasted by the bike’s sleek black frame, and a black and silver-checkered design along its chain guard, safety pad, and handlebar-mounted shield. The four Quidditch player positions are etched across on the bike’s frame while the Seeker position is inscribed on the chain guard. Hogwarts fans, stay tuned for another release in the Harry Potter bike family coming in spring 2022 HUGE! Play, Outfit7, & Epic Story Media Launch World’s First Talking Animatronic Streamer: GameBud Talking Tom HUGE! Play has officially launched the most disruptive game-connected gear to hit the market in recent years: GameBud Talking Tom. This innovative, animatronic character live-connects to Outfit7’s successful mobile games — Talking Tom Hero Dash and Talking Tom Gold Run — and brings the Talking Tom character to life as a never-before-seen gaming companion. Now available for pre-order in North America for $99.99, GameBud Talking Tom will ship directly to fans from Gamebud.com, and will arrive in time for the 2021 holiday season. GameBud Talking Tom is based on Outfit7’s award-winning Talking Tom and Friends franchise. Talking Tom mobile games have collectively received over 16 billion downloads around the world and are among the top downloaded games in the U.S., amassing over 430 million monthly users to date. Fans will want to register early for pre-order to receive one of the first 10,000 special limited edition collectors’ versions, featuring a Hero Dash mask and a numbered certificate of authenticity. The GameBud Talking Tom comes with an Android and IOS compatible app, which connects to Talking Tom mobile games, and allows users to interact with the GameBud both online and offline. Endless Games Creates the Most Hip Game in Town Setting the trend for 2021, Endless Games is ready to release the coolest pop culture game of the year as Hip Town hits store shelves just in time for the holiday shopping season. To play Hip Town ($19.99 for two to six trendsetters ages 13+), players enter Hip Town, the home of Hip Coin Capitalism, where it’ll take style, street smarts, and a sense of humor to beat fellow developers to create the trendiest neighborhood in Hip Town. Start with a blank canvas; then fill your streetscape with niche businesses of your choice, from craft pickleries to modern speakeasies. Will you construct a culinary empire? A nightlife epicenter? Or something else entirely, marked with your own brand of wit and wisdom? With over 100 unique businesses and a wide variety of game-changing “reality” cards, you’ll never play the same game twice. Buying, Selling, Bidding and Building; it’s all part of being hip… in Hip Town. The Good Game Company Launches Not It! (v1.0) When friends or family gather this holiday season, who doesn’t love a good time of game playing? The Good Game Company puts a twist on the roll of the dice with Not It! (v1.0) a fast and frenzied fun for everyone! Just don’t expect Grandma to go easy on the kids… or vice versa! Players are dealt cards with various images of assorted colors and background patterns. Look quickly at your hand and then watch as the three dice spill from the plastic tumble tower. With seconds ticking, spot the card that does not match any of the attributes revealed on each of the dice! Do it fast! Don’t be last or you will not be able to discard. The goal is to be first to get rid of all your cards to win the game! Being not it is your key to victory! Known by the toymakers at The Good Game Company as the prequel to the Not It! series, this fast-paced game joins Not It! The Castle Land Edition, Not It! The Cryptid Hunters Edition and Not It! The Crazy Christmas Edition. All four Not It! compact games are priced nice at $15.99-$17.99 — perfect for a hostess gift, stocking stuffer, or family reunion ice breaker. Not It! v 1.0 launched this month. New Step2 Stop & Go Market Sets the Stage for Ultimate Pretend Playtime & Learning Aspiring entrepreneurs will start their shift by opening the toll booth, setting up cones, stocking the shelves, and listing the daily specials or gas prices on the chalkboard. As they pull up to the market on their bikes or ride-ons, they exercise motor skills while filling up their gas tank, paying the toll, and purchasing food items. Kiddos will practice language skills and problem-solving as they communicate with one another and operate their business. They’ll even learn math, money management, and counting skills as they pay for goods and services. Don’t forget your change! Ultra Pro Unveils Pokémon Trainer Trivia Game Pokémon Trainer Trivia — licensed from Zanzoon by Ultra Pro Entertainment — designed for ages 7 and up, features a virtual game master that drives the action to determine who is the best Pokémon Trainer. The game has 1,000 questions to help settle the score with the virtual game master explaining the rules, asking the questions, and keeping score. A single-player mode is also included where beating one’s top score becomes the goal of the game. The new Pokémon Trainer Trivia game is now available at Target nationwide and online for the holiday gift giving season. Nintendo Switch – OLED Model Now Available in Stores The newest member of the Nintendo Switch family of systems is now available in stores. Nintendo Switch – OLED Model has a similar overall size to the Nintendo Switch system, but with a larger, vibrant 7-inch OLED screen with vivid colors and crisp contrast. This new system gives people another option to play the vast and growing library of Nintendo Switch games how they want and where they want. In addition to the 7-inch OLED screen, the Nintendo Switch – OLED Model console also features a wide adjustable stand for tabletop mode, a new dock with a wired LAN port (LAN cable sold separately), 64GB of internal storage, and enhanced audio for handheld and tabletop play. Just like Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch – OLED Model allows players to play on the TV and share the detachable Joy-Con controllers for right-out-of-the-box multiplayer fun. And just like both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite, with Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, the system can be taken on the go to enjoy its play-anywhere versatility. Nintendo Switch – OLED Model is now available in stores at a suggested retail price of $349.99. It comes in two color options: Nintendo Switch – OLED Model white set, which features white Joy-Con controllers, a black main unit and a white dock; and Nintendo Switch – OLED Model neon red/neon blue set, which features neon red and neon blue Joy-Con controllers, a black main unit and a black dock. A carrying case and screen protector set is also available to purchase at a suggested retail price of $19.99. Remember that Nintendo Switch features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access.

From Zero To Sixty One of the hardest parts of creating a strong plot that grabs the reader is knowing where to start. If you start too soon, you risk boring the reader with a lot of exposition we simply don’t care to wade through. Boring a reader early mostly ensures they won’t be with you later. If you start too late, you risk either confusing the reader or never creating a strong connection between your reader and the main character, and both of those would be disastrous. For every story, there is a perfect place to start and all you have to do is find it. As most of us know, that can be challenging. The Journey of Plot Think of plot as a journey that takes the main character (and the readers) from engaging opening to satisfying ending. The beginning of the story will almost always be a place of normalcy. Now normalcy for your main character may not be what would be normal for anyone else — but it’s the character’s normal. A strong opening gives us a tiny glimpse of normal for the character, just before everything changes. For instance, a story about a child who runs away from an orphanage to avoid being punished for an accident would probably begin at the orphanage. It may begin just before the accident that propels the inciting incident for the story. Life in an orphanage wouldn’t be normal to the reader, but it is normal for the main character. This imagined story would therefore give us a sense of the main character right in the opening. Is he a surly kid, angry about being stuck in an orphanage and eager for change? Or is he a kid who normally wants to do the right thing? The best way for us to get to know that character in that initial opening might be to put him in a scene with another orphan where they’re lightheartedly messing around when they are supposed to be doing chores. And then, disaster strikes when the rambunctious action results in something being broken. The main character knows the punishment for this accident will be severe. Now, a surly character might angrily decide that he’s not getting smacked again as he’s still nursing the bruises from the last time. The character who normally tries to be good may simply not be able to face the idea of punishment. In either case, the child decides to run away because of the pressure of that looming punishment and that launches us into the journey of the novel as the child goes from his normal world to the changing world of the story. Notice also that this imagined opening shows an immediate conflict that applies pressure to the character. Strong scenes involve pressure that result in action. A scene where nothing of note happens is a dull scene. The Elements of Opening A strong story opening will almost always include certain elements: - Main character Introduced in a way that leaves us feeling like we met this person, not as if we were simply told about him. Even if we’re about to leave this setting forever, as in the story of the orphan, we still want a real feeling for where we are. This may be an inner conflict, something bothering the main character, rather than an overt act of conflict with another character, but physical conflict is engaging too. Make something move. Movement catches attention in humans in real life and does it in stories as well. Don’t just have the main character tell us stuff––get things moving even if it’s only the action of walking through a field of tall grass. Movement engages. Make something move. The Opening Has Purpose Now we know the opening to a book or story needs to engage the reader. Agents tell us this constantly. Editors tell us this during revisions. If we don’t get the reader in the opening few pages (or really, the opening page), then we run the risk of never getting them at all. But the opening needs another purpose. It must serve the plot. This is how you get the plot moving, so an opening filled with pointless action that has nothing to do with the plot is often not the best use of opening. You must know the purpose of your opening as it relates to the whole story. That might not always be super obvious to the reader and that’s alright as long as it (1) engages the reader’s interest and (2) doesn’t introduce confusion. A reader who can’t sort out what’s going on is a reader who will abandon the story. But the plot purpose of the opening might not always be super obvious. How can that be? Let’s analyze an example. Peek and Run In my book series, The Monster Hunters, with Abdo Publishing, I open every book with what I call a “peek and run.” This opening doesn’t have an obvious, clear plot tie with what comes after. It’s a kind of prolog without all the exposition. In these, I throw the characters into the last moments of an investigation of a cryptid and then introduce total mayhem. There is always some screaming and running involved. The investigation of the “peek and run” is not the investigation of the rest of the book. This opening investigation might not directly relate to the main investigation of the plot, but there are important things I do in these “peek and runs.” The peek-and-run opening introduces the main character in action with at least one other character. We get a glimpse of these people under pressure which allows the reader to form opinions about them. We see the “normal” for these characters––they investigate cryptids. And the opening shows that these aren’t seasoned professionals, they’re kids who can make mistakes, get scared, and sometimes respond in ways that are extremely silly or extremely clever. And there are elements in these opening pages that will carry through the book later. An embarrassed character in the opening pages has reason to try to “prove” himself later. Having the characters cleverly band together to deal with the mayhem will come back later when they must use those same skills again. In terms of plot, I’m prepping elements in the seemingly unrelated openings. The relation may not be obvious, but it is there. It may look like mayhem, but it’s purposeful mayhem. So keep these things in mind as you consider where to begin your own stories. As you craft your own opening, jump in there, engage, and draw all your readers into the amazing story you have for them. The end result will be well worth the effort it takes to get there.

August 17, 2018: Official Report on Liminal Activity across Kitsap County From The Desk of Garrett Kelly Class “A” Liminal Cartographer Still settling in over here. On my first overnight I was home alone and locked myself outside of my new house at 10:30pm. My first instinct was that this must have been my peers in the ‘Society’ hazing the new guy at the Bremerton outpost, but as the minutes ticked and it became increasingly clear no one was gonna jump out to say I was on Cryptid Camera, I realized I had just been a dummy who went outside to ‘turn off the sprinkler’ without making sure the door wouldn’t auto-lock. To make matters worse, I was IN MY UNDERWEAR – and I eventually had to go knock on the door of the neighbors to ask to borrow a phone so someone could rescue me (and BRING ME SOME PANTS). Regarding my stated mission of investigating the paranormal underbelly in Bremerton: - I have done some preliminary daytime explorations of Holland Rd out in E. Bremerton. There are longstanding rumors of a ghost of a girl who was hit by a car while riding her horse. On my quick site visit, the sun was still shining so I felt no heebies or jeebies but I’m making plans to come back at night and document more thoroughly. - I will soon be making my way to the concrete face that instantiated at Evergreen Rotary Park back in the 60s. Here is a picture from the Kitsap Sun. - I also have a lead on the possible location of the Seattle’s Famous Mystery Coke Machine (recently gone missing). In a Facebook group for Bremertonians, I have heard word of two similar “mystery” machines; I plan on asking some questions and see if I can pick up any leads. From the Facebook post: Did you know you can get discounted Coca-Cola products at their distribution warehouse on Auto Center blvd next to the Cash and Carry? There are two vending machines out front. 20oz bottles $.50 Monster energy drinks $1.25 There is a catch……they are all mystery buttons. You won’t know what you’ll get. - I have spent a fair amount of time on the Seattle -> Bremerton ferry. One of my favorite new rituals is staring at the waves and unfocusing my eyes as the sun sets over the water. The reflections make for an amazing 3-D magic eye puzzle – perhaps you too can stare at this picture long enough and see the thousands of meditating humanoids floating above the water …. - I was lucky enough to recently be on the ferry boat as it slowed down and encountered an unmanned vessel floating in the waterway. I got out my binoculars, but did not see any Lime Bikes onboard the ghost ship. I am in a bit of a liminal state traveling back and forth between the Seattle and my. new home on the West Sound – and there have been several times where the traffic to get to the ferry has been so gawd-awful, I’ve decided to wait it out and putz around Seattle on my scooter confirming sites on the Liminal Seattle map. Lsat week I went to a new massage therapist and met up in her Wallingford home. As I was discussing how constantly finding myself curled up in the fetal position while working on the Liminal Seattle map had done a number on my back, the masseuse interrupted to say: “You saw the gnome outside right?” I had in fact NOT seen ‘The Gnome’. She went on [paraphrased]: ‘Recently the house on the corner was bought and sold and one of the first things the new owner did was cut down a beautiful fig tree that had been an iconic feature of the neighborhood. Many of the neighbors were quite sad to see it go. The new owner had a wood carver come in to transform it into a bear or a dog – but the carver refused to do it. He said that the tree had a different form that it wanted take on – and so he carefully transformed the stump into this creature”. After my appointment was over, I ran outside and captured some pictures. This is around 34th/Burke. There are a also a few carved owls around the back. It’s a spectacular piece, and it inspired me to seek out some other sites in the city. I headed to the Wedgewood Rock – a spot I hadn’t heard of until this very website was launched and Yex shared his own meditative visions experienced at the rock. The site is an ancient glacial stone “deposited more than 14,000 years ago by the Vashon Glacier,” and “it was a landmark for Native Americans in what was once a dense forest.” It currently sits right in front of a home in the Wedgewood neighborhood. It’s impressive. I held my hand up to it for a while. The last place I stopped is Licton Springs. I had heard of the neighborhood but was not well versed on the history of the site – only recently discovering there is an actual spring there. The Seattle Parks deparment website says this is a park you “must see” but has no pictures of the AMAZING SPRING oozing this red iron mud… Let me tell you all now: YOU MUST GO THERE. Licton Springs is a magical park camouflaged by the typical playgrounds and picnic’s and people walking right by. Meanwhile, hidden in plain sight is this amazing cold spring bubbling up from the ground. While searching for the spring, I found myself in all of these weird paths and foot bridges, stumbling across people alone in their own world with their backs turned to me, staring into the brush. I tried talking to a few people and most of the people “there” would not even acknowledge my presence….. I cannot believe I have never been to this place before. I did a little bit of research on the park and discovered that it is an important site for the Duwamish tribe. For generations, the Duwamish Tribe gathered at Licton Springs, together with their relatives by marriage, in the proper season for harvesting sacred Red Ochre pigment, necessary for spiritual celebration and renewal. Like the Duwamish Tribe, neighboring First Nations consider the sacred site le?qtid to be a tangible cultural property inherited from their male or female Duwamish Ancestors. As a result of inter-marriage, neighboring First Nations have a material interest in access to and preservation of the sacred site liquid. For Chief Seattle’s Duwamish Tribe of Indians, Licton Springs is one of the last spiritual places remaining in our ?ál?altid (Ancestral Homeland). Licton Springs is located on the South Fork of tuw’Xú?bid (“Thornton Creek”). AGAIN: GO SEE Licton Springs. I lived in Seattle for 15 years and I can’t believe I never really even heard of it. It’s a spectacular place that I can’t believe isn’t more of a ‘destination’. I also recommend you checkout Hidden Hydrology, which has a great walking tour tracing the flow of secret water emerging from Licton Springs all the way to Green Lake! Hidden waterways are an important part of the Liminal sciences, and speak to the underground vitality in our surroundings. There is a life force literally flowing all around us – check out this amazing picture from an old Seattle history book featuring a creek running underneath the bank on 45th & University Ave. If you’re in the area, maybe ask a teller if you can see their basement stream? I highly encourage you to go on a liminal jaunt around your neighborhood using sites from the map and discovering new ones for others to explore! And if you send us a little chronicles of your adventures for the Liminal Seattle Newsletter, we’ll even send you some Sasquatch fur in the mail that is DEFINITELY NOT just my beard trimmings!!

Before vacation is over and fall brings many of us back to school, work, or whatever it is that interrupts these wonderful lazy days of summer, check out this list of books that will hit shelves this month. From silly to spooky and everything in between, August offers up something for everyone! Best Friends is the vividly honest follow-up to the runaway bestselling graphic memoir Real Friends. Sixth grade is supposed to be perfect. Shannon’s got a sure spot in the in-crowd called The Group, and her best friend is their leader, Jen, the most popular girl in school. But the rules are always changing, and Shannon has to scramble to keep up. She never knows which TV shows are cool, what songs to listen to, and which boys she’s allowed to talk to. Who makes these rules anyway? And does Shannon have to follow them? Or should she follow her heart? Bestselling creators of Real Friends Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham are back with a true story about popularity, first boyfriends, and finding your own path. In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed. Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last–the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge–and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods. Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that her sister’s deaths were no accidents. The girls have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who–or what–are they really dancing with? When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family–before it claims her next. House of Salt and Sorrows is a spellbinding novel filled with magic and the rustle of gossamer skirts down long, dark hallways. Get ready to be swept away. In the fifth book in the CatStronauts graphic novel series, Pom Pom pushes her experiments to the limit on the International Space Station, while the cats at Mission Control take a much needed break. What could possibly go wrong? While the cats are away, the other cats will play! Flight Director Maisy is off on her first vacation in years, and World’s Best Scientist is looking for a secret vacation of his own. But while the party picks up on Earth, the CatStronauts are trying to get all of their work on the International Space Station done in record time. So when disaster strikes in space, the CatStronauts will have to fix everything without their trusty support team at Mission Control. In this full-color graphic novel, debut author/illustrator Drew Brockington pushes the CatStronauts team farther than ever, adding in mounds of experiments, teamwork, and tuna fish by the ton! With winter break almost over and seventh grade spinning beyond their control, best friends Kaylan and Ari write a new list of 13 resolutions to make the New Year, middle school, and their friendship even more amazing before they go to separate camps next summer. But what happens when their bestie bucket list reveals issues in their friend group? Can they want totally different things and still be BFFs? Told in the alternating POVs of Ari and Kaylan—and with goals inspired by suggestions from readers—this contemporary coming-of-age story is bound to be the most heartbreaking and hilarious Friendship List yet. Having survived sinister scarecrows and the malevolent smiling man in Small Spaces, newly minted best friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian are ready to spend a relaxing winter break skiing together with their parents at Mount Hemlock Resort. But when a snowstorm sets in, causing the power to flicker out and the cold to creep closer and closer, the three are forced to settle for hot chocolate and board games by the fire. Ollie, Coco, and Brian are determined to make the best of being snowed in, but odd things keep happening. Coco is convinced she has seen a ghost, and Ollie is having nightmares about frostbitten girls pleading for help. Then Mr. Voland, a mysterious ghost hunter, arrives in the midst of the storm to investigate the hauntings at Hemlock Lodge. Ollie, Coco, and Brian want to trust him, but Ollie’s watch, which once saved them from the smiling man, has a new cautionary message: BEWARE. With Mr. Voland’s help, Ollie, Coco, and Brian reach out to the dead voices at Mount Hemlock. Maybe the ghosts need their help–or maybe not all ghosts can or should be trusted. Dead Voices is a terrifying follow-up to Small Spaces with thrills and chills galore and the captive foreboding of a classic ghost story. Abby and her classmates have all been invited to Briar Academy to participate in The Challenge, a prep school competition where teams compete for prizes and the glory of being the best of the best. While there, they figure out their nemesis, The Ghost, is using Briar as headquarters to plan a devastating attack on his enemies (a.k.a.: pretty much everyone) using a brand-new invention Toby developed. And this time, The Center and Mrs. Smith will be of no help as Abby suspects there is someone working for The Ghost on the inside—and they can trust no one. Based on Mindy Johnson’s critically acclaimed Disney Editions title, Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation, this nonfiction picture book is a fun and inspiring look at many of the amazing women who have worked at Disney Animation over the years–from Story Artists, to Animators to Inkers and Painters, all with unique personalities and accomplishments, such as becoming a record-holding pilot, or designing Hollywood monsters, or creating an international club for tall people! Twelve-year-old Ebony-Grace Norfleet has lived with her beloved grandfather Jeremiah in Huntsville, Alabama ever since she was little. As one of the first black engineers to integrate NASA, Jeremiah has nurtured Ebony-Grace’s love for all things outer space and science fiction–especially Star Wars and Star Trek. But in the summer of 1984, when trouble arises with Jeremiah, it’s decided she’ll spend a few weeks with her father in Harlem. Harlem is an exciting and terrifying place for a sheltered girl from Hunstville, and Ebony-Grace’s first instinct is to retreat into her imagination. But soon 126th Street begins to reveal that it has more in common with her beloved sci-fi adventures than she ever thought possible, and by summer’s end, Ebony-Grace discovers that Harlem has a place for a girl whose eyes are always on the stars. For Nobbin Swill, life is no fairy tale. His family has been the king’s royal dung farmers for generations. It’s a stinky job and someone has to do it, but Nobbin doesn’t want to spend his whole life as a dung farmer. On a dark, cloudy night, Nobbin catches a flicker of moonlight glimmering off something in the dung. It could be a button or a buckle, something that might fetch him a coin from the shoemaker. But it turns out to be a very valuable ring–the king’s ring, and one that could offer Nobbin a life free from dung! But Nobbin isn’t a thief and would never steal from the king, so he makes his way to the castle. When he tries to return the ring, things only become more complicated, and he ends up having to help the hapless Prince Charming solve a mystery when the woodcutter’s children–Gretel, and her younger brother, Hansel–go missing. Will the two be able to solve the case? Children will enjoy this hilarious mystery, with two-color illustrations throughout by author/illustrator Lisa Harkrader! In this wildly entertaining and interactive adventure, YOU pick which suspects to interview, which questions to ask, and which clues to follow. You pick the path–you crack the case! Carlos Serrano needs your help–again! His mother has received an urgent assignment to find the missing star of a wildly popular TV show, but she won’t let Carlos investigate! With his genius friend, Eliza, and her little brother, Frank, along for the case, Carlos is excited to examine the studio for clues and interrogate suspects on the set of Teen Witch, but he has to keep his detective work hidden from his mother’s laser-sharp gaze. And just like before, he can’t do it without you! Can you help Carlos and his friends solve the puzzles and stay out of trouble long enough to save Layla Jay? Or will it be case closed? Wonder meets Mary Poppins in this heartfelt debut novel about magic, healing, and the importance of family. Twelve-year-old Luna loves the nighttime more than anything else. It’s when no one gives her “that look” about the half mask she has to wear while healing from a disfiguring car accident. It’s also the perfect time to sit outside and draw what she sees. Like the boy and girl from the new family next door…zipping out of the window in a zeppelin and up to the stars. At first she thinks she’s dreaming. But one night they catch her watching. Now Luna spends her nights on adventures with them, as they clean full moons, arrange constellations, and catch jars of stardust. She even gets to make a wish on a shooting star they catch. But Luna learns that no wish is strong enough to erase the past–as much as she may hope to. Karina Chopra would have never imagined becoming friends with the boy next door–after all, they’ve avoided each other for years and she assumes Chris is just like the boys he hangs out with, who she labels a pack of hyenas. Then Karina’s grandfather starts tutoring Chris, and she discovers he’s actually a nice, funny kid. But one afternoon something unimaginable happens–the three of them are assaulted by a stranger who targets Indian-American Karina and her grandfather because of how they look. Her grandfather is gravely injured and Karina and Chris vow not to let hate win. When Karina posts a few photos related to the attack on social media, they quickly attract attention, and before long her #CountMeIn post–“What does an American look like? #immigrants #WeBelong #IamAmerican #HateHasNoHomeHere”–goes viral and a diverse population begin to add their own photos. Then, when Papa is finally on the road to recovery, Karina uses her newfound social media reach to help celebrate both his homecoming and a community coming together. Quijana is a girl in pieces. One-half Guatemalan, one-half American: When Quijana’s Guatemalan cousins move to town, her dad seems ashamed that she doesn’t know more about her family’s heritage. One-half crush, one-half buddy: When Quijana meets Zuri and Jayden, she knows she’s found true friends. But she can’t help the growing feelings she has for Jayden. One-half kid, one-half grown-up: Quijana spends her nights Skyping with her ailing grandma and trying to figure out what’s going on with her increasingly hard-to-reach brother. In the course of this immersive and beautifully written novel, Quijana must figure out which parts of herself are most important, and which pieces come together to make her whole. This lyrical debut from Rebecca Balcárcel is a heartfelt poetic portrayal of a girl growing up, fitting in, and learning what it means to belong. Four years after the events of The Gauntlet, the evil game Architect is back with a new partner-in-crime–The MasterMind–and the pair aim to get revenge on the Mirza clan. Together, they’ve rebuilt Paheli into a slick, mind-bending world with floating skyscrapers, flying rickshaws run by robots, and a digital funicular rail that doesn’t always take you exactly where you want to go. Twelve-year-old Ahmad Mirza struggles to make friends at his new middle school, but when he’s paired with his classmate Winnie for a project, he is determined to impress her and make his very first friend. At home while they’re hard at work, a gift from big sister Farah–who is away at her first year in college–arrives. It’s a high-tech game called The Battle of Blood and Iron, a cross between a video game and board game, complete with virtual reality goggles. He thinks his sister has solved his friend problem–all kids love games. He convinces Winnie to play, but as soon as they unbox the game, time freezes all over New York City. With time standing still and people frozen, all of humankind is at stake as Ahmad and Winnie face off with the MasterMind and the Architect, hoping to beat them at their own game before the evil plotters expand Paheli and take over the entire world. Princess Toli may be heir to the throne, but she longs to be a fierce hunter and warrior. Alone in a frozen world, her queendom is at the mercy of the dragons that killed her father, and Toli is certain it’s only a matter of time before they come back to destroy what’s left of her family. When the dragons rise and seize her mother, Toli will do anything to save her—even trust a young dragon who may be the only key to the Queen’s release. With her sister and best friend at her side, Toli makes the treacherous journey across the vast ice barrens to Dragon Mountain, where long-held secrets await. Bear-cats are on their trail, and dragons stalk them, but the greatest danger might be a mystery buried in Toli’s past. Irréelle fears she’s not quite real. Only the finest magical thread tethers her to life—and to Miss Vesper. But for all her efforts to please her cruel creator, the thread is unraveling. Irréelle is forgetful as she gathers bone dust. She is slow returning from the dark passages beneath the cemetery. Worst of all, she is unmindful of her crooked bones. When Irréelle makes one final, unforgivable mistake by destroying a frightful creature just brought to life, Miss Vesper threatens to imagine her away once and for all. Defying her creator for the very first time, Irréelle flees to the underside of the graveyard and embarks on an adventure to unearth the mysterious magic that breathes bones to life, even if it means she will return to dust and be no more. Emilia Torres has a wandering mind. It’s hard for her to follow along at school, and sometimes she forgets to do what her mom or abuela asks. But she remembers what matters: a time when her family was whole and home made sense. When Dad returns from deployment, Emilia expects that her life will get back to normal. Instead, it unravels. Dad shuts himself in the back stall of their family’s auto shop to work on an old car. Emilia peeks in on him daily, mesmerized by his welder. One day, Dad calls Emilia over. Then, he teaches her how to weld. And over time, flickers of her old dad reappear. But as Emilia finds a way to repair the relationship with her father at home, her community ruptures with some of her classmates, like her best friend, Gus, at the center of the conflict. Twelve-year-old Summer loves the ocean. The smell, the immensity, the feeling she gets when she dives beneath the surface. She has lived in Barnes Bluff Bay since she was two years old, when Lindy found her on the beach. It’s been the two of them ever since. But now, ten years later, Summer feels uncertainty about her place with Lindy and starts to wonder about where she came from. One night, Summer goes for a swim and gets caught in a riptide, swallowing mouthfuls of seawater. And that night, she dreams of a girl. A girl her age living in the same town, but not in the same time. Summer’s not persuaded that this girl is real, but something about her feels familiar. Summer dreams again and again about this girl, Tink, and becomes convinced that she is connected to her past. As she sees Tink struggle with her sister growing away from her and her friends starting to pair off, Summer must come to terms with her own evolving home life and discover how the bonds that make us family can help heal the wounds of the past. The Supa Buddies have been working hard to help Dog Man overcome his bad habits. But when his obsessions turn to fears, Dog Man finds himself the target of an all-new supervillain! Meanwhile, Petey the Cat has been released from jail and starts a new life with Li’l Petey. But when Petey’s own father arrives, Petey must face his past to understand the difference between being good and doing good. Dav Pilkey’s wildly popular Dog Man series appeals to readers of all ages and explores universally positive themes, including empathy, kindness, persistence, and the importance of being true to one’s self. Life has gotten complicated for thirteen-year-old Clivo Wren. After taking up his deceased father’s mission to find the extraordinary creature whose blood grants everlasting life, Clivo is spending his summer not at camp or hanging out with his friends, but jetting all over the world tracking cryptids—while keeping his aunt Pearl in the dark about his dangerous adventures. At the same time, a shocking development unveils the truth about Clivo’s enemies, and the cryptids themselves are posing trouble at every turn. With the help of his crew of Myth Blasters, Clivo is going to need all of the tools, gadgets, and training he has to prevent the immortal cryptid from falling into the wrong hands—and to keep Aunt Pearl off the case. Bad dreams take center stage in the third book of this spooky middle grade series, Babysitting Nightmares: The Twilight Curse. When the town’s old movie palace is converted into a theater, Maggie is thrilled to get a job helping with the first stage production. Even though she’s just babysitting an actor’s daughter, Maggie is determined to learn everything she can about acting. But a devilish ghoul seems to have other plans for the performance! It’s up to Maggie, Clio, Rebecca and Tanya to investigate. Can they vanquish the threat in time for opening night? Annalise Meriwether–though kind, smart, and curious–is terribly lonely. Cursed at birth by the devious Fate Spinner, Annalise has always lived a solitary life with her loving parents. She does her best to ignore the cruel townsfolk of her desolate town–but the black mark on her hand won’t be ignored. Not when the monster living within it, which seems to have an agenda of its own, grows more unpredictable each day. There’s only one way for Annalise to rid herself of her curse: to enter the Labyrinth of Fate and Dreams and defeat the Fate Spinner. So despite her anxiety, Annalise sets out to undo the curse that’s defined her–and to show the world, and herself, exactly who she is inside. Deontae “Simp” Wright has big plans for his future. Plans that involve basketball, his best friend, Rollie, and making enough money to get his mom and four younger brothers out of the Cove, their low-income housing project. Long term, this means the NBA. Short term, it means being a dough boy–getting paid to play lookout and eventually moving up the rungs of the neighborhood drug operation with Rollie as his partner. Roland “Rollie” Matthews used to love playing basketball. He loved the rhythm of the game, how he came up with his best drumbeats after running up and down the court. But playing with the elite team comes with extra, illegal responsibilities, and Rollie isn’t sure he’s down for that life. The new talented-and-gifted program, where Rollie has a chance to audition for a real-life go-go band, seems like the perfect excuse to stop being a dough boy. But how can he abandon his best friend? You’ve been asking and asking about what middle school is like, but I just thought they were annoying-younger-sister questions. Even though I am almost done with my first year, I can still remember when I thought middle school was a mystery, so I’ll try to give you a leg up. I know middle school is a lot to figure out. But since I still haven’t worked it all out yet, I’m happy to help as much as I can. That’s what big sisters are for.

IS THERE A MONSTER IN LAKE MERRITT? SCIENTIST SAYS YES! Few know what lurks the depths of the murky, brackish, crustacean-filled Lake Merritt. Few know what beastly beast, what cryptid, what leviathan, what man-eating monster could be swimming below, slithering through those fetid waters. Few know ... but many have seen."It's black, it's big, it has spikes on its head and its tongue sticks out," says Dr. Richard Bailey, local expert on the rumored Lake Merritt monster and executive director of the Lake Merritt Institute, a non-profit dedicated to cleaning the lake. "It's got typical round monster humps."According to Dr. Bailey, who has a masters degree in zoology and a doctorate in natural resources, sightings of this Lake Merritt monster, which he fondly refers to as the "Oak-ness monster," have become more frequent in the past five years. Dr. Bailey believes the creature prefers clean lakes, so perhaps it is no coincidence that he says these appearances coincide with massive lake clean-ups that make it easier for lake-goers to spot monster-like objects in the water. "There were reports of him years ago," he says. "The water quality got bad for awhile, and then it got better." Read the rest of the story by Dara Kerr and see pics: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inoakland/detail?entry_id=91579#ixzz1Q5JkRUI8

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If you do not have this, please visit the Adobe website or search for Adobe Reader (which can be downloaded and installed FREE). Each month our team attempt to bring you the latest paranormal news from around the world, interesting articles by numerous investigators and researchers in the field as well as book and DVD reviews, astronomical data, details on events and conferences and much more. If you would like to join our team of dedicated individuals, please drop us a line... Phenomena Magazine also promotes our authors and advertises and publicises their products and services across our YouTube Channel, directing viewers to the content. This helps support our magazine and has allowed us to provide a free magazine for many years. THIS MONTHS ISSUE CAN BE DOWNLOADED FOR FREE BELOW Phenomena Magazine: November 2023 - Issue 175 Phenomena Magazine (UK) is a FREE E-Zine available at the latter end of each month. All previous issues of our magazine are also available for FREE on our Archive page. NOVEMBER 2024 - ISSUE 175 CLICK COVER TO DOWNLOAD OR READ! 'UFOs, Fireballs and 'Blue Worms - The Aerial Siege of Hawaii': Magazine regular Sean Casteel and magazine CEO Steve Mera, take a look at UFO and other strange activity around the beautiful island of Hawaii. 'The Kenneth Arnold Sighting': Outer Limits Magazine editor Chris Evers gives his considered opinion on the famous 1947 Kenneth Arnold sighting of strange craft flying over Mt. Rainer. Just what did Arnold actually see? 'Malta She-Devil': Paul Dale Roberts takes a look at some of the unlikely tales and legends associated with the island of Malta. 'Mysterious and Elusive Brosno Lake Dragon': Tales of The Russian Cryptids,' Well known researcher, Paul Stonehill, gives as an insight to yet another cryptid, this time a creature said to inhabit the depths of Lake Brosno in Russia. 'A Saucerful of Secrets': Veteran researcher into all things paranormal, Andy Roberts, takes a fascinating look at how rock music embraced the counterculture of Ufology and all that went with it. All this as well as recent paranormal news from around the world, details of events and conferences, book reviews, stargazer information, hyperlinked advertisements and much more... - Steve Mera: CEO & UK Chief Editor Brian Allan: Book Reviews - Dario Fernandez: Spanish Issue Chief Editor & Digital Construction (UK) - Jackie Heighway: Advertising & Marketing Ben Wilson: proofreading - Content Co-ordinator: Vitaly Ezra'El Photography: Ian Gunner Reporter: Dan Monroe - Australia - Video Editor/Graphics/Reporter: Chris Turner Video Editor/Graphics/Reporter: Jerey Denning

CON & ON TP (MR) (W) Paul Cornell (A) Cresta, Marika (CA) Mauricet A gripping comedy-drama that follows a fictional cast of fans and professionals down through the decades, as they attend the annual gathering of America’s biggest comic book convention. Meet close friends Eddie and Deja, aspiring young talents whose ambitions threaten to tear them apart; Anthony, Don & Finn, brilliant, boozy and bombastic British creators; and all of the crusty veteran editors, forgotten TV stars, and enthusiastic fans who make the convention experience something to revisit year after year. In Shops: Mar 27, 2024 PROJECT CRYPTID #6 (OF 6) (MR) (W) Matt Bors, Mattie Lubchansky (A/CA) Daniel Irizarri, Maki Naro Creatures on the loose: writer Matt Bors (Justice Warriors, The Nib) and artist Daniel Irizarri take us to Puerto Rico to discover the frightful Chupacabra! Then, Mattie Lubchansky (Boys Weekend) and Maki Naro take us in search of the perfect cryptid influencer. In Shops: Feb 21, 2024

“NATIVE AMERICAN MYTHS, MONSTERS AND LEGENDS” #WeirdDarkness * Get the commercial-free version of this episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/42651354 * Scroll down this post for the episode transcript ↓ Please tell others about Weird Darkness – your friends, family, and co-workers who love the paranormal, horror stories, or true crime. Sharing the podcast with others helps me to continue creating content – and it also helps get the word out about important resources for those who struggle with depression. Thank you for sharing the podcast with others and growing our Weirdo family! Listen to ““NATIVE AMERICAN MYTHS, MONSTERS AND LEGENDS” #WeirdDarkness” on Spreaker. IN THIS EPISODE: Native American people in Oklahoma tell of a vampire-like creature called a stikini, or “man owl”. (The Stikini Vampire) *** The Native American Iroquois are terrified of a flying demonic creature that takes pleasure in tormenting their people – just for kicks. (The Flying Head of the Iroquois) *** Native Americans have wonderful legends of a powerful and magnificent Thunderbird that was sent by the Gods to protect humans from evil. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t terrifying. (Shapeshifting Thunderbirds) *** The Hopi Indian tribe encountered what they called the Maasaw – a living skeleton that was not only horrifying, but also gifted the Hopi with sacred knowledge. (The Skeleton Man of the Hopi) *** Many Native myths and legends deal with coyotes – for some it is the most sacred of all animals. For others, it is the most profane of animals. (Legends of the Coyote) *** Did the Comanche Indians defeat a race of white, red-haired giants? (White Giants) *** The Illini people have had numerous encounters with a mysterious dragon-like creature that existed thousands of moons before the pale face came. (Piasa – The Native American Dragon) *** The Cherokee have an interesting tale of how disease and medicine came into existence – and the story also explains why Native Americans respect all life. (The Legend of the Little Deer) *** The Cherokee people talk of an ancient light-skinned people whose blue eyes were so sensitive to light that they lived in the dark, underground. (The Moon-Eyed People of the Cherokee) *** The Chumash Indians in California first spoke of the dark watchers in legends and their artists painted images of them on cave walls. Who or what were they? (The Dark Watchers) *** Native Americans in North America have a well known cryptid that is believed to live even today – it’s cannibalistic, it can shapeshift, and it’s called the Wendigo. (Wendigo – The Native American Cannibal) *** All cultures have tales of heroes defeating evil. The Algonquian tribe is no different – and their mythical hero defeated evil sorcerers and the sorcerers’ demon followers. (Glooskap the Demon Slayer) *** …and more Native American lore! WANT TO ADVERTISE WEIRD DARKNESS OR BE A SPONSOR? Weird Darkness has partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They’re great to work with and will help you advertise on the show. Email firstname.lastname@example.org or start the process now at https://weirddarkness.com/advertise STORY AND MUSIC CREDITS/SOURCES… (Over time links can and may become invalid, disappear, or have different content.) “The Stikini Vampire” by A. Sutherland: http://bit.ly/2mrRQp5 “Legends of the Coyote” by A. Sutherland: http://bit.ly/2kLtK8s “Wendigo – The Native American Cannibal” by A. Sutherland: http://bit.ly/2W293Bs “Glooskap the Demon Slayer” by A. Sutherland: http://bit.ly/2kXJRzz “White Giants” by Trycia at DiscloseTV: http://bit.ly/2moiQ8Q “The Legend of the Little Deer” by Thalia Lightbringer: http://bit.ly/2m7kNGv “More Native American Lore” by Eric Redding: http://bit.ly/2m0thiO “The Flying Head of the Iroquois” by Ellen Lloyd: http://bit.ly/2mlzGVR “Shapeshifting Thunderbirds” by Ellen Lloyd: http://bit.ly/2kxMAje and A. Sutherland: http://bit.ly/2kMqFoD “The Skeleton Man of the Hopi” by Ellen Lloyd: http://bit.ly/2msZzDm “Piasa – The Native American Dragon” by Ellen Lloyd: http://bit.ly/2kVwsbm “The Moon-Eyed People of the Cherokee” by Ellen Lloyd: http://bit.ly/2VcDc5H “The Dark Watchers” by Ellen Lloyd: http://bit.ly/2kokkPM (I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing that for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I’ll rectify it in the show notes as quickly as possible.) Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music, varying by episode, provided by Alibi Music, EpidemicSound and/or AudioBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ), Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and/or Nicolas Gasparini/Myuu (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission. “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” — John 12:46 Find out how to escape eternal darkness at https://weirddarkness.com/eternaldarkness WeirdDarkness™ – is a registered trademark. Copyright ©Weird Darkness 2020. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and is intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised. In nearly all cultures, myths and legends can serve as cautionary tales, keeping one foot in practical reality and the other in the realm of the supernatural and it’s no surprise that the most effective cautionary tales are also the scariest. The ancient lore of the indigenous peoples of North America are as varied and far-reaching as the continent itself, and unless you’re well-versed in native lore, you might not realize how many of those tales are populated by horrifying spirits, ghosts, witches, demons and monsters… and since I’m in the scare business, I’m here to share the some of the most nightmarish. We’ll look at Native American legends, myths, lore, and monsters that span multiple tribes, and in some cases, hundreds of generations. I’m Darren Marlar and this is Weird Darkness. Welcome, Weirdos – this is Weird Darkness. Here you’ll find stories of the paranormal, supernatural, legends, lore, crime, conspiracy, mysterious, macabre, unsolved and unexplained. If you’re new here, welcome to the podcast – and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes! If you’re already a Weirdo, please share the podcast with others – doing so helps make it possible for me to keep creating episodes as often as I do! This month marks five years of Weird Darkness, and I’m celebrating by raising funds and awareness about depression which I’ll tell you about later in the podcast, but I’d like to invite you to visit DarknessChallenge.com now to learn more about it – that’s DarknessChallenge.com. Coming up in this episode… Native American people in Oklahoma tell of a vampire-like creature called a stikini, or “man owl”. The Native American Iroquois are terrified of a flying demonic creature that takes pleasure in tormenting their people – just for kicks. Native Americans have wonderful legends of a powerful and magnificent Thunderbird that was sent by the Gods to protect humans from evil. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t terrifying. The Hopi Indian tribe encountered what they called the Maasaw – a living skeleton that was not only horrifying, but also gifted the Hopi with sacred knowledge. Many Native myths and legends deal with coyotes – for some it is the most sacred of all animals. For others, it is the most profane of animals. Did the Comanche Indians defeat a race of white, red-haired giants? The Illini people have had numerous encounters with a mysterious dragon-like creature that existed thousands of moons before the pale face came. The Cherokee have an interesting tale of how disease and medicine came into existence – and the story also explains why Native Americans respect all life. The Cherokee people talk of an ancient light-skinned people whose blue eyes were so sensitive to light that they lived in the dark, underground. The Chumash Indians in California first spoke of the dark watchers in legends and their artists painted images of them on cave walls. Who or what were they? Native Americans in North America have a well known cryptid that is believed to live even today – it’s cannibalistic, it can shapeshift, and it’s called the Wendigo. All cultures have tales of heroes defeating evil. The Algonquian tribe is no different – and their mythical hero defeated evil sorcerers and the sorcerers’ demon followers. …and more Native American lore! Now.. bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights, and come with me into the Weird Darkness! Weird Darkness returns in just a moment. STORY: STIKINI VAMPIRE========== In ancient folklore of the Seminole Indians of Oklahoma in the United States, there is a vampire-like creature called a stikini (“man owl”). Likewise, terrifying Stikini legends are widespread among the Creek people. Originally, the Stikini were believed to be malevolent witches, who transformed themselves into undead huge owl-like-monsters. Technically dead but constantly reanimated, they could spend their nights seeking human hearts to consume. Hearing the terrifying cry of a Stikini is an omen of impending death. Many Native Americans who know the Stikini stories avoid mentioning this bizarre creature openly. Usually only certain medicine people tell about the Stikini without putting someone at risk for turning into it. By day, Stikini appear as an ordinary human and at night, the Stikini makes terrible things. It vomits up all its internal organs and hangs them in a tree or hides them somewhere else to prevent animals from eating them. Then, it can change its appearance into a great horned owl. In this disguise, it flies out in search of a sleeping person to prey upon. It removes still-beating heart from its victim by pulling it out of his mouth, and then it takes the heart back to its home. It cooks the heart in an enchanted pot and eats it in secret. The Stikini needs to consume one human heart each night while for example, Jiangshi, a Chinese “hopping vampire” kills living creatures to absorb their ‘qi’ ‘life force’, according to Chinese legends. Before dawn, the Stikini returns to its hidden organs and swallows them and then its looks again as an ordinary human being. Ancient people believed that there may be a way to get rid of the creature but it is very difficult. At first, a person has to find its organs hidden by the Stikini while the creature is still hunting and then destroy it before dawn, which guarantees the death of the monster. Sunlight is also disastrous for the creature Stikini who has not turned back into human shape. This can be done with some specially chosen arrows, which are decorated with owl feathers, then ritually blessed and dressed with sacred herbs. When the Stikini returns to consume its organs, one can fire upon it with the magic arrow, as this is the only time that the creature is vulnerable. Stikini is a dangerous shapeshifter with the ability to transform into any animal it wants but it prefers to perform as an owl. By day, it takes on the form of a human disguise; it undergoes a physical (or perhaps even mental) transformation. It lives its daily life of a human, socialize within the community and mimic the human’s behavior perfectly without being exposed. The creature’s true origin is camouflaged and there is no way to reveal it. The Stikini folklore is rather widespread and popular among Natives of America. Though the shapeshifting evil creature originates in Seminole lands, over the years, many legends and stories about Stikini have circulated in swampy regions of New Jersey and Michigan. STORY: FLYING HEAD========== The Iroquois have an interesting legend about a horrifying flying head that terrorized people for no apparent reason. This was no ordinary head of a normal person. The head was huge, about four times larger than the size of a man. This bodyless creature had great wings protruding from its cheeks. Lurking in the forest the monster was coated in thick black hair and its mouth was filled with fangs. It ate everything that was alive, including humans. What is interesting and slightly unusual about this Native American monster is that it seems to have vanished into thin air. The flying head was seen by many but then it simply disappeared, and no one knows what happened to it. The story of the flying head of the Iroquois is different because there were very few sightings of this dangerous creature. Legends tell one day a man spotted the flying head soaring through treetops. It seemed to be nothing more than a shadow but it was glowing brightly. He hurried back to the village and told everyone to leave as fast as they could. Everyone left, except for a woman who stayed there with her baby. “The woman sat beside the hearth and built the fire up into a great blaze, then heated some stones to a red-hot glow. Suddenly the Flying Head appeared, its horrible mouth slavering as it looked into the longhouse from the far end. Not giving any sign that she noticed it, the young woman began to pretend she was eating a meal. She picked up the red-hot rocks with a forked stick and pretended to put them in her mouth. With each “bite,” she said how good it tasted, what wonderful meat this was. The monster watched, growing hungrier and hungrier, his horrid mouth drooling until he could wait no longer. He stuck his head far into the longhouse and swallowed the entire heap of burning rocks. A horrible scream pierced the night, and another, and the monster frantically beat its wings and flew off into the dark, screaming in agony and rage. He screamed so loud that the trees he flew past all trembled. People scattered here and there in the forest fell to the ground, covering their ears. The monster kept screaming as he flew farther and farther away from the longhouse, until his screams could be heard no longer, and the people rose up from the ground and went home, finally safe.” 1 The origin of the flying head remains a mystery. Some think the head belongs to a murder victim. According to other Native American beliefs, a human is transformed into a flying head after committing an act of cannibalism. According to both Iroquois and Wyandot mythology, flying heads are ravenous spirits, that are cursed with an insatiable hunger. Sometimes flying heads are also associated with whirlwinds. As previously mentioned the flying head that terrorized the Iroquois came and vanished without a trace. What happened to it is unknown. Some think it died, thought it unlikely if it was a spirit. Another option is that is it still, as some of the Iroquois think went to the sea. Perhaps it is now hunting creatures that reside underwater. STORY: SHAPESHIFTING THUNDERBIRDS========== Native Americans have wonderful legends of a powerful and magnificent Thunderbird that was sent by the Gods to protect humans from evil. When this huge, eagle-like bird soared the skies, one could hear its mighty wings beat with the sound of rolling thunder. Its eyes were burning like fire and caused lighting. The Thunderbird was no ordinary bird. It was the spirit of the storm and a supernatural creature that was just as much feared as admired. Often described as a shapeshifter, it lived in a cloud, above the highest peak the tribe could see or in a cave in the mountains. Various tribes tell slightly different stories about the magical Thunderbird, but all Indians feared the bird and tried not to anger it. Winnebago Indians of the northern Midwest and Plains state believed that the Thunderbird possessed supernatural powers. The Thunderbird was a shapeshifter and could take the form of humans. Interestingly, the legendary falcon warrior or “birdman” is a common motif in Mississippian culture. It has been depicted with a beaked face on unearthed artifacts from Cahokia to Georgia. In some traditions, Birdman is interpreted as a version of Red Horn, another heroic figure whose twin sons fought off a race of giants. Scientists believe the Birdman was a warrior king, but it’s also possible this was the legendary Thunderbird. According to Winnebago Indians, the Thunderbird was able to manipulate weather, affecting the winds and creating storms, lightning, thunder, and rain. There were not just one Thunderbird, but many of them were often seen in the skies. The Thunderbirds were enemies with the Water Spirits and the giant birds used their lightning when crossing the waters, to protect them from the water spirits. The Passamaquoddy Indians who live in northeastern North America, primarily in Maine and New Brunswick have legends that confirm the Thunderbirds were shapeshifters. According to the Passamaquoddy, the Thunderbirds were men who could transform themselves into flying creatures. Their legend tells that “Thunderbird is an Indian and he or his lightning would never harm another Indian. But Wochowsen, great bird from the south, tried hard to rival Thunderbird. So Passamaquoddies feared Wochowsen, whose wings Gluskap once had broken, because he used too much power. In Native American mythogoly, Gluskap is a mythical hero who defeated evil sorcerers and demon followers. We’ll look closer at this character later in the show. The Quillayute Indians of the Pacific Northwest remember how the Thunderbird was sent by the Great Spirit to help the Indians after a horrible disaster. The Indians had no food and many had died after rain and hail had fallen for many days, destroying all plants. After the rain came snow and the Indians called the Great Spirit for help and it then, he sent people the Thunderbird. The story of the Thunderbird’s arrival is described in detail in the book Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest written by Ella E. Clark: “The people waited. No one spoke. There was nothing but silence and darkness. Suddenly, there came a great noise, and flashes of lightning cut the darkness. A deep whirring sound, like giant wings beating, came from the place of the setting sun. All of the people turned to gaze toward the sky above the ocean as a huge, bird-shaped creature flew toward them. This bird was larger than any they had ever seen. Its wings, from tip to tip, were twice as long as a war canoe. It had a huge, curving beak, and its eyes glowed like fire. The people saw that its great claws held a living, giant whale. In silence, they watched while Thunderbird – for so the bird was named by everyone – carefully lowered the whale to the ground before them. Thunderbird then flew high in the sky, and went back to the thunder and lightning it had come from. Perhaps it flew back to its perch in the hunting grounds of the Great Spirit. Thunderbird and Whale saved the Quillayute from dying. The people knew that the Great Spirit had heard their prayer. Even today they never forget that visit from Thunderbird, never forget that it ended long days of hunger and death. For on the prairie near their village are big, round stones that the grandfathers say are the hardened hailstones of that storm long ago.” The Thunderbird is also described as a very large bird that makes fearsome noise. “Thunderbird is a very large bird, with feathers as long as a canoe paddle. When he flaps his wings, he makes thunder and the great winds. When he opens and shuts his eyes, he makes lightning. In stormy weather, he flies through the skies, flapping his wings and opening and closing his eyes. Thunderbird’s home is a cave in the Olympic Mountains, and he wants no one to come near it. If hunters get close enough so he can smell them, he makes thunder noise, and he rolls ice out of his cave. The ice rolls down the mountainside, and when it reaches a rocky place, it breaks into many pieces. The pieces rattle as they roll farther down into the valley. All the hunters are so afraid of Thunderbird and his noise and rolling ice that they never stay long near his home. No one ever sleeps near his cave. Thunderbird keeps his food in a dark hole at the edge of a big field of ice and snow. His food is the whale. Thunderbird flies out of the ocean, catches a whale and hurries back to the mountains to eat it. One time Whale fought Thunderbird so hard that during the battle, trees were torn up by their roots. To this day there are no trees in Beaver Prairie because of the fight Whale and Thunderbird had that day.” One of the most interesting aspects of the legend is that the Quillayute mention the Great Flood in their description of the battle between Thunderbird and whale. All of the above-mentioned legends, describe the Thunderbird as a very large, powerful creature that makes thunder and lightning. Myths from all across the world tell of magnificent birds that were sometimes known under a variety of names among ancient cultures. Many mythological birds were believed to have had supernatural powers. Adarna, a beautiful legendary bird of the Philippines was said to change it colors after singing seven songs. This magnificent bird could restore health, but also turn a creature into stone. Ancient Chinese had interesting stories about a nine-headed bird (“Jiu Feng”), one of the earliest forms of the Chinese Phoenix Mythical fiery bird Phoenix is mentioned in Roman, Greek or Egyptian mythologies. The incredible Phoenix is a symbol of Sun, immortality, rebirth, resurrection and eternal life. This mythical creature has also its counterpart in China, Japan and India, and in each of these cultures, many appearances of Phoenix have been created but all of them have similar significance. They are also all alike. Birds have always been mysterious creatures and close to gods, and the powerful Thunderbird was one of them… Other thunderbirds are spoken of in northeast North America – around the state of Maine. Pamola is a snow bird spirit in mythology of Abenaki (Penobscot), indigenous peoples. In ancient beliefs of these people, Pamola (means: “he curses on the mountain”) is said to be the god of Thunder and guardian of Mt Katahdin (“The Greatest Mountain”), the highest mountain in the U.S. state of Maine at 5,267 feet (1,605 m). The thunderbird is a large, avian creature widely known and worshiped among the indigenous people of North America. This legendary bird, most commonly found in folklore of Arizona in the southwestern United States, and a close relative to the Phoenix, could create storms. Numerous stories tell of a gigantic bird that creates the sound of thunder by beating its huge, strong wings. Sheet lightning is said to be the bird blinking, and lightning bolts are made by glowing snakes which the bird carries around with it. The thunderbird is often described as having horns, and even teeth within its beak. The Penobscot people have also their thunderbird. The creature is known as Pamola (also spelled Bemola or Pomola). It is described as having the body of a man, the head of a moose. In some legends, Pamola’s head is as large as four horses, and powerful wings and feet of an eagle. In another oral tradition, Pamola was the storm-bird with powerful wings, a head as large as four horses, and with horrible beak and claws. The legendary bird was associated with snow, night, wind, and storms. It was definitely not a creature any human being would want to mess with. When people heard a noise like the whistling of a powerful wind they knew that Pamola was flying not far from them. The bird was both feared and respected by the Penobscot people. As Katahdin was the abode of Pamola, the Natives avoided climbing the mountain and considered this activity as taboo. There was a belief that the spirit disliked mortals interfering from down below. As Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862), an American philosopher, essayist, poet and historian, who explored the Mt. Katahdin and the beliefs of the Penobscot Indians of Maine, wrote, “Pamola is always angry with those who climb to the summit of Katahdin…” In Algonquian myth, the legendary bird Pamola, is an evil spirit eventually conquered by Glooskap, a trickster god and a mythic hero. One story is about a man who went to the forests at the foot of the sacred Mt. Katahdin, and was caught in a heavy snowstorm. The only he could do was to appease Pamola; he burned offerings of oil and fat until the god of thunder himself appeared to take the offerings. Surprisingly, Pamola was not angry and thanked the man for his respect and generosity and took him to his sacred abode inside of Mt. Katahdin, where he lived in comfort with Pamola’s family. He even married Pamola’s daughter but on one condition: he was not allowed to marry anyone else, or else he would be taken prisoner inside of Mt. Katahdin for good. Unfortunately, the man didn’t heed the warning when he came back to his tribe. He disappeared and no one ever saw him again. Another story tells about a woman who constantly persisted in refusing to believe even in the existence of Pamola, unless she witnessed him with her own eyes. One day, she was on the shores of the lake of Amboctictus, near Mt. Katahdin, on the south-west side. Pamola appeared and took the woman to his home inside of Mt. Katahdin. She stayed with him there for a year and was well treated, but powerful Pamola made her pregnant. Then she left his abode and returned to her home with Pamola’s son. Pamola warned her not only to never re-marry, but also warned her of their son’s supernatural and frightening power. The child could point at any living thing with his right forefinger and it would die instantly. He advised the woman to keep their son apart from society till the age of manhood, but her fellow villagers wanted her to remarry. She refused explaining that Pamola was her husband and in case of marriage, she and child would be taken back to Mt. Katahdin. No one took her words seriously and soon she was re-married, but in the evening of her marriage-day, when all the Indians from her village were gathered together celebrating the marriage, both she and the child vanished forever. STORY: SKELETON MAN========== The Hopi Indians’ encounter with Maasaw was very emotional and frightening. His physical appearance was so horrifying that many of the Hopi Indians ran. Some of the Hopi had the courage to stay because they had been looking for him for such a long time. They wanted to listen to Maasaw and receive spiritual wisdom. The remarkable encounter with Maasaw is one of the reasons why the Hopi are today considered keepers of sacred knowledge. The Hopi Indians have a very rich mythological tradition stretching back over centuries and they have stories about their ancestral journeys through three worlds to the Fourth World, where the people live today. According to Hopi legends, Maasaw (Masaw ,Massau, Masauwu) was a spirit that could not die and he was therefore appointed to be Guardian of the Underworld. He is described as a Skeleton Man and Lord of the Dead in Hopi mythology. Hopi mythology tells about existence of worlds before our own. All previous worlds were destroyed because people became disobedient and lived contrary to Tawa’s plan. Tawa is the Sun spirit and creator in Hopi mythology. There are different versions of how the previous worlds were destroyed and who managed to survive. Some legends tell that the Third World was destroyed along with all evil people, but other stories reveal good inhabitants were simply led away from the chaos which had been created by their actions. When the Hopi emerged into the Fourth World (our current world), they learned that Maasaw was on Earth and they went looking for him. People who wanted to escape from the Third World decided to make contact with Maasaw. First, they sent a swift bird looking for Maasaw, but the bird was so tired when it reached the sky that it had to come back. Then, the Hopi tried to send a dove and later a hawk, but both creatures failed to reach Maasaw. The one that succeeded in finding Maasaw was the catbird. Maasaw asked him, “Why are you here?” The catbird said, “The world below is infested with evil. The people want to come up here to live. They want to build their houses here, and plant their corn.” Maasaw said, “Well, you see how it is in this world. There isn’t any light, just greyness. I have to use fire to warm my crops and make them grow. However, I have relatives down in the Third World. I gave them the secret of fire. Let them lead the people up here, and I will give them land and a place to settle. Let them come.” Maasaw looked like a skeleton man, a stick person and he was a fearsome sight. When the Hopi Indians accepted Maasaw’s frightening physical appearance, his attitude began to change and he gave them wonderful knowledge. Maasaw explained to them how they should live and allowed their people to flourish. The Guardian Spirit, Maasaw, gave the Hopi permission to settle in the region that is now northwest Arizona. Maasaw noticed that greed, ambition and social competition were dominating factors in their former life and this lifestyle made people very unhappy. Maasaw warned the Hopi that the life he had to offer them was very different from what they had before. To show them, Maasaw gave the people a planting stick, a bag of seeds, and a gourd of water. He handed them a small ear of blue corn and told them, “Here is my life and my spirit. This is what I have to give you.” Maasaw explained that if they followed his way, they would live long and fruitful lives. He wanted them to be humble and live like he did with only a planting stick and seeds. He wanted the Hopi to take care of and respect the land, and they did what he said, despite the fact that their manner of living was not easy. Dry-farming in the high desert of northern Arizona, relying only on precipitation and runoff water, requires an almost miraculous level of faith and is sustained by hard work, prayer, and an attitude of deep humility. Following the way of Maasaw, the Hopi people have tended to their corn for nearly a millennium, and the corn has kept them whole. For traditional Hopis corn is the central bond. Its essence, physically, spiritually, and symbolically, pervades their existence. According to the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, a tribal training and support organization based at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. “to be Hopi is to embrace peace and cooperation, to care for the Earth and all of its inhabitants, to live within the sacred balance. It is a life of reverence shared by all the good people of Earth, all those in tune with their world. This manner of living lies beneath the complexities of wimi, or specialized knowledge, which can provide stability and wisdom but when misused can also foster division and strife. Deeper still in the lives of traditional Hopi people lies the way of Maasaw, a way of humility and simplicity, of forging a sacred bond between themselves and the land that sustains them. Maasaw’s way is embodied in corn.” The source to true happiness is to live in peace and harmony with nature, animals and other people, Maasaw said. The Hopi followed his teachings and they lived peacefully in communities, caring for each other for centuries. They always carried within them the knowledge of the Great Spirit and they performed sacred rituals daily. The word Hopi is s short version of their name Hopituh Shi-nu-mu (“The Peaceful People” or “Peaceful Little Ones). The Hopi Dictionary gives the primary meaning of the word “Hopi” as: “behaving one, one who is mannered, civilized, peaceable, polite, who adheres to the Hopi way.” The tribe does live up to the name. The Hopi are a very peace-living people and they have managed to keep their culture intact thanks to the sacred knowledge given to them by Maasaw, the Skeleton Man. We are not even to the halfway point of this episode – there are many, many more legends and myths from North American Indians that are fascinating and frightful… so keep listening! STORY: LEGENDS OF THE COYOTE========== Coyote, the trickster-god is a well-known figure in myths and legends of indigenous peoples of North America. Coyote, a mischievous, cunning, and destructive force at work within creation, was also assigned to the role of god-deceiver, a great cheater, who misleads people and animals and finds obvious pleasure in causing troubles and upsets on a daily basis. Among the many tribes of Native Americans, there is a belief that coyote is the bearer of all evil, brings winter and even death. The Maidu people of northern California, for example, portrayed Coyote as deceitful, greedy and reckless and these obvious failings in his character make problems to people around him. His impulsive and foolish behavior causes him to suffer too. Frequently, he is killed through his own carelessness, but, in some way, amazingly he always comes back to life afterwards. Still, the Coyote remains a very prominent animal and the basis of his character is the same in all myths; only a few character traits of Coyote vary from region to region. Other tribes claim the opposite and believe Coyote is the teacher of wisdom, the trickling god, who – when properly approached – can share with people some priceless wisdom. Many Native myths deal with this amazing creature, the most sacred and at the time, most profane of animals. Coyote’s power is to make people free or to feel fear. Among many Native American tribes, the Coyote is credited with bringing humanity the gift of fire, the destruction of monsters, the making of waterfalls, and the teaching of useful arts to the Indians. But perhaps the most famous and fascinating incarnation of this remarkable creature is presented in the Nez Perce tribe’s myth of Coyote and the Shadow People. His actions lead to humankind being forever separated from the spirit realm of the dead. As we look deeper in Coyote’s character, we realize that the creature’s cunning tricks are not always trivial ones. His mischief is not so much to deceive us from our goal, but rather to show, how ridiculous we often are in our lives and suggests we have to take a bit of distance to ourselves and think about what we really do with our lives. Unlike the Coyote we cannot come back to life if we are killed. By looking at Coyote’s foolishness, we can avoid making mistakes and find a straight road with a purpose in our lives. Coyote is sometimes a Creator and sometimes a clown, destroying things for himself and others who surround him. Because of his vanity and boastfulness, the Coyote undertakes various ambitious enterprises, in which he fails due to his passions. Is it not the same we experience our lives sometimes? Coyote has been compared to both the Scandinavian Loki, and also Prometheus, who shared with Coyote the trick of having stolen fire from the gods as a gift for mankind, and Anansi, the great trickster of West African legend, which was originally credited with the creation of the world and became a cultural founder hero. In the Aztec pantheon of gods, there is the trickster and transformer, Ueuecoyotl or Huehuecóyotl (“Old Coyote”) that shares many characteristics with the trickster Coyote of the North American tribes. In Eurasia, rather than a coyote, a fox is often featured as a trickster hero, for example in the Japanese mythology, he is known as kitsune and in medieval folklore of Europe, there is a similar figure known as Reynard the Fox. STORY: WHITE GIANTS========== Several legends of giant white men exist throughout Native American culture, including the northern tribe of Comanche and southern Mantenos. In “History of the Choctaw Indians, Chickasaw and Natchez” (1899), Horatio Bardwell Cushman writes: “The tradition of the Choctaw that has long been a race of giants inhabited what is now the State of Tennessee, beings with which their ancestors fought when migrated from the west. It’s tradition states that Nahullo had an impressive stature. “The “Nahullo”, according to Cushman, was a common term for white settlers within the United States, but its original derivation was referring to white giants. Ray Vibrante Comanche was the reigning leader of Great Plains tribes who referred to white men reaching heights of 3 meters and had a more dominant role in culture than even the current Caucasian or former white settler prevalence. They had many forts that dominated the landscape. Coincidentally, they would be eliminated by a much larger force such as the Great Spirit, and Ray Vibrante dictated they actually were responsible for the societal mounds within North America. Much of this history was written down by Dr. Donald “Panther” Yates, a Native American historian as follows: “A majestic white race endowed mining technology giants that dominated western North America, enslaving inferior tribes. They died or returned to heaven.” In the South, Aztec myths said that the human race (Quinametzin) was developed during the Sun of Rain per the Legend of the Suns by the god Tlaloc, although other creation myths exist. According to this myth, the sun showed during the third cosmogonic epoch by Quetzalcóatl. The people of Teotihuacan and Tlachihualtepetl originated from the Feathered Serpent in Cholula, and this battle lasted until the times of the conquistadors. Pedro de Leon wrote in 1864: “There are reports concerning giants in Peru, who have arrived at the coast at the point of Santa Elena. The natives were dismayed to see a boat made of reeds reaching its shores with a cargo of creatures, so high that knee to the floor was as big as a man of great stature. His limbs were deformed in proportion to the size of their bodies, and their heads were something monstrous to do with hair hanging to his shoulders. His eyes were as large as small plates.” Apparently, the Giants were not shy about public sexuality, and it shamed the natives and is the explanation for their elimination from the Earth by deities. The Nevada tribe Paiute also describes white settlers brought by a red-headed giant, who survived on the blood of their own. According to oral history recorded by Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins, the Paiute defeated the “Si-Te-Cah” in an epic battle. Some cave findings in the area corroborate this narrative – bones in private collections show odd features that suggest cannibalism as well as over-sized artifacts like 40 cm sandals. STORY: PIASA DRAGON========== Depictions of the mysterious giant Piasa bird can be found on a limestone bluff overlooking the Mississippi. Native American legends tell this creature existed long before the pale faces arrived on their lands. It was a bird described as one ‘that devours men’ in the Illini tongue. An interesting theory suggests the Piasa Bird may be related to ancient Japanese dragons. The first discovery of the Piasa Bird was reported in 1673, when French Canadian explorers Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet sighted a painting of the creature as they navigated the river near present-day Alton, Illinois. “As we were descending the river,” Marquette recorded later in his diary: “we saw high rocks with hideous monsters painted on them and upon which the bravest Indian dare not look. They are as large as a calf, with head and horns like a goat, their eyes are red, beard like a tiger’s and face like a man’s. Their tails are so long that they pass over their bodies, ending like a fish’s tail. They are painted red, green and black and so well drawn that I could not believe they were drawn by the Indians and for what purpose they were drawn seems to me a mystery.” Measuring some 30 feet long to 12 feet high, the depictions of the Piasa Bird are the largest pictoglyphs ever documented in aboriginal America. The carvings were made on the sheer face of the cliff. Native Americans said the cliff was so steep that no man could climb up to it. If Native Americans did not make the carving of the Piasa Bird, then who did? The Illini Indians near what is now Alton were terrified of the bird and fired arrows and bullets whenever they passed the painting. Reseachers who spoke to Illini Indians learned that the Piasa Bird existed in this country many thousands of moons before the arrival of the pale faces. Indians from Miami said something similar. According to them, the Piasa Bird was present in America several thousand winters before the pale faces came. The Native America dragon came to the country a very long time ago. The Illini Indians say the giant bird killed not only their animals, but also people and they drove it away in prehistoric times. In the 19th century explorers reportedly found a nearby cave filled with human bones, and sightings persist in the area of a giant bird. Nobuhiro Yoshida, Professor of languages and president of the Japan Petrograph Society compared the paintings of the Piasa Bird with depictions of ancient Japanese dragons and found some striking similarities. According to Professor Yoshida, the Piasa Bird resembles the dragon depicted by Seikoh Kano in his painting for the ceiling of the Hachi-Rai shrine at Yukuhashi, Fukuoka Prefecture. Both the American Piasu and the Japanese dragon have talons, are winged, bearded, horned and are multi-colored. This may naturally be a pure coincidence, but it’s an interesting observation. However, unlike the murderous Piasa Bird, dragons were the objects of Japanese prayers and rituals, because the creatures were personifications of drought-ending thunderstorms. We encounter dragons and dragon kings in almost every ancient culture of the world. Dragons played an important role in the beliefs of our ancestors and these creatures were depicted in a variety of ways, and are regarded as either good or fearsome, evil creatures. STORY: LEGEND OF THE LITTLE DEER========== his Cherokee tale is interesting because it relates a philosophy of life which was practiced by many Native Americans. They used every part of the animal they hunted if possible, and showed respect for the life they had to take to survive. This is not the case in most cultures! Why this difference? This legend may help us understand. The Cherokee say that in the early days of the world all animals and plants could talk, and people respected them, only taking what they needed to survive. If animals and plants could talk to us, perhaps that would still be true! However, a change came about when the people invented the bow and arrow. Suddenly, they could hunt with much more ease and started killing indiscriminately, reveling in their newfound power. The animals called a council to decide what to do about this terrible change in order. The bears thought that if they could use a bow and arrow as well, the humans would think twice about what they were doing. But there was a problem. The bears found they could not shoot the bow and arrow well because their claws interfered. One bear decided he would cut off his claws so he could use the weapon. This strategy was effective, and he found he could aim and shoot quite well. He was very proud that he had solved the problem, but then one of the elder bears spoke up. He asked whether the bear who had shot the bow so well could now climb a tree. The bear found he could not climb the tree without his claws and so the idea of using the human weapon was thrown out. However, because the bears were the first to suggest harm to the humans, the hunter was not required to ask pardon for killing bears. The deer had a different idea. Awi Usdi , Little Deer, said that he would teach the humans in their dreams how to show respect for the life of that they hunted, and only take what they needed. If the humans did not perform the proper rituals of respect, Little Deer would cause them to become diseased with rheumatism. Little Deer visited the humans in their dreams, and some paid heed to the warning. But others thought this was just an ordinary dream, and not a message. Some still decided to go out and kill indiscriminately. These hunters soon found themselves stricken with illness which made their muscles weak and caused them to be unable to hunt effectively. By this, it was shown that the dream of Little Deer was a True Dream and the people decided that they should observe rituals of respect for the life they took as well as being careful to use every part of the creature whose life they had cut short. The other animals had separate meetings and all devised terrible ailments as punishments for the disrespect humans had shown them. Only the plants decided to help the humans, as they did not feel they had been treated badly by them. The plants decided that each of them would come up with a different remedy to counter all the diseases that the animals had invented to plague the humans. So disease came into the world, and the humans were forced to learn respect for the life that sustained them. If not for the plants, the human species would have been doomed. After that, it was said that every plant had a use, even the weeds, if only the humans could discover its valuable properties. When a doctor did not know a remedy for a disease, it was possible to find it by asking aid from the spirit of the plants. What does this philosophy say about humans? It seems that the Cherokee felt that humans were wasteful and violent creatures. The only way to make them show respect was with threats of harm, punishments and judgments. When we look at the modern world, we may be inclined to agree. The Native Americans lived in harmony with the land and creatures upon it. Perhaps if we had all grown up with legends such as this, we would also show respect for all life. STORY: MOON-EYED PEOPLE========== The Cherokee recall a white-skinned race that lived on their lands before they arrived. This group of very unusual beings were known as the Moon-Eyed people. Cherokee legends tell the Moon-Eyed people were of small stature and had pale, white skin, blond hair and blue eyes. They were called Moon-Eyed because they had very sensitive eyes and were unable to see in daylight. They could however see very well at night. Since these mysterious ancient people were blinded by the Sun, they were forced to live in underground caverns. The Moon-Eyed people were physically totally different from the Cherokee and when these two races encountered each other, war broke out. The Moon-Eyed people were first mentioned in a 1797 book by Benjamin Smith Barton. Later documentation tells of similar accounts, such as an 1823 book, The Natural and Aboriginal History of Tennessee, which tells of a band of white people who were killed or driven out of Kentucky and West Tennessee. According to the Cherokee the Moon-Eyed people lived in Appalachia until the Cherokee expelled them. The Moon-Eyed people are said to have built some ancient structures in the area. One of them is Fort Mountain in Georgia. It is an 850 foot long zigzagging stone wall that is 12 feet thick and up to seven feet high. The age of the wall has never been properly determined, but according to some sources it was built around 400-500 AD. Who really built Fort Mountain is still a mystery. Cherokee legends tell the ancient structure was raised either by the Moon-Eyed people or Madoc, a Welsh prince who came to America in 1170. Former Tennessee governor John Sevier wrote that the Cherokee leader Oconostota told him in 1783 that local mounds had been built by white people who were pushed from the area by the ascendant Cherokee. According to Sevier, Oconostota confirmed that these were Welsh from across the ocean. The identity of the Moon-Eyed people is unknown. Who were these mysterious, small pale beings who lived underground? One theory suggests these people were of Welsh origin, being descendants of Madoc’s colonists. An ancient structure almost identical to the Fort Mountain can be found near DeSoto Falls, Alabama. It’s possible it was built by these Welsh settlers after they left Fort Mountain. There are two Cherokee legends that could shed some light on this ancient mystery. One legend reveals that the Cherokee defeated the Moon-Eyed people and drove them from their homeland during a full moon. Another version tells the Cherokee chased the Moon-Eyed people away from their home at Hiwassee, a village near what is now Murphy, North Carolina, west into Tennessee. According to both Cherokee legends the Moon-Eyed people went underground. That’s all we know. The Moon-Eyed people and their fate remains an unsolved ancient mystery. After all this time, we may never find out what happened to the white-skinned race because the truth lies buried somewhere in antiquity and may never be unearthed. Nevertheless, the legend of the Moon-Eyed people and their encounter with the Cherokee is truly fascinating. STORY: THE DARK WATCHERS========== Who or what the Dark Watchers are, no one knows. Where these elusive beings came from and where they go, remains a mystery. They leave without a footprint. They are mentioned in a number of ancient legends and are well-known in several US states. The Dark Watchers are apparently giant human like phantoms that are only seen at twilight, standing silhouetted against the night sky along the ridges and peaks of the mountain range. When spotted, the beings are usually seen staring off into the open air of the mountains seemingly at nothing in particular before vanishing into thin air occasionally right before the spectators eyes. In their book, In Search of the Dark Watchers, authors Thomas Steinbeck and Benjamin Brode write that the “Romans coined the original term and in ancient times this spirit was envisaged as an actual creature, a guardian animal or supernatural being such as an elf, a fairy, or ghost. How far away from this original idea of Genius loci are the Dark Watchers? Over time, beliefs of literal spirits were discarded and less supernatural concepts have prevailed.” In modern times there are some people who said they have encountered a Dark Watcher, but what these giant beings are looking for or watching is beyond anyone’s current comprehension. There are no scientific explanations, only speculations. In the book, Weird California, it is said the “the Chumash Indians first spoke of them in legends and their cave painters drew them in their colorful wall drawings. Later legendary author John Steinbeck described them in his short story, “Flight”: “Pepe looked up to the top of the next dry withered ridge. He saw a dark form against the sky, a man’s figure standing on top of a rock, and he glanced away quickly not to appear curious. When a moment later he looked up again, the figure was gone.” Also in 1937, the poet Robinson Jeffers mentioned them in his poem “Such Counsels You Gave to Me” as “forms that look human . . but certainly are not human”. If Jeffers or Steinbeck ever actually saw one of the Watchers is unknown, but the local legend has been around since long before they wrote about it. In the mid sixties, a Monterery Peninsula local who was the past principal of a local high school saw them while hiking in the mountains. He had enough time to study the dark figure, to see its clothing and notice how the figure was strangely studying the mountains. When the principal called out to his fellow hikers, the figure disappeared. Other, more recent sightings have included a dark hat and cape in the description of the mountain residing phantoms.” The Dark Watchers are sometimes also referred to as the Old Ones. They pre-date the coming of the white man in America and all Native American tribes have stories about them. It is said that Spanish explorers encountered these enigmatic beings and several Mexican soldiers reported seeing them. The origin and identity of these mysterious beings remain an unexplained ancient mystery that baffles us until this day. This next section is something I’ve shared in the podcast before, but with this episode’s sole-focus being on Native American myths and legends, I just couldn’t leave it out. In some myths of the Algonquian tribes of North America, there is a mythological creature – Wendigo – that takes different forms. It is a cannibal, a monster, when there is nothing left to eat, it starves to death. When it sees something, it wants to own it. No one else can have anything. This illness feeds on a spiritual void. The Wendigo is a danger that surrounds us. It is not only a creature from myths and legends of the ancients. The Algonquian Native Americans represent the most extensive and numerous North American groups, with hundreds of tribes speaking several related dialects of the language group, Algonkian. They lived in most of the Canadian territory below the Hudson Bay and between the Atlantic Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. Their rich mythology and their beliefs survived many generations and so did the Wendigo, a monster and bogeyman. This cannibal monster (also known as Windigo or even Widjigo), is an evil man-eating spirit. However, his abilities and evil doings vary depending on the locality where the legends were gathered. Generally, the wendigo has certain characteristics of a human or an evil spirit. By possessing a human being, the wendigo can change his or her to become a cannibal. The Wendigo – a malevolent, supernatural being – is associated with cannibalism, murder and voracious greed and this kind of behavior has always been condemned in these indigenous communities. In some myths and legends of the Algonquin-speaking peoples, those who commit sins such as selfishness, greed, or cannibalism, are turned into a Wendigo – as punishment. Among the peoples of Canada, around the Berens Lake, located in Manitoba, Canada, along the eastern shore of LakeWinnipeg the Wendigo is an amphibious being like an alligator with bear’s feet or cloven hooves. In the beliefs of the Chippewa Indians, also known as the Ojibwe, this evil creature is an ogre, which is focused on children to obtain their compliant behavior. Along with other indigenous tribes such as Eastern Cree, Westmain Swampy Cree, Naskapi, and Innu, the Ojibwe descrive the wendigo as a giant, many times larger than human beings. In Algonquian folklore, however, the Wendigo is the spirit of a lost hunter who now mercilessly preys upon humans in a cannibalistic manner. The Wendigo is never happy; he is never satisfied with his killings and consuming of the bodies; he is constantly searching for new victims. His hunger is limitless. As we said earlier, when there is nothing left to eat, it starves to death. When it sees something, it wants to own it. No one else can have anything. This illness feeds on a spiritual void. The Wendigo is a danger that surrounds us. It is not only a creature from myths and legends of the ancients. STORY: GLOOSKAP HERO DEMON SLAYER========== Numerous mythical stories explain Earth’s creation and how it came to be. Among the Algonquian folktales and traditional stories, which belong to 35 different Native American tribes from Long Island to California, there is one myth about Glooskap (also known as Gluskabe), a trickster god, a mythic hero who – according to some myths – made the whole world from the body of his own mother. It is said that Glooskap came from the East, though he had the form of a man. He taught the Indians all that they know – everything from the names of the stars to how to hunt and fish – and is portrayed in most stories as a wise man. His brother Malsum, a wolf-god, was also a creator god, but according to the Algonquians, he was responsible for creating all the evil things of this world, that threatened and infuriated human beings. Glooskap was considered the protector of humankind, while Malsum was constantly trying to harm people. However, Glooskap could get very angry at those who do not follow his advices. According to one Algonquian story, a young man goes to Glooskap asking for help in finding a wife. The man is ugly, and has been avoided by hundreds of women whom he asked to be his wife. Glooskap gives him a small parcel, with instructions not to open the package until he gets home. Though the man’s friends beg him not to open it on the way home, the man cannot resist his curiosity. He opens the package and hundreds of beautiful young women fly out in all directions and bury the man beneath their weight. His cries for help in vain and moments later, he is crushed into the earth. The next morning all the women have vanished and all that’s left of are remains of the young man’s crushed bones lying on the ground. Glooskap also had no mercy for those who asked him for immortality, he simply turned them into rocks or trees, though in general he is a benevolent deity who will grant most reasonable requests. In one version of this creation story, Glooskap’s brother Malsum killed him with the feather of an owl – the only thing that could harm Glooskap , but the great benevolent hero returned to life and killed evil Malsum with a fern, so Malsum became an evil wolf, Lox. Still, Glooskap , had to defeat evil sorcerers, Kewawkqu and Medecolin – Malsum’s demon followers, who tried to avenge their leader’s death. The legend has it that Glooskap finally defeated the forces of evil and when this was done, he gave a great feast for all the animals on the shores of Lake Minas, and then sailed off in his canoe. The animals, who had previously all spoken the same language, discovered that each species spoke a different language once he had gone. Glooskap is sometimes depicted as a rabbit, though it is said he – as a shapeshifter – can take whichever shape he wants. He is expected to return as a savior of his people when they are most in need. When Weird Darkness returns, we’ll look at a few more legends and myths of Native Americans. We’re all excited for Halloween – some of us start planning for it on November 1st! It’s extra-special here on Weird Darkness because it takes place during our anniversary month, and every Halloween I take the show streaming on live video – we’ve dubbed it the Weird Darkness Halloween LIVE SCREAM! I’ll be announcing the exact time the live stream will begin that day as soon as nail it down, I’m letting members of the Weird Darkness Weirdos Facebook group vote on what the best time is – so if you have an opinion, join the group and let us know! This year I’m hoping to stream live on both the Weird Darkness Facebook page and my YouTube channel at the same time. You can find links to both on the contact page of the website. So if you want to watch the podcast take place live on video, you’ll want to like the Facebook page and/or subscribe to the YouTube channel. Hopefully you’ll be hearing from me – and seeing me – for the HALLOWEEN LIVE SCREAM on October 31st! STORY: MORE LORE========== There are so many legends and myths from Native American culture – and while I would never be able to touch on the all, here are a final few that deserve a mention. Átahsaia = According to the Zuni people of Southwestern United States, Átahsaiais is a cannibalistic giant demon. Depicted as several times larger than a human, with his torso described as being as big as a large elk, Átahsaiais possesses long grey hair as prickly as porcupine quills, skin so thick the knuckles appear horned, muscular arms covered in black and white scales, and a swollen red face in which his bulging eyes never blink. A minority of stories also claim Átahsaiais has long yellow tusks and long talons. An unsavory figure in native mythology, Átahsaiais is regarded as an incorrigible liar in addition to being a cannibal of both humans and his fellow demons. Habitually armed, Átahsaiais is routinely depicted with a giant flint axe or a flint knife “as broad as a man’s thigh and twice as long”. Appearing throughout numerous Zuni legends of similar composition, in “Átahsaiais, the Cannibal Demon” the monster deceives two young maidens and lures them back to his lair. After failing to persuade them to eat a soup made from human children or to comb his hair, the women are rescued by the Zuni war gods who slay the demon. In another story – “The Rabbit Huntress and Her Adventures” – a young woman lost in a blizzard seeks refuge in a cave. Discovered by Átahsaiais, he attempts to break into the cave but again the war gods rescue the maiden and defeat the monster. Camazotz: The Death Bat = This ferocious creature originates with the ancient Mayans, who depicted him as a powerful god-monster from the hellish domain of Xibalba, where he presides over swarms of bloodthirsty vampire bats. Though powerful enough to destroy entire civilizations, Camazotz made a treaty with human beings to bring them fire but in exchange, he demanded human sacrifices. In other words, there are evil forces lurking everywhere… so you’d better do your homework! The Ogopoga, or Naitaka = The Ogopoga (also known as Naitaka, translated as “water demon”) is a lake monster who according to Canadian folklore lives in Okanagan Lake, British Columbia. Most commonly described as measuring between 40 to 50 feet in length, the sea serpent resembles the extinct Mosasaurus: a carnivorous aquatic lizard from the Cretaceous period. As with the Flathead Lake Monster numerous sightings of the Ogopoga have been claimed in recent decades, including at Okanagan Mission beach in 1946 and on film in 1968 although subsequent video analysis proved the creature to have been a mere water fowl or beaver. According to the legends of the First Nations the Ogopoga would demand a toll from travelers in exchange for safe passage near its home of Rattlesnake Island in Lake Okanagan, using his tail to create a mighty storm for those who refused and leaving the shoreline strewn with the remains of those who sought to cheat him. The toll required by Ogopoga was that of life, and so when Natives ventured into the lake they often brought small animals, such as chickens, to drown in the lake and appease the monster. In local legend Timbasket, a visiting chief from a neighboring tribe, declared his disbelief in the existence of Ogopoga. Scorning the sacrifices of his guests to the demon, as he returned across Lake Okanagan Timbasket refused and his canoe was sucked under killing himself and his entire family. Local history also tell of non-Indians who ignored warnings, notably a settler in 1854 called John MacDougall. Whilst crossing with a team of horses, MacDougall’s canoe began to be dragged below the water. Remembering the advise of Natives, MacDougall cut the ropes holding the horses onboard; the horses were pulled under and drowned, but MacDougall survived. Chenoo: The Ice Giant = Though some tales describe the Chenoo as a Bigfoot-like creature, the original legend from the Wabanaki people tells that he was once a human, but at some point committed a horrible crime, for which the gods cursed him and turned his heart to ice. His frozen spirit was then trapped within the body of a lumbering, troll-like monster, who devours any human he can get his hands on. Mishipeshu: The Water-Panther: The story of the Water-Panther spans multiple tribes, including Cree, Algonquin, Ojibwe, and Shawnee. It’s usually described as a giant dragon-like feline, and the most common element is the monster’s aquatic habitat; it lurks in lakes and rivers, waiting for humans to come close to the water, then pulls them under and drowns them. The Katshituashku = The Katshituashku (also known as the Stiff-Legged Bear) was an enormous man-eating monster with a large head that allegedly preyed on Native people throughout Eastern North America. Approximately elephant sized, with the Penobscot Indians of modern-day Maine detailing the creatures’ inability to sleep lying down due to giant inflexible legs, it is widely assumed that the monster originated from early mastodon remains discovered by Natives and incorporated into existing oral histories and mythologies. The Katshituashku serves as a general figure of wider Native folklore, with several other tribal cultures retaining belief in a similar monster. The Iroquois people feared the “Naked Bear”, great man-eating creatures with the form of a bear but no fur and an oversized head; the beast was near invincible to ordinary human attacks, and could only be wounded in the soles of their feet. Likewise the Lenape, Shawnee, and Algonquian tribes told legends of the Yakwawiak – gigantic, stiff-legged, hairless bears comparable to mammoths or mastodons – whilst among the tales of the Alabama and Koasati peoples existed a huge carnivorous predator known as Atipa-Tcoba, described as bearlike in appearance. Yee Naaldlooshii: The Skinwalker = A skin-walker (also known as yee naaldlooshii) is a witch who according to Navajo folklore has, among other powers, the ability to turn into and disguise themselves as an animal. The animals most commonly associated with skin-walkers are those culturally identified as tricksters, notably the coyote but can also include those reflective of death and darkness such as wolves or owls. According to Navajo legend, to become a skin-walker requires the wilful murder of a close relative, and as such they are both feared and reviled within native mythology. Representing the antithesis of the supposed cultural ideals of the Navajo and their medicine men, that of healing and helpfulness, skin-walkers choose to instead manipulate spiritual magic to do evil deeds in a perversion against nature. In addition to their powers of physical transformation, skin-walkers can also possess the bodies of animals and people by locking eyes with them. Due to their presumed power, skin-walkers are prevalent beings in Navajo folktales. These stories typically take the form of climatic struggles between great persons of the tribe and the witch, although atypically for Native folklore not always with an exclusively positive outcome, and often including a didactic message for children to learn from. Many victory stories involving skin-walkers conclude with multiple inhabitants of a “hogan” – the traditional Navajo dwelling – joining together in a communal strength of wills to scare away the monster and the darkness it brings with it. Kudakumooch: The Ghost-Witch = One of the scariest figures in Passamaquoddy and Micmac mythology, the Ghost-Witch is often said to be born from the dead body of a shaman who practiced black magic; the demonic entity then emerges each night with murder on its mind. They can be killed with fire, but beware if approaching one: simply making eye contact or hearing the witch’s voice can bring a diabolical curse down on the unwary. The Perverted Merman = N-dam-keno-wet (also known as The Perverted Merman) is a creature which recurrently appears in Algonquin mythology, specifically that of the Abenaki people. Described as half man and half fish, with a child-like human face, N-dam-keno-wet lives in streams and lakes where women regularly wash themselves. Unlike other native “monsters”, N-dam-keno-wet does not seek to harm these women or to scare them, merely to voyeuristically watch them; some traditional stories do include attempted molestation, but for the most part the “perverted merman” is just that: a pervert. Mermaid-like creatures are a staple within Native American mythology, with several Algonquin tales including characters who disobey their parents being turned into similar creatures. Consistent throughout these depictions in native legend, the theft of a merman’s or mermaid’s clothing strips the being of their magical powers and renders them unable to swim. Tah-tah-kle’-ah, also known as Lechuza: The Owl-Women = From the Yakama tribe come tales of five supernatural women who resemble giant owls, dwelling in caves by day and flying out at night to prey on all manner of creatures — including humans. In fact, they are said to prefer the taste of children. Legend has it they can hunt humans by mimicking their language. Teihiihan = The Teihiihan – deriving from the Arapaho word for “strong” – are a race of cannibalistic dwarves with allegedly superhuman strength. Although descriptions vary, the Teihiihan are generally depicted as the size of children, with dark-skin, and said to have an extremely aggressive and unsociable disposition. According to some legends they possessed the ability to become invisible, whilst others contended they merely seemed so due to the incredible speed with which they caught their adult prey. Within Native folklore it is widely agreed that the Teihiihan were destroyed in an ancient conflict, in which the Arapahos and other Native American tribes allied to successfully defeat them. A unique aspect of their characters, it is suggested in some tales that the Teihiihan had the ability to remove their hearts and store them for safe keeping, in so doing protecting themselves from physical harm to their persons. One such prominent story within Native folklore tells of a warrior captured by a family of Teihiihan, and who to delay his death asks his dimwitted captors about the macabre organs adorning their residence. Upon learning their true nature the warrior stabs each of the hearts, killing each member of the Teihiihan family and winning his freedom. Along with the Teihiihan, there are numerous other evil dwarf-like creatures in various Indigenous American cultures. The Nimerigar (or “people eaters”) are a race of dwarves belonging to Crow and Shosone legend, said to reside in the Wind River and Pedro mountain ranges of modern-day Wyoming. Described as aggressive by nature, they shoot poisoned arrows and kill their own kind should they fall ill with a blow to the head. During his famed expedition Meriwether Lewis claimed to have seen evidence of the “deavals”, describing them as roughly 18 inches tall and highly ferocious. Although originally believed to have been entirely mythical the 1932 discovery of the “San Pedro Mountains Mummy” – a 14 inch tall mummy – has brought this into question, with tests demonstrating the individual was approximately 65 years old at time of death and violently killed by an inflicted head wound. Since 1932 several other similar bodies have been recovered across North America, lending credence to a 1778 account suggesting the existence of a pygmy burial ground and of the possible historical existence of people akin to the Nimerigar. Not isolated solely to the Nimerigar, Crow folklore also includes the Nirumbee: a race of goblin-like creatures. Estimated to be between one and two feet in height, with sharp teeth and little neck, the Nirumbee are considered enemies by the native peoples. Depicted as often engaging in harmless mischief, the Nirumbee are also considered responsible for evil acts such as child abduction and the killing of livestock. Similarly, the Pukwudgies – or person of the wilderness – of Algonquian folklore are a knee-high race of little people. Considered by some tribes, including the Ojibwe, to be harmless spirits of the forest, other tribes such as the Abenaki believed the Pukwudgies to be dangerous foes with a predisposition towards the theft of children and possessing powers similar to those of the magical skin-walkers. Uktena: The Horned Serpent = The Horned Serpent (known as Uktena to the Cherokee people) is a mythological monster that recurs throughout several Native American oral histories, especially in the Great Lakes and Southeastern Woodlands regions. Described as being as large as a tree trunk and covered in magical scales, with horns and a gemstone on its forehead, the Horned Serpent could not be harmed except in a single spot on its head. Whilst its breath was poisonous, to slay the monster would win the warrior a crystal of immense power granting a life of successful hunting, rainmaking, and romance. According to Cherokee legend a great warrior name Aganunitsi achieved this feat, wherein he discovered the crystal required a sacrifice of blood each week. Without this tribute the crystal searches for blood itself, becoming a ball of fire and murdering those its encounters. Other variants of the Horned Serpent includes the “Tie-Snake (estakwvnayv) in Muscogee Creek traditions. Slightly smaller than the Horned Serpent and likewise covered with crystalline scales with a large gem in its forehead, the snake was considered capable of prophecy and its horns were believed to carry medicinal powers. Unlike the Uktena, the Tie Snake was not considered to be a evil or willfully harmful to humans. Equally the Alabama people told stories of a “Crawfish Snake”, or tcinto såktco, of a similar design and purpose. In contrast traditional Sioux belief claimed these serpents were dangerous water monsters of the ancient world, but had been destroyed by the Thunderbirds – supernatural beings of great power – and only their lesser ancestors, such as lizards and snakes, had survived; it is theorized this mythological belief stemmed from the discovery of dinosaur fossils by the Sioux, and the Thunderbirds of pterosaur skeletons. The Flathead Monster = The Flathead Lake Monster, originating from Kutenai traditions, is a creature that supposedly dwells in Flathead Lake, Montana. The creature is typically described as an enormous eel-shaped animal with a body akin to that of a snake, measuring between twenty to forty feet in length, blue-black skin, and grey-black eyes. According to the tribe’s legend, the first inhabitants of the region lived on an island in the middle of Flathead Lake. On one winter day, whilst crossing the frozen lake two girls saw antlers sticking through the ice and believing they belonged to a drowned animal decided to cut them off. After cutting into the two foot long antlers the ice split open to reveal the monster, the awakening of whom caused the drowning of half the residents of the lake; this explanation is often provided in folklore for the small number of Kutenai people. Similar to the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland modern reports of the Flathead Lake Monster are abundant in the local area, including a claim in 1889 by Captain James Kerr, thirteen such reports in 1993, and an alleged rescue of a 3 year old drowning boy by the Monster. The creature was taken sufficiently seriously that in the 1950s a significant reward was offered for the capture of the “superfish”, but despite numerous efforts no firm evidence of existence has ever been recovered. Two-Face = Existing among the Sioux, Plains, and Omaha tribes, Two-Face (also known as Sharp Elbows) is a two-faced monster who enjoys preying upon natives populations, torturing and gruesomely disfiguring his victims before murdering them. As typically depicted in folklore all who gaze upon either of the twin visages of Two-Face become paralyzed by fear, or in some cases die instantly, and he utilizes his extremely sharp elbows to stab his frozen victims to death. As with several Native American monsters Two-Face is widely considered to retain a preference for children and female victims, especially pregnant women.According to Lakota mythology Two-Face was once a woman who was turned into the creature as punishment for attempting to seduce the Sun god, with one beautiful face and one hideous; an alternative origin story includes a similar background, albeit with Two-Face being born from such an adulterous woman. This duality, as with several native stories seeking to impart a didactic lesson, is widely regarded as representing a disconnection from and disharmony with nature as an allegorical advocation of traditional conformity within the tribe. Wechuge = A wechuge, similar but not identical to a wendigo, is a cannibalistic monster stemming from the stories of the Athabaskan people of Northwestern Canada. According to legend the wechuge is a person who has become possessed or overpowered by the spirit of a great animal, in so doing devolving into a giant bestial form. Some versions of the wechuge depict the creature as being physically made from ancient ice come to life to hunt humans, invulnerable to harm and only defeated when melted over a campfire; this rendition of the wechuge is notably similar to that of the Wabanaki’s “Chenoo”: an ice giant who was cursed by the gods for his crimes, his heart turned to ice and his spirit trapped inside a troll-like monster that feasts upon humans. Described as giant animals, both intelligent and physically powerful, the wechuge hunts humans and attempts to ensnare and devour its prey through cunning deception. As with the wendigo, certain tribes adhere to a less spiritual origin of the creature but instead a product of human indulgence in taboos resulting in the physical corruption of the depraved individual. The Dane-zaa of the Peace River region in Western Canada for instance contend a wechuge is the product of breaking a strong cultural taboo, such as having a photograph taken with flash, listening to guitar music, or eating meat with fly eggs in it. The Underwater Panthers = The Mishibizhiw (also known as the Underwater Panther or Great Lynx) is a legendary creature belonging to the mythologies of native inhabitants of the Great Lakes region of North America. A monster from the underworld the panther resides in creeks and rivers, hiding in wait to drown unsuspecting prey. Described by the Sioux as possessing a body shaped like a buffalo, albeit with paws allowing for rapid swimming, the Mishibizhiw has just one eye, horns – either a single horn in the center of its forehead, or a pair – dorsal fins, a spiked tail, and is covered in scales; because of the latter characteristics, it has been speculated that the Mishibizhiw is in fact derived from a prehistoric stegosaurus. Feared by the Ojibwa as the cause of waves, whirlpools, and rapids, it was considered within tribal folklore that each lake might be inhabited by its own Mishibizhiw who controlled its conditions. Despite being mortal enemies of the Thunderbirds some native communities revered the creatures as symbols of great power and hunting prowess, whilst at least one tribe fearlessly employed Mishibizhiw as part of a children’s game similar to “tag”. According to an ancient Chippewa tale, the Mishibizhiw lived on an island of mud situated between two lakeside villages. Avoided by locals for fear of an evil spirit, two girls crossing one day encountered the monster. Cutting off the beast’s tail with an oar, the severed limb transformed into a solid piece of copper and became a talisman for good luck in fishing and hunting for their tribe. SHOW CLOSE, CREDITS, A LITTLE LIGHT, AND A FINAL THOUGHT========== Thanks for listening. If you like the podcast, and you haven’t already subscribed, be sure to do so now so you don’t miss future episodes! And also, please – tell someone else about the podcast. Recommend Weird Darkness to your friends, family, and co-workers who love the paranormal, horror stories, or true crime like you do! Every time you share the podcast with someone new, it helps spread the word about the show – and a growing audience makes it possible for me to keep creating episodes as often as I do. Plus, telling others about Weird Darkness also helps get the word out about resources that are available for those who suffer from depression. So please share the podcast with someone today. And again, this month I’m raising awareness and funds to battle depression and I need your help – please visit DarknessChallenge.com to give as much as you can, and if you struggle with depression, consider making a video to help raise awareness. Get the details about the video challenge or make a donation, or do both at DarknessChallenge.com. Do you have a dark tale to tell of your own? Fact or fiction, click on “Tell Your Story” on the website and I might use it in a future episode. All stories in Weird Darkness are purported to be true (unless stated otherwise), and you can find source links or links to the authors in the show notes. “The Stikini Vampire” by A. Sutherland “Legends of the Coyote” by A. Sutherland “Wendigo – The Native American Cannibal” by A. Sutherland “Glooskap the Demon Slayer” by A. Sutherland “White Giants” by Trycia at DiscloseTV “The Legend of the Little Deer” by Thalia Lightbringer “More Native American Lore” by Eric Redding “The Flying Head of the Iroquois” by Ellen Lloyd “The Skeleton Man of the Hopi” by Ellen Lloyd “Piasa – The Native American Dragon” by Ellen Lloyd “The Moon-Eyed People of the Cherokee” by Ellen Lloyd “The Dark Watchers” by Ellen Lloyd “Shapeshifting Thunderbirds” by Ellen Lloyd and A. Sutherland Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music. WeirdDarkness™ – is a registered trademark. Copyright ©Weird Darkness 2020. If you’d like a transcript of this episode, you can find a link in the show notes. Now that we’re coming out of the dark, I’ll leave you with a little light… “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” — Ephesians 4:29 And a final thought… “One of the hardest life lessons is letting go. Change isn’t easy, but it’s better than being stuck.” – Unknown I’m Darren Marlar. Thanks for joining me in the Weird Darkness.

Sometimes known as “Carp Lake,” Lake Leelanau — which, translated from the local Ojibwa language, means “delight of life” — actually consists of two adjacent lakes, which are located in of Leelanau County, Michigan. The north lake has a reported depth of over 120-feet, while the southern lake only goes down to about 62-feet, nevertheless both lakes are the alleged habitat of a bizarre North American LAKE MONSTER, that the locals have (unimaginatively perhaps) dubbed “Leelanau.” While the lakes themselves may be relatively nondescript, the creature that supposedly dwells beneath their muddy depths is anything but. Said to have a long, stump-like neck, an equally long tail and two abnormally large eyes, there are but a handful details from which to paint a picture of this beast. Still, in this case, the lack of particulars can be almost as telling as a plethora of adjectives. Most notable is the fact that the animal has never been associated with the prototypical plesiosaur-like beasts or any of the other oft reported FORMERLY EXTINCT creatures that are normally reputed to live in large, freshwater bodies. This indicates that — unlike the vast majority of Lake Monster reports — this animal may belong to an UNCLASSIFIED species or genus of “monster.” According to local legend, the beast first appeared after the Lake Leelanau dam was built in the late 1800’s. The dam, which was designed to provide power to the Leland Sawmill, effectively sealed off the Lake’s largest outlet, and — according to various sources – also managed to seal in the monster in along with it. 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 was 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 teenager — who hailed from a local family of “prominence” — named William Gauthier was perch fishing from his row boat in the shallow reeds along the shores of what was then called “Carp Lake.” 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 — which no doubt felt like an eternity to Gauthier — 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 the many things that we here at American Monsters 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? Was it simply sleeping or — more ominously perhaps — laying in wait for its unsuspecting prey? This would seem to indicate that, much like Phasmatodea — stick bugs — 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? Gauthier’s great-grandson would attest that his great-grandfather had been thoroughly terrified by his unusual encounter. He further confided that the event had shaken him so badly that he avoided fishing on Lake Leelanau for many, many years. Other folks around the turn of the century claimed to have had equally disturbing encounters with this creature, but most were reticent to come forward for fear of what they believed would be inevitable ridicule. It has been many years since the last reported sighting of Leelanau; this fact has — unfortunately — forced many investigators to conclude that whatever may have been trapped in Lake Leelanau at the end of the 19th century has long since expired. Of course, one never knows how many times an unwary boater might have slowly rowed next to a rotting stump… never realizing that they were slipping past a living, breathing AQUATIC ENIGMA. © Copyright Rob Morphy 2002 — 2011

Cryptid/Legend Casefile: Skinwalkers Updated: Sep 23, 2020 Type: Evil Witch / Shape shifter Appearance: Variable animal appearances ie. wolf, coyote, fox, crow, owl Location: American Southwest Abilities: Therianthropy, curse inducement, face-stealing, magic, telepathy The legends say that if you speak the word “Skinwalker” you might be opening up a world of horror upon your life. In essence, saying this word marks you to be hunted. Delving into the stories behind Skinwalkers reveals a very complex web of information. Stemming from several Southwest Native American tribes, these similar legends can be viewed as teachings for people in society not to be tempted to gain power by resorting to pure evil acts. It is interesting to note the similarities that Skinwalkers have to other cryptids and entities such as Wendigos, Vampires and Werewolves, which I will touch upon later. Perhaps there is a grand connection to all things like this. However, it seems that the Skinwalker legend in modern times can sometimes be misunderstood. Largely in part due to native tribes not wanting outsiders to bring harmful consequences to themselves, and out of respect for their stories and traditions. What information is available is definitely fascinating. The legend of the Skinwalker runs deep within the lore of the indigenous peoples of North America. stories of these beings with are rarely, if ever spoken of with outsiders and thus not well understood. it is said that those who speak of them invite the potential for a Skinwalker to hunt them down... Legends from the Navajo The Navajo tribe have rich lore about Skinwalkers and is where we derive most of our knowledge of them. In their culture, the Ánt’įįhnii (practitioners of witchery) are people who have gained otherworldly ability by breaking a cultural taboo and essentially destroying their humanity. When initiated, the Ánt’įįhnii become a Yee Naaldlooshii, which roughly translates in English to: "With it, he goes on all fours." These are only one type of witch the Navajo find volatile and dangerous and. their initiation is done by a ceremony used to bring a curse rather than a healing ceremony. It should be noted that not every witch is a Skinwalker, and that only those who seek out evil, unnatural abilities become Skinwalkers. It is worth noting the practice of magic, like with medicine men is the antithesis of what a Skinwalker represents. Witchcraft like this is taboo among Navajo cultural values and is not tolerated. The Evil Witch These powerful entities are known to have the ability of Theriantropy (shape shifting) where they can transform into different animals according to an ability they need, such as flight, speed or strength. Historically they would be required to wear the pelt of the animal they desired to transform. Because of this, the Navajo have a taboo of wearing the pelts of predatory animals. In modern times however, the pelt is seen as a giveaway of a Skinwalkers true self, so it is not used anymore. When in human-form, as far as how to tell one apart from a normal human; their eyes are said to glow like an animals while in human-form. When in an animal-form, their eyes are said to still look dull and human, but glow red when light is shined on them. Furthermore, it is believed that Skinwalkers typically appear as a white versions of the animal they shape shifted into. Skinwalkers are most commonly seen in a canine or bird form, like a wolf or crow. Another terrifying ability that the Skinwalkers possess is face-stealing. The legend goes that if you find yourself face-to-face with one and you lock eyes, they have the ability can absorb themselves into your body, or alternatively their gaze will freeze your body and fill you with fear. It is said that fear is a source of energy for a Skinwalker and gives them great power. Additionally, it is also believed that if you utter the word "Skinwalker" aloud, this can mark you to be hunted by one. These entities truly have a sinister and scary collection of inhuman abilities. Similar to a Wendigo, Skinwalkers also have the ability to use many voices ie. animals, crying infants, or family members to lure victims away from the safety of their homes. According to legend, Skinwalkers are unable to enter ones home unless invited in, similar to a Vampire. Drawing further comparisons with the mythical Werewolf, if a Skinwalker manages to get injured in animal-form, its human-form will retain that injury, which is helpful to identify them and get rid of them before they bring more terror. Additional stories have chronicles their ability to used mind reading techniques via to get into peoples heads and manipulate them. Finally, Skinwalkers also have a diverse knowledge of using charms and spells to poison, control, or cause fear in people to provide them the sustenance they need. There is a region in northern Utah known as the Uintah Basin. Within this basin lays the infamous Skinwalker Ranch. Throughout history, this area has become known as a hotbed of UFO and paranormal activity as well as cattle mutilations. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s when reports of UFOs and odd activity began to be publicized. The book, The Utah UFO Display, published in 1974 by Frank Salisbury and Joseph Hicks is the earliest known documented scientific investigation into this region. From 1984-1992, the Sherman family owned the ranch and quickly began experiencing unnerving and downright terrifying phenomena. While the Skinwalker entity largely believed to be a hoax or simply a legend, the idea of such a being broke into public consciousness in 1996 when the Deseret News posted a chilling story. This was the story of the Sherman family from Utah who experienced traumatic, paranormal events on their ranch within the Uintah Basin. They recounted sightings of creatures that sound very similar to descriptions of the Skinwalker of legend, in addition to other high strangeness such as UFO sightings, crop circles, cattle mutilations & disappearances to name a few. By the late 90s, investigative journalist, George Knapp wrote many articles for the Las Vegas Mercury, chronicling the frightening events the family experienced during their ownership of the property. Subsequently, Knapp along with Colm Kelleher co-authored the book, Hunt for the Skinwalker, which describes the acquisition of the ranch by Bigelow/N.I.D.S. and their investigations into anecdotes of UFOs, Bigfoot type creatures, crop circles, strange magnetic anomalies, poltergeists, as well as other cryptid wolf type / Skinwalker type animals that are impervious to bullets. In 1996 billionaire, Robert Bigelow acquired the property and along with N.I.D.S. (National Institute for Discovery Sciences) conducted a 20 year study into the phenomena experienced on the Ranch. Unfortunately (or fortunately), their findings are sealed away from the public. Recently in 2016, ownership changed hands when Utah real estate tycoon, Brandon Fugel, via a shell corporation called Adamantium Holdings purchased the property from Bigelow. As some of you probably know, History Channel now has a TV show about new investigations into the property. It will be interesting to see what they find! As far as what we know of the Sherman's experience, there are some compelling and frightening stories we have been told. One particular account occurred only a year and a half after the family purchased and moved to the property to begin their ranching lifestyle. Terry Sherman, the father of the family was taking his dogs out for a walk around the ranch at night when he encountered what appeared to be an unnaturally large wolf. Terry stated that this wolf appeared three times larger than a normal one. If you haven't seen a wolf in real life, they are quite large already. This wolf creature was said to have glowing red eyes. Terry, who was armed for safety, drew his firearm and emptied three shots into the animal at close range. Apparently this didn't phase the creature at all and it walked off as if nothing happened. Having had enough of the terrifying experiences they had endured for years on the ranch, the Shermans moved away from the property in 1992. Since 2016, Brandon Fugel of Adamantium Holdings has taken the reigns to further the study of his apparent portal/window area to the supernatural and unexplained and shed new light on the Uintah Basin. It should be noted that the other phenomena at the ranch may not necessarily be connected with Skinwalkers, but is instead a deeper and more paranormal phenomena that the Skinwalker is only one small part of. Unlike some cryptids, or supernatural beings, Skinwalkers are one that are still documented and sighted today. The connection to Skinwalker Ranch is one of great interest and will hopefully yield some answers into the phenomena behind these beings and more! • Human practicing evil magic & witchcraft • Extra dimensional beings • Misidentified animals Thanks to my Amazon Affiliate partnership I'm able to provide links to great reads about fortean subjects. As mentioned above, The Hunter for the Skinwalker and The Utah UFO Display are great places to begin if you want to read more on the subject of the Skinwalker and high strangeness surrounding Utah. If you follow through my link it helps me out and keeps the lights on. Thanks for reading! (click on the books or the links above!)

Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire (Incryptid, #9) Sarah Zellaby has always been in an interesting position. Adopted into the Price family at a young age, she’s never been able to escape the biological reality of her origins: she’s a cuckoo, a telepathic ambush predator closer akin to a parasitic wasp than a human being. Friend, cousin, mathematician; it’s never been enough to dispel the fear that one day, nature will win out over nurture, and everything will change. Maybe that time has finally come. After spending the last several years recuperating in Ohio with her adoptive parents, Sarah is ready to return to the world–and most importantly, to her cousin Artie, with whom she has been head-over-heels in love since childhood. But there are cuckoos everywhere, and when the question of her own survival is weighed against the survival of her family, Sarah’s choices all add up to one inescapable conclusion. This is war. Cuckoo vs. Price, human vs. cryptid…and not all of them are going to walk away. TITLE: Imaginary Numbers AUTHOR: Seanan McGuire PUBLISHER: Daw Books LENGTH: 367 (437) pages* *Most editions of IMAGINARY NUMBERS contain the novella FOLLOW THE LADY, which comprises the final fifty or so pages of the book as published. Queer Rep Summary: Bi/Pan Minor Character(s). IMAGINARY NUMBERS is the kind of book you wait all series to get, but can only achieve so triumphantly with the necessary eight books of prelude to make it all so satisfying. The cryptids all other cryptids fear have turned their attention to Sarah with a problem only she can solve. Is anyone truly ready for the answer? This is my favorite so far. I think I've said that for the past few reviews, and I still love Antimony as a narrator, but I've been waiting for everything in this book since the beginning. It has Johrlacs, it has Sarah, it has Artie. It has Artie and Sarah! I've wanted Sarah as a narrator since she was first introduced to the series, Babylon 5 lent her a moral code and it gave me my love of telepaths, so this was very exciting for me personally. I'm glad to meet Artie in the context of Sarah, since the series has teased the reality of their close friendship and the potential of a romantic relationship so much without giving many details about what Artie is actually like. It was a little strange to be centered around a different branch of the family with everyone's titles shifting around, but I got used to it pretty quickly. This wraps up a few things left hanging from the last book, but the main thing that is does in terms of continuing existing plot threads is finally introduce Sarah's perspective, and give a lot more information about Johrlacs. I've been waiting for Sarah's in particular for a long time, basically since she first appeared at the beginning of the series. The main storyline starts here and wasn't present in the last one, but the setup before the inciting incident is the culmination of events from almost the beginning of the series. I'm having a little trouble assessing whether it has a major thing introduced and resolved here, because it has a real "part one of two" feeling, especially given how it ends. Lots of major things are introduced, and then transformed, but not all the way resolved. It's far enough into the series that I'm very happy about this, it's time for a cliffhanger and the series can handle it (whether I can handle it is a separate question, I need the next book immediately). The narrator changed, we actually get two narrators this time. I won't spoil who the second one is. Occasionally I had trouble telling who was narrating when it switched, but I generally knew within two pages. It only switches at chapter breaks, so that helped. This would not make sense if someone started here and didn't know about the series already. As I mentioned previously, this follows up something that had a very dramatic start early in the series and has been developing in the background for a long time. It then uses that to set up a bunch of information that anyone who's been reading along will be very excited to learn... but would feel like a massive and possibly unwieldly infodump for anyone who tries to start here. Sarah's story has been so important to the other stories, even if she's just in the background (like in Antimony's books) that this will read very differently to anyone who tries to make this their starting point. I loved the new information about the Johrlacs, it's spread out through the text enough to be very satisfying for anyone keeping up with the series. It's everything I've wanted to know and more, and it's all so so relevant to the plot. This has a really great and funny way to casually learn that a minor character is queer, it's a tiny moment but I think it's my favorite non-traumatic thing in the book. I think the ending is perfect for the book, but it's emotionally terrible for me because I hate having to wait for cliffhangers, so I'm glad I'm reading this when the next book is already released. It's truly the best way for this to end, because the stuff set up here is too much to have fit neatly into one book. It needs room to breathe and this gives it that narrative space... and I'll be reading this next one as soon as I possibly can. CW for ableism, kidnapping, car accident, medical content, blood, gore, gun violence, violence, torture, parental death (backstory), child death, death.

My new story, “Shooting a Chupacabra,” appearing now in Latine Lit, adds to the canon of Puerto Rico’s favorite cryptid. Hat tip to editor Russ López for selecting my story! The story uses George Orwell’s famous essay “Shooting an Elephant” as a template. The essay recounts a British colonial officer in Burma and his reluctance to shoot an elephant in order to maintain authority. My story takes place in the Here is a PDF of my short story “The Minnesota Twins Meet Bigfoot,” which was nominated for an Agatha Award! The story was first published in Land of 10,000 Thrills (Down and Out Books, September 2022), edited by Greg Herren. The proceeds from this anthology go to benefit the Women’s Prison Book Project.

If you hang around the cryptid world long enough, you may come to the conclusion that every U.S. state has its Bigfoot, every lake has a lake monster, every country has a werewolf and every ocean has a kraken. It is the last one we’re talking about today as modern researchers studying the Icelandic version of the Kraken, the most well-known of the legendary sea monsters, think they’ve found the ‘hafgufa’ still living today. Before you go measuring your boat to see if it’s bigger than a hafgufa’s gaping ship-swallowing jaws, let’s find out what it really might be. “There is a fish not yet mentioned which it is scarcely advisable to speak about on account of its size, which to most men will seem incredible. There are, moreover, but very few who can tell anything definite about it, inasmuch as it is rarely seen by men; for it almost never approaches the shore or appears where fishermen can see it, and I doubt that this sort of fish is very plentiful in the sea. In our language it is usually called the “kraken.” I can say nothing definite as to its length in ells, for on those occasions when men have seen it, it has appeared more like an island than a fish.” Most stories of the hafgufa trace their origin to the “Konungs skuggsjá” (Old Norse for “King’s Mirror”),” a thirteenth-century Norwegian text that is encyclopedic or didactic in nature – covering many subjects of the time and told in the form of a father talking to his son. In fact, that was its original purpose – the seventy chapters were commissioned by King Håkon Håkonsson, the king of Norway from 1217 to 1263, to prepare his son Magnus Lagabøte, to take over upon his death. The King’s Mirror covered kingly subjects concerning trade, the hird (the royal army), chivalric behavior, strategy and tactics, but also informed the young man about traveling the sea and Norse nautical myths of the North Atlantic like mermaids, mermen and monsters. “Nor have I heard that one has ever been caught or found dead. It seems likely that there are but two in all the ocean and that these beget no offspring, for I believe it is always the same ones that appear. Nor would it be well for other fishes if they were as numerous as the other whales, seeing that they are so immense and need so much food.” Descriptions and paintings of the hafgufa make it sound more like a massive, island-sized fish or whale rather than a giant squid, but ‘kraken’ was a catch-all name for sea monsters so both were used. The most unique feature of the hafgufa, after its immense size, was the way it fed itself. Most accounts described the creature first opening its huge mouth, then emitting an enormous belch which spewed bits of half-digested fish into the water. This acted as chum to attract all sorts of fish to the burp buffet, whereupon the hafgufa reopened its mouth, often described as being the size of a sound or fjord, filled it until it could hold no more, and then swallowed them down. This sounds like a monster that kings and sailors alike should avoid, even if the king suspected there were only two in existence. Now, according to a new study, it turns out that was only one of the many things The King’s Mirror and the myths that followed got wrong about the legendary ship-eating hafgufa. How do the researchers know? They found two modern hafgulas! And they’re not the only pair either. “Since 2014, similar and apparently novel cetacean feeding strategies have been observed at coastal locations in two species of balaenopterid whales at opposite sides of the planet.” The secret to finding the modern hafgufa was that peculiar way of eating, according to a study published in Marine Mammal Science by researchers at Australia’s Flinders University. Study co-author Dr. John McCarthy, a maritime archaeologist in the College of Humanities at Flinders, explains to CNN that the two species are the humpback whale and the Bryde’s whale – the only living members of the genus Balaenoptera. Recent research has found that both species reportedly perform the hafgufa “belch” in order to attract live fish to eat. They keep their huge mouths open for longer than expected periods of time and the scientstis believe this was the inspiration for the legend of the island-sized hafgufa swallowing big fish, small boats and terrified sailors. In fact, it probably inspired sea monster stories told by Greek sailors and recorded in texts as far back as 150 CE. However, you may note a contradiction – these ancestors of today’s Balaenoptera whales were real. “They could very easily have inaccurate information and alongside accurate information. We have no more ability to discriminate between those than they did at the time, except that we now know from modern science what species actually (exist) and what’s credible or not credible.” McCarthy notes that both the King’s Mirror and the Greek text Medieval Bestiaries were by and large science textbooks rather than collections of folklore. In fact, in those days before cellphones, the artists who drew the hafgufa in paintings were as accurate as they could possibly be when taking into account that what they were drawing was moving fast … and quite possibly in their direction with a hungry look on its face. That is why some drawings showing two heads might actually be a drawing of a creature with a mouth and a blowhole. “By finding these descriptions in medieval and ancient manuscripts, we were actually able to give scientists a lot of evidence that they assumed was lost.” Dr. Erin Sebo, an expert in historic manuscripts at Flinders University, told ABC News that modern whale watchers at first thought this feeding technique known as trap or tread water feeding was something new that the whales had developed to adapt to changes in the availability of their favorite foods. (A depiction of a whale tread water feeding can be seen here.) They now know that it has actually existed for centuries and quite likely was known by Greek and Norse sailors – they just didn’t quite know how to describe it or draw it. Unfortunately, the fact that more whale watchers are seeing them performing the tread water feeding technique means the whales are doing it more precisely because foods are scarce due to overfishing and climate change. “The nature of ancient historical source material means that theories linking them to real scientific or biological phenomena are often impossible to prove or disprove definitively but the theory presented here highlights the potential value of applying ancient or traditional ecological knowledge to modern scientific enquiry. There may be much more to learn about ocean life from medieval and from historical documents that predate human pressures on the marine environment, such as biomass reduction, biodiversity loss, and climate change.” Thus, the researchers at Flinders University have proven that the hafgufa was a real creature and the sailors and kings who wrote about them and painted them were telling us the truth. Perhaps it is time to dig deeper into our sea monster myths for more examples of the real creatures that inspired them. Like the hafgufa, they may still be among us.

The Elusive Bigfoot: Sorting Facts from Myths in Cryptozoology Cryptozoology, the study of hidden or unknown animals, has always been a subject of fascination for many. From the Loch Ness Monster to the Chupacabra, cryptozoologists spend their lives searching for evidence of these elusive creatures. However, perhaps no cryptid captures the imaginations of both believers and skeptics quite like Bigfoot. Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is said to be a large, ape-like creature that roams the forests of North America. Numerous reports and sightings have been made over the years, but is there any concrete evidence to support the existence of this mythical creature? One of the most famous pieces of evidence often cited is the Patterson-Gimlin film, shot in 1967. The film shows a large, bipedal creature walking through a wooded area before disappearing into the trees. While some claim it is a groundbreaking piece of evidence, others argue that it could be a hoax. Despite numerous attempts to recreate the film and debunk it, no conclusive evidence either supporting or denying its authenticity has been found. Eyewitness testimonies also play a significant role in the Bigfoot legend. People from all walks of life have claimed to see the creature, describing its appearance, behavior, and even interactions with humans. While many of these accounts may be sincere, skeptics argue that eyewitness testimonies are often unreliable due to misinterpretation, hoaxes, or simple misunderstandings of natural occurrences. Thus, it is essential to approach these accounts with caution. Furthermore, the lack of physical evidence continues to fuel skepticism. Despite years of extensive searching, no conclusive DNA samples, bones, or bodies have ever been found. This absence of tangible proof raises doubts about the existence of Bigfoot. On the other hand, proponents argue that the extensive geographical range of reported sightings, spanning across different continents and cultures, suggests a possibility of a real creature. Additionally, they point to the existence of ancient folklore and legends about similar ape-like creatures, suggesting that Bigfoot might have been a part of human culture across centuries. Cryptozoology enthusiasts also claim that the complex ecosystem of forests and mountains provides ample hiding places, making it highly plausible for an undiscovered species to exist without human detection. These hidden pockets of wilderness may be the perfect sanctuary for Bigfoot, allowing it to remain elusive and avoid human contact. In the end, whether one believes in Bigfoot or not is a matter of personal judgment. While some skeptics dismiss the idea entirely, others find the accounts and evidence intriguing enough to warrant further investigation. Until solid scientific proof is presented, the mystery of Bigfoot will continue to captivate our imaginations, making cryptozoology an enduring and enigmatic field of study. Whether fact or fiction, Bigfoot remains an integral part of popular culture. Books, movies, and television shows have all paid homage to the legend, keeping it alive in our collective consciousness. And while the truth may elude us for now, the legend of Bigfoot continues to haunt the deep forests, waiting for its opportunity to finally step out of the shadows.

By KEVIN HOOVER Despite the obvious threads that seemingly stitch together our leisurely pursuits, horror and true crime aficionados are not always cut from same the cloth. You, dear RUE MORGUE reader, who finds comfort in the fictitious fears splayed across every inch of dark entertainment, stand at a razor-thin bisection of the grotesque. Across that blood-stained highway dwells the armchair Sherlock – the connoisseur of IRL horror, who engages in water cooler discussions punctuated with “why?” and “how?” They’re the curious sort who eagerly lap up countless accounts of the boy-next-door gone horribly wrong but have no desire to venture down to Texas for a cinematic chainsaw massacre anytime soon. Serving as a mediator between the two is Ohio native JEFF IGNATOWSKI, whose SCORPION LAIR GAMES illustrates that if you’ve got an interest in the underbelly of society (real or not), he has a card game for you. For nearly two years, Ignatowski has spent countless weekends setting up shop at horror, true crime and gaming conventions across the country. This year alone, he’s guested at over three dozen, presenting his case that there’s something for everyone in his brand in a grassroots campaign targeting gorehounds and gumshoes alike. And it’s working, facilitated by an entrepreneurial spirit ingrained from an early age. “My dad owned a corner store, so I’ve been around business my whole life,” says Ignatowski. “I learned a lot from him. He ended up working at a nightclub where he was the bathroom attendant. This is in the ’90s and early 2000s, and he’s pulling 40k a year out of the bathroom, selling products – cigarettes, cologne, cigars, potato chips. He’s finding all these ways to have a captive audience. My dad would sell everything, and so I watched him do that and understood that I really liked business. I’ve owned a couple of different businesses, none of which up to this point have been successful or profitable. Now, I’m in a position where I can put together all my passions.” That passion began with a love for tabletop and card games like Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering long before tactility became novel. “When I was a kid, I would create card games. I still have the first one that I ever made when I was 8 years old. It was a boxing game, and we took these cards and set them up against each other and then would roll dice. It would give you the result of the fight. We’d go through that until we decided to stop playing, and we’d see who had more wins than losses. We’d play that day after day on my grandfather’s steps.” The first game may have only found favor with the neighborhood kids, but those imaginary boxing rounds were the breeding ground for ideas fostered over the ensuing decades. In discovering what elements of games he preferred the most, a full-on world-building experience was imperative to his overall enjoyment, a quality he leaned on when creating his projects. “When I started playing Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, I got a sense of what’s imaginative about gaming and how to create things that are engaging,” Ignatowski explains. “The other big interest that I’ve always had is true crime. I grew up right outside of Philly, so there was a lot of influence from the Mafia and stuff like that. It was kind of a natural fit for me to be interested in those things. Then, I thought, ‘Why not bring those together?’” Ignatowski’s creations were launched under his Scorpion Lair Games mark. Its catalog is dynamic, producing a menagerie of titles, including You Can’t Catch Me: Cryptid Edition and Screamville Cursed Acres, a haunted house sim produced in collaboration with the Knoxville, Tennessee, haunt of the same name. But it’s his Killers: The Card Game and subsequent expansions that entice the morbidly curious to his booth and website week after week. A boisterous barker, his voracity and excitement when discussing his brand while flanked by tables of t-shirts, candles and other typical artisanal convention wares is infectious and commanding. So much so that at many events, he’s no mere vendor. He’s also a presenter, often packing rooms with psychological discussions about the human mind and the terrible consequences of its decay. Part of those sessions draw parallels between very explicit instances of when horror tropes began life because of heinous real-world incidents. Gein begets Leatherface, 101. “A lot of my fan base is true crime fans, first and foremost. As soon as I explain it to the horror crowd … it’s interesting because sometimes they respond to it because they also like true crime. But sometimes, even though they love all the blood and guts, as soon as there’s a real name involved, they can be hesitant. It’s funny because when you look at some of their favorite characters, most of these killers that you’re watching were all based on real people.” A card game company? In the instant gratification era, when apps and clouds have reduced attention spans to a minuscule measure? Is Scorpion Lair crazy? Maybe. But where there’s a will, there’s some pay, and the card games came strong out of the gate. “The first year in business I sold 516 units in six countries. When we started, I thought I was going to give about three of these games to my friends, and that’s all. I was in a Facebook group that plays this stuff, and I gave a guy in the group the first-ever copy of Killers, and he loved it. Then, I released it in the group and said, ‘Hey we’re thinking about selling these. What do you guys think?’ They fucking hated it! I thought about it for about a week and thought that if this was the response, maybe I shouldn’t do it. Then, I released it in a true crime group, and I had like 400 people who were ready to buy it that day! I realized that I was just in the wrong market. That first year, selling 516 units, I thought we were doing incredible. Then, I went into year two of business, and at last check, I’ve sold over 1400 units. I’ve almost tripled my business from year one!” Consumers speak with their wallets, and for Jeff Ignatowski’s fanbase, their words were loud and clear: His games were a hit. True crime as entertainment has never gone out of vogue, but with the last several years seeing the release of documentaries on killers like John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer, the discussion around history’s most vile is perhaps louder now, second only to when the crimes initially occurred. Does a revisited discussion on Dahmer equal dollars? Ignatowski thinks so, even if only for the passively interested. “We end up getting a lot of attention because of those [documentaries]. It’s a little bit different because I have a game, so even though people may love watching a show, that doesn’t always translate into sitting down and playing games. But I do still get a good spike from it. True crime and horror are both multibillion-dollar businesses. There are streaming services that bank on their true crime content to get a show started. It’s amazing how much trajectory that has had in the last five years. It’s just astounding, and it’s not going to stop.” Card games may be Scorpion Lair’s bread and butter, but rabid consumer interest has led to an inevitable brand expansion. Nowadays, the shop is stocked with custom prints, apparel and other merch to satiate the demands of completionist collectors. And while Killers remains the top-moving item from Ignatowski’s portfolio, his efforts are always focused on developing something new that may claim that spot. Right now, that’s his forthcoming social deduction experiment, The Profiler. “It’s a party game that you play in a decent-sized group, somewhere up to fifteen people, and you’ll be handed cards to give you a role. Then, you have 60 minutes to figure out who the killer is and what type of killer they are. If you watch any of those CSI-style shows, you may have a leg up on everybody else playing.” It’s natural to wonder if the games will ever make the jump to digital, either as mobile apps or console games. That is not outside the realm of possibility, according to Scorpion Lair’s founder. But for the foreseeable future, true crime and horror buffs will need to phone a few friends, gather around the table and take turns rolling actual dice – just the way Jeff did with those boxing games so many decades ago. “There is a huge market for people wanting to get back and sit down across the table and play a game with one another. I think it’s important to do that; It’s one of the reasons why I initially made sure that we came out as a physical media product. I think it’s important that if you’re going to do role-playing, you’re sitting across from another person. There’s a different dynamic when somebody traps one of your killers and they can’t get out and they’re pissed off, stomping their feet and banging their hands.” To order any of Jeff Ignatowski’s card games, check out Scorpion Lair Games.

Creatures, Myths & Legends DNA analysis conducted on 'Yeti' hair found during trip to Himalayas By T.K. Randall November 5, 2023 · 14 comments Does the Yeti roam the Himalayas ? Image Credit: Pixabay / 12019 Andrew Benfield and Richard Horsey had traveled through the region looking for evidence of the legendary cryptid. The travels of the pair, who had visited India, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan on their search for the elusive creature, were documented earlier this year in a BBC Radio 4 program entitled Yeti Benfield, who is a writer and meditation teacher, had teamed up with skeptic and political analyst Richard Horsey to hear stories and first-hand accounts of the Yeti from locals across the region. "If I could convince [Richard], I knew I was on to something," Benfield said. While they didn't witness the creature themselves during their journey, the pair did find and retrieve what they believed to be possible physical evidence in the form of some hair samples which they later submitted for DNA analysis to find out whether or not they belonged to an unknown species. Now, several months later, the results of that analysis have come back. The samples, it turns out, actually belonged to a horse. While the result is certainly not what they were hoping for, the pair note that the Yeti continues to remain a very important part of the local culture in the region. "We realized it doesn't really matter to most of these people whether it physically exists," said Horsey. "It's the role that it plays in their world." Several of the people they met and spoke to had their own ideas about the Yeti. "You certainly respect local people's knowledge when you're up there because they're keeping you alive," said Benfield. "Who am I to question these people? They're out there every day." Source: Live Science | Comments (14)

What exactly pulls the flavors together in the Enfield Monster cocktail? An interesting combination of The Sexton whiskey, Luxardo maraschino liqueur and mint mixed into a rimming sugar, syrup and garnish, this drink leaves you guessing until it’s finished. Discover more about this cocktail on our podcast in Episode 22 (Enfield Monster cryptid & cocktail). Enfield Monster Cocktail Recipe We created this cocktail for our Cocktails & Cryptids series. It debuted in episode 22 on September 1st, 2022. Find the ingredients and instructions required with our printable recipe card. Click on either image for a printable PDF complete with cocktail recipe and additional notes Need more visual instructions? We have created a video for you to mix along. The Sips & Spirits Cocktail Promise We have certain goals in mind as you discover what Sips & Spirits does on the podcast. It is extremely important when we design cocktails that they are not just friendly to the beginner mixologist, but also affordable. The majority of the ingredients listed can be substituted. Suggestions are noted whenever possible. When we design an original cocktail, we will also provide a mocktail. We understand not everyone can or wants to indulge in alcohol. We chose to offer an alternative when possible. This allows you to be a part of the fun, regardless of your sobriety reasons.

What happens if you get stung by a Portuguese Man O War? In rare cases, it can be life-threatening. After a sting, the tentacles leave long, stringy red welts on the skin. The welts last from minutes to hours. There is local pain, burning, swelling, and redness. What is the most deadly creature on earth? Of all the species in the world, the largest—and most dangerous—is the saltwater crocodile. These ferocious killers can grow up to 23 feet in length, weigh more than a ton, and are known to kill hundreds each year, with crocodiles as a whole responsible for more human fatalities annually than sharks. What is the most dangerous thing in the ocean? 10 most dangerous sea creatures - Cone Snail. ... - Stingrays. ... - The great barracuda. ... - Flower Urchin. ... - Stonefish. ... - Blue Ringed Octopus. ... - Saltwater Crocodile. ... - Chironex (Box Jellyfish) What's the deadliest animal in the sea? From the poisonous to the just outright vicious, here's a look at ten of the most deadly creatures you may encounter in the ocean. - Pufferfish. ... - Blue-ringed octopus. ... - Stonefish. ... - Great white shark. ... - Lionfish. ... - Box jellyfish. ... - Tiger sharks. ... - Sea snakes. What is the deadliest predator in the ocean? Killer Whales When you think of top ocean predators, you probably think of sharks. Great white sharks, to be exact. But the true ruler of the sea is the killer whale. Killer whales are apex predators, which means they have no natural predators. What animal has killed the most humans? What is the most dangerous country in the world? MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD - Central African Republic. - South Sudan. Can an Ape kill a lion? Chimpanzees from Bili Forest For about 100 years, people have been talking about giant chimpanzees from northern Congo, which are able to kill a leopard or even a lion. In 1996, the legendary cryptid turned out to be a true animal, which has features of both the chimpanzee and the gorilla. Why do animals kill for fun? Over centuries of study, scientists have found animals use tools like humans, animals use disguises like humans, and now we know that they sometimes kill for fun like humans, too. By fun, we mean they don't do it over territorial disputes, in self-defense, to get food, or to move up in the pack hierarchy. Do lions attack humans? Cases in Lindi have been documented where lions seize humans from the centre of substantial villages. It is estimated that over 250 people are killed by lions every year. Man-eating lions studies indicate that African lions eat humans as a supplement to other food, not as a last resort. Has a gorilla ever killed a human? Fossey and her gorillas were victims of mobbing. Following the killing of a gorilla and subsequent tensions, she was murdered in her cabin at a remote camp in Rwanda in December 1985.... |Known for||Study and conservation of the mountain gorilla| Can a tiger eat human bones? 2. A tiger can digest bones from the human body. According to Joe Exotic. What animal can kill a tiger? Predators that can take on a big tiger in a head-on fight: Big, male brown bears, polar bears and large crocodiles … that's it really (and they can't catch a fleeing tiger) Animals in a pack: Spotted hyenas, lions (obviously) & sometimes wolves, dholes and similar. Can a Tiger kill an elephant? Tigers have been found to be killing elephants, mainly young ones, in the famed Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand and in a few cases eating them too, according to an official study. Can a tiger kill a gaur? However, what intrigued me most was how a lone tiger can subdue gaur, the largest wild cattle species in the world. These muscle-bound beasts, which look like they are on steroids, are three to four times heavier than the tiger. Their menacing horns can lethally impale a tiger; a well-placed kick can shatter its skull. Can tigers live with humans? Humans and tigers can coexist in the same area with minimal conflict, finds a new study that raises hopes for big cat conservation. ... “Tigers have adapted to human presence by becoming more active at night and less active during the day, when human activities peak,” explained a statement released by PNAS. Is the lion stronger than the tiger? The conservation charity Save China's Tigers stated "Recent research indicates that the tiger is indeed stronger than the lion in terms of physical strength. ... A tiger is generally physically larger than a lion. Most experts would favor a Siberian and Bengal tiger over an African lion." Can a Tiger kill an alligator? “It would be harder for the tiger to get a hold of a large alligator, simply because of the bone covering the neck. Tigers kill by crushing the neck. If you could get underneath, no problem,” Shields explained. Do crocodiles attack Tigers? The crocodile may have got hold of the tiger's leg and jerked it repeatedly, eventually killing the animal, he said. It is likely that the crocodile went back into the water to devour the hind legs of the tiger after which the tide may have receded. Crocodiles always attack the legs of their prey first. What do the tigers eat? Tigers mainly eat sambar deer, wild pigs, water buffalo and antelope. Old and injured tigers have been known to attack domestic cattle and people. Do tigers eat wolves? Tigers are not known to prey on wolves, though there are four records of tigers killing wolves without consuming them. Tigers recently released are also said to hunt wolves. ... 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Spaceships are a common sight in the night sky, but have you ever wondered where they come from? Scientists have long been baffled by the mystery of where Spaceships are a common sight in the night sky, but have you ever wondered where they come from? Scientists have long been baffled by the mystery of where aliens leave their spaceships. Some believe that they may be hidden in deep space, while others think that they could be hidden on Earth. The Mystery of Alien Spaceships The mystery of where they leave their spaceships remains unsolved. One possible explanation is that aliens are using cloaking devices to make their ships invisible to us. Another possibility is that our technology is not advanced enough to detect their ships. Whatever the case may be, the mystery of alien spaceships is sure to continue to fascinate us for years to come. Deep space or Earth? Scientists are baffled by the mystery of where aliens leave their spaceships. Have you ever seen a spaceship in the night sky and wondered where it came from? If so, you're not alone. Some believe that the ships are hidden in deep space, while others think that they might be hidden on Earth. Some stories talk about spaceship paintings in the Pyramids of Giza. Despite the lack of evidence, the idea that aliens could be visiting our planet is a popular one. Many people have reported seeing strange lights in the sky, and some believe that these could be spaceships. There have also been reports of people claiming to have been abducted by aliens. Whether or not aliens are visiting our planet. Are Aliens Visiting Our Planet? A lot of sightings have been reported over the years, but no one has been able to provide any concrete evidence of aliens visiting Earth. One of the most famous "conspiracies" is 'Area 51' in Nevada, U.S.A. There are 3 main theories about aliens and their visits to Earth: The first theory suggests that aliens have been visiting us for centuries, but we haven't been able to see them because they're using cloaking devices to make their ships invisible. The second theory is that our technology isn't advanced enough to detect their ships. This could be because they're using a different form of energy that we haven't discovered yet, or because they're from a different dimension. The third theory is that aliens have never visited our planet and all sightings can be explained by natural phenomena. So, what do you think? Are aliens visiting our planet? Or is it all just a big hoax? Strange Lights in the Sky: Are They Spaceships? People have been reporting strange lights in the sky for centuries. Some believe that these could be aliens visiting our planet, but there is no concrete evidence to support this claim. One of the most famous sightings was in 1947 when a man named Kenneth Arnold reported seeing nine bright objects flying in formation near Mount Rainier in Washington state. Arnold described the objects as being "like saucers skipping on water." Since then, there have been many similar sightings all over the world. Some people believe that these lights are actually spaceships from other worlds, but there is no way to know for sure. The mystery of alien spaceships is something that has intrigued people for many years. There are many theories about where they come from and whether or not they are visiting our planet, but no one knows for sure. The only thing we can do is to keep observing the skies and hope that one day we will find the answer. Handmade Paranormal Cryptids Plushies Utterly obsessed!!! I love this sweater! I wear it every other day! And because of that I’ve washed it a bunch and it’s still in like new condition!! I LOVE this sweatshirt!!! And I get so many compliments when I go out in it! Everyone loves Nessie!!! Thank you 16 Percent Nation!!! Looooove this store!!!! I bought some Nessie stuff but I definitely needed this Mothman pillow for my podcast studio! It goes with everything I have PERFECTLY!! It’s super good quality material which is good for furniture pillows, especially when you have pets! It looks so good in my studio on my fancy chair!! Thank you 16Percent Nation!! Can’t wait to make my next order!!! I got this super awesome fossil replica and I’m obsessed!! It’s good quality and looks absolutely amazing up on my shelf with all my other weird and fun items!! Nessie is my favorite cryptid so I had to have this!’ And it did not disappoint!! I’m also buying one for my friend for Christmas. Shh! Haha she’s gonna love it!! Thank you for this amazing little shop!! I’ll be returning again and again!!! I'm not normally much of a Bigfoot fan (I'm more of a Mothman and Fresno Nightcrawlers girl) but the cute design of this one absolutely stole my heart! The big eyes are too adorable, it's just the right size and shape for cuddling, and the fur is soft without shedding or matting like some other long furs do. I'll definitely be back for more plushies from this shop! We are OBSESSED with our plushie. The only problem is now we need MORE. Super soft, excellent handmade quality. These “haunted pants” are the perfect adorably creepy addition to any collection. We can’t wait to get our hands on more! So glad to have found these! I love my Mothman plushy! He’s so cute and fuzzy. The wings are the best part, so soft! The only problem is keeping them away from my pups! (And the catastrophic bad omen of having him nearby) 🤣 This Fresno Nightcrawler Stuffed Cryptid is the perfect companion for camping trips. It is cozy, charming, and adventurous. It looks like it belongs in the woods and blends in with nature. I took a photo of it on a tree and it looked amazing. It is a great gift for anyone who loves camping and cryptids. I adore it and recommend it. This company is exactly what I needed in my life!! I have been obsessed with cryptids for as long as I can remember but I’ve never owned a cryptid plushie.. until this company!! I now have this beyond adorable Yeti plush and I love him!!! He sits on my stand with some of my other weird and wonderful items and I can’t get over how cute he is! I cannot wait to get more!!! I always loved cryptids growing up seeing YouTube videos and tv shows talking about them always fascinated me and then years later I stubbled to this site from Instagram and fell further in love with the merch! The plushies really have me in a chokehold I currently own the Fresno nightcrawler and plan on buying them all! Even plan on buy them as presents for family members! So damn adorable! Love how furry and fluffy the stuffed cryptids are. these are so well made, you can feel the quality as soon as you open the package. the eyes are beaded on very securely and despite how fluffy they look, they still have minimal shedding which is super convenient. obviously adorable, but also extremely worth the price. don’t hesitate to buy! - Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. - Opens in a new window.

People walk by it all the time. Ignore it. Or better yet: they board by. At the very southern edge of campus, on the west side by the train tracks, there exists the more ephemeral of signs. I’m convinced it’s only visible at night. Or at least certain times of the day. It’s always a tad blurry in photographs. Whatever the case, it’s there, it’s real and it haunts me whenever I go on my walks south. It was only a few weeks ago that, finally, for the first time in nearly a decade, I got a picture of this elusive cryptid while on a walk with a cool person and boarder Katie Baer: “NO SKATEBOARDING ON CAMPUS.” Whenever I walk between from my parents’ house to campus, I pass this sign. When my brothers skateboard or longboard or whatever-the-heck board to my parents’ house, they go by this very sign. Every day, students just north of this sign get on their wheeled little things and zoom around on sidewalks, hopping off when crossing train tracks and then getting right back on again. The board is truly life at Goshen College. And if that is life, then we are all clearly sinners. I also find this sign absolutely hilarious. I have wanted to write something about this sign for ages now and Nathan Pauls, funnies editor, finally got me to do it. It’s clearly such a relic of long ago. In any case, this sign, so wrong and off in the face of today’s campus, is one of my favorite things. So, I have decided to educate you all on what is, perhaps, the greatest sign on campus that no one has ever heard of. I began this work of education by talking to the people who needed to hear it most: the great ones who board. It should be noted that I do not know how to use any sort of board. I have the balance of a drunk man with vertigo. So, I needed to inform those who this would impact before it was too late. “LOL, I didn’t know it existed,” said local bearded board bro Jace Longenecker. Surprisingly, most people are not familiar with the very remote south side of campus that has no buildings and leads only to yet another parking lot and a drainage ditch. “That sign isn’t valid,” said Kailey Rice, who then proceeded to hop on her longboard and ride away, presumably hoping her board would not be taken from her. Rest easy, Kailey: no one would dare do that to you. “I don’t think that it refers to using them as transportation,” said Hugh Birky, who is obviously doing something with skateboards that we don’t know about. It could be that this man is the reason skateboarding is banned. The answer to this question is to be determined. Recent boarder Madeline Smith Kauffman perhaps had the most universal answer of all: “I didn’t know it existed and I’m not going to listen to it now that I know it exists.” Truly, this is a sign that nobody actually listens to or cares about. But I encourage all of you to follow the sidewalk to the south end of campus and see this beauty for yourselves. But I implore you, Goshen College: do not take this sign down. Do not take away this symbol of our history and throw it into the dumpster behind Phys Plant. Have it displayed, prominently, so we may all know and remember the law we all ignored and loved to break. Or, you know, we can just leave it. It’s hilarious.

Lo juegue en mi video mas reciente y es un juego bastante divertido y entretenido, lo recomiendo bastante para pasar un rato A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, and Linux On the trail of a brutal shapeshifting mystic, a Native tracker takes refuge from a storm, staying with a small boy and his mother during pioneer times at their frontier Inn. He enlist the help of the boy, who must rummage through the belongings of the other guest in order to find out which of them are human, and which of them are merely pretending to be... In this narrative focused psychological horror, experience terror in a time before modern amenities softened the cruelty of our world, and by the light of the fire, discover the threat that walks among you -- or be overcome by the shapeshifting cryptid of Native American lore! NOTE: Game supports BOTH KEYBOARD and GAMEPAD inputs! Log in with itch.io to leave a comment. Shoutout to David Mills for this game it was fantastic keep up the good work #2sCARY gAMES #Dark Deception #Skinwalker Thanks for trying it out, I've made a lot of other games including some horror stuff so check it out if it interest you! The tracker jumping through the window was my favorite part 😂😂 Totally unexpected! Finally something interesting . Thanks! Check out my other work, I do a lot of spooky themed stuff but my games are about different things, might find something else you like :D Pretty fun game, was just a little sad that it ended so quickly! Just played through it and I had so much fun! Everything looks so adorable and yet creepy. I just hoped it had been a bit longer. :D I had actually never heard of skin walkers before playing your game. This was a great introduction to them to say the least! Loved the narrative based style and the game looks amazing from a graphical perspective. Highly recommend you guys playing this one! I'll leave a link to my playthrough of it as well, if you want to check it out. I did a 3 random horror games and yours was on the list. It starts at 6:42 Great little game! Are we wearing a hooded onesie? I encountered a bug when I tried to go through the main entrance door (didn't know it was the main entrance, I thought it was a random room). I ended up phasing through it and being able to go outside and around the house. I was able to come back in though! I really liked the screen effects when we're outside the window and getting cold! Real nice touch! Loved the graphics and humor, wish I could've actually seen the Skinwalker under its true form :) Thanks, I made a game with shapeshifters ( and all the visible gory details ) called "Aquacreep ( 2d and 3D versions ), that and "Among the Sheep" will scratch the itch ;D Ok... I'm writing this like a week after finishing up the video. I don't know why this took me so long. I don't know why I was over thinking this game so much. but yea... Ok so the very first thing that comes to mind when I remember playing this game was the story setup. With the intro scenes and music building ambience in the background. This really made a great setup and pulled me in to continue playing this game. Next I noticed the animations were smooth and not clunky (example: some games have the movement speed of a model and the animation speed of the model off sync and when it is, it stands out alot)I would say the controls need a bit of finer tuning but that's just the programmer in me plus I try not to say to much about controls in a game unless their really awful because I feel that it's meant to be like that so you can get used to a new experience/feel which might lead to you having to relearn common controls... anyway. The story was pretty straight forward nothing wrong with that and the pacing wasn't to bad either. The first time I encountered a bug was interacting with the knife which caused my camera to 360 (noscope) if you walked to the side of it. That same bug allowed me to get outside the building at one point and also get the other ending at another. I wasn't going out my way to find these bugs, they just occur while playing. I would just say take a final jog along the parameter of your game at the end to prevent things like this. And minor camera spasm when you enter a door. I don't know I would just say pause control input for those milliseconds while the camera readjusts. All in All I enjoyed my time playing this game, and I will be looking out for more. - Music/Atmosphere/Sound design - Cinematic feeling cut-scenes - Good Story - Great setup - Couple Bugs - - 9:33 Second Ending Bug - - 10:29 Bug allowed me to get outside - Choices at the end are a little finicky I enjoyed this project, I will be looking out for more from you. Thank you again. GGs Quite the opposite, I appreciate you taking the time to go through it in such detail, good and bad, made it in a week so it doesn't bum me out! Thanks for the feedback :D Hello, I played this game and it wasn't too bad, very different but it was short and sweet, one question: is there another ending? If so then how do I press 'Right' cause the use button is A and if I move the highlight to Right I'll need to press A to use which didn't work. Over all it was neat, good work :) I liked this game! Great premise, but a little light on actual scares. Still Had a good time! ANNEM DEĞİLSİN ... | Skinwalker (Bağımsız Korku Oyunu) I really love the short story and style of the game. It was really fun to play and I am gonna play more because I chose the wrong person and killed ma instead of the skinwalker Very cool concept for a game! I enjoyed the moody atmosphere here. Though brief, I had a great time playing. I do wish there was more than one ending though. It seems certain that the game intended to have at least two, from the looks of it. I like the idea so much that I’d certainly like to see the game expanded. It feels like the mechanics were designed for a much bigger game. Just as I was settling in, the game ended. Great work, I’d like to see this fully fleshed out. Appreciate it! I have other games that do more like what you are describing, if you like this give Aquacreep 3D a try, several of my projects are about shapeshifters :D This was absolutely fantasic. I loved the adorable character designs, setting and story. It was shorter than I expected ( I wanted to snoop in all the rooms! xD) but, I enjoyed every second. Love your style so I'll have to check out your other stuff. Thanks for the fun little game! It was really cool! What an experience. It is just like a creepy pasta, but in a game format, and sincerely, I loved it. Guyen best character ever 10\10! Short, but great game! This was really interesting! Loved the subtle stealth aspect of this, as well as the overall feel of the art style. I tried to get another ending, but I'm assuming there's only one based on my own experience. Overall, this was a great game! Thanks! if you want one that's like this with weight to your choice, try "Aquacreep 3D". It's older so it's a bit rougher, but if you like "The Thing" horror movie, this is a lot like that :D However if you want something quick with some random elements and monster jumpscares I recommend "One Man's Trash". This was really cool! I liked the style of the art and game, and the story was interesting. Really awesome :D Thanks for letting me know what you thought, glad you liked it! I got a bunch of games that cover a variety of topics, look through 'em sometime you might like those too :) Amazing! Lovded the bit of humor thrown in at the end too :) You... are suits n nukes right? The art style looks too similar not to be! But anyways, the dad at the end spoke my mind! There should be an option to make him pay for it XD. SO... is there no hope for mom? :( Yep, it's me! Why'd I change my name? The clue is IN the new name! (It's a pun for what happened to my old account) As for ma, well, that was life on the prairie for you... If you like this you should try my other game "Aquacreep 3D" it has a randomized shapeshifter horror story every playthrough :0 I've said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE the aesthetic of your games!! This was really cool, LOVED the reference at the end as well!! (at least I think it was a reference anyway) It looks good. I'll download and try it. I didnt know you switched to itch bud! I have many faces 0.0 Always impress me with what you do I have tried both ends, I don't know if there are other endings This was cool. Keep up the great work. Thank you for saying so, try some of my other stuff, "Dune Punk" is pretty fun creepy story ...damn A nice addition to my channel, and less blood too.

The initial choice of races in Baldur's Gate 3 is solid—though it's definitely not the full spread available for most Dungeons & Dragons players. You can't rock up as a warforged, goblin, kobold, or aarakocra (don't mention their in-built flight speed to tabletop players, it's a whole thing)—aside from Dragonborn, it's all very humanoid. That's fair enough, considering the game already has an absurd amount of backstory, class, and race-specific dialogue options and responses. I don't think Larian wanted to wrestle with a thousand variations on the "Gods be good, that's a big bull man!" every time you walked into a new encampment. Especially for certain races, Larian would have to do as Troika Games did with Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines' Nosferatu—which forced you to scuttle around the sewers and eat rats like some kind of cryptid. I think I just talked myself into wishing Larian had let me do that, but the point remains that it would've been a huge burden on development. If you want more aesthetic variety, though, the absolutely massive 54 races included in DungeonsAndSouls' Fantastical Multiverse mod have you covered. The pack adds a whole swathe of options from official D&D material, Grim Hollow (a grimdark 5e-compatible setting made by Ghostfire Gaming), the creator's own homebrew "Malipāla", and Final Fantasy 14. I was briefly pumped about being able to play a catboy in Baldur's Gate 3—unfortunately, the mod's current races are all understandably humanoid (Hyur, Elezen, Roegadyn, and Garlean), so you won't be able to wield any nyacromancy just yet. Highlights include cool creatures like kobolds and minotaurs, alongside the angelic aasimar (think tieflings, but holy) and the shapeshifting changelings. Perhaps the most cursed addition is the kender—who are infamous for causing arguments at tables since 1984. If you aren't familiar with kenders, picture a halfling, then mix in an inability to feel fear, a strong innate curiosity, and a complete refusal to parse the concept of ownership. Here's a quote from the Monstrous Compendium: Dragonlance book on what it's like to spend time in a kender village: "It is not uncommon for a visitor to be relieved of all of his possessions within a few hours. Visitors are pelted by a constant barrage of questions and rambling, pointless stories." This means that if you have a player who wants to wander into traps, steal their party member's loot, and drive their table up the wall, then the kender's a literal licence from the game books to cause trouble. On the upside if you play solo in Baldur's Gate 3, you won't be annoying anybody—and you'll even have a decent roleplay reason for stealing everything not nailed down. Ultimately, I'm just pleased that tabletop gaming's long tradition of homebrew weirdness has translated so completely into the game's modding community, from genuinely impressive packs like this to dumb backgrounds where you can play a recently un-transformed goat.

The Yeti (/ˈjɛti/) or Abominable Snowman (Nepali: हिममानव himamānav, lit. "mountain man") is an ape-like cryptid taller than an average human that is said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology. Stories of the Yeti first emerged as a facet of Western popular culture in the 19th century. The scientific community generally regards the Yeti as a legend, given the lack of conclusive evidence, but it remains one of the most famous creatures of cryptozoology. Purported Yeti scalp at Khumjung monastery Etymology and alternate names The word Yeti is derived from Tibetan: གཡའ་དྲེད་, Wylie: g.ya' dred, ZYPY: Yachê, a compound of the words Tibetan: གཡའ་, Wylie: g.ya', ZYPY: ya "rocky", "rocky place" and (Tibetan: དྲེད་, Wylie: dred, ZYPY: chê) "bear". Pranavananda states that the words "ti", "te" and "teh" are derived from the spoken word 'tre' (spelled "dred"), Tibetan for bear, with the 'r' so softly pronounced as to be almost inaudible, thus making it "te" or "teh". Other terms used by Himalayan peoples do not translate exactly the same, but refer to legendary and indigenous wildlife: Michê (Tibetan: མི་དྲེད་, Wylie: mi dred, ZYPY: Michê) translates as "man-bear". Dzu-teh – 'dzu' translates as "cattle" and the full meaning translates as "cattle bear", referring to the Himalayan brown bear. Migoi or Mi-go (Tibetan: མི་རྒོད་, Wylie: mi rgod, ZYPY: Migö/Mirgö) translates as "wild man". Bun Manchi - Nepali for "jungle man" that is used outside Sherpa communities where yeti is the common name. Mirka – another name for "wild-man". Local legend holds that "anyone who sees one dies or is killed". The latter is taken from a written statement by Frank Smythe's sherpas in 1937. Kang Admi – "Snow Man". The "Abominable Snowman" The appellation "Abominable Snowman" was coined in 1921, the same year Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Howard-Bury led the 1921 British Mount Everest reconnaissance expedition which he chronicled in Mount Everest The Reconnaissance, 1921. In the book, Howard-Bury includes an account of crossing the Lhakpa La at 21,000 ft (6,400 m) where he found footprints that he believed "were probably caused by a large 'loping' grey wolf, which in the soft snow formed double tracks rather like a those of a bare-footed man". He adds that his Sherpa guides "at once volunteered that the tracks must be that of 'The Wild Man of the Snows', to which they gave the name 'metoh-kangmi'". "Metoh" translates as "man-bear" and "Kang-mi" translates as "snowman". Confusion exists between Howard-Bury's recitation of the term "metoh-kangmi" and the term used in Bill Tilman's book Mount Everest, 1938 where Tilman had used the words "metch", which does not exist in the Tibetan language, and "kangmi" when relating the coining of the term "Abominable Snowman". Further evidence of "metch" being a misnomer is provided by Tibetan language authority Professor David Snellgrove from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London (ca. 1956), who dismissed the word "metch" as impossible, because the consonants "t-c-h" cannot be conjoined in the Tibetan language." Documentation suggests that the term "metch-kangmi" is derived from one source (from the year 1921). It has been suggested that "metch" is simply a misspelling of "metoh". The use of "Abominable Snowman" began when Henry Newman, a longtime contributor to The Statesman in Calcutta, writing under the pen name "Kim", interviewed the porters of the "Everest Reconnaissance expedition" on their return to Darjeeling. Newman mistranslated the word "metoh" as "filthy", substituting the term "abominable", perhaps out of artistic license. As author Bill Tilman recounts, "[Newman] wrote long after in a letter to The Times: The whole story seemed such a joyous creation I sent it to one or two newspapers". According to H. Siiger, the Yeti was a part of the pre-Buddhist beliefs of several Himalayan people. He was told that the Lepcha people worshipped a "Glacier Being" as a God of the Hunt. He also reported that followers of the Bön religion once believed the blood of the "mi rgod" or "wild man" had use in certain mystical ceremonies. The being was depicted as an apelike creature who carries a large stone as a weapon and makes a whistling swoosh sound. In 1832, James Prinsep's Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal published trekker B. H. Hodgson's account of his experiences in northern Nepal. His local guides spotted a tall, bipedal creature covered with long dark hair, which seemed to flee in fear. Hodgson concluded it was an orangutan. An early record of reported footprints appeared in 1899 in Laurence Waddell's Among the Himalayas. Waddell reported his guide's description of a large apelike creature that left the prints, which Waddell thought were made by a bear. Waddell heard stories of bipedal, apelike creatures but wrote that "none, however, of the many Tibetans I have interrogated on this subject could ever give me an authentic case. On the most superficial investigation it always resolved into something that somebody heard tell of." The frequency of reports increased during the early 20th century, when Westerners began making determined attempts to scale the many mountains in the area and occasionally reported seeing odd creatures or strange tracks. In 1925, N. A. Tombazi, a photographer and member of the Royal Geographical Society, writes that he saw a creature at about 15,000 ft (4,600 m) near Zemu Glacier. Tombazi later wrote that he observed the creature from about 200 to 300 yd (180 to 270 m), for about a minute. "Unquestionably, the figure in outline was exactly like a human being, walking upright and stopping occasionally to pull at some dwarf rhododendron bushes. It showed up dark against the snow, and as far as I could make out, wore no clothes." About two hours later, Tombazi and his companions descended the mountain and saw the creature's prints, described as "similar in shape to those of a man, but only six to seven inches long by four inches wide... The prints were undoubtedly those of a biped." Western interest in the Yeti peaked dramatically in the 1950s. While attempting to scale Mount Everest in 1951, Eric Shipton took photographs of a number of large prints in the snow, at about 6,000 m (20,000 ft) above sea level. These photos have been subject to intense scrutiny and debate. Some argue they are the best evidence of Yeti's existence, while others contend the prints are those of a mundane creature that have been distorted by the melting snow. Peter Byrne reported finding a yeti footprint in 1948, in northern Sikkim, India near the Zemu Glacier, while on holiday from a Royal Air Force assignment in India. In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reported seeing large footprints while scaling Mount Everest. Hillary would later discount Yeti reports as unreliable. In his first autobiography Tenzing said that he believed the Yeti was a large ape, and although he had never seen it himself his father had seen one twice, but in his second autobiography he said he had become much more skeptical about its existence. During the Daily Mail Snowman Expedition of 1954, the mountaineering leader John Angelo Jackson made the first trek from Everest to Kanchenjunga in the course of which he photographed symbolic paintings of the Yeti at Tengboche gompa. Jackson tracked and photographed many footprints in the snow, most of which were identifiable. However, there were many large footprints which could not be identified. These flattened footprint-like indentations were attributed to erosion and subsequent widening of the original footprint by wind and particles. On 19 March 1954, the Daily Mail printed an article which described expedition teams obtaining hair specimens from what was alleged to be a Yeti scalp found in the Pangboche monastery. The hairs were black to dark brown in colour in dim light, and fox red in sunlight. The hair was analysed by Professor Frederic Wood Jones, an expert in human and comparative anatomy. During the study, the hairs were bleached, cut into sections and analysed microscopically. The research consisted of taking microphotographs of the hairs and comparing them with hairs from known animals such as bears and orangutans. Jones concluded that the hairs were not actually from a scalp. He contended that while some animals do have a ridge of hair extending from the pate to the back, no animals have a ridge (as in the Pangboche "scalp") running from the base of the forehead across the pate and ending at the nape of the neck. Jones was unable to pinpoint exactly the animal from which the Pangboche hairs were taken. He was, however, convinced that the hairs were not of a bear or anthropoid ape. He suggested that the hairs were from the shoulder of a coarse-haired hoofed animal. Sławomir Rawicz claimed in his book The Long Walk, published in 1956, that as he and some others were crossing the Himalayas in the winter of 1940, their path was blocked for hours by two bipedal animals that were doing seemingly nothing but shuffling around in the snow. Beginning in 1957, a very wealthy American oilman Tom Slick funded a few missions to investigate Yeti reports. In 1959, supposed Yeti feces were collected by one of Slick's expeditions; fecal analysis found a parasite which could not be classified. Cryptozoologist Bernard Heuvelmans wrote, "Since each animal has its own parasites, this indicated that the host animal is equally an unknown animal." The United States government thought that finding the Yeti was likely enough to create three rules for American expeditions searching for it: obtain a Nepalese permit, do not harm the Yeti except in self-defense, and let the Nepalese government approve any news reporting on the animal's discovery. In 1959, actor James Stewart, while visiting India, reportedly smuggled remains of a supposed Yeti, the so-called Pangboche Hand, by concealing it in his luggage when he flew from India to London. In 1960, Hillary mounted an expedition to collect and analyze physical evidence of the Yeti. He sent a supposed Yeti "scalp" from the Khumjung monastery to the West for testing, whose results indicated the scalp was manufactured from the skin of a serow, a goat-like Himalayan antelope. Up to the 1960s, belief in the yeti was relatively common in Bhutan and in 1966 a Bhutanese stamp was made to honor the creature. However, in the twenty-first century belief in the being has declined. In 1970, British mountaineer Don Whillans claimed to have witnessed a creature when scaling Annapurna. According to Whillans, while scouting for a campsite, he heard some odd cries which his Sherpa guide attributed to a Yeti's call. That night, he saw a dark shape moving near his camp. The next day, he observed a few human-like footprints in the snow, and that evening, viewed with binoculars a bipedal, ape-like creature for 20 minutes as it apparently searched for food not far from his camp. In 1983, Himalayan conservationist Daniel C. Taylor and Himalayan natural historian Robert L. Fleming Jr. led a yeti expedition into Nepal's Barun Valley (suggested by discovery in the Barun in 1972 of footprints alleged to be yeti by Cronin & McNeely). The Taylor-Fleming expedition also discovered similar yeti-like footprints (hominoid appearing with both a hallux and bipedal gait), intriguing large nests in trees, and vivid reports from local villagers of two bears, rukh balu ('tree bear', small, reclusive, weighing about 150 pounds) and bhui balu ('ground bear,' aggressive, weighing up to 400 pounds). Further interviews across Nepal gave evidence of local belief in two different bears. Skulls were collected, these were compared to known skulls at the Smithsonian Institution, American Museum of Natural History, and British Museum, and confirmed identification of a single species, the Asiatic Black Bear, showing no morphological difference between 'tree bear' and 'ground bear.' (This despite an intriguing skull in the British Museum of a 'tree bear' collected in 1869 by Oldham and discussed in the Annals of the Royal Zoological Society.) There is a famous Yeti hoax, known as the Snow Walker Film. The footage was created for Paramount's UPN show, Paranormal Borderland, ostensibly by the show's producers. The show ran from 12 March to 6 August 1996. Fox purchased and used the footage in their later program on The World's Greatest Hoaxes. In 2004, Henry Gee, editor of the journal Nature, mentioned the Yeti as an example of a legend deserving further study, writing, "The discovery that Homo floresiensis survived until so very recently, in geological terms, makes it more likely that stories of other mythical, human-like creatures such as Yetis are founded on grains of truth ... Now, cryptozoology, the study of such fabulous creatures, can come in from the cold." The Yeti is said to have been spotted in the remote Mae Charim area of the Luang Prabang Range range, between the Thai Highlands and Sainyabuli Province, Laos. In early December 2007, American television presenter Joshua Gates and his team (Destination Truth) reported finding a series of footprints in the Everest region of Nepal resembling descriptions of Yeti. Each of the footprints measured 33 cm (13 in) in length with five toes that measured a total of 25 cm (9.8 in) across. Casts were made of the prints for further research. The footprints were examined by Jeffrey Meldrum of Idaho State University, who believed them to be too morphologically accurate to be fake or man-made, before changing his mind after making further investigations. Later in 2009, Gates made another investigation during which he discovered hair samples. A forensic analyst concluded that the hair contained an unknown DNA sequence. On 25 July 2008, the BBC reported that hairs collected in the remote Garo Hills area of North-East India by Dipu Marak had been analyzed at Oxford Brookes University in the UK by primatologist Anna Nekaris and microscopy expert Jon Wells. These initial tests were inconclusive, and ape conservation expert Ian Redmond told the BBC that there was similarity between the cuticle pattern of these hairs and specimens collected by Edmund Hillary during Himalayan expeditions in the 1950s and donated to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and announced planned DNA analysis. This analysis has since revealed that the hair came from the Himalayan Goral. On 20 October 2008 a team of seven Japanese adventurers photographed footprints which could allegedly have been made by a Yeti. The team's leader, Yoshiteru Takahashi claims to have observed a Yeti on a 2003 expedition and is determined to capture the creature on film. A group of Chinese scientists and explorers in 2010 proposed to renew searches in Shennongjia province, which was the site of expeditions in the 1970s and 1980s. At a 2011 conference in Russia, participating scientists and enthusiasts declared having "95% evidence" of the Yeti's existence. However, this claim was disputed later; American anthropologist and anatomist Jeffrey Meldrum, who was present during the Russian expedition, claimed the "evidence" found was simply an attempt by local officials to drum up publicity. A yeti was reportedly captured in Russia in December 2011. A hunter reported having seen a bear like creature, trying to kill one of his sheep, but after he fired his gun, the creature ran into a forest on 2 legs. Border patrol soldiers then captured a hairy 2-legged female creature that ate meat and vegetation. The creature allegedly was more similar to a gorilla than a bear, but its arms were shorter than the legs (in contrast to a gorilla). It was about 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches) tall. This was later revealed as a hoax, or possibly a publicity stunt for charity

A man and his dog are spending time in the high desert of southeast Idaho. One night, the dog is alerting to a massive hairy biped that seemed to be stalking them. I following account was forwarded to me: "This might seem unbelievable to some people, but it is 100% true. It is burned into my memory and I will never forget it, even the small details. I present it to you exactly as it happened. I grew up in the high deserts and mountains of Southeast Idaho. Most of my life has been spent outdoors; whether I was on the back of a horse pushing cattle for local ranchers or hunting elk, or on foot hunting rabbits and deer through the sage brush. I was given my first .22 rifle when I was 9 years old and spent every minute I could out in the lava flows hunting rabbits, rock chucks and sage hens. I remember several times that my mother or father would drop me and my best friend off somewhere along the lavas and pick us up at the same spot three or four days later after many miles of exploring and living off the land. All we would take is water, shells and a knife. When I got older, and had my own vehicles, my trips got longer and farther into the desert. As I write this I can smell the sage brush and feel the desert sun on my face. Suffice to say; I love that Idaho desert more than any place on earth. I feel more comfortable out in the desert, 30 miles from the closest person, than I do in my own living room. During the summer of 2001, I was south and slightly east of the Big Southern Butte. I had spent a couple of days looking for arrowheads. Everything had been pretty normal; I walked for miles, found a few arrowheads, saw a few coyotes and deer, pretty normal. At this time in my life, I always had my dog with me. He was a huge Chesapeake Retriever that weighed over 100 pounds. He was very protective of me and my belongings, and was meaner than he** to anybody who acted suspicious or threatening. His surly demeanor towards anybody who messed with me or my stuff earned him the name “Kane” with my family and friends. The name stuck. Kane loved to go anywhere I went. He loved to go out to the desert and run around, never getting too far away from me. I always felt very secure with him around because he had proved time and time again that he was aware of every living thing that approached us out in the desert. And if that thing was dangerous, whether human or animal, he held no qualms about tearing right into the middle of them. In fact he enjoyed it. Anyway, we made it back to the pickup truck an hour or so before it got dark. I gathered up some juniper branches and sagebrush to make a fire. I cooked up some dinner for my dog and I and then settled into my hammock for the night. There is nothing better than sleeping in a hammock while outdoors. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of trees in the desert so I would find a juniper or fence post, park my pickup close to it and tie one end of my hammock to the pickup bed and one end to the tree or fence post. I spent many comfortable nights rigged up like this. This night was no different. I climbed into my hammock and was soon asleep. A couple of hours later I woke up to rain drops. It had started raining pretty hard and I was getting pretty wet. I quickly threw all of my gear into my hammock, untied the end from the fence post, rolled it up with everything inside it, and tossed it into the back of my pickup with a tarp over it to keep it dry. With all of my gear safely stowed, Kane and I crawled into the cab of the pickup and settled in for a dry, if cramped, rest of the night. Around 3 AM in the morning a strange sound woke me up. I was reclined back as best I could in the driver’s seat and Kane was sitting up alert on the passenger side. He was growling very softly and the hair on his shoulders and neck was standing straight up (a very menacing and intimidating sight. I am glad he was on my side). He was looking over my shoulder out the driver’s side window. It was his quiet growling that had woke me up. I didn’t move but just opened my eyes and looked around by moving my eyes in their sockets. It had stopped raining and the clouds had gone away. The sky was now clear with a bright, almost full moon overhead. It was bright enough that I could see Kane very clearly. I wondered what he was focusing all of his attention on and lifted my hand up in front of his nose. I don’t know why I did that, but that’s what I did. He never even looked at me, but moved his head to the side so he could continue to watch whatever was out my driver’s side window, continuing his quiet, threatening growl. I had never seen Kane so focused on anything the way he was now. It sent a shot of adrenaline through me and I was immediately wide awake. It gave me goose bumps and the hair stood up on my arms and my neck. I was scared to turn my head and look out the window. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to see what was outside. I summoned the courage and slowly turned my head to the left and looked out my window. About fifty yards away, slightly behind the truck and slowly working it’s way closer towards me was a large dark figure. In the bright moon light I could see that this thing was covered in long, coarse hair. It was walking on two legs and moved like a man, but different. Its arms seemed longer, and it kind of had a “swaying” motion as it walked. The moon shone through the hair around the outside of it’s body and the dark, solid shape underneath was visible. It was moving in slow steps towards the pickup. Every few steps it would stop, crouch down, and wait a few seconds before moving ahead a couple more steps, exactly as my dad had taught me to do while stalking deer and elk. I have no idea if this creature meant to do me harm. But seeing it move exactly as I did when putting the stalk on a deer, with me as the target of it’s attention, did not make me feel very warm and fuzzy inside. My mind was in overdrive. Imagine, my reality of what exists and doesn’t exist in this world was suddenly and without much fanfare turned upside down. At the same time, for the first time in my life, (it would happen many more times in the near future in a crappy place called Iraq) genetically inherited, but deeply buried alarm bells were screaming inside my head. My subconscious recognized the danger and demanded that I do something while at the same time dumping bucket loads of adrenaline into my system. My thoughts jumped immediately to my pistol and in the same instant I remembered that it was rolled up in my hammock in the back of my pickup under a tarp, useless. Not that my pistol would do any good, as this thing got closer I could see that it was BIG, probably seven or eight feet tall and SOLID. It moved like an animal that is very heavily built but is quick and fast at the same time, like a tiger maybe. Kane had gone from sitting to standing on the seat. His hair was standing straight up and his quiet growl had turned into a savage snarl. What a dog! Here is this monster outside my truck and my dog is ready for me to open the door and turn him lose! My mind quickly switched from fight mode to flight mode. My keys were in the ignition. Without taking my eyes of this thing I reached up and started the pickup. The creature was less than thirty yards away now. When it heard the engine start it crouched down lower to the ground than it had crouched before. The top of its pointy head was just above the level of a patch of sage brush that happened to be between him and me. My pickup was nosed up to a lava rock wall. The only trail out was to my right and behind. There were large lava rocks scattered on the ground so I had to make an over 180 degree turn while backing up to be lined up with the road. I threw the truck in reverse and floored it turning on my lights at the same time. As I swung through the turn my high beams swung right across the creature. It had put its head down (probably to protect it from the glare) and all I saw was the top of its head. I noticed a mass of coarse, dark gray hair before its shape was swallowed by the darkness. I drove down that two track, desert road way faster than I normally would. My truck was bouncing over rocks and plowing over sage brush when the curves were too sharp to take at that speed. Kane and I were bouncing all over the inside. I drove that way for several miles, continuously looking behind me, until I calmed down enough to slow down. I drove out to a main road and stopped to mentally go over what I had just seen. But stopping out there in the dark was too much. I ended up cutting my trip short and just went home. This was a long post but I hope that I could convey a small amount of the effect that this experience had on me." ST If you wish to comment on this Phantoms & Monsters post, please go to Phantoms & Monsters Post Comments Welcome to Phantoms & Monsters 'Personal Reports' - cryptid & unexplained accounts directly from the archives of Phantoms & Monsters. Narrated by Lon Strickler. Featured in this edition: A coastal Mississippi resident believes that they encountered a 'river troll' while on their houseboat. They took a photo and described what they witnessed. What is this creature? Have you had a sighting of a winged humanoid or huge bat-like creature in the Chicago, Illinois metro area / Lake Michigan region? The entity has also been referred to as the 'Chicago Mothman', 'Chicago Owlman' & 'O'Hare Mothman.' - Chicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive Map - Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] - your anonymity is guaranteed. Our investigative group is conducting a serious examination of his phenomenon. We are merely seeking the truth and wish to determine what eyewitnesses have been encountering. Your cooperation is truly appreciated. Thanks. Lon Strickler © 2005-2022 Phantoms & Monsters - All Rights Reserved

What is the Thunderbird? The legend of the Thunderbird has roots in the history of North America—going back all the way to before external influences touched the continent—this enormous bird of prey was noted in folktales to be seen most often during the spring and summer seasons and in many instances its appearance would forecast a destructive storm coming to the area. Despite bringing life-giving water to the area, the omen of the Thunderbird always meant death and destruction to the people of the land. Descriptions of this unbelievable black bird report that it has a wing-span between 10-20 feet, with some people comparing it to the size of a small airplane. The only comparable bird, scientifically speaking, would be the Pelagornis sandersi a species which hasn’t existed in over 24 million years. Many also lump the Thunderbird in with a similar cryptid who has been sighted in the Midwest, but it bears more of a resemblance to the extinct Pteranodon as opposed to a feathered bird. Regardless, simply the size of this aerial threat is enough to cause panic in parents of small children, as these creatures have been found attempting to snatch children off of the ground while playing outside. While this creature is not a new avian phenomenon, the Thunderbird has had reported sightings in Juneau, Alaska as recently as the early parts of 2018—and the late Mark A. Hall even wrote an entire book dedicated to the topic. There are many writers out there with an opinion on the topic, some suggesting that it shouldn’t be categorized as a cryptid at all, considering the basis in historical science of birds like these existing once upon a time. It can difficult to get behind, without physical evidence that can be studied in a lab, but this is one cryptid that doesn’t necessarily require a flight of fancy to get people wondering whether or not it truly exists in our modern world. In the end, reports of this child-snatching terror in the skies are not only an isolated incident in Alaska. Destination Truth even had an episode where they featured the search for the mysterious Thunderbird and while most of their episodes are a little lackluster when it comes to evidential support, I think it’s interesting that the legend of it warranted their time and efforts to try to capture it on film. So what do you think, have you ever seen a Thunderbird? Georgia-based author and artist, Mary has been a horror aficionado since the mid-2000s. Originally a hobby artist and writer, she found her niche in the horror industry in late 2019 and hasn’t looked back since. Mary’s evolution into a horror expert allowed her to express herself truly for the first time in her life. Now, she prides herself on indulging in the stuff of nightmares. Mary also moonlights as a content creator across multiple social media platforms—breaking down horror tropes on YouTube, as well as playing horror games and broadcasting live digital art sessions on Twitch.

We've seen him as killer, a cipher, and even as a roided out serial rapist--but I don't think we've ever seen "Sasquatch as Voyeur." Until now! In his 1974 sexploitation/Squatchsploitation mash-up, The Beast and the Vixens (aka The Beauties and the Beast), director Ray Nadeau and writer Gaynor MacLaren envision Bigfoot as Russ Meyer's Immoral Mr. Teas meets Arch Hall Sr.'s Eegah! And the results, my friends, are just about as glorious as that makes them sound. Allow me to elucidate: |"It's okay--I'm a SCIENTIST."| It's not the case so much any more, but back in the 70s when Bigfoot Mania was at its peak, filmmakers felt a responsibility to establish their bona fides as solidly as possible, whether they were making a documentary or not. In this movie that happens even before the opening credits, as we join our Very Suspect Narrator*--a Marlon Perkins type whose face the cameraman seems to keep purposefully in shadow, doubtless as part of a Sasquatch Witness Protection program. In a very naturalistic (i.e., unrehearsed and slurring) style, he reads off several reports of cryptid hominid sightings from around the world, while an intern helpfully pushes picture postcards into the lens from just out of frame. Bigfoot reports in Oregon, the Yeti sighted in the "Himmy-Layers" of Tibet, other strange furry creatures in other places--it's an avalanche of HARD SCIENCE. His case proven, the VSN turns more or less directly toward the viewer and intones: "The story you are about to see...COULD BE TRUE!" Which is to say, of course, that it totally isn't. *Nota bene: any similarities between this character and the Totally Awesome Narrator from Brad F. Ginter's Blood Freak (1972) are completely coincidental and awesome. Once we've got that bit of business out of the way, it's time for Serious Sasquatch Action! Nadeau wastes no time, as we see Bigfoot rising from the underbrush like a zombie from his grave, as drawn-on lightning flashes from a clear blue sky! Luckily he's within striding distance of a nice-looking KOA Kampground, where a headkerchiefed hippie lady has just finished an afternoon rowboat excursion and climbed out onto the bank to shed all her clothes and take a nap. Like you do. Overcome by perfectly natural acquisitive desires, the stealthy manbeast quickly lopes up, snatches the hippie, and spirits her off to his woodland abode. To what dark purpose we can only conjecture and fear! |"Holy crap! Topless babes!"| Back to Bigfoot in the forest! Where he's hauling another shrieking girl--this one in white go-go boots and a miniskirt--to his surprisingly well-furnished cave. Seriously--he has a hope chest, a Native American blanket, and all the scrub brush you can eat! He sets the girl gently down on the rocks and then leaves her to primp her hair and look sexy and perplexed. Meanwhile, somewhere in the city, a random smoking stevedore makes a random phone call, telling the random gangster-sounding guy on the other end of the line that "something is up"! No time for that now, though, as Ann--wearing a frankly amazing blue velour jumpsuit--has picked up her friend Mary (Meyer vixen and Marvel of Natural Engineering Uschi Digard) for a weekend trip to the woods. Hold on to your hats though, because now we're back at Chez Sasquatch, where the Big Galoot has just deposited ANOTHER hapless honey into the cave! Lest you think his intentions are unsavory, however: Girl 1: "I think it's the creature they wrote about in the Times! Girl 2: "What creature?" G1: "Some hunters say they saw a being in the woods--this monster fits the description!" G2: "What does he want with us?" G1: "Oh Christ, I don't know! He doesn't do anything--he just gives me food and water!" |Not Go-Going Anywhere| Sub-meanwhile, Mary and Ann have arrived at their cabin in the woods, where random Sapphic sexiness ensues. After half-heartedly lamenting the fact that "ze boys are not here!" Mary starts hitting the brandy hard, using a snifter almost as big as her astonishing, gravity-defying ta-tas. Ann changes into a yellow, crocheted jumpsuit that must be seen to be believed, and Ann reads aloud from a book she finds in the cabin library, All You Ever Wanted to Know About Sasquatch But Were Too Drunk to Ask. Soon they retire to the bedroom, where the girls bunk up and then get down, just as you hoped they would. You're not the only one either, Bucko, because just outside the window, Bigfoot is watching, bouncing on the balls of his big feet in glee and making very suspicious fappy sounds! Which just goes to show, the enjoyment of lipstick lesbian pr0n is innate and primeval. |Filmed in Cinemascope™, by necessity| The rest of the film is mostly further installments of Sexy Time, with Bigfoot always on hand (foot?) to bear witness. A philandering couple drives out to the middle of nowhere to have their tryst--because despite being 35 years old apiece neither has his or her own apartment, presumably--and what follows is one of the most awkward, hilarious sex scenes imaginable. With the man-ape unable to contain his excitement, the couple suffers from a shocking bout of Coitus Interruptus Sasquatchus, which leads to the male of the couple running naked into the distance, arms waving above his head like a cartoon character, doughy ass-cheeks a-jiggling! The girl passes out from embarrassment and terror, and Bigfoot takes her to a more secluded spot to gaze longingly at her and cop a feel. As far as we know, it goes no further than that. |NOT a Sasquatch Sex Scene...technically| "Gypsy mountain madnessAnd if you're thinking, "Dear God, I hope we get three verses and a bridge of THAT!"--well, today's your lucky day! running though my brain makes me do the things I do, Lawd it makes me go insane!" |Also not Sasquatch| Sarah does not react well, shouting abuse at Hank and Ann before storming off into the bedroom. Once the whole group is asleep, Sarah is plagued by sexy conflict dreams, as her astral self confronts Ann in a nude-but-for-the-boots-and-belts old West gunfight! She awakens disturbed, and Hank--first putting aside the squeaky rubber duck he sleeps with (seriously)--comforts her with a hairy hippie sex scene that lasts a good five minutes and twenty seconds--and yes, I timed it. Despite her battle-axe demeanor and Eeevil Demon face, Sarah has quite the nice body, though, so that's nice at least--pity you have to watch Hank's hairy ass thrusting atop it. But life's full of difficult trade-offs. After this, the random stevedore, Frenchy, returns along with his gangster buddy, and we learn via clunky exposition that they're after the gold treasure the hippies have been hawking at roadside faires. There's a confrontation at gunpoint and a near-rape of Becky by Frenchy, and Mark shows his scrappy side by nearly beating the scrawny Quebecker unconscious before his buddy steps in. Eventually, in a marginally exciting fight, the hippies get the better of Frenchy, and Ann makes a break pursued by the gangster. She's protected by a Grizzled Old Hermit Out of Fucking Nowhere, who has the stash of coins the criminals are looking for (?). Finally, tired of having been forgotten by the film for a good twenty minutes, Bigfoot reappears, crushes the gangster, and walks off hand-in-hand with the Hermit while the girls and their friends live hippily ever after. Fin. |Not Sasquatch--but nonetheless awesome| So this movie isn't going to win any Palmes d'Ors, but I have to tell you I loved it from beginning to end. The score ranges from Very Dramatic Strings to the Mr. Magoo Suite, the acting is amateur and over the top (most entertainingly from the argumentative Sarah, whose screen credit is sadly unclear), and at 66 minutes, it doesn't hang around long enough to wear out its welcome. There could have been a little more focus on Bigfoot for my money (or at least some answers--what happened to the girls in the cave? Who is his hermit friend? How can he stand out in the open the whole time and still be a mysterious cryptid?), but balanced against a hilarious plot, lots of nekkidity and sexyness, and a winning lighthearted tone, it's really a small complaint. In closing, The Beauties and the Beast is a fun, sexy little slice of 70s Squatchsploitation that should have fans of Russ Meyer and cryptozoology cheering. I doubt there's a SE DVD/Blu-Ray set coming anytime soon, but if you can find an old VHS or bootleg, I'd definitely recommend the purchase. 3 thumbs up. |"This iz mah SRS FACE."| More images from The Beast and the Vixens (1974): |Newsweek's design and layout team has come a long way.| |"Roses are red, violents are blue, My feet are quite big, and my...OH MY GAWD!"| |Blue Velour Hoodie with belt and matching track pants--from this fall's Smurfette Collection| |"It took my grandmother MONTHS to crochet this jumpsuit!"| |Studdy McWangerson: Ready for Action| |"I found these two wrestling under a blanket! What?"| |"WHYYYYEEE DON'T YEW WANT MEEEEEE?"| |"Sure, Sasquatch is out there...or so the Germans would have us believe!"|

|Country||United States, Canada| Bigfoot (also known as Sasquatch) is the name given to a cryptid ape- or hominid-like creature that is said to inhabit forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid. The term sasquatch is an anglicized derivative of the Halkomelem word sásq'ets. Scientists discount the existence of Bigfoot and consider it to be a combination of folklore, misidentification, and hoax, rather than a living animal, because of the lack of physical evidence and the large numbers of creatures that would be necessary to maintain a breeding population. Scientists Grover Krantz and Jeffrey Meldrum have focused research on the alleged creature for the greater parts of their careers. - 1 Description - 2 History - 3 Prominent reported sightings - 4 Proposed explanations for sightings - 5 Scientific view - 6 Bigfoot claims - 7 Bigfoot organizations - 8 Popular culture - 9 See also - 10 Footnotes - 11 Bibliography - 12 Further reading - 13 External links Bigfoot is described in reports as a large hairy ape-like creature, in a range of 2–3 m (6.6-9.8 ft) tall, weighing in excess of 500 pounds (230 kg), and covered in dark brown or dark reddish hair. Witnesses have described large eyes, a pronounced brow ridge, and a large, low-set forehead; the top of the head has been described as rounded and crested, similar to the sagittal crest of the male gorilla. Bigfoot is commonly reported to have a strong, unpleasant smell by those who claim to have encountered it. The enormous footprints for which it is named have been as large as 24 inches (60 cm) long and 8 inches (20 cm) wide. While most casts have five toes — like all known apes — some casts of Bigfoot tracks have had numbers ranging from two to six. Some have also contained claw marks, making it likely that a portion came from known animals such as bears, which have five toes and claws. Proponents claim that Bigfoot is omnivorous and mainly nocturnal. Wild men stories are found among the indigenous population of the Pacific Northwest. The legends existed before a single name for the creature. They differed in their details both regionally and between families in the same community. Similar stories of wild men are found on every continent except Antarctica. Ecologist Robert Michael Pyle argues that most cultures have human-like giants in their folk history: "We have this need for some larger-than-life creature." Members of the Lummi tell tales about Ts'emekwes, the local version of Bigfoot. The stories are similar to each other in the general descriptions of Ts'emekwes, but details about the creature's diet and activities differed between family stories. Some regional versions contained more nefarious creatures. The stiyaha or kwi-kwiyai were a nocturnal race that children were told not to say the names of lest the monsters hear and come to carry off a person—sometimes to be killed. In 1847, Paul Kane reported stories by the native people about skoocooms: a race of cannibalistic wildmen living on the peak of Mount St. Helens. The skoocooms have been regarded as supernatural, rather than natural. Less menacing versions such as the one recorded by Reverend Elkanah Walker exist. In 1840, Walker, a Protestant missionary, recorded stories of giants among the Native Americans living in Spokane, Washington. The Indians said that these giants lived on and around the peaks of nearby mountains and stole salmon from the fishermen's nets. Local stories were compiled by Indian Agent J. W. Burns in a series of Canadian newspaper articles in the 1920s recounting stories told to him by the Sts'Ailes people of Chehalis and others. The Sts'Ailes maintain, as do other indigenous peoples of the region, that the Sasquatch are very real, not legendary, and take great umbrage when it is suggested that they are. According to Sts'Ailes eyewitness accounts, the Sasquatch prefer to avoid white men, and speak the "Douglas language", i.e. Ucwalmicwts, the language of the people at Port Douglas, British Columbia at the head of Harrison Lake. It was Burns who first borrowed the term Sasquatch from the Halkomelem sásq'ets (IPA: [ˈsæsqʼəts]) and used it in his articles to describe a hypothetical single type of creature reflected in the stories. Burns's articles popularized the animal and its new name, making it well known in western Canada before it gained popularity in the United States. Each language had its own name for the local version. Many names meant something along the lines of "wild man" or "hairy man" although other names described common actions it was said to perform, e.g., eating clams. In 1951, Eric Shipton photographed what he described as a Yeti footprint, which generated considerable attention and led to the story of the Yeti entering popular consciousness. The notoriety of ape-men grew over the decade, culminating in 1958 when large footprints were found in Del Norte County, California by bulldozer operator Gerald Crew. Sets of large tracks appeared multiple times around a road-construction site in Bluff Creek. After not being taken seriously about what he was seeing, Crew brought in his friend, Bob Titmus, to cast the prints in plaster. The story was published in the Humboldt Times along with a photo of Crew holding one of the casts. Locals had been calling the unseen track-maker "Big Foot" since the late summer, which Humboldt Times columnist Andrew Genzoli shortened to "Bigfoot" in his article. Bigfoot gained international attention when the story was picked up by the Associated Press. Following the death of Ray Wallace – a local logger – his family attributed the creation of the footprints to him. The wife of L. W. "Scoop" Beal, the editor of the Humboldt Standard, which later combined with the Humboldt Times, in which Genzoli's story had appeared, has stated that her husband was in on the hoax with Wallace. 1958 was a watershed year, not just for the Bigfoot story itself, but also for the culture that surrounds it. The first Bigfoot hunters appeared following the discovery of footprints at Bluff Creek, California. Within a year, Tom Slick, who had funded searches for Yeti in the Himalayas earlier in the decade, organized searches for Bigfoot in the area around Bluff Creek. As Bigfoot has become better known and a phenomenon in popular culture, sightings have spread throughout North America. In addition to the Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes region and the Southeastern United States have had many reports of Bigfoot sightings. The debate over the legitimacy of Bigfoot sightings reached a peak in the 1970s, and Bigfoot has been regarded as the first widely popularized example of pseudoscience in American culture. Prominent reported sightings About one-third of all reports of Bigfoot sightings are concentrated in the Pacific Northwest, with most of the remaining reports spread throughout the rest of North America. Some Bigfoot advocates, such as John Willison Green, have postulated that Bigfoot is a worldwide phenomenon. The most notable reports include: - 1924: Prospector Albert Ostman said to have been abducted by Sasquatch and held captive by the creatures in British Columbia. - 1924: Fred Beck said that he and four other miners were attacked one night in July 1924, by several "apemen" throwing rocks at their cabin in an area later called Ape Canyon, Washington. Beck said the miners shot and possibly killed at least one of the creatures, precipitating an attack on their cabin, during which the creatures bombarded the cabin with rocks and tried to break in. The incident was widely reported at the time. Beck wrote a book about the event in 1967, in which he said that the creatures were mystical beings from another dimension, stating that he had experienced psychic premonitions and visions his entire life of which the apemen were only one component. Speleologist William Halliday said in 1983 that the story arose from an incident in which hikers from a nearby camp had thrown rocks into the canyon. There are also local rumors that pranksters harassed the men and planted faked footprints. - 1941: Jeannie Chapman and her children said they had escaped their home when a 7.5 feet (2.3 m) tall Sasquatch approached their residence in Ruby Creek, British Columbia. - 1958: Bulldozer operator Jerry Crew took a cast of one of the enormous footprints that he and other workers had seen at an isolated work site at Bluff Creek, California to a newspaper office. The crew was overseen by Wilbur L. Wallace, brother of Raymond L. Wallace. After Ray Wallace's death, his children came forward with a pair of 16-inch (41 cm) wooden feet, which they said their father had used to fake the Bigfoot tracks in 1958. Wallace is poorly regarded by many Bigfoot proponents. John Napier wrote, "I do not feel impressed with Mr. Wallace's story" regarding having over 15,000 feet (4,600 m) of film showing Bigfoot. - 1967: Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin reported that, on October 20, they had captured a Sasquatch on film at Bluff Creek, California. This came to be known as the Patterson–Gimlin film. Many years later, Bob Heironimus, an acquaintance of Patterson's, said that he had worn an ape costume for the making of the film. However, Patterson and Gimlin said that they sought various experts to examine the film. Patterson said to have screened the film for unnamed technicians "in the special effects department at Universal Studios in Hollywood ... Their conclusion was: 'We could try (faking it), but we would have to create a completely new system of artificial muscles and find an actor who could be trained to walk like that. It might be done, but we would have to say that it would be almost impossible.'" - 2007: On September 16, 2007, hunter Rick Jacobs captured an image of a Sasquatch by using an automatically triggered camera attached to a tree, prompting a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Game Commission to say that it was an image of "a bear with a severe case of mange." The photo was taken near the town of Ridgway, Pennsylvania, in the Allegheny National Forest. Proposed explanations for sightings Various types of creatures have been suggested to explain both the sightings and what type of creature Bigfoot would be. The scientific community typically attributes sightings to either hoaxes or misidentification of known animals and their tracks. While cryptozoologists generally explain Bigfoot as an unknown ape, some attribute the phenomenon to UFOs or other paranormal causes. In 2007, the Pennsylvania Game Commission said that photos the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization said showed a juvenile Bigfoot were of a bear with mange. Jeffrey Meldrum, on the other hand, said the limb proportions of the suspected juvenile in question were not bear-like, and stated that he felt they were "more like a chimpanzee." Both Bigfoot believers and non-believers agree that many of the sightings are hoaxes or misidentified animals. Bigfoot sightings or footprints have, in some cases, been shown to be hoaxes. Author Jerome Clark argues that the Jacko Affair, involving an 1884 newspaper report of an apelike creature captured in British Columbia, was a hoax. Citing research by John Green, who found that several contemporary British Columbia newspapers regarded the alleged capture as very dubious, Clark notes that the Mainland Guardian of New Westminster, British Columbia, wrote, "Absurdity is written on the face of it." On July 14, 2005, Tom Biscardi, a long-time Bigfoot enthusiast and CEO of Searching for Bigfoot Inc., appeared on the Coast to Coast AM paranormal radio show and announced that he was "98% sure that his group will be able to capture a Bigfoot which they have been tracking in the Happy Camp, California area." A month later, Biscardi announced on the same radio show that he had access to a captured Bigfoot and was arranging a pay-per-view event for people to see it. Biscardi appeared on Coast to Coast AM again a few days later to announce that there was no captive Bigfoot. Biscardi blamed an unnamed woman for misleading him and the show's audience for being gullible. On July 9, 2008, Rick Dyer and Matthew Whitton posted a video to YouTube claiming that they had discovered the body of a dead Sasquatch in a forest in northern Georgia. Tom Biscardi was contacted to investigate. Dyer and Whitton received $50,000 from Searching for Bigfoot, Inc. as a good faith gesture. The story of the men claims was covered by many major news networks, including BBC, CNN, ABC News, and Fox News. Soon after a press conference, the alleged Bigfoot body arrived in a block of ice in a freezer with the Searching for Bigfoot team. When the contents were thawed, it was discovered that the hair was not real, the head was hollow, and the feet were rubber. Dyer and Whitton subsequently admitted it was a hoax after being confronted by Steve Kulls, executive director of SquatchDetective.com. In January 2014, Rick Dyer, perpetrator of a previous Bigfoot hoax, said he had killed a Bigfoot creature in September 2012 outside of San Antonio, Texas. He said he had scientific tests performed on the body, "from DNA tests to 3D optical scans to body scans. It is the real deal. It's Bigfoot, and Bigfoot's here, and I shot it, and now I'm proving it to the world." He stated that he intended to take the body, which he had kept in a hidden location, on tour across North America in 2014. He released photos of the body and a video showing a few individuals' reactions to seeing it, but never released any of the tests or scans. He refused to disclose the test results or provide biological samples, although he stated that the DNA results, which were done by an undisclosed lab, could not identify any known animal. Dyer stated he would reveal the body and tests on February 9 at a news conference at Washington University, but the test results were never made available. After the Phoenix tour, the body traveled to Houston. On March 28, 2014, Dyer admitted on his Facebook page that his "Bigfoot corpse" was another hoax. He had paid Chris Russel of Twisted Toy Box to manufacture the prop, which he nicknamed "Hank", from latex, foam, and camel hair. Dyer earned approximately US$60,000 from the tour of this second fake Bigfoot corpse. He maintains that he did kill a Bigfoot, but states that he did not take the real body on tour for fear that it would be stolen. Bigfoot proponents Grover Krantz and Geoffrey H. Bourne believed that Bigfoot could be a relict population of Gigantopithecus. According to Bourne, all Gigantopithecus fossils were found in Asia, and, as many species of animals migrated across the Bering land bridge, it is not unreasonable to assume that Gigantopithecus might have as well. Gigantopithecus fossils have not been found in the Americas. The only recovered fossils are of mandibles and teeth, leaving uncertainty about Gigantopithecus's locomotion. Krantz has argued, based on his extrapolation of the shape of its mandible, that Gigantopithecus blacki could have been bipedal. However, the relevant part of mandible is not present in any fossils. An alternative view is that Gigantopithecus was quadrupedal, and it has been said that Gigantopithecus's enormous mass would have made it difficult for it to adopt a bipedal gait. Matt Cartmill presents another view regarding the Gigantopithecus hypothesis: "The trouble with this account is that Gigantopithecus was not a hominin and maybe not even a crown-group hominoid; yet the physical evidence implies that Bigfoot is an upright biped with buttocks and a long, stout, permanently adducted hallux. These are hominin autapomorphies, not found in other mammals or other bipeds. It seems unlikely that Gigantopithecus would have evolved these uniquely hominin traits in parallel." Bernard G. Campbell wrote: "That Gigantopithecus is in fact extinct has been questioned by those who believe it survives as the Yeti of the Himalayas and the Sasquatch of the north-west American coast. But the evidence for these creatures is not convincing." A species of Paranthropus, such as Paranthropus robustus, with its crested skull and bipedal gait, was suggested by primatologist John R. Napier and anthropologist Gordon Strasenburg as a possible candidate for Bigfoot's identity, despite the fact that fossils of Paranthropus are found only in Africa. Michael Rugg, of the Bigfoot Discovery Museum, presented a comparison between human, Gigantopithecus and Meganthropus skulls (reconstructions made by Grover Krantz) in episodes 131 and 132 of the Bigfoot Discovery Museum Show. He favorably compares a modern tooth suspected of coming from a Bigfoot to the Meganthropus fossil teeth, noting the worn enamel on the occlusal surface. The Meganthropus fossils originated from Asia, and the tooth was found near Santa Cruz, California. The evidence that does exist supporting the survival of such a large, prehistoric ape-like creature has been attributed to a hoax or delusion than to sightings of a genuine creature. In a 1996 USA Today article, Washington State zoologist John Crane said, "There is no such thing as Bigfoot. No data other than material that's clearly been fabricated has ever been presented." In addition, scientists cite the fact that Bigfoot is alleged to live in regions unusual for a large, nonhuman primate, i.e., temperate latitudes in the northern hemisphere; all recognized apes are found in the tropics of Africa and Asia. Some do not consider the subject of Bigfoot an area of credible science and there have been a limited number of formal scientific studies of Bigfoot. As with other proposed megafauna cryptids, climate and food supply issues would make such a creature's survival in reported habitats unlikely. Great apes have not been found in the fossil record in the Americas, and no Bigfoot remains are known to have been found. The breeding population of such an animal would be so large that it would account for many more purported sightings than currently occur, making the existence of such an animal an almost certain impossibility. In the 1970s, when Bigfoot experts were frequently given high-profile media coverage, Mcleod writes that the scientific community generally avoided lending credence to the theories by debating them. Ivan T. Sanderson and Bernard Heuvelmans have spent parts of their career searching for Bigfoot. Later scientists who researched the topic included Carleton S. Coon, George Allen Agogino and William Charles Osman Hill, although they came to no definite conclusions and later drifted from this research. Jeffrey Meldrum has said that the fossil remains of an ancient giant ape called Gigantopithecus could turn out to be ancestors of today's commonly known Bigfoot. John Napier asserts that the scientific community's attitude towards Bigfoot stems primarily from insufficient evidence. Other scientists who have shown varying degrees of interest in the creature are David J. Daegling, George Schaller, Russell Mittermeier, Daris Swindler, Esteban Sarmiento, and Carleton S. Coon. Jane Goodall, in a September 27, 2002, interview on National Public Radio's "Science Friday", expressed her ideas about the existence of Bigfoot. First stating "I'm sure they exist", she later went on to say, chuckling, "Well, I'm a romantic, so I always wanted them to exist", and finally: "You know, why isn't there a body? I can't answer that, and maybe they don't exist, but I want them to." In 2012, Goodall said, "I'm fascinated and would actually love them to exist." The first scientific study of available evidence was conducted by John Napier and published in his book, Bigfoot: The Yeti and Sasquatch in Myth and Reality, in 1973. Napier wrote that if a conclusion is to be reached based on scant extant "'hard' evidence," science must declare "Bigfoot does not exist." However, he found it difficult to entirely reject thousands of alleged tracks, "scattered over 125,000 square miles" or to dismiss all "the many hundreds" of eyewitness accounts. Napier concluded, "I am convinced that Sasquatch exists, but whether it is all it is cracked up to be is another matter altogether. There must be something in north-west America that needs explaining, and that something leaves man-like footprints." Beginning in the late 1970s, physical anthropologist Grover Krantz published several articles and four book-length treatments of Sasquatch. However, his work was found to contain multiple scientific failings including falling for hoaxes. A study published in for the Journal of Biogeography in 2009 by J.D. Lozier et al. used ecological niche modeling on reported sightings of Bigfoot, using their locations to infer Bigfoot's preferred ecological parameters. They found a very close match with the ecological parameters of the American black bear, Ursus americanus. They also note that an upright bear looks much like Bigfoot's purported appearance and consider it highly improbable that two species should have very similar ecological preferences, concluding that Bigfoot sightings are likely sightings of black bears. In the first ever systematic genetic analysis of 30 hair samples which were suspected to be from bigfoot, yeti, sasquatch, almasty or other anomalous primates, none was found to be primate in origin except that one sample was identified to be human. A joint study by University of Oxford and Lausanne’s Cantonal Museum of Zoology and published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B in 2014, the team used a previously published cleaning method to remove all surface contamination and the ribosomal mitochondrial DNA 12S fragment of the sample was sequenced and then compared to GenBank to identify the species origin. The samples submitted were from different parts of the world, including the United States, Russia, the Himalayas, and Sumatra. Other than one sample of human origin, all but two are from common animals. Black and brown bear accounted for most of the samples, other animals include cow, horse, dog/wolf/coyote, sheep, goat, raccoon, porcupine, deer and tapir. The last two samples matched a fossilized genetic sample of a 40,000 year old polar bear of the Pleistocene era. After what The Huffington Post described as "a five-year study of purported Bigfoot (also known as Sasquatch) DNA samples," Texas veterinarian Melba Ketchum and her team announced that they had found proof that the Sasquatch "is a human relative that arose approximately 15,000 years ago as a hybrid cross of modern Homo sapiens with an unknown primate species." Ketchum called for this to be recognized officially, saying that "Government at all levels must recognize them as an indigenous people and immediately protect their human and Constitutional rights against those who would see in their physical and cultural differences a 'license' to hunt, trap, or kill them." Failing to find a scientific journal that would publish their results, Ketchum announced on February 13, 2013 that their research had been published in the DeNovo Journal of Science. The Huffington Post discovered that the journal's domain had been registered anonymously only nine days before the announcement. The only edition of DeNovo was listed as Volume 1, Issue 1, and its only content was the Bigfoot research. There are several organizations dedicated to the research and investigation of Bigfoot sightings in the United States. The oldest and largest is the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO). The BFRO also provides a free database to individuals and other organizations. Their website includes reports from across North America that have been investigated by researchers to determine credibility. Bigfoot has had a demonstrable impact as a popular culture phenomenon. 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ISBN 9781892264152. |Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bigfoot.| |Wikinews has related news: Reported Bigfoot sighting in Clarence, New York a hoax| - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization - Bigfoot at 50 Evaluating a Half-Century of Bigfoot Evidence - Online article about Gigantopithecus that also includes relationship theory with Bigfoot and other similar cryptids, prehistoric-wildlife.com

I received the following from a reader in reference to photographic evidence he gathered in Tombstone, Arizona: Hi Lon, have enjoyed your site since your appearance on Coast to Coast AM. Enclosed is a picture I took at the Bird Cage Saloon in Tombstone Az. back in 2007. Known as the most haunted spot in Arizona we made several trips there because at the time we were living in Tucson about an hour or so away and were fascinated with the apparent hauntings in the town. The picture was taken with an old Casio 3.1 digital camera. It was a Wednesday and it was very slow in Tombstone and the Birdcage was void of tourist. The Hearse which has transported hundreds of people to Boothill resides in the upper portion of the Birdcage and to the rear. As we walked the building I began taking numerous random shots (about 70) total. When we entered the room where the Hearse was I took approx 10 random shots. Myself and my wife were the only ones in the room at the time. Upon download to the computer I saw what at first I thought was a reflection of myself on the glass of the Hearse. Turns out this was not me. Of the 26 murders inside the Saloon, one was shot through the eye. If you put this picture in a program and zoom on the left eye, it appears it is not there. Zooming on the right eye you can make out the fact that his eyes were blue and you can also see his pupil. Probably the strangest thing concerning this photo is his face, if you look at the right side of the face you will notice that it is behind the vertical pipes rather than in front, those vertical bars are behind the hearse! I cant help but feel that this character is "dead", and I also believe he intended to be photographed in this picture-just a feeling I have. Having looked at the pictures sent to you by the pilot in Michigan who downloaded the pictures of the apparent UFO photographed (but not seen at the time) I can tell you my theory on the subject. The digital cameras can "see" to some extent into the infra-red spectrum. I have photographed hundreds of similiar objects in the skies when I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. I would simply point and shoot with a digital camera in the sky. Having taken maybe 20-30 shots I would then download the photos-then I would repeat the process. Invariably I would come up with one or two UFO's, which of course at the time was not seen by my physical eyes. The skies around the Bay are very very busy with this sort of phoenomena. Some areas (such as the one I am in now) is void of these anomalies. So it does depend on where you are. It led me to a couple of conclusions. First of all UFO's, or should I say most of the UFO's are in a way cloaked, they are beyond our ability to see them and operate outside our visual spectrum. The digital camera, since it does see into the infra-red spectrum has the capability of photographing them. I have many many (since lost in broken computer) objects appearing similiar to the recently posted photos. I have taken pics of bell shaped, cigar shaped, classic saucer, and numerous ships flying in formations. The same theory applies to Ghost, spirits, or whatever you want to call the phenomena. The digital camera, with infra-red abilities allows at times, for their appearance. As you and your audience is well aware, our vision is very very limited in what we can see and what we cannot see. I sent the pic to a well known paranormal group called HAPIA up in Canada. I spoke by email to the lead investigator who stated that she and her team spent a good portion the night analyzing the photo, below are their comments. Dan in Roseville, Ca. Comments from HAPIA: "I noticed the eye. But the strange thing about the negative is that part of it shows flesh too. And even though there is a 'collar' of the shirt, there is no shirt - you can see the panelling through. I stayed up until 3am playing with the photo - and I can at least confirm you didn't send in a hoax, but trying to confirm exactly what you caught is stumping me. If it was a reflection of someone, you would see the shirt as well, and when pictures are sent to me that are hoaxes, usually our program will pick it up from enhancing and the making the photo a negative, which wasn't the case with yours. There are no definite outlines, and its too perfect. Well if you look at the negative image I sent back to you - the rim of the shirt is where it should be - but no shirt - so anyone who would sayits a reflection is not looking at it correctly. The distorted eye is interesting, but what interests me is the way the face is in the picture. It looks like most of it is right on or behind the foremost glass, but then another part behind the pipe. Thats what is making it a bit confusing. I cannot believe the detailing in the lips, the nose and the one visible eye. I have never seen a picture that is flesh toned as well." Below: Negative Image of the man. There is one notable fact about Tombstone, AZ, every locale or attraction seems to be haunted...even hotels - Historic Spirits Supposedly Haunt Tombstone, Arizona Motel. Paranormal activity around the famous town isn't confined to ghosts and spirits. The photo (below) of the giant bird-like cryptid circulated the country in 1890. The creature was linked to the area around Tombstone, Arizona. A photograph was presumably taken in the early 1890s of several cowboys and ranchers holding up what appears to be a pterodactyl. The beast was apparently seen flying in the area, and was lured by some ranchers into a trap in the Huachuca Mountains, west of Tombstone, where they killed the creature. Some stories link the monster of Elizabeth Lake to the monster in the old picture of the pterodactyl, stating that they are the same creature. The picture apparently appeared in the Tombstone Epitaph though the original photograph disappeared. I've added a few other strange occurances in the Tombstone area: MUFON CMS - Tombstone, AZ - 10/17/2010 - unedited: My wife and I were down from Oregon for my sisters wedding in Tuscon Arizona on Saturday the 16th of October 2010. Sunday the 17th we drove out to Tombstone where they just by chance for us were having Helldorado days which was a lot of fun. As we were leaving Tombstone we stopped at Boot Hill cemetery just at the north end of town. After walking through the cemetery my wife and I were about to get into the car. I looked out over the road (HWY 80) toward the west to take in the scenery out over the desert. That's when I noticed something just hanging there maybe a mile or 1.5 miles high and about 3 miles total distance. It hovered and did not appear to move. It was a little difficult to see with the Sun facing me at about 2 o'clock with the object to the left at 9 or 10 o'clock. At first I considered it could be a hot air balloon but I quickly ruled that out. I thought the sun could be reflecting off of something but that would mean there had to be something there to reflect off of. With the naked eye I could see the dark area on the left and the bright white vertical boomerang shape on the right. I grabbed my camera and took about four pictures, the one I posted is the best image. These images were able to provide much more detail than I could see otherwise. My wife also could see the object as well. With no nearby roads leading out to the object and not knowing what it was we decided to leave after watching it for about ten minutes. During that time it did not appear to move, if anything it got a little closer. MUFON CMS - Tombstone, Arizona - 10/26/2010 - unedited: My husband and I were on vacation visiting Tombstone, Arizona. We were staying at a hotel on the north side of town. Late that afternoon, from 8:00 P. M. Central Standard Time (? Arizonia time) we were sitting behind the hotel facing west toward a mountain. He pointed out to me an object in the sky over the mountain. The mountain was probably two to three miles away and the object several hundred feet above the mountain. At first he thought it was possibly a blimp. I made three photographs. We continued to watch it until sunset. It appeared to be black and continued to hover in the exact same location. He is definitely a UFO skeptic; however he did said that he knew of no plane, helicopter, or blimp that could hover like that. He is a former army paratrooper. The next morning he went outside before I did and spotted it again. I went with him to look. It was in the same spot twelve to fifteen hours later. This time to me it appeared white. He thought it was silver. I made several photos. The sun was bright during the second AM sighting and I could not focus. The photos are not great. I copied and enhanced one. Enlarged it appeared to me to be shaped like a fish. We observed it for a few minutes that morning. As we had many things to do we left the hotel. I did look for it later that morning while visiting Boothill Cemetery and it was not visible. I was anxious when I saw it and continued to be that night and the next day. My husband did not express any anxiety. His interest in looking for it again and the fact that he did not tell me it wasn't anything says he did think it was unusual. The photos are attached. I was reluctant to report it. I have checked this site to see if anyone else did. Someone else reported a similar sighting and I decided to report ours. The photos in which the object appear black were made later afternoon. The one with a white object in the far right corner were made mid morning the next day. NOTE: I've heard and read about a lot of different sightings and encounters in and around Tombstone. In fact, one of the older residents once claimed that he witnessed a T-Rex roaming the desert surrounding the town. Another encounter involved imps and faeries showing up in the Boot Hill Graveyard during certain nights. I'm sure there are many other stories tied to the supernatural that have yet to be told...Lon Around Tombstone: Ghost Towns and Gunfights (Images of America: Arizona) Sleeping With Ghosts!: A Ghost Hunter's Guide To Arizona's Haunted Hotels And Inns Tombstone Light and Dark Desert Honkytonk: The Story of Tombstone's Bird Cage Theatre

Posted by: Loren Coleman on May 26th, 2008 I’ve written before about the mixing of Yeti expeditions and spy missions by Nazis, Tom Slick, Edmund Hillary, and as hidden in other links. If by land, such covert cover missions also happen in the water, as well. The Times of London revealed over the weekend that Bob Ballard has come forth to tell that he was really on a secret mission to find two American nuclear submarines when he told the media he was searching for the Titanic. “Dr. Ballard, an oceanographer, has admitted that he located and inspected the wrecks for the US Navy in top secret missions before he was allowed to search for the Titanic. Only once he had used his new underwater robot craft to map the submarine wreck sites was he able to use it to crisscross the North Atlantic seabed to pinpoint the last resting place of the luxury liner. It meant he had only 12 days to find the Titanic,” reported The Times. I couldn’t tell anybody. There was a lot of pressure on me. It was a secret mission. I felt it was a fair exchange for getting a chance to look for the Titanic. We handed the data to the experts. They never told us what they concluded – our job was to collect the data. I can only talk about it now because it has been declassified. Bob Ballard This instantly reminded me of what occurred in Lake Pend Oreille as mentioned in an article researched over a dozen years ago by science writer Patrick Huyghe. As North Idaho College Prof. James R. McLeod told Huyghe (“Deep Secrets,” The Anomalist 5, 1997), the Navy used reports of a Lake Monster, locally called Paddler, in Lake Pend Oreille for decades, as a cover story. In 1984, McLeod and his college-based cryptozoological research group conducted a much-publicized investigation, “Crypto Quest 84,” concluding that a majority of the sightings could have been of a huge, prehistoric-looking sturgeon — not native to the lake but possibly an occasional visitor. (McLeod kindly donated the expedition’s flag to the International Cryptozoology Museum, several years ago.) McLeod would learn, “Every once in a while we would get someone who also saw a submarine, and the word nuclear kept coming up. That started bothering me.” It bothered McLeod because no nuclear subs are ever supposed to be in an American lake. Idaho anthropologist Duke Snyder said, “I’m inclined to think that a lot of events that occurred on the lake are really the result of Navy activity of one kind or another…. If somebody begins a story about a monster in the lake, then that’s a pretty handy explanation for strange things that go on. Of course, that raises the question [of] what the heck is the Navy doing in the lake.” For years, the Navy denied it has ever used manned submarines or minisubs in the lake, but in the 1960s two Navy contractors, Vickers and the International Submarine Engineering (ISE) groups of Canada, did use a minisub, Pisces I, to train personnel in torpedo-recovery in some American lakes. The very deep Lake Pend Oreille appears to have been one of them. McLeod was able to confirm that the Pisces I was at Pend Oreille in 1965. Finally, the truth came out. In Spring 2001, the US Navy, in an article authored by one of their own personnel in Vol. 3, No. 3 of Undersea Warfare (“The Official Magazine of the U.S. Submarine Force”), made it clear that submarine models were being used in the lake. See the Navy’s article, now online at: “Small Subs Provide Big Payoffs For Submarine Stealth.” For more information on the reports of the cryptid Paddler, see the book I coauthored with Patrick Huyghe, The Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep (NY: Tarcher/Penguin, 2003). Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading. 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.

The Cryptozoology LITE app for Android provides detailed info on each cryptid known to date. *NOTE: Many more "Creatures and Features" can be found in the PRO version, plus regular updates: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shadowinkdesigns.cryptozoology - Quick Search! - 17 Creatures as of 9/-6/14 (more with updates) - Detailed Bio/Info for each creature - Play each creature with Text to Speech - Compass! (basic) - Wallpapers for Phone & Tablet - Social network sharing - Search creatures by Type and Map - and so much more with every update! • 2 New creatures (Ahool, Altamahaha) • Bigger creature images/buttons • Menu background added

Tomorrow starts the XVIII International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria Conference here in Rio de Janeiro. I read Peter Hotez will be participating in a round-table session on “What is the future role of academic journals in the research, control and prevention of tropical diseases?”.I myself will be presenting partial results of my graduate project on the zoonotic potential of Giardia duodenalis in the past. Dr. Racaniello recently participated in the Brazilian Virology Society meeting congress in São Paulo, but what about Dr. Despommier? It would have been awesome meeting you both here! But well, too many congresses, too little time, right? (and money, for that matter!) All the best I have a pick of the week: Windowfarms, it's a non-profit vertical gardening project: How to make your own vertical window garden. If you want a full description listen to Britta Rileys TED-talk, I can't do it justice. I don't know if this is a fitting pick, as it's more a Dickson pick, than a parasitology pick. But I think it is amazing, I'm definitely doing this:) Keep up the good work Dear Vincent and Dickson. I would like to point out that the "Female Owners of Cats More Prone to Suicide" article mentioned in TWiP 43 is rather misleading. The study mentioned made no mention of cat ownership and men were not included in the study as it was only mothers who were included in the cohort. Most human infections are from contaminated meat, not from handling infected cats. If a cat is infected with Toxoplasma gondii the oocysts are only shed for a short period of time, typically less than 14 days, before the cat's immune system stops oocyst production. The cat should then be immune to further infection. Dr Postolache has noted limitations to the study, such as the inability to determine the cause of the suicidal behaviour. "T. gondii infection is likely not a random event and it is conceivable that the results could be alternatively explained by people with psychiatric disturbances having a higher risk of becoming T. gondii infected prior to contact with the health system.” Could the high rate of infection reported in France be due to the popularity there of rare meat? Further information on Cats and toxoplasmosis: Dear Vincent and Dickson. Thank you for a fascinating and informative TWiP, I thoroughly enjoyed the linking of parasitism and ecology. Following your request for listeners to find more information on the life cycle of nematomorphs I did some reading and found that many nematomorph species use a "paratenic" or transport host in which the larva forms cysts and do not develop further until the paratenic host is eaten by a scavenger or predator.(1) Crickets are generally omnivorous but some species are carnivorous. A wide range of species can be used as paratenic hosts including flatworms, snails ans some nematomorph species make the transition from water to land by forming cysts in aquatic insect larvae, with the cysts surviving the host's metamorphosis to an flying adult which can then convey them to land. Adult nematomorphs are short lived and do not feed, they die after mating. One species of nematomorph has been discovered from Kenya that is parthenogenic and lacks males(2) Some sites I looked at mentioned the morphological similarity of the larval nematomorphs to some adult marine worms(3) continuing: I came across a bit more information on how nematomorph worms influence insect behaviour. David Biron, Frédéric Thomas and colleagues at the Laboratory of Genetics and Evolution of Infectious Diseases at Frances National Scientific Research Center in Montpellier., France, have found the worms produce proteins that mimic some found in the insects nervous system. Somehow these prompt the insect to jump into water, allowing the adult worm to swim away. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/09/0901_050901_wormparasite.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76BnVsaLiR0 Dear Vincent and Dickson, I really enjoyed your episode on the horsehair worm and food web ecology. In case if you haven't already found it, here is a review on the biology of nematomorphs which you might find useful: Hanelt, B., Thomas, F., and Schmidt-Rhaesa, A. (2005) Biology of the Phylum Nematomorpha. Advances in Parasitology, 59: 243–305 Also, I was pleasantly surprised to hear you talk about the New Zealand cockle-trematode system. Those papers you mentioned originated from the lab where I did my PhD - in fact, my PhD thesis (and a small part of my postdoc work) consisted of research which followed up on some of the questions which were raised by those initial studies you cited, delving deeper into the ecology of that host-parasite system. Here are a small selection of publications which pertain specifically to the cockle-trematode system. Leung, T.L.F. and Poulin, R. (2007) Interactions between parasites of the cockle Austrovenus stutchburyi: Hitch-hikers, resident-cleaners, and habitat-facilitators. Parasitology, 134: 247-255. Leung, T.L.F. and Poulin, R. (2007) Recruitment rate of gymnophallid metacercariae in the New Zealand cockle Austrovenus stutchburyi: an experimental test of the hitch-hiking hypothesis. Parasitology Research, 101: 281-287. Leung, T.L.F., Poulin, R. and Keeney, D.B. (2009) Accumulation of diverse parasite genotypes within the bivalve second intermediate host in the digenean Gymnophallus sp. International Journal for Parasitology, 39: 327-331. Leung, T.L.F., Keeney, D.B. and Poulin, R. (2010) Genetics, intensity-dependence, and host manipulation in the trematode Curtuteria australis: following the strategies of others? Oikos, 119:393-400. Leung, T.L.F. and Poulin, R. (2010) Infection success of different trematode genotypes in two alternative intermediate hosts: evidence for intraspecific specialisation? Parasitology, 137:321-328. Leung, T.L.F. and Poulin, R. (2011) Intra-host competition between co-infecting digeneans within a bivalve second intermediate host: dominance by priority-effect or taking advantage of others? International Journal for Parasitology, 41: 449-454. Vincent was wondering how the cockles become infected with the trematodes - I can answer that as I conducted (and came up with the protocols for) experimental infections of those cockles, and spent many, many hours observing and documenting the process. The free-living cercariae are initially sucked in through the cockle's inhalant siphon, once inside the cockle's mantle cavity, they immediate cling to the foot and begin penetrating into the muscle. Once within the foot, they then migrate through the muscular tissue for some time (a few hours at most) before encysting at a suitable spot (usually the tip of the foot). During one of my observation periods, I recorded some footage of the cercariae penetrating the foot tissue - the link to which I recall I've sent to you in another e-mails, but to save you the trouble of wading through masses of old e-mails, here it is again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4-m3IsAlAQ P.S. I really appreciate all the effort and time which must go into making all the "This Week In" podcast series and the role they play in educating the public about the unseen and overlooked majority of life on this planet. I am the writer and co-administrator of the Parasite of the Day blog (http://dailyparasite.blogspot.com), where I write about newly published research on parasites that I happen to come across, in a manner that is accessible to the general public. I consider that my small contribution, as a scientist, for public education and promotion about parasites, parasitism, and parasitology. A Conversation with Robert Sapolsky A few years ago, I sat down with a couple of the Toxo docs over in our hospital who do the Toxo testing in the Ob/Gyn clinics. And they hadn't heard about this behavioral story, and I'm going on about how cool and unexpected it is. And suddenly, one of them jumps up, flooded with 40-year-old memories, and says, "I just remembered back when I was a resident, I was doing a surgical transplant rotation. And there was an older surgeon, who said, if you ever get organs from a motorcycle accident death, check the organs for Toxo. I don't know why, but you find a lot of Toxo." And you could see this guy was having a rush of nostalgic memories from back when he was 25 and all because he was being told this weird factoid ... ooh, people who die in motorcycle accidents seem to have high rates of Toxo. Utterly bizarre. What is the bottom line on this? Well, it depends; if you want to overcome some of your inhibitions, Toxo might be a very good thing to have in your system. Not surprisingly, ever since we started studying Toxo in my lab, every lab meeting we sit around speculating about which people in the lab are Toxo-infected, and that might have something to do with one's level of recklessness. Who knows? It's very interesting stuff, though. You want to know something utterly terrifying? Here's something terrifying and not surprising. Folks who know about Toxo and its affect on behavior are in the U.S. military. They're interested in Toxo. They're officially intrigued. And I would think they would be intrigued, studying a parasite that makes mammals perhaps do things that everything in their fiber normally tells them not to because it's dangerous and ridiculous and stupid and don't do it. But suddenly with this parasite on board, the mammal is a little bit more likely you go and do it. Who knows? But they are aware of Toxo. On TWIP 42 you decried the lack of a Microbe World search engine. Well here's a little used Google feature that can help. To find the TWIP episode about toxoplasma simply type this as a Google search: site:microbeworld.org toxoplasma "this week in parasitism" As long as the site allows the Google crawlers the result is usually better than site search features. Unless of course the site search feature is an embedded Google search. Looks like the TWIP you were looking for was #12. Love TWIP, TWIV and TWIM. I have heard them all. Some multiple times. But my favorite has to be TWIP largely because of the happy accident of a world class parasitologist and a world class raconteur being embodied in your co-host. Dickson Despommier is without peer. Dickson's modest erudition and your nagging straight man routine make for a very entertaining show. Please don't think I am belittling the part you play. That you could do what you do so graciously, given all your accomplishments, is rare. Lesser men would let their egos get in the way. That I can also learn something is also much appreciated. Don't change a thing. Thank you, Don Dear Dr. Despommier, I am a student doing post-bac work in premed, and was intrigued by your discussion of a possible study of the contamination of dog run soils by Toxocara Canis. I'm designing a study in the Chicago Land area to gather this data, and was wondering if you could recommend a method of testing for eggs in the soil, i.e. if there is any preferential methods in your opinion. Also, I heard on your podcast that there is some graduate work being done in New York, and was also wondering if they would want to compare data after both our studies are done. Thank you for the great work both you and Dr. Racaniello put out every week, your podcast is an absolute joy to listen to. I love your TWIP and TWIM and am sharing a balance of them with students as time permits. My absolutely only complaint is that ... as an old geezer ... my hearing is not what it once was and for me ... there are often times when a speakers' voice seems to almost disappear ... sort of a mumble for me ... I believe this is because you speak ... and this is natural ... as if you are speaking to someone sitting close to you. I believe it would help if you each spoke as if you were speaking to an audience ... maybe with a microphone and never allowing your mouth to point away from the audience ... aiming the sound down instead of forward ... without losing the cordial atmosphere. Trivia, I know and I doubt anyone else has described similar issues. Keep up the great work. It is great to have a chance to learn from your discussions. I know you spend a lot of time preparing these and I am truly grateful. Enunciate is the word that has been escaping me but I believe that is the core of my problem. Firstly I'd like to say I am a huge fan of your shows- TWIP, TWIV and TWIM. I am a student in Perth, Australia and am in the final year of my zoology major, and first year of my microbiology major. I am extremely interested in getting some experience in a lab to do with viruses, parasites and microbiology, so I was wondering if there was any help or advise at all you could give me? Good morning Drs. Racaniello and Despommier; My name is Amanda and I just love your TWIP podcast. This article caught my eye and I thought it would be of interest to both of you considering that it seems to be about a virus parasitizing another virus! Also, a recent study on DNA methylation in Trich: http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/32932/title/Genomic-Methylation-Collector/ Keep up the good work! Can't wait to hear another podcast…you guys keep my brain active when doing routine lab tasks! Research Technician at Massachusettes General Hospital FYI for Dick just to show where the subject is appearing, with comments. Jim Smithfield, VA via Slashdot by samzenpus on 11/5/12 kkleiner writes "Short on arable land? One solution would be to plan up. Singapore, a small country that imports most of its food, has now begun selling vegetables from its first vertical farm. And even while they're more expensive the vegetables are already selling faster than they can be grown. If the farms prove sustainable – both technologically and economically – they could provide a much desired supplement to Singapore's locally grown food and serve as a model for farming in other land-challenged areas." Dear Professors Vincent Racaniello and Dick Despommier, I am a long retired biochemist who spent his career in Public Health. The two things that I miss the most are access to journals, and the round table discussions that I held in my office every morning. I accomplished this by providing free coffee, and often Danish. Soon my office was bursting with those wishing to talk about what they were doing, where they were having problems, and what they were going to do about them. These were not meetings in the normal sense, but rather verbal free-for-alls where many problems were resolved, many friends made, and aptitudes which were dormant came alive. While I often worked with the biochemistry of microbes, I never had occasion to do any work with parasites other than see an interesting slide or specimen that someone wanted to display to everyone in sight. When I started listening to TWIP, I first I thought it was the filling of an enormous cavern of personal ignorance that drew me towards your show. But then I realized it was the Socratic method that formed the backbone of your lectures. With Professor Racaniello so often playing the foil, and the general banter it was almost like being back at my favorite time of the day at work. As I now live in a rural area and can no longer have such conversations with my old colleagues, this has truly gladdened my heart and filled in a missing part of my life that goes far beyond the knowledge provided. While I realize that this is not your primary intent, it is a delightfuly serendipitous collateral benefit. I would like to urge you to ignore those curmudgeons and martinets who demand a formal, structured and pedantic presentation. You are at your best when you allow your personalities to show through. This is particularly significant to me as I had been in an undergraduate honors program that had about 40 profs and a dozen students. We were completely self directed, and met either one on one, or in small groups with the profs. We got to know them as people, and as a result leared more and did more than we ever would have under more normal circumstances. It was unfortunate that this outstanding experiment was far too expensive to be broadened to the rest of the students. Before I wear out your patience, I would like to note that I listen to many such podcasts, but that yours is the only one that does not request financial assistance (which I usually provide.) You program is most worthy of some mechanism of recognition. So I thought perhaps a donation in your names and TWIP to be a possible method of recognition of your outstanding work. Would you please advise me as to your favorite charity or research facility in parasitology that you would prefer the donation to be made. Truly gratefully yours, Michael Robert writes: Sirs, In September 1903 the British satirical magazine Punch published an insomniac's ode to the students of tropical disease: Men of science, you that dare Beard the microbe in his lair Tracking through the jungly thickness Afric's germ of Sleeping Sickness Hear , oh hear my parting plea Send a microbe home to me. Sometimes it is better not to get what you ask. Thank you so much for the parasitology podcast. I am encouraging my children and nephews who will probably pursue health related careers to listen to it, first because it is such an interesting “fly through” of the related science, and secondly because I find you two so interesting. However, my family eats a whole lot of sushi, and I haven’t been able to find the sushi episode on iTunes. Did that end up getting made? P.S. I had been imagining myself to be a sort of forager, and would eat the semi-fermented pears that fell from my tree after cutting away the portions containing ants and worms and washing them a bit, but after watching some YouTube videos about roundworm infections, I got a little bit afraid, since I don’t know but that the pears had fallen onto soil or leaves that had traces of dog, opossum, squirrel, rabbit, raccoon, or bird feces. However, a professor friend of mine told me that our immune system kills roundworms for us, and it’s only children who are at risk. PPS. Since I also occasionally dip into alternative health websites, I wonder if you have ever podcasted related to the “clean hypothesis” of allergies and the alleged cures of asthma and other allergies from exposure to roundworms (in controlled situations) and hookworms in uncontrolled situations. I think a lot of people are interested in auto-immune disorders lately, and those of us who live somewhat dirty and untidy lives wonder if somehow environmental stimuli are keeping us robustly healthy. Hello Dixon and Vincent! Your research and real life experience is slowly getting summarized by researchers so that it can be understood by reporters (aka those who have a disproportionately loud voice in society): The article is attempting to tie lack of MPV (microbes, parasites, viruses) to inflammatory diseases, which might be a stretch. I don't know if there is a dearth or an abundance of research for either side of this proposed relationship. But it's promising on the surface and hopefully the political forces at work destroying science in our country won't do the same for this research. An excerpt from the concluding paragraphs: "Since time immemorial, a very specific community of organisms - microbes, parasites, some viruses - has aggregated to form the human superorganism. Mounds of evidence suggest that our immune system anticipates these inputs and that, when they go missing, the organism comes unhinged." Have a fantastic week fellas! Hello Parasite hosts! I have written twip before to express my appreciation for the show. I still appreciate it very much and it still helps me get through my days auditing. I ran across this article on reddit.com/r/science, http://lifestyle.iafrica.com/wellness/813618.html , which makes this discovery sound like a guaranteed cure for all forms of Malaria with just one oral dose. Thinking that was a rather large claim I did some digging and found the original story, http://www.science.uct.ac.za/news/?id=8220&t=dn , this article is a little more reserved, though not much, with its language. I am interested in what both of you think of this? Is this the wonder drug they make it seem like? South African researcher find single dose cure for malaria: http://www.treehugger.com/health/south-african-researchers-find-single-dose-cure-for-malaria.html Dear parasitology lovers, Just came across your blog through recommendation of a colleague and heard your conversation on the worm in the eye. The name seems to be the local meaning of "worm" as quoted on page 643 in the book "A HISTORY OF HUMANHELMINTHOLOGY by DAVID I. GROVE (link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/57580301/Book) from the publication #49: GUYOT. Ophthalmie produite par des vers dans les yeux à la côte d'Angole. Abstracted in J N Arrachart's Mémoires, Dissertations et Observations de Chirurgie, Paris, pp228-233, 1805. (Originally presented to the Academy of Surgery in Paris in 1778). And if I understand correctly you claimed that Cobbold was a German. Although being a German myself Cobbold was British, a son of a Suffolk clergyman (Principles and Practice of Clinical Parasitology, Gillespie /Pearson, 2001, page 3. Dear Vincent and Dickson, I am a veterinarian with a PhD in virology, and I am in my second year of anatomic pathology residency at the New England Primate Research Center. I just recently discovered the TWiM, TWiV and TWiP series of podcasts and they are great! I am training for my first marathon and my long runs were becoming quite tedious with the same old songs on my iPod every day. Now, I download another episode of TWIP every time I head out for a long run and I always have something interesting to listen to. I enjoy TWiM and TWiV, but TWiP is especially great while I am studying for my pathology boards. Although TWiP is based mainly around human diseases, most of these parasites are, of course, also quite relevant to veterinary medicine. Your amusing anecdotes and interesting stories help to cement the life cycles of these fascinating creatures in my head and your entertaining banter makes me feel like I am running with company every time. Thanks for helping the miles fly by and keep up the good work! Topic suggestion -- I noted recently a news article regarding a treatment method for malaria that addressed the parasite's ability to cause an infected red blood cell to lodge in a capillary and thus avoid being filtered by the spleen. I don't recall you discussing this aspect of the infection. I don't know how effective the treatment is, but the fact that the parasite does this is way cool. See for example: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6348780 Software engineer (for a SEM manufacturer) Trematodes are commonly referred to as flukes. This term can be traced back to the Saxon name for flounder, and refers to the flattened, rhomboidal shape of the worms. re men stealing meat from lions Check out this video on YouTube: Dear Vincent and Dickson, Let me start thanking you for encouraging me to carry a healthier life. Since taking the bus to the lab each day meant a 20 mins ride, and your podcasts are usually longer, I decided to start waking up earlier and walk every day instead, that way I can hear the whole episode! I feel somehow infected by a parasite podcast that modifies my behaviour in order to be listened, reaching its objective when I arrive at the lab commenting on the last episode heard. After your discussion on the origins of the term Loa loa, I did some internet research and came up with an article published in 1991 by John D. Ruby and John E. Hall. Since it's really short, I copied it here for you to read: "It has recently been called to our attention that the word 'loa', used for centuries, first by Africans and later by parasitologists, to refer to the 'eye worm', also appears in the terminology of voodoo or Vodun where it refers to a large pantheon of deities that may possess one's soul or being. The word 'loa' may be derived from the Yoruba word 'l'awo' meaning 'mystery', but according to Bourguignon its origin remains uncertain. To the devotees of vodun, the noon hour, when the sun casts no shadow, is a perilous time. A man without a shadow is a man without a soul and therefore vulnerable to possession by such spirits as 'loa'. To ward of these spirits, believers wear amulets and cast spells. African vodun evolved in Benin, formerly Dahomey, and was brought to Haiti with slavery during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Since both adults and microfilariae of the 'eye worm' Loa are diurnal, with maximum activity occurring at noon (when the West African would be most susceptible to spirit possession), and since West African vodun and the 'eye worm' share a common geographic origin, we have reached the tentative conclusion that one is probably the etymological source for the other. Whether the helminthological Loa predated the anthropological one remains a matter of conjecture" Knowing something about the origin of the name and the way the parasite was discovered really helps to remember things better! Looking forward to your next infectious TWIP, Found the following reference for the origin of ‘Loa'. Still don't know what it means... Love the show! Laboratory Technician III Georgia Perimeter College Just to get you started <grin> Drs. Racaniello and Despommier: Did you see this about Toxoplasma gondii? Dear Vincent and Dickson, Here is a news piece very relevant for TWIP: The first congenital case of Chagas disease in the US. With a great video from Dr. Jim McKerrow. Here's the link: Thanks and keep up the great episodes! Spencer MD PhD Dear Doctor's Racaniello and Despommier, Huzzah! I have tracked down Dick's missing book on tropical medicine, or at least another copy of said book. While listening to TWIP #40, my ears perked up when Dick said he had lent a book to a student only to have it never return. A quick Google search found the following book: "Tropical Medicine and Parasitology: Classic Investigations" by Mott and Kean of Columbia University circa 1974, which I believe is the book in question. I managed to find a copy online for a steal (less than $10, including shipping!) and immediately ordered it. In 4-14 business days, I should receive a copy, which I will gladly send along to Dr. Despommier as a token of my gratitude for everything that he has done for me (more than you would think). As a pharmacist working the night shift at a popular chain store, I quickly grew tired of listening to internet radio at night and needed some further stimulation. Your podcast was one of the first that I found and I quickly listened to every episode (multiple times even). This podcast, along with a few other life changing experiences, has inspired me to completely change the direction of my life. I now have solid plans in place to go back to medical school (once my debts are knocked down a bit) with hopes of becoming an infectious disease specialist. My dream is to join Paul Farmer's organization (Partner's in Health) and practice "tropical medicine" while helping those most in need. Thank you both for all that you do and for taking the time to read my email. If you reply with a mailing address for yourselves at Columbia University, I will gladly send along the missing book once it arrives. As always, looking forward to your next TWIP! P.S. Are you missing any books Dr. Racaniello? Your work on Polio is greatly appreciated, as my grandfather suffer's from a mild case of Polio myelitis -- so it is obviously a topic that is near and dear to me. Hello Dr. Racaniello. To introduce myself, my name is Keely, and I'm currently a second-year graduate student at UCLA. I work on parasitic worms under Elissa Hallem, and I TA for the undergraduate parasitology class taught by Patricia Johnson. First off, thanks for all the podcasts. I really enjoy them, and they keep me reading new and interesting papers that are a bit outside of what is usually on my radar. Also, though I was a microbiology major with a strong interest in parasites, my undergraduate institution lacked a full parasitology course, so I learned most of my parasitology from my own reading. I really appreciated the review that TWiP gave me before I started working on parasites for my graduate program. Anyhow, I was listening to an older episode that I missed somehow, and you mentioned at some point having listeners on the show as a guest. If you ever decided to try and do this, I would love to toss my name in the hat. I am 63 years old. I became ill while serving in Vietnam at the age of 20. For 43 years I have been going to one physician after another physician. Army, VA and private physicians have never been able to identify or diagnose my illness correctly, because every treatment or medicine they gave me, oral and topical, never worked. For years I argued that I felt that it was parasitic, but the VA eventually convinced me that I had Agent Orange related illnesses and that my idea of parasites was not only futile, but hypochondriasis (a diagnosis, which they actually gave me). Well, I am still hopelessly suffering. Boils are breaking out all over my body, particularly on my scalp and arms, and I truly feel that I am in late stage severe and chronic Parasitosis, but the VA has me diagnosed with Delusional Parasitosis. Last year in November, I had three very large lesions/boils that grew so large that they burst and left large continuously draining holes (blood and infection) in my arms and scalp. I became interested in the fluid samples and began collecting them in small plastic jars with tight lids. I took these samples to the VA and asked them if they would have them tested/cultured or examined under a microscope to see if anything could be determined or diagnosed. They refused and said that their blood tests for parasites was all that they needed and it had come back negative and there was nothing else that they could or would do. So to date, after years of complaining and arguing, all that they give me in medicines is anything medicines for para After that I decided to buy a USB 200x Microscope that could take photos of what I focused on underneath the lens, which I found on Amazon marked down from $250 to $80, and examine these fluid collections on my own. Doctors Racaniello and Despommier, both of you may be surprised. Thus far (for five months now), I have 200x photographed over 3000 pictures of the fluids draining out of these non-healing, large, deep, open wounds. In January I took nearly 1000 (what I had at the time) of these photos to the VA and they wouldn't even look at them, notwithstanding that they also did not give me the necessary wound either. If what I am looking at in the photos is correct I am acutely infected with millions of nematode microfilariasis worms and flukes. Lastly, is it possible for me to send you a few of these photos (I can send them all on a snailmail CD or post them to Photo Bucket) for you to look at and advise me on whether or not they are in fact one or more of the over 10,000 nematodes that find humans as a desirable host? Thank you. Good day, doctors! I did not hesitate to write this right after hearing an email you responded on TWiP 39. I would like to thank cytotechnologist Rebecca for the comment and Dr. Dickson for additional info on how tricho is vertically transmitted from mothers to female newborns and how it could be lifelong. Not so many years ago, I had a rare opportunity to have a urinalysis result that came out which was trichomoniasis positive. The female patient who was in her early twenties denied that she had no history of sexual contact but knowing very well that tricho is a sexually-transmitted infection, I immediately did not believe her. Nevertheless, I treated her with an antiprotozoal drug. Now that I know how tricho is transmitted, I owe that patient my apology. Dear Dick and Vincent (if I may be so bold) I listened to the podcast on Leishmania this week as I prepped for my Leishmania lecture in Medical Microbiology. I was struck by Dick's comment that we didn't know what the amastigotes ate while in the the phagolysosome. I ran across an annual review in Microbiology article that seems to address the metabolic needs and potential nutrients sources for the amastigotes while in the phagolysosome. Here is the link to the paper: (Metabolic Pathways Required for the Intracellular Survival of Leishmania) I enjoy your podcasts and my students find them an easy way to approach very complex material. Keep up the good work! Firstly i would like ot say that I followed your podcasts whilst i undertook my undergraduate degree and found them useful for revision. I am now starting a PhD at Nottingham University in England this year and would like to thank you for providing such great podcasts. I would like to ask, as mosquitoes carry a number of parasites/viruses that can infect humans, is it possible for one mosquito to infect a person with more than one species of parasite/virus, for example could a person get malaria and leishmania at the same time from the one mosquito? Ok, this sounds rather unpleasant - but may explain a lot about the world :) The Brain: Hidden Epidemic: Tapeworms Living Inside People's Brains Maybe Dickson knows or maybe someone else has mentioned it, but if you wash immediately with soap and cold water poison ivy oil washes off more easily. Wash all your clothes in cold water, too. Most people want to wash with warm water (I've done it and boy did the rash spread) but cool or cold water works best. I hope his has cleared up by the time you get this! Dickson mentioned this 2 vol set on the last TWIP. This link from the World Catalog may have specifics as well as where Vol 1 can be bought, and cheaply too, it appears. Volume 2 is in the World Cat database, but not linked to any library or store -- odd. The key thing is that the title may be "Tropical Medicine and Parasitology." I found a few Vol 1's, but no Vol 2. Might a Vol 2 be sold as a Vol 1? Here is a link that at least shows a Vol 1 & 2 set has at one point been listed on Amazon, so a periodic search may eventually be productive. I like looking at old books and will keep an eye out in this area. Maybe a mention on a TWIP would alert listeners to also watch for the set. Not an expensive item. Ref deer flies: I have used these tred-not patches on my hat for several years and they are quite good. Just ordered another big batch. Sound like something Dickson can use, if he is not doing so already. Only negative aspect is that they are only good for one day. The last of my current batch were purchased last year and worked just fine. Beautiful shows, all! This is actually for TWIP, FYI (BTY: It's not easy to send to TWIP from the Nature app, because it assumes an email address.) Bovine TB disguised by liver fluke Nature News,Published online: 22 May 2012; | doi:10.1038/nature.2012.10685 I have been one of your silent fans for about a year now. And I absolutely LOVE all three of your podcasts. I am a scientist at heart and by training, but a horse trainer for my living. I recall a past podcast about a dressage barn that had an outbreak of toxoplasmosis, and I am trying to search for it, but Toxo is a very popular subject for you guys and the list is long. While I am willing to listen to all episodes again to try to find it, can you give me a hint as to which episode it was and shorten my search? Your show has been an inspiration to me as well as a fun link to my past life as a scientist. Listening to TWIM has prompted me to go on a several days long spree of reading reprints of my grandmother's research. The earliest I can find is 1933 and she is the lead author in The Journal of Bacteriology on carotenoids and Vitamin A in bacteria. She also was interested in nutrition and color inheritance in Serratia and published her research for four decades. I cant help but think that she was the rare woman bacteriologist who led by example for so many women back then. Thanks for keeping me interested and helping me know my grandmother better. Meika (pronounced: mica, like the mineral.) Doctors, I have recently discovered podcasts and the very first thing i searched for was one on parasites. I have been fascinated with parasites since grade school and will be starting my 3rd year of veterinary school in the fall so i was very excited to see a podcast devoted entirely to parasites. granted a bulk of my parasite knowledge is animal based i still very much enjoy TWIP. I started your first episode and have just finished the episode on hookworms. a few things i wanted to bring up, from the perspective of a budding veterinary parasitologist. First: A. caninum is capable of infecting young pups through the bitches milk and i was wondering if any human hookworms have been documented to do the same, at least for animals, hookworms can also be contracted from eating the 3rd larval stage (generally pica) or from eating a variety of other animals that have eaten the 3rd larval stage and act as a transport host, for example, the larva eaten by a mouse, enter a hibernation state until a cat or a dog comes along and eats the mouse. as the tissues are digested away the larva wakes up, receives environmental cues and will proceed to develop to an adult, this is a particularly common way for cats to contract A. tubaeforme given their predatory nature. Has anything similar ever been documented with a human species of hookworm? Second: as to the question of prevalence of hookworms in dogs in America, yes they are definitely endemic. they are a problem across the nation especially shelters, as are whipworms, ascarids, coccidia. Third:in one of the episodes on tapeworms Dick was comparing the pork tapeworm to the beef tapeworm and mentioned that horses and cattle are different from pigs and asked Vince why. Dicks answer was that cattle and horses are both ruminants while a pig is an omnivore, i don't know if this was an accident but horses are not ruminants, they do not have the complex foregut fermentation system of cattle, sheep, goats, deer and other similar animals, horse are hindgut fermenters and do a bulk of their digestion in their colon and cecum (appendix) but both are herbivores. and last, to Vince, you had peppered Dick with questions on what animal species had what nematode parasites, to broaden your list, ascarids are found in horses, pigs, cats, dogs, cattle, raccoons, wild canids and felids and mostly any other mammal. hookworms are just as ubiquitous in the animal kingdom. that's all for now but i am sure i'll write again, keep up the great work gents. I understand that this is a long email and will not be offended if you don't read it on the air but i would greatly appreciate answers to my questions if possible Doctors, again i write to you because a few things had slipped my mind while writing my last email. Dick, when you were describing the live cycle of ascaris, you said there was an operculum on ascarid eggs. I have seen many ascarid eggs of several species and have never seen an operculum, did you miss speak or have i just not been looking carefully enough? or is it specific to A. lumbricoides? it has always been my understanding that the operculum is rather rare in nematode species save members of the orders Oxyurida and Enoplida. speaking of Enoplida, one of the many parasites we discussed in parasitology course that is part of our curiculum was Dioctophyma renale, the giant red kidney worm, a particularly cool video of a dog in canada that was unfortunate enough to contract a few of these has been posted on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ob6S_EqR1c Has there ever been a case in people that you know of? Lastly, I just listened to the Strongyloides podcast, do pigs, like people often pass the larva in their stool but in the veterinary world they are the exception, most of the time in other domestic species the eggs are what are passed does this ever happen with people? have you ever seen a Strogyloides egg? This particular parasite can be debilitating and even fatal to piglets but with the modern management techniques in the American swine industry the problem has ceased almost entirely. thanks again for humoring me gents, Hello again professors. Sorry to keep bugging you but I thought you might be interested in a website I happened upon the other day. It's a crowd sourced pseudo-video game designed by UCLA students in which the players have to identify RBCs that are infected with malaria. Here's a bit of text from the site and the link. Analysis and related diagnosis of medical images, regardless of the source and imaging modality, are tasks that require a great deal of expertise, demanding significant training of medical practitioners prior to being able to accurately interpret and diagnose such images. This is particularly true in analysis of microscopic data, creating challenges in resource-limited settings and developing countries, where properly trained health-care professionals are difficult to find. We have shown that by utilizing the innate visual recognition and learning capabilities of human crowds it is possible to conduct reliable microscopic analysis of biomedical samples and make diagnostics decisions based on crowd-sourcing of microscopic data through intelligently designed and entertaining games that are interfaced with artificial learning and processing back-ends. We demonstrated that in the case of binary diagnostics decisions (e.g., infected vs. uninfected), using crowd-sourced games it is possible to approach the accuracy of medical experts in making such diagnoses. Specifically, using non-professional gamers we report diagnosis of malaria infected red-blood-cells with an accuracy that is within 1.25% of the diagnostic decisions made by a trained professional. Wish you both the best and let me apologize again for bombarding your inbox. Hi Vince and Dick, I'm writing hoping that you haven't already been flooded with emails regarding heartworm treatment and resistance, and if you have, maybe I can still be able to contribute something. I'm a dual degree student (DVM/PhD) at Cornell University and am studying the mosquito vector ecology of heartworm. As your listener mentioned, there have been some reports of persistent microfilaremia in dogs on preventive medication. Some of the issue has been shown to be due to lack of owner compliance to administering the drug, but, after controlling for that, there have still been dogs identified with persistent microfilaremia despite preventive treatment (and often after the adults have been killed or removed), which currently is the only standard method to clear the microfilariae. This loss of efficacy is specifically of the microfilariae to clearance, not to melarsomine (Immiticide), which is the adulticide. Ivermectin formulations used as preventive/microfilaricidal, which you eventually got to during the podcast anyway! There have been some studies looking into the effect of doxycycline on clearing the Wolbachia in Dirofilaria immitis to reduce their ability to reproduce and possibly reduce microfilarial and larval fitness for transmission, which I thought you'd find interesting. I'll be sure to chime in on veterinary topics or, more likely, vector biology topics that I know something about. Also, I was surprised to hear that Dick came to speak at Cornell but I had missed it! I'll have to be more attentive next time, Keep up the good work! Dear Parasite Hosts I thought Dickson would be interested in this story from ABC's ( Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Science Show which features an interview with A/Prof Daryl Davies of USC, LA in which he discusses the potential use of ivermectin for the treatment of alcoholism. I found this recent article in Neuropharmacology from the Davies lab which describes the experimental use of ivermectin in a mouse model of alcohol dependence. I quote from the abstract: ".. in the present study we investigated the effects of this agent on several models of alcohol self-administration in male and female C57BL/6 mice. Overall, IVM (1.25-10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) significantly reduced 24-h alcohol consumption and intermittent limited access (4-h) binge drinking, and operant alcohol self-administration (1-h)." The mechanism of action appears to be via antagonism of a purinergic receptor in the brain. In the interview, A/Prof Davies explains that in parasitic organisms, the drug acts by stimulating an excitatory glutamate chloride channel. Keep up the great work guys. I found this in the mail today from my water department and had to forward it to you guys. Looks as though my city's water is clean of any cryptosporidium parasites, but inhabitants of other middle Tennessee areas perhaps are not so lucky! Watching 'Origin of Us' a BBC2 documentary on Human evolution. In Episode 2, 'Guts', the host Dr. Alice Roberts mentions an interesting hypothesis relating to tape-worms. It appears that the lion tape worm and human tape worm are very closely related. A DNA study is used to determine the time of worm speciation. It is assumed that around this time Humans began to steal or eat the same prey as lions. Eventually the worm evolves from Humans as the intermediate, host to becoming the definitive host. Aprox 800k to 1.7 million BCE. She does not cite the work but, being a BBC doco, I have no reason to doubt the work is genuine and published somewhere. Novel idea to use tape worms for plotting meat eating in Humans. Might this help to learn how Cobbold named Loa loa. I don't have access to the journal, and didn't find the full text on line. Pubget.com finds it at the nearest university library, but it's $31. A bit steep just to satisfy curiosity. Dear Dr Racaniello and Despommier, I listened to the fascinating episode Worm in the Eye: TWIP 40 earlier this week. Coincidently, I saw this news story, about a doctor taking out a worm from the eye in Mumbai India today. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-18640495 I thought that it would be interesting to hear Dr Despommier's expert comments about this worm/case. I apologize if this worm has already been discussed and I have just not caught up with that particular episode yet. I am curious if the doctor's statement "The worm could have travelled deeper into the eye or gone to the brain through the optic nerves, which could have been fatal" is true. Being a virologist, I know that Polio and other viruses travel through nerves but can worms too travel through nerves? Dr Despommier is a wonderful story-tellier. I find it amazing how much he can remember. Keep the awesome worm-stories coming along with some very intriguing questions from Dr Racaniello. Postdoctoral Fellow, Chandran Lab Department of Microbiology and Immunology Albert Einstein College of Medicine Dickson mentioned how crazy it is that ticks can live up to 50 years in a dormant state without taking a blood meal, and it immediately reminded me of this: After subjected to conditions within a vacuum and being blasted by an electron beam, the tick keeps ticking. Hi Drs. Racaniello and Despommier, I'm a graduate student in epidemiology and am completing my practicum this summer working as a health inspector in a coastal town. One of the health agents I work with used to be a chef at one of the local restaurants. She described to me (warning this is gross!) how they used to use tweezers to pull out little (~1" worms) from cod and swordfish that would later be cooked in served. My questions for you: do you have any idea what these worms might be? And, is there any chance that ingesting them (or perhaps eggs/larvae, etc.) of these worms would make humans sick? Regardless, still pretty nasty. Keep up the great podcasts! I have a long commute usually and have been twipping and re-twipping. What up Doc's? I'm writing to voice my complete disagreement with the sentiments of Sven Urban, in his letter on TWIP 38, that you as hosts are prone to engage in a ‘degree of banter which is distracting'. I'm sure Dickson does not mind being antagonised, and like caffeine on an adenosine receptor the antagonist in this case is a vital educational aide serving to keep me awake. I will concede the point that Dr. Racaniello is most often the instigator of these disruptions. For negative control please see the first episode of TWiV which Alan and Rich did on their own - this ran disappointingly efficiently, depriving me of company and edu-tainment on the latter half of a long commute to uni. I will end with this observation - If you can't play as a child you can't be imaginative, and the last thing we need is scientists without imagination (I believe these are called accountants btw). You have this listener's permission to be as disruptive as you like. Keep up the good work. Melbourne, Australia (26◦C Partly Cloudy) PS: Consider this my vote against This Week in Old Guys Reading Aloud from Textbooks (TWiOGRAFT). Hi Vince, hi Dick, my name is Liesbeth and I'm doing my Masters in Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro. I started to follow TWIV a couple weeks ago and now I'm absolutely infected with TWIP and trying to catch up with TWIM also. Thank you so much for this great initiative, for the effort and time dedicated... it's really appreciated and highly contagious! Keep up with the amazing podcasts! All the best, Dear TWIP Team 30-40 years ago, completely unaware of giardia, when hiking in the high Sierra we commonly drank from mountain streams without any ill effect. There's much greater awareness since then, but I wonder if the risk of infection has really increased. i.e. if drinking from fast flowing streams at high elevations is as safe now as then. What do you think? Vincent Racaniello and Dick Despommier- you guys are GREAT! I discovered TWiP one month ago and so far I'm addicted, I don't know how many guys in Kenya listen to TWiP, I suspect I'm the only one but I'm quickly spreading the gospel. I have special interest in the Leishmania podcast because I came across so many patients with Kala Azar especially during my internship year in Eldoret- Kenya, last year and I have seen firsthand the kind of clinical havoc the parasite can cause. A few questions; Q.1 Why do patients with Kala Azar have pancytopaenia (most of the time-severe)? Q.2 Apart from the BMA and the Splenic Aspirate, what are the rapid diagnostic methods that are available and how accurate are they? The doctors working for MSF- (doctors without borders) in Pokot (an area near the border of Kenya and Uganda where Visceral Leishmaniasis is endemic) usually base there diagnosis on epidemiology and some rapid testing methods and start treatment- mainly sodium stybogluconate but some patients still die, so over to my next Q.3 How effective is Sodium Stybogluconate in the treatment of Kala Azar? Is Amphotericin B more effective despite its side effects? Observations: In Kenya the most vulnerable age group are kids around the age of 6 years because they play on and around anthills where most sandflies are found. Prof. Despommier and Prof. Racaniello, it would be really great if you give lectures in Kenya- the medical fraternity here will really appreciate it. Dr. Arthur Mumelo - Medical Officer - rural Kenya. I am a new to the podcast. I gotta say I love the repartee. I find it entertaining and it sometimes adds suspense when the answers are put off for a bit. As a disclaimer: I am an avid CarTalk fan. Your names, Vincent and Dickson, even share an alliteration component like Click and Clack. Roxanne, PhD (microbiologist turned forensic DNA analyst, public health hopeful) In the early TWiP episodes Dr. Despommier spoke at length about neurocysticercosis. You mentioned that the neurocysticercoses remain dormant and the patient is asymptomatic (unless they obstruct the foramen magnum) until they begin to die and subsequently cease to suppress immune response. My question is, if cestodes that become neurocysticercoses have no aging genes what causes them to die? Is it because they are encysted and can't gather nutrients from their environment? I had some questions regarding the difficulties in producing successful vaccinations for sleeping sickness. From my understanding, the biggest trouble is that as the immune system produces effective antibodies and the trypanosome populations decline in the host, gene expression for molecules making up the outer VSG coats in progeny switch to quiet genes thus changing the VSG molecules and rendering the host's current antibodies useless. Why can't we vaccinate against all of these antigen variations? If that is impractical, why can't we vaccinate against every 10th antigen, for instance, so that once the trypanosomes turn on one of those genes it is then eliminated by the host's inoculated immune system? I'm also curious as to whether the trypanosomes always begin their life in their host with the same VSG or if it will vary its first expressed gene. If it always starts in the same place and uses a specific order, we could better select which ones to make vaccines for. Since the trypanosomes switch these genes in a specific order, can we catalog this progression in a model and use that as a reference for the host's current and future antigens? If so, we could select the most relevant vaccine that would be effective against the impending wave of new antigens, playing the waiting game for our target gene to be switched on. Sorry for the barrage of questions, this just had me thinking the last few days. It seems to me a vaccine for this should be easy - but obviously I'm wrong! First off I want to thank you both for an excellent and entertaining podcast. I am a regular listener and I enjoy your show immensely! I had a question regarding the "successful systems attract parasites" quote. Dr Despommier mentioned that this quote had won a poll in which readers were asked to vote for the pithiest statement on biological research over a specific time frame (or perhaps that best summarized 100 years of biological research??). As part of an upcoming faculty lecture series, I am preparing a talk on how- at least from an ecological perspective- that statement is perhaps better worded this way: "parasites play key roles in defining and structuring successful systems". Unfortunately I have been unable to find any reference to this poll online, and I was hoping Dr Despommier would be so kind as to remind me of the details (what publication / organization ran the poll, what were the "rules" of the contest). Thanks for your time, and I look forward to more awesome podcasts in the future! Christopher Blanar, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Biology Division of Math, Science, and Technology Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences Nova Southeastern University Re: using sari cloth to filter water to reduce cholera, the agent being filtered is a copepod that carries Vibrio, not the Vibrio itself: "In laboratory experiments employing electron microscopy, we found that inexpensive sari cloth, folded four to eight times, provides a filter of [about] 20 [microns] mesh size, small enough to remove all zooplankton, most phytoplankton, and all V. cholerae attached to plankton and particulates [greater than] 20 [microns]." Links to download a pdf of the PNAS paper: Reduction of cholera in Bangladeshi villages by simple filtration PS, I wrote to TWIV previously regarding hyperparasitoids. I really like the extended format and the fact that your shows feature people who know what they're talking about, or admit that they don't know. Hi Vincent and Dickson, Love all your podcasts. I just wanted to write in to clarify a couple of things that were said on a couple of recent TWiP episodes. On TWiP 37, you were discussing the use of water filtration in the eradication efforts of dracunculiasis and the subject of the work of Rita Colwell came up in which she used sari filtration to filter out Vibrio cholerae from natural water sources. Dickson mentioned that this might be possible due to V. cholerae's long flagellum. In fact, the reason this is possible is because of V. cholerae's affinity for chitin. The majority of the bacteria in nature tend to be attached to small crustacean zooplankton. It is this property that allows enough of the bacteria to be filtered out of the water to significantly reduce the incidence of cholera in areas using this practice. Thus, because of this, I think it would be unlikely that this type of filtration would have a significant effect on removing other enteric bacteria (infectious dose playing a role here too). On TWiP 38, you were discussing Babesia, and Dickson said that the species was bigemina. However, B. bigemina is vectored by Boophilus ticks and is the cause of a cattle disease known as 'Texas cattle fever' or 'red-water fever'. In the United States, Babesia microtiis the species that most commonly infects humans and is vectored by Ixodes scapularis ("deer tick") in the U.S. Northeast and New England regions. Thus, it is B. microti that is the most important species infecting humans and has a deer tick - rodent life cycle. Since it infects red blood cells, it has also been an issue for the blood supply. Just wanted to clarify those two statements not as criticism, but more to get the correct information out there. Keep up the great work with the podcasts. Chris Whitehouse, Ph.D. Microbiologist working for the U.S. Government in the Washington, D.C. Area I've enjoyed listening to your your TWIP podcast. You are a wonderful story teller and though I have worked in this field a bit as well, I never fail to learn something. I listen in the car on Sticher. My kids think I'm weird but they like it too. In the episode today (1MAR12) on dracunculosis, you made the natural connection that we come across cyclops both in Malaria and the Guinea Worm programs, but in the podcast you mentioned a couple times that mosquito larvae eat the cyclops and I think you probably meant the converse. We add cyclops to family water jars in Cambodia to eat the mosquito larvae. Anyway keep up the great work. You strike a nice balance of making the field more approachable, while keeping it interesting enough even for the grouches. Allan, DIH, MPH Love the TWIPs! I'm a helminth user (25 hookworm for allergies), so your programs are fascinating! Dr. Racaniello, after listening to TWIP 33 where you were discussing the history of your surname, I thought I'd give your listeners a way to remember your obviously Italian name. It's the rap song, "Black and Yellow"! lol http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ITKR7OZyyOw please do NOT abandon your style ever!! Even if there´s some privacy in there, be it fishing or simply the weather or whatever, it has to be in your podcasts because it makes them authentic! Even more, talking like you with so much commitment and humor increases the amount of learning. You know why! I always tried to be a good teacher (for natural sciences at a german secondary school since more than 20 years) exactly in that way. And scientific researches in recent years have approved that the brain of all ages learns better and more effectively with these attributes. Here you are: And remember, just because informations cause an emotional response, and that means attention is rising: Please keep on with your excellent work, you are pioneers in science and "face-to-face" interaction, greetings from Wiesbaden, Germany Dear Dickson & Vincent, I recently delivered a lecture to nursing students at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Tanzania, on a subject that Dickson is very well versed, Trichinella. I am a medical entomologist & have no knowledge of Trichinella so quickly had to do some reading & piece together a basic lecture. In the process of preparing the lecture I was left with a couple of questions that I hope Dickson can answer. 1- In East Africa the species is Trichinella nelsoni. My understanding is that there have been very few human cases reported (200 ish) and they have all come from eating undercooked warthog or bushpig. In Tanzania pork meat from domestic pigs is commonly eaten (on a sidenote pork is called "kiti moto" in swahili which translates to "hot chair"- possibly because if the muslim population of Tanzania get caught secretly eating pork they will be in big trouble, or the "hot chair"). I was left wondering why T.nelsoni has not made the jump from wild pigs & warthogs into domestic pigs? I was asked this question in class & my explanation was that it could be due to geographic isolation as warthog/wildpigs are mainly found in "bush" and savannah areas where usually only Maasai are found. Maasai keep cattle, sheep, & goats but not pigs. Do you think this is a reasonable explanation? How would you have answered this question? With rapid population growth in Tanzania do you think expanding human settlements could result in T.nelsoni making the jump into domestic pigs & resulting in more human cases? 2- In the excellent book, "Manson's Tropical Diseases" the T. nativa Arctic cycle shows that polar bears can become infected by eating raw walrus and seal meat. How do seals & walrus become infected with Trichinella? Don't they eat fish?? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Hello Vincent & Dickson! I'd like to thank you for the superb podcasts I've had the pleasure of enjoying the past few months. Not having any previous interest in parasitism or virology, I downloaded a few podcasts on a whim and was immediately hooked! Working a night shift by myself in the biology building of a university calls for TWIx podcasts for entertainment. While listening to the TWIP episode on hookworm, I noticed a ton of slides left out in a lab room full of microscopes. What was on them? Parasites galore! I took the liberty of finding slides of hookworm in various stages of life cycles and got to follow along during the podcast and actually see with my own eyes real examples of what you guys were describing under the microscope - it was awesome! I really enjoy being able to learn from TWIP being a non-scientist (although I'm going back to school for physics soon, so I'll be in the scientist club before too long!). I have to look things up to follow along in TWIV, and TWIM is often way over my head, but I try to listen to both anyway, they're always interesting. I've since listened to all the TWIPs and would love to hear new ones added more often. I'm also looking forward to adding Dickson's new book West Nile Story right beside my recently read copy of Parasite Rex. Sorry for the lengthiness of the email! Thanks for mentioning my email and talking about my obscure profession! Cytotechs screen pap smears in addition to fine needle aspirations from just about any body site. A normal day consists mainly of screening pap smears, but I get to look at some lung, thyroid, liver cells, etc. Legally, we have to screen all paps at an appropriately licensed lab with a Medical Director and Technical supervisor. Gone are the days of screening in your underwear at home - well, maybe some folks can still screen in their underwear. My workplace frowns on it. A lot of slides are still hand screened on an regular ol' light microscope, but some are analyzed by a computer first. All slides must be screened by a cytotech or pathologist - the computer just uses an proprietary algorithm to determine the areas of the slide with the highest probability of abnormal cells to guide our screening. We send all slides we diagnose as abnormal to a Pathologist. He or she has the final say. In addition to looking for cancerous or precancerous cells, we also look for non-cancerous infectious agents. HSV and CMV produce some gorgeous cells! Check google images for HSV or CMV cytology. As far as it being kind of boring to just look through the scope all day: you have do enjoy looking through the microscope or you will quickly go insane in this line of work. I personally enjoy the focused attention this work requires - it's like mediation for me. Bonus: I get to listen to awesome podcasts while helping people. Additionally, the microscope rarely back-sasses me, so I don't have to deal with any workplace conflict or stress:) Thanks again for the podcast! My name is Dan and I'm considering becoming an epidemiologist. I discovered your podcast and am slowly working my way through all of the old episodes, which I find extremely fascinating. Forgive me if it's already been mentioned on your show as I am listening to the episodes in chronological order and haven't yet arrived at the most recent one, but I would like to recommend a book called "Parasites: Tales of Humanity's Most Unwelcome Guests" by Rosemary Drisdelle. I recently purchased this novel and it served as a wonderful primer for your show and as fantastic "thought food". If you can recommend any books, journals, or other publications that would be helpful for a budding young student such as myself I'd be very appreciative. I know for certain that with my next paycheck I'll be buying Mr. Despommier's "Parasitic Diseases". Thank you very much for publishing this podcast! I'm very happy that I've discovered it. Thanks for the podcast! I wanted to add a quick note about diagnosing trich: As a cytotechnologist, I diagnose trich on pap smears daily. I imagine this is how a lot of ladies find out they are infected. Greetings Dickson and Vincent, A cool overcast 14°C on the Eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey as I write this. Further to my question on a previous TWiP about whether parasites that used blood feeding vectors made the host more attractive to the vector I found this article on parasitic manipulation in vector-borne diseases and this 2005 study which indicates that malarial parasites do manipulate their mosquito vector's biting behaviour: The results look positive even if the number of test subjects was very small. It was a slow day at work so I had time to spend on the internet. A couple of other interesting items I found: A new genus and species of leech (Tyrannobdella rex) from Perú that feeds from the mucous membranes of animals and when feeding may remain in situ for several days. Blood feeding by proxy - the East African jumping spider Evarcha culicivora feeds on vertebrate blood by preferentially preying on blood-fed Anopheles mosquitoes. Not a parasite, but still interesting. I would also like to suggest a possible guest for TWiP - Dr James Logan of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/logan.james I'm an amateur at this, looking for some help with identification. These are in human blood, drawn at night via pin prick to the finger, magnified about 300x. No additives or stains. Nocturnal periodicity, so not found by any more conventional method. Note the thin, translucent folds on the head shot, and "V" shaped head. I was thinking mansonella, but the egg and nocturnal periodicity are not right for mansonella. M. perstans has a ribbon-y quality at the tail, not mid-body. p.s. Also wondering what the object is at 3:00 on the tail shot. A POTENTIALLY lethal tick infection newly identified in Australia has mysteriously emerged on the NSW south coast. Doctors have revealed the first reported Australian case of human babesiosis, a tick-borne infection that carries a 5 to 10 per cent fatality rate, higher than the death rate from the most common tick bite infections. The victim was a 56-year-old man from the south coast who died, it is thought, partly as a result of babesiosis. In a report published today in the Medical Journal of Australia , doctors say the infection probably contributed to his death from multi-organ failure last April. The report of the first babesiosis case in Australia thought to have been locally acquired had raised ''intriguing questions'' about how the infection is spread in Australia, the lead author of the report, Sanjaya Senanayake, of the Australian National University, said. I was reading news from my childhood home, Louisiana, and saw an article about a surge of heartworm infection due to a warmer and wetter than normal winter (more mosquitoes roughly translates to more heartworm infection). The more concerning statement though: "...even more disturbing is that some dogs, who have been on a heartworm preventative medication, are still coming down with the potentially fatal disease." Can you offer some details and insights into what the vets are seeing? Hi TWiP Team Hello Monsieur Despommier & signore Racaniello, Before all, sorry for my English. And It's now 24°C in southern France. First water restrictions of the year. My research years were oriented toward food safety & ferments selection. A.k.a fight Listeria in food with other bacterias or cheese ecology. During, this previous life, I've found some some pretty amazing cheese ferments. And I'm quite sure the smell & taste of some the resulting raw milk cheeses would have killed mosquitoes & parasites alike. I've recently listen the oldest TWIV & TWIP, with exceptional pleasure. I would like to follow on Mr Despommier comment about the 1981 movie "Quest for fire" (TWIP 10), & his suggestion that parasites exchanges between modern & Neanderthal humans could have been deletarian for Neanderthal. Now, with proof that those populations have reached a certain level of intimacy, at least in the case of the Denisovans. What kind of traces paleoparasitologists could find to conclude that this was indeed hapenning : traces on bones, eggs or cysts in caves soils. Or at the, now available, genetic makers. Ex : drepanocytosis ? There was also wooly mammoth, sabberthoot tigers & bears in the film. Do people get parasites by eating elephants, bears or big cats meat, because it seems that the megafauna was a frequent part of the neandertal diet and vice versa ? I've also heard about tiger, bear or canid meat in today asia, & seen hippopotamus meat in Togo. Other info, I was 7 in 1982, when I & most of my school mates saw the film. No one have been bothered by the most "X-rate" part, but we were freaked by the "eat people alive bits by bits" part. Today the film is frequently seen in school by children between 7 to 10 years old. Best regards, & all my thanks for those amazing efforts. PS : For Mr Despommier La Tour vivante (The Living Tower) Dear Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier I am an avid listener of TWIP since its start, have been following TWIV for at least two years and, surprise, also follow TWIM. My field is Computer Science, but I crave for information in all areas I find interesting. To me, your Podcasts fill the role of giving me very pleasurable conversations on science, and help me better understand fields where nature dictates the validation of the research. In my field we often deal with the construction of artifacts that are validated by their mathematical properties, so the validation process is a bit more detached from nature. What prompted me to write now is that I just listened to the start of TWIP #33 and your discussion of how google scholar indexes more publications and citations, than PubMed I believe, but with a more messy presentation format. You might find it useful to explore a new tool that allows authors to aggregate papers in a specific google scholar author page. After one does that, its easy to sort by publication year, impact etc. Take a look at the following link to see how to set it up: The strong point is that the tool makes it very easy to identify (and separate) your own publications and co-authors. For more common author names its often a mess to separate one's articles from the other homonymous authors. Keep doing the excellent job of promotting interest in your fields and science in general. Universidade do Minho, Just watching a clip on cellular metabolism. The background music was the Vangelis theme from Carl Sagan's Cosmos. A very great sadness came over me. He looked outward whilst you guys look inward, so to speak. I feel sure he would have loved your shows and would eagerly have embraced podcasting. You are doing the inner Cosmos. love the show. You listed csf, blood, lymph, urine, aqueous humor, cochlear fluid, and semen. I'd like to suggest that there are more than 7. Ignoring interstitial fluid and cytosol I'm fairly sure that bile is sterile before it leaves the gall bladder. Synovial fluid within the joints is typically sterile, the falopian tubes/ ovaries are bathed in sterile fluid. Tears are also sterile before they are cried I believe. Drs. Vincent Racaniello and Dickenson Despommier, I'm a Masters student doing research on Soil Microbes, and in my research have come across papers referencing Mollicutes (phytoplasmas, mycoplasmas, ureaplasmas, and spiroplasmas are examples). Are there any parasitic mollicutes that actively infect humans and cause detrimental symptoms? Taking the image challenge on the NEJM site i guessed wrong on a lung sputum sample. Desperately trying to recall lung involvement parasite. Of course not, dummy. Too quick on the mouse. It was a bloody egg in the lung, not a juvenile organism, and I don't think Ascaris does the disgusting stomach to lung thing? Turned out to be paragonimus. -> Paragonimiasis I don't recall that one in twip Ignore last email D'oh! I realize you guys did touch on paragonimus. TWiP 27: Trematodes Must have some in my brain. Anyway, here's the link. Docs R & D, At the end of your A. lumbricoides program you discussed problems related to Toxocara canis & T. cati infection in humans, namely VLM & OLM. Dick said it would be great if someone surveyed dog runs in NYC, or nearby, for Toxocara eggs. Sampling & counting eggs sounded relatively straightforward, piece of cake was mentioned a couple times. Such a survey would be an excellent topic for an enterprising high school student, with some help from a famous parasitologist or virologist, or someone they may know. Give it some thought. I am reading Dick's book pick a while back, "The Fever" by Shah and find it fascinating. As an anthropologist, I am well acquainted with the sickle trait balanced polymorphism, but under-appreciated the impact malaria had on human history. The rapid spread of the parasite in the US hit home after reading how fast it infected areas of New England after the environment was altered by the building of mill ponds. It took only a few returning soldiers from the Civil War to infect whole towns. Incredible. My wife took a parasitology class a few years ago and had to draw many of the specimens you have discussed. She thought Giardia trophozoites were "cute" with their little faces. After going though a Giardia infection, I'll tell you how cute they are. As much as I love TWiP, I am happy with the longer break between episodes so I have time for the many other terrific podcasts like TWiV, TWiM, Science Friday Video (a favorite, if you haven't seen it), NYTs The Minimalist, Science Now, Nature, Archeology Channel, RadioLab, among others. So many podcasts, so little time. And, I have to know how you selected the fun but creepy opening music and great hard-driving riffs at the close of the show. Good stuff. Listening to you right now on Science 360 Radio. You mentioned this post and I had to comment. As a former nurse epidemiologist who worked in County Public Health Practice, I am a strong proponent for vaccination. I worked a number of vaccine preventable disease outbreaks including rubeola (measles) which resulted in individuals becoming needlessly seriously ill. Very much enjoy TWIV and TWIP and TWIM....My mother was also a nurse who worked in public health before most vaccines were available. She saw the tragic cases of diseases which resulted in great morbidity and mortality. I could go on and on about the good vaccines do. Thank you Professor Racaniello. Kudos to you and all who assist in the productions of your wonderful podcasts. Dr. Despommier is a treat. I have so many interesting experiences with all kinds of reportable diseases and conditions including on how I became a nurse instead of a medical illustrator or possibly a physician. I sustained a needle stick pre recombinant HBV vaccine while working my way through college in a teaching hospital. I carry natural immunity to hepatitis B now. Didn't get extra credit in my micro class, however. retired from public health but never tired of pathogens and learning about them... Hello Vincent and Dickson. I just came from my first jury in a monographic work where the student cited TWIP. The monograph title was "Trichinosis: from the parasite to the ecosystem". I was very impressed with the "watermark" left by TWIP on the student, and happy that my friend (her supervisor) suggested her to listen to TWIP. One of my colleagues from the jury commented the text looked like a romance. She appreciated the "stories". :) Thank you both for the really great work you are doing. Ricardo Magalhaes, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Microbiology Faculty of Health Sciences of Fernando Pessoa University In episode 16 on Giardia you discuss Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and his early adventures with a microscope. Here are a couple of interesting resources which discuss him: Firstly an article in the ASM magazine claiming that Leeuwenhoek gets too much credit for his discoveries, some of which should be shared by Robert Hooke of the Royal Society of London. http://forms.asm.org/microbe/index.asp?bid=27982 Secondly, an excellent BBC documentary "The Cell", which begins with Hooke and Leeuwenhoek. http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/cell/ You have also mentioned Paul De Kruif's book "The Microbe Hunters" as one of the few sources for information on the history of germ theory and microbiology. A recently published book (also from the ASM) addresses the same area, most likely with a less idiosyncratic style than the dated De Kruif volume: Germ Theory: Medical Pioneers in Infectious Diseases Robert P. Gaynes Just while writing this email I discovered the ASM book store with a section of the history of science http://estore.asm.org/browse/index.asp?plid=2&categoryid=20. (I have no connection with the ASM!) I am currently re-listening to all of your TWIP podcasts, having listened to them all at least twice when they were first released. They're are just that good! I really love the beginner-level approachability of the first 30 or so episodes. It would be great if you could cover a small number of highly important non-parasitic diseases, such as cholera, in the same style. I'd really like to hear the details of your efforts to convert Dickson's text to electronic format for access over the web. Lessons learned should be useful to anyone with similar thoughts. How is it different from creating such a work from raw materials? I'd prefer it as part of the TWIP's, if that is acceptable. I'm still hear all the TWIM, TWIP and TWIV's, but my podcast listening load is heavy (60/wk) and production of a weekly blog about the best entries is slow for an old-timer. Loved Dickson's link to the stop-action high-speed photos of the liquid drops. Dear Profs Racaniello and Despommier, As a long time listener of TWiP (and for that matter TWiV and TWiM) I feel obliged as well as entitled to express some - mild - criticism that I feel and hope is appropriate. While Your mutual friendship is a much valued aspect of the show, I think it might lead You to a degree of bantering that interferes with the contents. Slightly too often I find Your discussion interrupted by mutual jibes, which make me lose the thread of thought. I would say that generally, though not exclusively, Dr Racaniello is the instigator of these interruptions. I am, of course, not now referring to those abundant, seriously intended and equally seriously phrased questions that Dr Racaniello interjects, but rather about occasional stray comments and jibes that appear in private between very close friends. I think the term "in private" here is crucial, as I doubt that You would express Yourselves like this were the two of You jointly presenting before a class. Today I could, by the way, compare TWiP #37 ("Dracunculiasis") with TWiV #172 ("Two can be as bad as one", with Kathy Spindler) - both in a one-on-one setting - and the difference in tone is remarkable. Naturally I speak here only for myself, of course, but I for one would appreciate if You might henceforth tone down the sparring, keeping in mind that You do actually appear before a large, international audience, not all of whom might appreciate or be able to follow Your bantering. (And just to be precise, "tone down" does not necessarily mean "discard".) This notwithstanding I am very grateful for the set of podcasts You so graciously provide us all with! Sincerely and Respectfully, Yours This from http://thefreedictionary.com: - plural noun 1. Often, Acta. official records, as of acts, deeds, proceedings, transactions, or the like < L, neut. pl. of āctus, ptp. of agere to do; cf. act The TWIP podcasts again emphasize to me the difference between hearing first-hand from someone with experience in contrast to hearing material regurgitated by someone with book-knowledge. It made a world of difference listening to a trauma surgeon or an emergency physician from a trauma center speak in contrast to similar material presented by someone without direct experience. Greetings Dickson and Vincent! I am a new listener and I am thoroughly enjoying working my way through the TWiP and TWiM podcasts. I found your conversation regarding Draculunculiasis very informative. I think it is great that you spent a good portion of time emphasizing the necessity for clean water for overall public health. It is something that we often take for granted here in the U.S. Something caught my attention though. You talked about the use of cheap cloth to filter water in the prevention of Guinea worm and mentioned that it was unfortunate that this wouldn't prevent diarrheal diseases. I attended a session at the ASM general meeting a few years ago to the contrary. While Sari cloth won't prevent viral borne diseases, it does seem to reduce the incidence of Cholera. Here's the link to the study which was published in the first issue of mBio: Assistant Professor of Biology Dear Drs. Twipaniello and Twipommier, On the topic of the Dracunculus life cycle: Is there evidence that a male is required for fertilization? Some nematodes are parthenogenic and "virgin birth" for this worm would be a nice compliment to the biblical story of the cadueceus (sp??). Keep up the good work, I`ve heard that Toxoplasma gondii might be caught by touching a leech. What`s the general consensus on this? Thanks and keep up the great work. Dick Despommier is often talking about the importance of ecology when understanding parasitism. Does he have any suggestions for good introductory texts to the subject for someone of my lowly level? I recently came across this article, which led me to the idea of Oogst. Has Professor Despommier come across this, and how does he view it in relation to the idea of Vertical Farming? Sorry but I wanna share a non-parasite related news story with you guys. Came across this article about how the government in Singapore is deciding to invest in roof-top gardens here, as a measure of controlling the recent cases of flash flooding here. When I read it, i was reminded of Dr Despommier's brain child, the Vertical Farm. I guess this is not exactly a farm but it has a lot in common and displays another way of how incorporating fauna in cities can help solve problems in an urban setting. You guys may choose to read this email on your Vertical Farming Podcast instead of TWIP. That should be coming pretty soon right? *cheeky grin. Love the show Dear Dickson and Vincent, (Not sure if I sent this to the right place on the microbe world website, but as I noticed that you gave this email address at the end of the podcasts I thought I'd try it as well...) Thanks for your wonderful series of podcasts; I have been working my way through all of TWIP and you are currently keeping me sane whilst I data-enter several thousand clinical records from a malaria prevalence survey. I also have TWIV on CDs which I listen to in my car on my commute route to my workplace in Muheza, North East Tanzania. And I'm very excited by TWIM which I will indulge in soon. I am a medical entomologist currently working on insecticide-treated materials against malaria vectors and have a question which I hope you'll discuss on TWIP in relation to malaria but also in a broader context. It is this: do you think we already have enough tools to control (many) infectious diseases and that funding should be channeled into improved application/delivery of those tools and away from the search for novel techniques and 'blue sky' research? For malaria, we already have a diverse arsenal of proven weapons and auxiliary tools including bed nets, indoor residual spraying, intermittent preventative treatment, house screening, rapid diagnostic tests; GPS and mobile phone systems have vastly improved surveillance, we have subsidized and highly effective frontline drugs for treatment, amazing repellents and lures for mosquitoes etc. etc. People like Fred Soper and Malcolm Watson were incredibly successful at reducing malaria 60+ years ago with a much more limited arsenal. You might say that there was much less resistance to insecticides and anti-malarial drugs in those days, but in recent times two brilliant weapons emerged that are still being used, to which there was no resistance, i.e. pyrethroid insecticides and artemisin-based combination therapy (ACTs). What do you think are the major stumbling blocks in infectious disease control? Is the health sector too slow to act on research findings*? Many thanks and keep up the good work. Matt, National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania & London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine p.s. I wrote this before I saw the topic of Twip 35! I hope this question is still relevant (and I'm going to listen to that episode now once I can download it!) p.p.s. I thought you might like to know that my two dogs are named after you! (Vincent and Dickson - jpg) Dr Matthew J Kirby Fieldsite Project Manager PRISM Amani Research Centre National Institute for Medical Research Dear Doctors R&D, I love your podcast! It is wonderful to listen to commuting to work and while I am working as the support technician for the chemistry and microbiology teaching labs at our small state college. My favorite thing about your show is that the format is similar to the "seminar" or "journal club" courses that were my favorite in graduate school (that was back when I too wanted to be a "dr.", before I became a lapsed microscope jockey. Maybe I will go back to grad school....maybe...some day). Basically these 1-2 credit courses consisted of grad students getting together with a professor to pick apart papers in specific disciplines such as microbiology (we went over the "old" "elegant" research that was the foundation of modern microbiology), microbial genetics (we called that one "cloning club), current topics in molecular biology, current topics in elasmobranch biology, and current topics in shellfish aquaculture. My background is in fish and shellfish pathology, specifically the microbial and parasitic (and molecular aspects thereof) diseases of cultured fish and shellfish. Bearing that in mind, while I realize that you focus your podcasts on human/public health issues related to parasitism, might you consider doing an episode about epizootic parasites (or microbes or viruses) that impact humans economically and/or ecologically? Some examples that come to mind are my good friends QPX (quahog parasite unknown) or Perkinsus marinus in the New England shellfishery, "bumper car" disease in Long Island Sound lobsters, or the recent controversy surrounding the ISAV (infectious salmon anemia virus) outbreak in the Pacific Northwest. Then of course there are always parasites that are just fun for their "gross" factor like "salmon poisoning disease". Regardless if your decision regarding the discussion of parasitism of non-human animals I will continue to look forward to your TwiP, TwiV, and TwiM podcasts. P.S. I read "Parasite Rex" as a freshman in college and it is still one of my favorite books! P.P.S. "Monsters Inside Me" sometimes grosses me out, and that is saying a lot for it's accuracy! Dear Drs. Despommier and Racaniello, I am almost caught up listening to TWiP! I look forward to your future efforts and eBooks, etc., however, in TWiP # 32, I thought I heard you mention that there would be a link to Dr. Despommier's lectures. I couldn't wait to go to your website and check them out. Unfortunately, the link was missing. You know what they say about the missing link, don't you? It must be a cryptid! But seriously, hope you will post the link to the lectures at your next opportunity. Please? :-) I am dreading listening to # 33 because there are no more TWiPs available yet. I live in a semi tropical climate in SW Florida so tropical diseases and parasites are especially interesting. The only good thing about being current with your series, is that I can start to catch up on TWiVs and TWiMs. I did find Dr. Racaniello's lectures in Virology on iTunes and am watching this series. I started with the hepatitis Delta virus. It is of special interest to me as are all forms of viral hepatitis. Dr. Despommier, please consider doing a podcast on vertical farming and even throw in some other tidbits of gardening wisdom. I took the user survey as you request. Perhaps the results will help you in your future efforts. The way you two work together on TWiP makes for a delightful experience. Science, medicine and pathogens "float my boat" so it is a great pleasure to have two learned professors so engaged in interesting discussions. I have written before. Hope this isn't too much. Consider that you are talking (via my earbuds) straight into my noggin: I feel like I know you both and it is an honor. Vincent & Dickson, My wife pointed me to TWIP and what a blast. My 23 year old son and I are making our way through the early episodes during our commute to and from work and loving every minute of it. After listening to the tapeworm episodes I will NEVER pet a dog from Wyoming or any other of the sheep states. I'm not sure if you have covered the evolution of parasites, we're only up to episode 9, but that must be as crazy as ever. Surely you have enough material for several years worth of podcasts, but I'd like to hear a bit about how an animal accumulates such a bizarre life history. Dear TWiP team. I was speculating about parasites that modify host behaviour and a possible strategy that may have evolved in those transmitted by blood feeding vectors. To achieve optimum transmission of the parasite uninfected blood feeding insect vectors should find infected hosts more attractive than uninfected ones and once the insect vector had itself become infected its behaviour should change so that it would then preferentially seek uninfected hosts. Has any research been done to determine whether any parasites that employ blood feeding vectors actually do modify host smell and vector preference in this manner? As I was writing I was thinking of arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes and biting flies but it occurred to me that there are other possible blood feeding vectors such as vampire bats and leaches whose behaviour could also be potentially modified in this way. Are there any zoonotic infections that are transmitted by leach vectors? Lastly, I have seen blood feeders described as Hematophagous and Sanguivorous are these synonymous, and if not what is the correct/preferred term? Hello, Vincent & Dick, This month's issue of The Scientist has this interesting article: Can't help wondering, somewhat uneasily, what our own parasites make us do! In your discussion of Wolbachia in filariasis, Vincent suggested tetracycline for therapy. Dickson opined that it was too toxic and expensive . Au contraire, in the QID form it is "dirt cheap" and has been used widely since the mid 50's. Prolonged use does cause mottling of the teeth, and florescence of the bones under Woods light, not a problem for most of us. Wonderful Podcast, and deeply appreciated. Thanks Top O' The Mornin' To Ya! (I'm not Irish - I just like the phrase..) I would like to thank you for putting together such an excellent podcast. I'm currently a Med Tech working in a parasitology laboratory and enjoy my days searching through blood and pooh for those tiny life forms that you describe so well. I was introduced to the world of parasites by a course I took as an undergrad. The course instructor was one Dr. James B. Jensen. Judging from your earlier talks, I trust that this name will sound familiar. As you can imagine, the course taught by such a well known parasitologist was an amazing experience. I have a great passion for parasitology, and I'll see what kind of future I can put together. Thanks again for the great shows. I encourage you to continue, and add my voice to those that are calling for more. It is This WEEK in parasitism, you know! :) Vincent and Dick, Delighted to hear the latest TWIP on the malaria vaccine. You guys mentioned using impregnated bed nets to reduce malaria. The NY Times had an article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/health/27mosquito.html This article described using poisoned bait to reduce the mosquito populations by a bunch like 90%. Would love to hear your thoughts on this. Was also delighted to hear you guys are going to have more TWIP. Am still devoted to TWIP, M, V. Thanks much and 73 Hi, Vincent and Dickson. I'm a PhD student at the University of California Davis and a long-time listener of This Week in Parasitism and This Week in Virology. I have a great appreciation for the fact that you two are successful scientists who take time out of your busy schedules to share your love of parasites and viruses with the general public. In fact, I was so inspired by This Week in Parasitism that I have since begun podcasting about science topics myself! Thanks for the inspiration! I thought you two might be interested in an "experiment" in science crowdfunding called the SciFund Challenge. One exciting aspect of this experiment is that we're exploring a potential new source of funding (i.e., the general public) for small science projects at a time when everyone seems to be complaining about how difficult it is to get grant money. While this aspect of the experiment is certainly exciting, the most exciting part to me is the fact that crowdfunding forces scientists to engage with the public. Not only does the public get a chance to learn about cutting edge research, but they get the opportunity to have a voice in deciding the direction of future research through the money they donate. While I think you might be interested in learning about a program incentivizing scientist engagement with the public, my motives are not entirely altruistic. I have a SciFund project focusing on how trematode parasites manipulate the behavior of their hosts, and I'm wondering if you would be willing to help me get exposure to my RocketHub proposal for this project (URL is here: http://www.rockethub.com/projects/3737-support-zombie-research, or go to RocketHub.com and search "Support Zombie Research"). I study Euhaplorchis californiensis (EUHA), a trematode parasite infecting the brains of California killifish. EUHA manipulates the neurochemistry and behavior of their fish hosts, a fact which I find endlessly fascinating. These parasites have essentially had millions of years to figure out how the fish's brain works, and to figure out how to manipulate brain chemistry to achieve their own goals. I'm working on quantifying the extent to which the parasites modify the behavior of their host, and am trying to figure out the mechanism by which these parasites achieve their extraordinary behavioral manipulation. I believe parasites have a lot to tell us about how brain chemistry influences behavior, and I think of my research as an exercise in coercing EUHA to tell me what it has learned over millions of years about brains and behavior. If you would be willing to tweet about my project or mention it in any other way, I would be endlessly appreciative. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about my study system, as it's pretty much my favorite thing in the world to discuss! Dear Drs. Racaniello and Despommier, I just discovered your wonderful Podcasts! I am a registered nurse who has an unusual background. I worked as a diener at a teaching hospital while working my way through college. My mom was an RN also when there were few vaccines. She graduated in 1935. She would often discuss what she had seen as a public health and Army nurse anesthestist in WWII. She had a library of medical textbooks that I enjoyed reading . I spent part of my career as a nurse epidemiologist (county public health practice) and as an STD clinician, where I got to work with all kinds of infectious diseases and conditions (viral, bacterial and of course parasitic.) I have been interested in infectious diseases and conditions since I was a young child when I got my first microscope. Also I have been lucky enough to live in semi tropical Florida for over 30 years. The University of S. Florida still has a great series of podcasts from their medical school's Division of Infectious Diseases. They also discuss tropical medicine and have a College of Public Health. My first in person experience with a parasite specimen which really "hooked" me on microbiology was that of a tapeworm which was in a huge (tall) container in the foyer of Abbott Labs in Chicago. I was with a group of High School students which had a NSF grant in collaboration with Northwestern University's College of Medicine. I have been fortunate to see a lot of interesting things because I also did some bio-medical illustrations. I am both an artist and a nurse. To make a long winded email shorter...Your podcasts are infectious...I believe there is no cure or treatment other than continuing as a listener to you discuss microbes in your most engaging fashion. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences! Trudy in Naples, Florida Just discovered the podcast. Listening to 2 shows a day ...working my way up.....absolutely love it....love dr. House ..parasite rex....and monsters inside me:) While gathering information about parasites i often see these so called zappers little devices that kill parasites ..what are your thoughts on these.....and the history of using electric devices in killing parasites. Greetings from switzerland Dear Drs. Despommier and Racaniello, I am an auditor. To occupy my mind while I work I started scouring iTunes for science rich content. I saw your show "TWIP" and thought why not? I think the first TWIP I listened to was #33. I was immediately hooked. I went home and subscribed to TWIP, TWIM, and TWIV that night. Currently I am listening to all of the TWIPs in a row before I start the other shows. I love the education, the ick factor is pretty high but this show provides me with an EXCELLENT free education, and helps me confront fears that were boogey men in my mind by giving me real quantifiable behaviors and characteristics of many things I have had uninformed fears about ( i.e. Trichinella, Toxoplasmosis, and tapeworms). I am very saddened that I didn't know who Dr. Despommier was prior to November of this year. In the Spring of 2011 I was writing a business plan for my entrepreneurship class and I advocated that my group do our project on vertical farming. We were unable to find any resource that would provide us with information on how to successfully integrate a vertical farming business into an urban area such as Phoenix AZ, where our fictitious business had to be. We had thought about potentially buying a tall structure like an empty condo tower, or office building and converting it into a farm, or placing farms on roof tops (kind of like they do in Cuba). Sadly we couldn't find any cost to benefit analysis, yield per acre data, or potential profit margins with which to build our fictitious business plan. We ended up using another idea of mine, recycled building material sales. I remain sad that we were unable to write a plan for vertical farming. Thank you for providing me with such a wealth of free information. Thank you for presenting it in such a content rich way, without spoon feeding the listener. Please continue to do these shows. I am indifferent to frequency as long as I can continue to have access to your knowledge and experiences. Dear Dr. Racaniello and Dr. Despommier, I'm in the process of choosing a career (PhD or MD) I would love to follow in your footsteps and become a professor, researching parasites and leading the young minds to new discoveries! However, when talking with my parasitology teacher it seemed like he was discouraging me due to the lack funding and interest in the subject. I wanted to know your opinion, especially Dr. Despommier's. Do you think part of your success in your area of research came from the 'newness' of the subject or is there still an opening for hopeful parasitologists. Thanks for all the work you both put in to the TWI series, I am a huge fan. I am waiting anxiously for the next installment of TWIP.

This is one of the few photos ever taken of the giant armadillo, a five feet long behemoth that lives a nocturnal, solitary life in isolated wetlands of central Brazil. You can probably see why these things are so rare. Twice as big as your average armadillo, the giant species likes to live in the undisturbed forests of central Brazil, remaining in underground burrows for most of the day. Their behavior patterns keep them far away from the gaze of humans, which means that they're one of the least well understood animals on the planet, particularly for something of this size. The photo up top is the result of a camera trap set up recently in South America's Pantanal region, one of the world's biggest areas of pristine wetlands. It took ten weeks and several camera traps built by researchers from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland to get this photo and a handful of others, underscoring the immense difficulty of studying these reclusive creatures. While we know what the giant armadillo looks like, that's practically all we know about them for certain. We don't even know for sure what they eat, although their claws do seem well-suited for digging up termite mounds, presumably to eat what's inside. It also appears that they can't do one of the most famous armadillo tricks - they're too large to roll into a ball to escape predators, which is why they burrow. And... that's pretty much all we know. The giant armadillo is a fascinating reminder that a species doesn't have to be a cryptid for it to be a zoological mystery. Via BBC News.

Posted by: Loren Coleman on September 9th, 2011 Phantom panthers or mystery cats are part of the felid cryptozoology of the world. Now comes news of mysterious unidentified cats being seen in Afghanistan by American troops, animals that are NOT snow leopards or any other known felids for the region of the country where the cryptid cats are being sighted. The U.S. soldiers are calling them the “Kandahar Cougars.” Eyewitnesses are saying the cats have the color of a cougar, but there are additional details that make them sound a bit non-cougar-like too. This breaking news, cryptozoologically, is from the battle fields of Afghanistan, brought to us by an internationally-respected combat journalist. Correspondent Michael Yon writes: 06 September 2011 Kandahar Province, Afghanistan Task Force Spartan There is much talk about “jaguars” or “cougars” among the troops here. At least a dozen American Soldiers claim they have seen gigantic cats in these flatlands. “Gigantic” being defined as roughly the size of a German Shepherd. During a mission, I asked about these mysterious big cats. Several US Soldiers insisted—completely insisted—they were eyewitnesses. The Afghan soldiers chuckled, saying their American counterparts were hallucinating. The Americans remained adamant. The inevitable follow-up questions came. “How do you know what a cougar even looks like? Have you ever seen one before?” An Afghan commander said to a particularly persistent American, “You saw a sheep.” “No, it was a big cat!” replied the American. “You maybe saw a donkey,” conceded the Afghan. We know there are big cats in Afghanistan. This is widely accepted as fact, yet big cats are not reported living in the Zhari District of Kandahar Province. We know there are polar bears in the United States. But if you find yourself stumbling out of the Florida Everglades, ripping moss from your hair while mumbling that you saw a polar bear, locals might ask you to sit under a shade tree and enjoy an iced tea and a nap. A polar bear in Florida is as likely as an alligator in Alaska. Snow Leopards have been photographed this year in Afghanistan, but the climate and geography in the Wakhan Corridor is extremely dissimilar, and far less populated than Zhari. We are in hot, dry country, just a short drive from the Dasht-i-Margo or “The Desert of Death.” I visited this desert in the spring of 2006 and dozens of times since. The Afghan Soldiers refute any suggestion that there are big cats here in Kandahar. “No way,” they say, “impossible.” American Soldiers insist they have seen them by naked eye, by weapon optics, and by thermal optics that can zoom with amazing clarity. I look through these kinds of optics almost every day, and to be sure, they are so precise it’s hard to conceive anyone mistaking a sheep or donkey for a big cat. But even when Soldiers agree another Soldier may have seen a big cat, the discussion turns to, “How long did you see it? A second? Ten seconds? A minute?” Sometimes they see it for minutes at a time. Two Soldiers in separate locations claimed they saw large cats jump over high walls. One Soldier told me he saw two cats at the same time. Troops in different outfits who are miles apart are reporting seeing these cats from around Panjwai and Zhari. Sergeant TJ Vowell (above), from McKinney, Texas, had spotted one. LTC Katona, commander of 4-4 Cav was visiting the small base called Pashmal South where TJ and his unit are stationed. They seem to get attacked every day and are dishing out the same. While LTC Katona studied a map with Captain Danny Sjursen, B-troop commander, I was asking TJ about the cats. TJ reported that sees them “plain as day” almost every morning at the same time and place. (Finally a “bingo” moment.) But then LTC Katona took a break from the map to say that TJ had recently been shot. Actually, the Commander was trying to brag about TJ, which is something you commonly see with American and British commanders. They spotlight good fighters as if they were cherished sons. LTC Katona was flagrantly bragging about TJ getting shot and returning to the fight. (Look at my son the warrior!) Well, when you run with the big dogs in combat, you meet a lot of warriors who’ve been shot, but you don’t meet a lot of warriors who see big cats here. I wanted to ask more about the cats, but to be polite I first asked about how TJ got shot. And besides, there’s never a boring way to get shot. [T.J. tells the story of the shooting.] So, with the gunshot story over, I asked TJ what color is the cat he’s been seeing. He sees the cat almost every morning, and it’s brown and has spots or stripes. He said it stays about 300 or 400 meters away, and sometimes hangs out for up to twenty minutes. I asked if he’d stake it out with me if I came back, because with my camera gear we can practically get its eye color from 400 meters. He said sure, come back and we’ll stake it out. It might not be long until we settle the question of the Kandahar Cougar.Michael Yon About the author of this reportage: Michael Yon Michael Yon is a former Green Beret, native of Winter Haven, Florida, who has been reporting from Iraq and Afghanistan since December 2004. No other reporter has spent as much time with combat troops in these two wars. Michael’s dispatches from the frontlines have earned him the reputation as the premier independent combat journalist of his generation. His work has been featured on “Good Morning America,” The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, ABC, FOX, as well as hundreds of other major media outlets all around the world. Yon has written a critically acclaimed memoir, Danger Close. In 2008 Michael published his second book, Moment of Truth in Iraq, which is packed with heart-rending tales from the battlefields. He is the author of other books of his reports from Iraq and Afghanistan. Thanks for the newstip from Rob Carignan. Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading. 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.

||This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2009)| |Jacques F. Vallée| Jacques Vallée (right) with J. Allen Hynek September 24, 1939 | Pontoise, Val-d'Oise, France In mainstream science, Vallée is notable for co-developing the first computerized mapping of Mars for NASA and for his work at SRI International on the network information center for the ARPANET, a precursor to the modern Internet. Vallée is also an important figure in the study of unidentified flying objects (UFOs), first noted for a defense of the scientific legitimacy of the extraterrestrial hypothesis and later for promoting the interdimensional hypothesis. - 1 Life and career - 2 Venture capital activity - 3 UFO research and academic work - 4 Film appearance - 5 Interpretation of the UFO evidence - 6 View of UFO investigative efforts - 7 Books - 8 Research papers - 9 Film appearances - 10 See also - 11 References - 12 External links Life and career Vallée was born in Pontoise, France. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from the Sorbonne, followed by his Master of Science in astrophysics from the University of Lille. He began his professional life as an astronomer at the Paris Observatory in 1961. He was awarded the Jules Verne Prize for his first science-fiction novel in French. He moved to the United States in 1962 and began working in astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin, at whose MacDonald Observatory he worked on NASA's first project making a detailed informational map of Mars. In 1967, Vallée received a Ph.D. in computer science from Northwestern University. While at the Institute for the Future from 1972 to 1976 he was a principal investigator on the large NSF project for computer networking, which developed one of the first conferencing systems, Planning Network (PLANET), on the ARPANET many years before the Internet was formed. Vallée has authored four books on high technology, including Computer Message Systems, Electronic Meetings, The Network Revolution, and The Heart of the Internet. Along with his mentor, astronomer J. Allen Hynek, Vallée carefully studied the phenomenon of UFOs for many years and served as the real-life model for the character portrayed by François Truffaut in Steven Spielberg’s film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. His research has taken him to countries all over the world. Considered one of the leading experts in UFO phenomena, Vallée has written several scientific books on the subject. His current endeavours include his involvement in SBV Ventures, a venture capital fund, as a general partner. He and SBV's other general partner, Graham Burnette, are also in the early stages of launching a second venture capital fund. He is married and has two children. Venture capital activity A venture capitalist since 1982, Vallée has co-founded four venture capital funds, notably the Euro-America family of venture partnerships, specializing in high technology. As a general partner in these funds, he has spearheaded early-stage investments in over 60 startup companies, 18 of which have become traded on the public markets, either through IPOs or acquisitions. They include: - Accuray Systems (Nasdaq:ARAY) a medical device company developing surgical robots - Sangstat Medical (acquired by Genzyme) specialized in organ transplantation therapy - Mercury Interactive (acquired in 2006 by HP) a software testing company - Electronics for Imaging (Nasdaq:EFII) - Harmonic Lightwaves (Nasdaq:HLIT) - Class Data Systems (acquired by Cisco) - Ubique (acquired by AOL) - Mobilian (acquired by Intel) - Nanogram Devices (acquired by Greatbatch) a nanotechnology battery manufacturer. UFO research and academic work In May 1955, Vallée first sighted an unidentified flying object over his Pontoise home. Six years later in 1961, while working on the staff of the French Space Committee, Vallée witnessed the destruction of the tracking tapes of an unknown object orbiting the earth. The particular object was a retrograde satellite – that is, a satellite orbiting the earth in the opposite direction to the earth's rotation. At the time he observed this, there were no rockets powerful enough to launch such a satellite, so the team was quite excited as they assumed that the Earth's gravity had captured a natural satellite (asteroid). A superior came and erased the tape. These events contributed to Vallée's long-standing interest in the UFO phenomenon. In the mid-1960s, like many other UFO researchers, Vallée initially attempted to validate the popular Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (or ETH). Leading UFO researcher Jerome Clark argues that Vallée's first two UFO books were among the most scientifically sophisticated defenses of the ETH ever mounted. However, by 1969, Vallée's conclusions had changed, and he publicly stated that the ETH was too narrow and ignored too much data. Vallée began exploring the commonalities between UFOs, cults, religious movements, demons, angels, ghosts, cryptid sightings, and psychic phenomena. Speculation about these potential links were first detailed in Vallée's third UFO book, Passport to Magonia: From Folklore to Flying Saucers. As an alternative to the extraterrestrial visitation hypothesis, Vallée has suggested a multidimensional visitation hypothesis. This hypothesis represents an extension of the ETH where the alleged extraterrestrials could be potentially from anywhere. The entities could be multidimensional beyond space-time, and thus could coexist with humans, yet remain undetected. Vallée's opposition to the popular ETH hypothesis was not well received by prominent U.S. ufologists, hence he was viewed as something of an outcast. Indeed, Vallée refers to himself as a "heretic among heretics". Vallée's opposition to the ETH theory is summarised in his paper, "Five Arguments Against the Extraterrestrial Origin of Unidentified Flying Objects", Journal of Scientific Exploration, 1990: Scientific opinion has generally followed public opinion in the belief that unidentified flying objects either do not exist (the "natural phenomena hypothesis") or, if they do, must represent evidence of a visitation by some advanced race of space travellers (the extraterrestrial hypothesis or "ETH"). It is the view of the author that research on UFOs need not be restricted to these two alternatives. On the contrary, the accumulated data base exhibits several patterns tending to indicate that UFOs are real, represent a previously unrecognized phenomenon, and that the facts do not support the common concept of "space visitors." Five specific arguments articulated here contradict the ETH: - unexplained close encounters are far more numerous than required for any physical survey of the earth; - the humanoid body structure of the alleged "aliens" is not likely to have originated on another planet and is not biologically adapted to space travel; - the reported behavior in thousands of abduction reports contradicts the hypothesis of genetic or scientific experimentation on humans by an advanced race; - the extension of the phenomenon throughout recorded human history demonstrates that UFOs are not a contemporary phenomenon; and - the apparent ability of UFOs to manipulate space and time suggests radically different and richer alternatives. Vallée has contributed to the investigation of the Miracle at Fatima and Marian apparitions. His work has been used to support the Fatima UFO Hypothesis. Vallée is one of the first people to speculate publicly about the possibility that the "solar dance" at Fatima was a UFO. The idea of UFOs was not unknown in 1917, but most of the people in attendance at the Fatima apparitions would not have attributed the claimed phenomena there to UFOs, let alone to extraterrestrials. Vallée has also speculated about the possibility that other religious apparitions may have been the result of UFO activity including Our Lady of Lourdes and the revelations to Joseph Smith. Vallée and other researchers have advocated further study of unusual phenomena in the academic community. They don't believe that this should be handled solely by theologians. In 1979, Robert Emenegger and Alan Sandler updated their 1974 UFOs, Past, Present and Future documentary with new 1979 footage narrated by Jacques Vallée. The updated version is entitled "UFOs: It Has Begun". Jacques Vallée attempted to interest Spielberg in an alternative explanation for the phenomenon. In an interview on Conspire.com, Vallée said, "I argued with him that the subject was even more interesting if it wasn't extraterrestrials. If it was real, physical, but not ET. So he said, 'You're probably right, but that's not what the public is expecting — this is Hollywood and I want to give people something that's close to what they expect.'" Interpretation of the UFO evidence Vallée proposes that there is a genuine UFO phenomenon, partly associated with a form of non-human consciousness that manipulates space and time. The phenomenon has been active throughout human history, and seems to masquerade in various forms to different cultures. In his opinion, the intelligence behind the phenomenon attempts social manipulation by using deception on the humans with whom they interact. Vallée also proposes that a secondary aspect of the UFO phenomenon involves human manipulation by humans. Witnesses of UFO phenomena undergo a manipulative and staged spectacle, meant to alter their belief system, and eventually, influence human society by suggesting alien intervention from outer space. The ultimate motivation for this deception is probably a projected major change of human society, the breaking down of old belief systems and the implementation of new ones. Vallée states that the evidence, if carefully analyzed, suggests an underlying plan for the deception of mankind by means of unknown, highly advanced methods. Vallée states that it is highly unlikely that governments actually conceal alien evidence, as the popular myth suggests. Rather, it is much more likely that that is exactly what the manipulators want us to believe. Vallée feels the entire subject of UFOs is mystified by charlatans and science fiction. He advocates a stronger and more serious involvement of science in the UFO research and debate. Only this can reveal the true nature of the UFO phenomenon. View of UFO investigative efforts Vallée is often highly critical of UFO investigators overall, both believers and skeptics, asserting that what often passes for an acceptable level of investigation in a UFO context would be considered sloppy and seriously inadequate investigation in other fields. He has pointed out logical flaws and methodological flaws common in such research. Unlike many critics of UFO investigative efforts, his critiques are not condescending and dismissive and he indicates that he is simply interested in good science. - Vallée, Jacques; Tormé, Tracy (June 1996). Fastwalker (paperback ed.). Berkeley, California, U.S.A.: Publ. Frog Ltd. p. 220 pp. ISBN 1-883319-43-9. - Vallée, Jacques (January 2006). Stratagème (in French) (paperback ed.). p. 256 pp. ISBN 2-84187-777-9. - Vallée, Jacques (July 2007). Stratagem (hardcover ed.). p. 220 pp. ISBN 978-0-615-15642-2. - Le Sub-Espace [Sub-Space] (1961) - Le Satellite Sombre [The Dark Satellite] (1963) - Alintel (as Jacques Vallée) (1986) (provided partial basis for Fastwalker) - La Mémoire de Markov (as Jacques Vallée) (1986) - Computer Message Systems (hardcover ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill (Data Communications Book Series). August 1984. p. 163 pp. ISBN 0-07-051031-8. - Johansen, Robert; Valles, Jacques; Spangler, Kathi (July 1979). Electronic Meetings: Technical Alternatives. Addison-Wesley Series on Decision Support (1st hardcover ed.). Addison-Wesley Publ. Co., Inc. p. 244 pp. ISBN 0-201-03478-6. - The Network Revolution - confessions of a computer scientist (paperback ed.). England: Penguin Books. 1982. p. 213 pp. ISBN 0-14-007117-2. - The Heart of the Internet - Anatomy of a phenomenon: unidentified objects in space – a scientific appraisal (1st hardcover ed.). NTC/Contemporary Publishing. January 1965. ISBN 0-8092-9888-0. - Reissue: UFO's In Space: Anatomy of A Phenomenon (paperback reissue ed.). Ballantine Books. April 1987. p. 284. ISBN 0-345-34437-5. - Challenge to Science: The UFO Enigma – with Janine Vallée (1966) - Passport to Magonia: From Folklore to Flying Saucers. Chicago, IL, U.S.A.: Publ. Henry Regnery Co. 1969. - The Invisible College : What a Group of Scientists Has Discovered About UFO Influences on the Human Race (1st ed.). 1975. - The Edge of Reality – Jacques Vallée and Dr. J. Allen Hynek (1975) - Messengers of Deception: UFO Contacts and Cults (paperback ed.). Ronin Publ. June 1979. p. 243. ISBN 0-915904-38-1. - Dimensions: A Casebook of Alien Contact (1st ed.). Contemporary Books. April 1988. p. 304. ISBN 0-8092-4586-8. - Confrontations – A Scientist's Search for Alien Contact (1st ed.). Ballantine Books. March 1990. p. 263 hardcover. ISBN 0-345-36453-8. - Revelations: Alien Contact and Human Deception (1st ed.). Ballantine Books. September 1991. p. 273 hardcover. ISBN 0-345-37172-0. - UFO Chronicles of the Soviet Union : A Cosmic Samizdat (1992) - Forbidden Science: Journals, 1957-1969 (1992) - Wonders in the Sky: Unexplained Aerial Objects from Antiquity to Modern Times (1st ed.). Tarcher. 2010. p. 528 paperback. ISBN 1-58542-820-5. - Five Arguments Against the Extraterrestrial Origin of Unidentified Flying Objects – Jacques Vallée, Ph.D. - Six Cases of Unexplained Aerial Objects with Defined Luminosity Characteristics – Jacques Vallée, Ph.D. - Physical Analyses in Ten Cases of Unexplained Aerial Objects with Material Samples – Jacques Vallée, Ph.D. - Report from the Field: Scientific Issues in the UFO Phenomenon – Jacques Vallée, Ph.D. - Crop Circles: “Signs” From Above or Human Artifacts? – Jacques Vallée, Ph.D. - Are UFO Events related to Sidereal Time – Arguments against a proposed correlation – Jacques Vallée, Ph.D. - UFOs: It Has Begun (1979) - "PLANET – IRC History, ARPANET Chat, Conferencing, Jacques Vallee, Internet". - Jacques Vallee, Dimensions (1988), page 269. - SBV Ventures - Graham Burnette on SBV - Clark, Jerome, The UFO Encyclopedia: 2nd Edition; Volume 1, A-K; Omnigraphics, Inc, 1998, ISBN 0-7808-0097-4 - Joaquim Fernandes, Fernando Fernandes and Raul Berenguel, Fatima Revisited (2008) p.186-200 - Jacques Vallee, Anatomy of a Phenomenon 1965 p.148-51 - Jacques Vallee, Dimensions 1988/2008 p.195-205 - Mack White, "Heretic Among Heretics" - Jacques Vallée, Revelations. Ballantine Books, 1991, p.247-252 Find more about at Wikipedia's sister projects |Definitions from Wiktionary| |News stories from Wikinews| |Quotations from Wikiquote| |Source texts from Wikisource| |Media from Commons| |Textbooks from Wikibooks| |Learning resources from Wikiversity| - Dr. Jacques F. Vallée – Official website - Interview: Jacques Vallée – A Man of Many Dimensions (2006) - Interview: Jacques Vallée Discusses UFO Control System with Jerome Clark (1978) - Interview: Heretic Among Heretics: – Jacques Vallée (1993) - Interview: Dr. Jacques Vallée Reveals What Is Behind Forbidden Science - Interview with Chris O'Brien (1992) - Green Egg interview with Dr. Jacques Vallée at the Wayback Machine - The "Pentacle Memorandum" Including text of correspondence from Dr. Jacques Vallée (1993) - Foreword to book: UFOs and The National Security State – Vallée - French biography of Dr. Jacques Vallée

Posted by: Loren Coleman on November 6th, 2007 The date was September 12, 1952. The place, Flatwoods, West Virginia. On that crisp fall day, Kathleen May (pictured), Eugene Lemon, 17, Neal Nunley, 14, Eddie May, 13, Teddie May, 14, Ronald Shaver, 10, Teddie Neal, 10, Tommy Hyer, 10, and Lemon’s big old dog, climbed to the top of a hill and saw a “monster.” They immediately felt they had to run, as fast as they could, someplace. The huge dark figure with glowing eyes and a head “like the ace of spades” blocked their path. About 12 feet high (4 meters), the figure had a reddish face and seemed to “glide” (as cryptozoologist Ivan T. Sanderson wrote) toward the eyewitnesses, who fled in terror. The thing was said to be over six feet tall to the monster’s waist, and as opposed to “red” or “orange” eyes as noted in news stories, the witnesses all agreed the eyes’ illumination seemed to be pale blue in color, in records Sanderson kept. Eugene Lemon fainted. Grabbing Lemon’s limp body, the group instantly started doing what the dog had done moments earlier. They all turned tail and started running down the hill as fast as they could. Little Tommy Hyer would later tell Ivan T. Sanderson that he crawled under the fence to get away, but that Kathleen May cleared the six-foot gate without opening it. The dog who had ran first to the bottom of the hill, vomited, then died two days later. And the rest is history. Or so it once seemed, before postmodernism fell from the sky. Read on. The old Bailey Fisher property still exists largely untouched, just as it did back over 50 years ago in the little town of Flatwoods, off the big interstate next to Sutton. You will pass a huge signpost that acknowledges the event today at the town limits, reading: “Flatwoods, Home of the Green Monster.” The hill where Kathleen May and the young men saw the Monster is easy to find behind a used car lot, but respect that this is private land, posted with no trespassing signs. You can see it from a distance, from the public road, through the trees. It looked worse than Frankenstein. It couldn’t have been human.- Kathleen May. Yesterday, I blogged about the implications for cryptozoology, as the term “cryptid” explodes beyond the boundaries of our field. I attended various panels at the Twenty-First Annual Conference of The Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts 2007, recently held in Portland, Maine. The event was called SLSA ’07: CODE. While my concentration was keyed on the cryptozoology and cryptid papers at the conference, I began my first day by attending a four-paper presentation about Gray Barker and Flatwoods. This was a panel that needs to be talked about separately, as the presenters discussed these matters without any hint of cryptozoology in the air. The panelists were mostly researchers from the University of West Virginia (UVW). The panel was entitled “Cyborg Monsters, Literary Hoaxes, and the MiB: from the Saucerian Archives of Gray Barker.” It held some interest for me, as they discussed the research into the Gray Barker archives in Clarksburg, and their view on the Flatwoods Monster. They mentioned many people I had worked with or have known, such as Ivan T. Sanderson, James Moseley, John Keel, and Barker, so the material was firsthand familiar to me. The individual papers were Sandy Baldwin’s “The Great Hoax: Gray Barker’s saucerian writings and the limit of techno-scientific discourse,” Nick Perich’s “They Knew Too Much: The Men in Black and the Ends of Knowledge,” and Nick Hales’ “How to Make a Myth: The Flatwoods Monster as Cyborg.” All three of those men are from UVW. The last paper was a multimedia show by Brown University’s artist Alan Sondheim, entitled “Gray’s Anatomy: How to make a flying saucer.” In general, the panel was interesting as I watched how Barker, who is seen as a hoaxster by many ufologists, is now being viewed by these men of academia. I imagined, as I was listening to them, how university professors might study Ray Wallace in future academic research on the history of Bigfoot, placing Wallace front and center as the primary and pivotal figure. A vision of just such an imagined panel flashed, with horror, before me as I was watching this session about promoter and prankster Gray Barker. Of course, for the entire panel time – almost two hours – they didn’t know I was there, and so I felt like I was an alien in the room watching these intellectual humans giggling their way through a few parts of their papers. It seemed relatively easy to get an academic chuckle by making fun of the contactee stories of George Adamski or of Gray Barker’s prose or poems. The source of the ridicule was not because Barker was a closeted gay, which was acknowledged and moved away from, of course, but because Barker believed in and played games within the wonderful world of “flying saucers.” I did feel like a spy from the outside (actually even outside of ufology), watching an academic insiders’ gathering having so many laughs at the expense of ufology. They seemed to understand who Barker was but they decided to elevate him to an even grander status, probably merely as a result of the archives being nearby and thus he is the focus. To hear them, Barker was the center of the universe of “Saucerian” matters (the term of Barker’s they used throughout their papers to talk about ufology). That’s all well and good, but the remarkably high-brow joking got tiring by the end of their presentations. Because these scholars live with Gray Barker’s archives in their own backyard, in the library at Clarksburg, West Virginia, they are thoroughly documenting and studying it, from their point of view. I’m actually glad they are, and I can have a bit of a sense of humor about all of this if the end result is good scholarship, which it is obviously their goal. Back to Flatwoods. All of the four presentations were worthy of my close awareness, but I wanted to pay special attention to the Flatwoods one. Nick Hales’ abstract of his paper, “How to Make a Myth: The Flatwoods Monster as Cyborg,” follows: Gray Barker adroitly integrated a host of diverse texts into what constitutes an ultimate postmodern novel/anti-novel, the Gray Barker archive: a hodge podge of correspondences, newsletters, sci-fi stories, photographs, alien seeds, amateur metaphysical musings, folklore, etc., most of which have the alien Other as a central thematic. West Virginia, where he resided and which Barker dubbed “the mini Bermuda triangle,” was indeed a rich resource for Barker’s vivid fictive and myth-making imagination. West Virginia’s location at the margins of American cultural and economic life lent itself to a production of strange folklore texts: mysterious swamp gas light shows, ghost stories, monsters and alien abductions. One of the “texts” from which Barker drew is the Flatwoods Monster encounter of September 12, 1952 in Braxton County WV. In this paper I will look at the way the Flatwoods Monster emerged as a text both at the local level as folklore and at the national level as one of series of alien encounters during the Cold War. I’m particularly interested in the way Barker folded the Flatwoods monster myth into his extant archive and the way he helped to develop and define the myth. The Flatwoods Monster emerged as a strange hybrid between monster, alien, and rocket ship. What is most intriguing about the Flatwoods Monster is just how early, like other alien abduction texts, it prognosticated the posthumanist transformation ushered in by the Cold War. The Flatwoods Monster was a kind of cyborg Other developed as folklore before the formal text of the cyborg was produced in the early 1960s. – Nick Hale, “How to Make a Myth: The Flatwoods Monster as Cyborg,” SLSA ’07: CODE, November 1, 2007. Hale’s paper, due to the pivotal role of Gray Barker in the beginning of the history of the Flatwoods Monster, was intriguing to watch and hear unfold. Hale said several things I have a different point of view about, such as implying that Ivan T. Sanderson called West Virginia a “vile vortex” or that, in some way, Kathleen May is responsible for the shift in drawings of the Flatwoods Monster or even of the shifting stories that you can read in each new writer’s retelling. These “narrative vortices,” Hale said, were part of the moving landscape of Barker’s world. (I don’t recall Sanderson saying West Virginia was a vortex, but he may have; I certainly know that eyewitness stories shift due to editors, authors, and media changes in the accounts, especially in the case of the Flatwoods scenario. Is that Kathleen May’s fault, as impied by Hale?) One solid area of agreement I have with Hale’s presentation was his dissection of the recent complete rewriting and revisionistic history of the Flatwoods Monster into some kind of robotic cyborg, as a tool of a vast governmental conspiracy. Hale noted that the level of paranoia and revisions of the original story have been extreme in recent years, traveling far from anything in the archives, the historical record or the eyewitnesses’ sightings. The crowd of 25 or so were quiet after the presentation, and no one wanted to ask questions or respond. So I stood up, and was allowed to be a “respondent.” I didn’t mention the vortices subject, mostly because I forgot it for the moment to mention the following points. I briefly identified myself, and set out to share a little information that countered the incorrect statements of historical fact that were made in their talks: 1) They were unaware of the reality of Carlos Allende, who was an actual historical figure named Carl Allen, a con man who created the Philadephia Experiment fiction. The presenters appeared to wish to pin many of Allende’s activities on the publisher/hoaxster Barker; 2) Allende most assuredly was the source of the notations in the Vero edition, not Barker; 3) Barker did not “cause” M. K. Jessup’s suicide in 1959, by pushing him over the edge; Jessup’s own depression and personal problems apparently did; 4) Barker superimposed the drawing of the Flatwoods Monster on a photograph of a WV site to show what the incident would look like in situ (a typical technique in studying ufological events), not to mix mediums to confuse realities; 5) I pointed out that the papers ignored the overt influence that the subculture of being gay had on Barker’s life and his pornographic writings, as many of the jokes with James Moseley were an artifact of that; the presenters were unaware that rumors had circulated around George Adamski that he had seduced young boys; and finally, 6) The Flatwoods incident did not happen in a vacuum as there were several monsters and “meteorites” seen around West Virginia that night and the following one. During my comment on the photograph, Alan Sondheim brought up – I thought out-of-the-blue – the fact that a local informant had told the researchers that he was the source of the Flatwoods Monster, and it was all a hoax. Of course, I pointed out that anyone, years later, can always step forward and claim a hoax for their 15 minutes of fame. Sondheim felt that was a dismissal, and the claimant wasn’t out for glory. I found our exchange amusing. Yes, Sondheim might have been right about my counter, but what did his point have to do with the photo? We were engaging in an intellectual academic debate that hardly had anything to do with any realities. We quickly caught ourselves, I sat down, and then Alan asked if I had any more comments. I mentioned I’d talk to them later, after they dismissed the panel. I spoke to Sandy Baldwin privately soon afterwards, and we promised to email each other more about their project. The next day, as it turned out, I gave the team a copy of my 2002 Mothman book to assist them with some insider-ufology clarifications. In Chapter 1, “Flatwoods,” of the book, for example, I document that the story includes several similar sightings of “monsters” in that part of West Virginia. Indeed, Flatwoods does exist in a context, which is historically, geographically, sexually, and culturally significant. These scholars know that, but seemed to merely need to keep looking beyond Clarksburg to get more of the code. Sometimes the SLSA folks can be strangers in a strange land too. The SLSA ’07: CODE papers on Barker and Flatwoods were good, and like the souvenirs I used throughout this blog to illustrate it, the cultural impacts, interpretations, and implications of the Flatwoods Monster today go far beyond West Virginia. Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading. 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.

When I was working as an archaeologist at the Helena National Forest back in the early 1990s, there was a landscape architect by the name of Rae Ellen Moore there. She wrote a book called Just West of Yellowstone: A Guide to Exploring and Camping : A Travel Sketchbook of the Area West of Yellowstone National Park, first published in 1987. (That was the FIRST edition of the book; I notice the revised 2006 edition by Rae Ellen Lee (she since remarried) now has omitted the entry I am about to talk about.) I read through Rae Ellen's book and saw she had gone to a small museum in Henry's Lake, Idaho that had a mount of a mysterious hyena-like animal. She had a little sketch of the animal as well. I asked her about it since she had seen it, and she said it looked like a hyena or something to her, and not at all like a coyote or wolf. Since I have always been into mysteries of that sort, it sparked great curiosity in me, though I was never able to get over that way to see it for myself. I soon found out the museum had closed and no one knew what happened to its collection of taxidermy. I was disappointed of course. I began attending Iowa State University in 1991 to work on my graduate degree in Anthropology. My thesis subject was the sacred bundle system of my tribe, the Ioway. While gathering materials from various museums, I got the notes from Alanson Skinner in the early 1900s while he was collecting artifacts from the tribe. Associated with the "Big Ioway War Bundle" (Waroxawa), was an item called a "Hyena" skin, called "canka iwarawakya" (carrying off dogs). Skinner is notorious for strage transcriptions of the Ioway language; note here Skinner has canka (pronounced shahnka) when in 1848 they wrote "dog" as shunka, and today, the same (though some add 'ukenye which means "ordinary"). Skinner's word would be something like: shunka iwarawakiya. In simpler modern Ioway transcription, "Carries-off-dogs" would be normally written as shunka warak'in (SHOON-kah wah-rahk-EEn) (the final "n" is not pronounced, but just nasalizes the EE sound before it). Shunka = dog. Wa= something, ra=mouth, k'in= to carry (Good Tracks, Iowa-Otoe-Missouria Language 1992: 117, etc.). Literally, "something that carries dogs in its mouth." The notes gave the following account: "Once a long time [ago,] every night some dogs were gone, and the people in the village, and the young men got up a war party. They thought it was [the] enemy [who was stealing the dogs], and laid for it. They had the horses and so on, and when this thing came, they fought it like a person and killed it. When it died it cried like a person. That is why they put it in the bundle, because it seemed to have a power. They shot at him a lot of times and never killed him, and followed him a day and a half. They painted the hide and used it in war to keep from being hit. [The hide was] worn across the shoulder." (Alanson Skinner fieldnotes) Skinner also wrote about it in his 1926 "Ethnology of the Ioway Indians" (p. 211-212), where he added a couple of details in a slightly different version, again spelling it slightly differently. He also specified the information had come from Chief David Tohee and Joseph Springer (p. 209): About this time [when the Ioway hero Wanathunje was alive (p. 211)] they killed the animal they called Shonka warawakya (Carrying-off-dogs) and placed its hide in the bundlel. This is how it happened: One time the people began to miss their dogs. Every morning a few were gone, and no one knew the cause. Some thought it the work of an enemy, so the young men got up a war party and hid themselves so as to surprise and kill the nightly visitor. It turned out to be a strange animal, different from anything they had ever seen before. They named it "Carrying-off-dogs," but it is very like the animal the white people keep in their shows today and call hyena. When it entered the camp, the young warriors attacked it just as if it was a person. Again and again they shot at this creature, and could not kill it, but after following it a day and a half they at last succeeded in putting it to death. When it died, it cried just like a human being. When they heard this, and thought of the hard time they had in killing it, they decided that it must be a creature of great power. So they skinned it, and painted its hide, and later placed the hide in with the other powerful objects in the war bundle, to wear in battle across the shoulder to turn away flying bullets and arrows. But before the hide was put in the bundle, a big dance was held. Immediately afterward a party set out and were very successful, as they killed a number of enemies, returning with many scalps.(SKinner 1926: 211-212). The Ioway, like other tribes, often took the hides and other parts of animals who had spiritual powers, and placed them in sacred bundles to use as protection in war, often wearing them as amulets. Since the shunka warak'in had been so hard to kill, it would have been thought that by wearing the skin, they too would be hard to kill in war. Then I recalled the strange beast mentioned by Rae Ellen Moore at Henry's Lake, and making the "hyena" connection, wondered if it and the Shunka Warak'in could be the same animal, perhaps a relict hyena-like animal from earlier Ice Age times that had survived up in the mountains of Montana and Idaho. The Cheyenne have stories of "oldtime animals" that live in the mountains, and appear and disappear mysteriously; they seem to live in the "sand rocks" (the badlands and sandstone buttes). In 1995, right about the time I first began to use email, I emailed the cryptozoologist Loren Coleman to ask if he had ever heard of something like this. He had not but was very interested. I told him of the connection I had considered between the beast of Henry's Lake and the Shunka Warak'in. I had not heard the term "ringdocus" at that time. Loren seemed very intrigued and said he would ask around. He followed it up more with his cryptozoological contacts and resources. In 1999, Loren published his book Cryptozoology A to Z and had an entry for "Shunka Warak'in" in that book (p. 221-224). He mentioned my 1995 contact with him, and added research he had uncovered through the cryptozoological community. Loren reported that cryptozoologist Mark A. Hall had reported "in recent years...sightings of mean-looking, near-wolflike and hyena-like animals have come from Alberta, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois." Hall told Loren of a 1977 book by Ross Hutchins, Ph.D., Trails to Nature's Mysteries: The Life of a Working Naturalist. In it, Hutchins, a zoologist, recounted the story of how his grandfather had shot a mysterious hyena-like animal in the 1880s. The Hutchins family had settled in the West Fork of the Madison River Valley, about 40 miles north of Ennis. His grandfather finally shot the animal, who was described as nearly black in color, with sloping high shoulders like a hyena. His grandfather called the animal "ringdocus." The carcass of the animal was donated to a man who practiced taxidermy, named Sherwood, who had a grocery store and museum at Henry's Lake. That was where Rae Ellen would see it a hundred years later, in the 1980s. Dr. Hutchins had no idea what the animal could have been; apparently he never saw the mount himself. Hutchins had a photograph of the Ringdocus in his book as well (see below). Although the animal seems to be too small to be a surviving dire wolf or cave hyena, Loren posited that it might be a Borophagus, "an ancient hyena-like dog found during the Pleistocene in North America" (p. 223). Borophagus ("devouring glutton") is an extinct genus of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids loosely known as "bone-crushing" or "hyena-like" dogs. ...The genus first appeared in the Miocene, and survived until the late Pliocene, when more typical dogs, such as the dire wolf, displaced it. ...Typical features of this genus are a bulging forehead and powerful jaws; it was probably a scavenger....Its crushing premolar teeth and strong jaw muscles would have been used to crack open bone, much like the hyena of the Old World. The adult animal is estimated to have been about 80 cm in length, similar to a coyote, although it was much more powerfully built. ...Borophagus is one of the best-known borophagines. Borophagus probably led a hyena-like lifestyle, like hyenas, it often scavenged, using its keen senses to find carcasses of recently dead animals. Borophagus roamed the plains of North America for 7 million years.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borophagus) More on Borophagus: The two things that might be problematic about its identification as belonging to Borophagus is that there is no evidence for Borophagus after the Pliocene and the characteristic high-domed skull which doesn't seem to match the mounted specimen, although it is not clear if the specimen was built around the original skull or not. The painted images from the NPS of course is just an artist's rendition based on present-day hyena appearances; there is no reason a Borophagus could not be near-black. Loren's Cryptomundo post of Dec. 10, 2006 mentioned an incident that had begun in 2005: In December 2005, a strange wolf-like animal started killing livestock in McCone, Garfield and Dawson counties, Montana. By March 2006, it had struck six herds of sheep in McCone and Garfield Counties, wounding 71 and killing 36 ewes. The thing had even reached the status of being named; it was called "The Creature of McCone County." This is the New West article (combined parts I and II): THE CREATURE OF MCCONE COUNTY, PART I A Montana Wolf Mystery & the Fury it Breeds By Hal Herring, 3-29-06 The creature, whatever it is, came out of Montana's own McCone County, wandering from the rough breaks of Timber Creek, just south of the Big Dry Arm of Fort Peck Reservoir, and the CM Russell Wildlife Refuge. Where it had wandered before that, Canada or North Dakota, nobody knows. Since December, it has struck six herds of sheep belonging to stockmen in McCone and Garfield Counties, killing 36 ewes, and injuring 71, many of which will succumb to their wounds. It leaves a track like a small wolf, or a dog, or a wolf-hybrid, but its killing habits are inefficient, nothing like the surgical lethality of a wolf taking meat from a herd of domestic sheep. Coyotes, those that survive here in the gauntlet of traps and aerial gunnery and cyanide "getters," kill a lot of sheep every year, but nothing like this. This creature is a traveler, and it is not always alone, though its companion leaves a smaller track still, adding to the mystery. Where it has stopped to kill, over an area of more than a hundred square miles, it has created a fury, one that is not entirely directed at the creature itself (the stockmen here know full well how to handle that problem) but at the federal and state governments, at complex regulations imposed to protect an animal that they despise, and at a far-away society that seems to have lost all respect for them and their constant struggle to remain self-reliant, solvent, and on the land. "I discovered the devastation on January 12th," said Jim Whitesides, who was keeping his flock of 720 sheep in a half-section holding pasture, right at the corner of McCone and Garfield counties, waiting for drier weather before he moved them onto a grazing allotment on BLM land. "It was terrible warm weather and mud, and when I got there, the sheep were all up milling around on a ridge. I called them all down, and as they came close it just looked like they had all been attacked, blood everywhere, their hams bitten, plugs taken out, like a lemon, and of course then there was some laying around dead." Whitesides would have 21 dead ewes in that bunch, and 39 injured. He has estimated that the attacks have cost him over $19,000, an almost ruinous blow. "I've seen some terrible coyote damage, but nothing ever like this." Whitesides has spent his life running cattle and sheep in the Missouri Breaks country. In his speech, there is a slight but distinct brogue, explained by the fact that his mother came to eastern Montana from Scotland in 1906. His father came to the area in 1912. His parents would have seen the last of the wolves in eastern Montana. "Everybody has relatives who claim to have been in on the last wolf killed around here," Whitesides said, "and it must have been around 1920 when they finally got them out of here. They had to, if they were going to raise stock." In his lifetime, he said, he has never had to think about wolf trouble, and he has paid little attention to the conflict over re-introducing wolves to Yellowstone. "That wasn't in my realm, and I couldn't imagine all the fuss over it. We always take a lot of losses -- normally under a hundred head a year, but it's always coyotes." The battle against the coyotes is conducted by stockmen with the help of two full-time trappers who work Garfield County for the federal Wildlife Services Agency. "We have a very good program here," Whitesides said, "and we couldn't raise livestock without it." The confusion over the identity of the animal that rampaged though Whitesides' sheep started at another kill site, back in late December, deeper in McCone County. Mike McKeever took a severe hit on his sheep herd sometime on the night after Christmas. At first, it appeared that only two ewes had been killed, but closer inspection found 15 more ewes that had been attacked but not killed. Ten of them would die of their wounds. By December 28th, the McKeevers had found five more ewes killed. Mike McKeever called their local predator control contractor, a pilot named Jeff Skyberg to see what could be done. Now the plot thickens. McCone County is one of five eastern Montana counties that, about twelve years ago, became disgusted with the federal predator control agency and decided to take over the job themselves by hiring private contractors. But that was before there were any wolves in Montana, or any regulations to protect them. Faced with the carnage at McKeever's ranch, Skyberg called in Wildlife Services agents to help him decide what to do. The men looked at two sets of tracks, and agreed that they had been made by medium sized dogs, or even wolf-hybrids, rather than true wolves. The messiness of the attacks suggested domestic dogs, too, a whole lot of killing instinct untempered by skill. The agents reported the attacks to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, (FWP) which has taken on the responsibility of managing wolves since an agreement was reached with the federal wildlife agency, and federal funding became available, in early 2005. Wolves are, for now, still listed as an Endangered Species, and the FWP makes its decisions "between the guardrails" of the federal policy, as Carolyn Sime, who directs the wolf program for FWP, describes it. The Wildlife Services agents called Sime, and told her that the problem in McCone County was domestic dogs on a rampage. Since dogs that kill stock are fair game for anybody with a weapon, it seemed as though the problem would soon be solved. Then on January 12th, Whitesides found his sheep attacked. The next day, reports came in of sheep killings at the McKerlick Ranch in northeastern Garfield County. In a pasture within sight of his house, John McKerlick found, according to an account in the Jordan Tribune, "…lambs with meat, hide and wool dragging on the ground; their insides torn out and a front leg on one torn away. Ten were dead and eight still going … He found two more dead and a 100-110 pound lamb (sic: it was actually a wether) had been eaten and dragged in a 20' diameter circle." Whatever killed the sheep had stayed in the area for a long time, leaving a lot of tracks. "We had an overflow from a watertank that was frozen and held the snow, and he sauntered around all over on that ice," McKerlick said. "I don't know what he was doing all that time." Like Whitesides, McKerlick has no experience with predation at the level he witnessed that morning. "The tracks are bigger than anything I've seen before. We've never had anything like this. My parents lived just south of here, and in 1923, my dad had a little horse, and the wolves followed him and hamstrung him, killed him, but that was about the last wolf in this part of the country." The Wildlife Services agents that investigated still figured that the mess at McKerlick's was the work of domestic dogs, so nobody called Carolyn Sime at FWP to tell her about the incident. On February 6th, Jeff Skyberg and his "gunner" Les Thomas, were flying in Skyberg's plane, gunning coyotes as part of their contract for predator control in McCone County, and trying to find the stock killing dogs that were lost somewhere in the immense roll of prairie and the jagged coulee country below them. On a ridge below them, they saw what they were pretty sure was a wolf. "We got a call from Wildlife Services, saying that Jeff Skyberg had a wolf in his sights in McCone County and could he go ahead and kill it," said Carolyn Sime. "I could not just issue them a kill permit to go out and kill whatever wolves were there. It would have been illegal. We had no reports of wolf kills from there, and the attacks did not fit the pattern of wolf kills. I said no." But Sime and others in the FWP office knew that the denial would infuriate Skyberg and the ranchers in the two county area. "The anger is easy to understand." Sime said, "A government agent has just kept you from doing your job. Jeff exercised tremendous restraint, and I know he's mad … but I could not legally do it. There is no such thing as a no-wolf zone in Montana, no matter what people might think." The FWP went into "a huddle," Sime said. First, with the possible federal delisting of the wolf from the federal Endangered Species Act looming, it was imperative that they remain within the law. So far, Montana's painstakingly achieved wolf management plans are a kind of blueprint for what seems like a balanced management approach for wolves. The plan has been approved by the federal wildlife agency, while Wyoming's plan, which calls for treating the wolves as vermin away from National Parks, cannot be approved, and has so far been the leading obstacle to taking the animal off of the Endangered Species list. Sime and her office were in an odd spotlight that would shine far ahead into derailing the delisting process if they just went ahead and did what the ranchers wanted them to do. "We stuck our neck out and we authorized Wildlife Services to take the wolf, even though it was technically illegal." During the huddle and the subsequent back and forth, though, the creature disappeared back into the maze of coulees and the scrub pine of the breaks. Attacks that killed one sheep and injured another in Garfield County over the weekend of February 18th are believed to be the work of the animal that escaped that day. Then, the animal, or one very like it, appeared on March 11, about fifty miles away, on a ranch northwest of Jordan. According to the Jordan Tribune, rancher Clifford Highland and his grandson, Ryan Murnion, saw the animal as it was eating the carcass of a ewe. "We saw a wolf for approximately 20-30 seconds at 350 yards," Highland said, Murnion shot at the animal, but it escaped into the breaks. Carolyn Sime and her team authorized permits for the ranchers who had suffered losses and for Wildlife Services in Garfield County to kill the wolf, or wolf-hybrid, if it was seen again in the act of attacking livestock. But the level of frustration among the ranchers and the communities remained high. There seemed to be no legal way, for instance, for the freelance predator control contractors in McCone County to kill the wolf if they encountered it. And the animal ranged so widely, the permits issued to the ranchers who had suffered losses seemed to be of little use. Other ranches, where there were no permits, would surely be hit soon. Again, people asked, why could anybody who saw the thing not just kill it? [end part 1; part 2 continues] THE CREATURE OF MCCONE COUNTY, PART II Creature Feeds Conspiracies, Controversy By Hal Herring, 3-30-06 Editor's Note: This is the second in a two-part series on the creature of McCone county. Click here to read the first installment. In Eastern Montana, permits had been issued and a plan formed to take care of a wandering creature, wolf or not, that had killed 36 sheep and injured some 71 more. But the level of frustration in the prairie communities continued to build, further feeding a divide between two cultures -- one rooted to the land the animal was wandering, and the other filled with regulations designed to protect the animal. Some of the first questions about how to deal with the stock-killer concerned the CM Russell Wildlife Refuge. Among the least popular of the federal government's many, many unpopular endeavors in the region, the CM Russell's one million acres (including the vast acreage of the surface of Fort Peck Reservoir) has been a flash point since it was set aside as a "game range" in 1936, following the general exodus of human population from the region in the wake of the Dust Bowl years. Among the extremely hardy agricultural people who did not leave, who stayed on, year after year, building larger and larger holdings in order to survive, there is ongoing suspicion that the Refuge, which has been the site of prairie dog town recovery (an idea that disgusts many ranchers who have battled the rodents for decades) is also the secret site of wolf re-introductions. Such secret re-introductions, it is theorized, will have the conspiratorial effect of bringing down even more federal regulations on ranching operations and have the wolves killing stock that will help to ease ranchers into the financial abyss. That event will force the sale of private property and begin the creation of the Big Open, or the even more despised notion of the Buffalo Commons, a huge, unpeopled, wildlife reserve, running through the parts of the Great Plains states that have suffered big declines in agriculture and population since the 1920's. The re-introduction of protected wolves has long been seen around Jordan as the first sign of a resurrection of the Buffalo Commons idea, a new strategy for the urbanites and nature worshippers to begin the destruction and removal of the farming and ranching culture of the Plains. Everyone, from Carolyn Sime, who directs the wolf program for the state, through the officials at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, says that there is no evidence that wolves have ever been released on the Refuge, nor are there plans to ever do so. But the idea has taken root in Garfield County. "This question came up over and over," Sime said. What if the Wildlife Services agents have to pursue this stock killer into the CM Russell National Wildlife Refuge? What if it attacks stock on the thousands of acres of leased grazing allotments inside the Refuge boundaries? On March 14th, Montana Senator Conrad Burns organized a meeting in the small town of Circle, the county seat of McCone County, to review the options (as Cohagen rancher Alan Pluhar told me, "It's an election year. We wish that he would respond like this all the time, but we'll take what we can get.")The meeting drew a crowd of more than 100 people. Most of the ranchers who had lost stock were there to present their stories. According to Carolyn Sime, "there was a lot of frustration. It was a passionate, but civil, meeting … You know," she continued, "with this wolf stuff, common sense and restraint sometimes disappears. It is extremely visceral, it goes way back, and it is all happening in the context of our time …an age-old story, now juxtaposed to rising fuel and land prices, low commodity prices … it is frustrating." One of the direct results of the meeting was that the agents from Wildlife Services were granted permission to pursue the stock killing predator, whatever it turned out to be, onto the Refuge. Agents have the right to remove two wolves or wolf-like canids from the area, and from inside the Refuge. Ranchers who hold grazing leases on the Refuge would have the same rights to protect their stock from predation as leasees of other federal grazing lands, by killing the animal if it is attacking their stock, or by harassing it away if it seems like a threat. An indirect result was a difficult bit of legal wrangling to give the McCone County predator contractors the right to kill the animal. In the end, local predator control pilot, Jeff Skyberg and his shooter, Les Thomas agreed to volunteer their services to the FWP, and the FWP agrees to be responsible for their actions. It is a risk, but one worth taking, said Sime. "I was in McCone County with the landowners, and we had a good talk," she said. "We made a verbal agreement, and by the following Friday, we had everything legal." Skyberg and Thomas have what is left of the 45-day period following the stock attacks on March 11 to pursue and kill the wolf legally. After April 25th, if there are no more attacks, that permit will expire. According to Larry Handegard, of the Billings office of Wildlife Services, agents are actively pursuing the creature now in Garfield County, using aircraft and traps. Jeff Skyberg is still flying and searching. They are joined by a good number of men and a few women, all of them busy and out on the prairie calving or lambing right now, who will hold to the time-tested doctrine of "shoot, shovel, and shut up," a doctrine that received some air time at the meeting in Circle, and probably much more at the Hell Creek Saloon in Jordan. A rancher who asked not to be named said this, "We are calving now, and there is no way we can afford to lose any stock. No way. If you are out there, and there's no vehicles in sight, and you see this animal, you will shoot it. SSS. And if anybody gets charged for that, we are going to band together, every one of us, and support that person." Jim Whitesides, a rancher who lost 21 ewes, and an unknown number of unborn lambs to the animal, discussed the leverage that he and other landowners have over the FWP, if a solution to the predation problem cannot be found: "We have been in Block Management for 18 years, and we kind of initiated the idea of working with sportsmen, getting them access to land in return for them writing letters and helping support our predator control programs. I don't do any hunting -- I don't have time for it -- but we have worked very well together with the hunters. Now, if we can't work this out, I'm thinking of taking my land out of Block Management." Over all of the ranchers on this part of the prairie, a cloud seems to hang, of an increasingly difficult future, made the more so, intentionally or not, by wildlife, and by rules made a long way away, by people whose motives seem ridiculous or incomprehensible. "This is bigger than Jordan and Circle having a little wolf problem," said another Jordan resident who asked not to be identified. "The USFWS is an out-of-control bureaucracy. The more rules they make, the more fines they bring in, the bigger they get. There so many encroachments on us now, from reducing AUMs on the BLM lands to way back under Nixon when some bleeding heart banned 1080. Why are people so upset over this? It is because everything seems to point to the idea that we can get rid of out farmers and ranchers, even while we import forty percent of our food … if we don't watch out, they'll have a fence around this state. We've all seen the UN biodiversity maps, there's not much of Montana left over for human use." News articles appeared throughout the next few months, and it went national with an article in USA Today in May 2006. Mystery beast ravages flocks of Mont. sheep Posted 5/21/2006 10:51 PM ET E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions | By Gwen Florio, USA TODAY HELENA, Mont. — Ranchers in eastern Montana have a wildlife whodunit on their hands. Livestock growers in Garfield, McCone and Dawson counties have lost about 100 sheep this year to a ravenous creature that dispatches their 170-pound animals with ease and ferocity. And that creature is? "A wolf," says rancher Mike McKeever, who found one of his pregnant ewes disemboweled last month. "A wolf or wolf hybrid," says Carolyn Sime, statewide wolf coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "A dog or a hybrid," says Suzanne Asha Stone, the Boise-based Northern Rockies representative for Defenders of Wildlife. A hybrid is a mixture of wolf and dog. The disagreement encompasses a century of passionate feelings about wolves in the West. Reviled by ranchers as a profit-devouring predator, wolves were hunted nearly to extinction and were designated an endangered species in 1973. In the mid-1990s, despite vocal opposition from ranchers, 31 wolves from Canada were re-settled in central Idaho and in Yellowstone National Park. More than 800 wolves now roam the Northern Rockies. However, the forests of Yellowstone, thick with elk and deer, are more than 300 miles from the barren, windswept plains of eastern Montana. Stone says that's what makes it so unlikely that the sheep predator is a wolf. The distinction is important: Defenders of Wildlife reimburses ranchers for proven kills of livestock by wolves. "Wolves are fabulous travelers," Sime says. In 2004, a radio-collared wolf from Yellowstone was struck and killed about 420 miles away, on Interstate 70 west of Denver. McKeever says he believes the Montana marauder is a wolf because it preys on adult sheep. Coyotes usually kill lambs, and only one or two at a time, he says. Sime says she's certain the culprit is one animal — two at most — because there are so few tracks. McKeever estimates his loss at about $20,000. He doesn't qualify for the reimbursement because no one knows what the killer is yet. The state has issued 45-day shoot-to-kill permits to affected ranchers. Such permits are needed because of wolves' designation as endangered. If it turns out to be a wolf, the money will be cold comfort, McKeever says. That's because where one wolf turns up, others are likely to follow. "We've never had to worry about wolves before," he says. "We do now." Florio reports daily for theGreat Falls (Mont.) Tribune The number of livestock the "Creature" killed finally reached about 120, by the end of October 2006. Now comes word in a December 9th article that first appeared in the Billings Gazette that the animal, the one which may have been attacking the sheep, was killed from the air by Montana’s Wildlife Services agents, on November 2, 2006. What they shot, it is believed, is the "Creature." But now they aren’t exactly sure what it is they killed. The animal was big at 106 pounds. Its coloration seems unexpected for a wolf. The animal shot in Garfield County had shades of orange, red and yellow in its fur, unlike the Northern Rockies wolves, which tend more toward grays, browns, and blacks, said wildlife officials. It may take months, but DNA analysis is occurring at the University of California Los Angeles, and the carcass is now at the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon, for genetic analysis. Maybe it is the Shunka Warak’in (pictured above)?... The present whereabouts of the mounted Shunka Warak’in are uncertain, though some reports claim it has been moved to the West Yellowstone area. Once it is located, it is essential that DNA testing on samples of the fur be conducted. Only then will we know for certain whether we are dealing with a truly new animal or a very bad taxidermist’s mount. I wonder what this new animal they killed in Montana is. What if it has something to do with the Shunka Warak’in? Over the years, Loren and I kept in touch about the Shunka Warak'in/Ringdocus mystery. I had the thought that if we could find the mount, the thing to do would be to convince the owner to submit a sample of the specimen's hair for DNA and other tests. We both agreed. In the summer of 2007, I had the idea that the Idaho Museum of Natural History (in Pocatello) might have acquired the Sherwood mounts from Henry's Lake when it closed, so I wrote to them and found out that they did acquire materials from that museum. Loren and I traded several emails on this, on trying to figure out how to get the Museum to get interested in the issue. The Museum sent a few photocopies of old photographs of the Sherwood mounts they had, but none of them were the creature. Although I left several phone messages, I was unsuccessful in getting any response from the Museum. Then in November of 2007, Loren posted that the missing mount had been found! The story was in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle (Nov. 2007): Mystery monster returns home after 121 years By WALT WILLIAMS Chronicle Staff Writer ENNIS - More than a century ago, a wolf-like creature prowled the Madison Valley, killing livestock and letting out screams that one account said would leave a person's hair standing on end. (Photo: DEIRDRE EITEL/CHRONICLE Jack Kirby poses in Ennis next to the wolf-like creature his grandfather shot in 1886 in the Madison Valley. He is holding the G.W. Morse rifle that was used to kill the animal. Kirby retrieved the mount from an Idaho museum where it was being stored. A bullet from a Mormon settler's rifle ended the animal's life and triggered stories of the creature that were passed along through generations of family history and local folklore.) The only evidence of the creature's existence was a missing taxidermy mount and a grainy black-and-white photograph of that mount - which fueled strange speculation about what kind of animal it really was. Now after 121 years, the taxidermy mount has been found. The creature that once spooked some of the Madison Valley's first white settlers has come home. “I never doubted the story,” said Jack Kirby, grandson of the settler who shot the animal. After reading a Halloween-themed Chronicle story about local legends of strange creatures, Kirby tracked down the mount in the Idaho Museum of Natural History in Pocatello. The museum has since loaned it to him to put on display at the Madison Valley History Museum, although at the moment it resides in the basement of a building on the north edge of town. The “ringdocus” or “shunka warak'in” - two of the names it has been given over the years - strongly resembles a wolf, but sports a hyena-like sloping back and an odd-shaped head with a narrow snout. Its coat is dark-brown, almost black, with lighter tan areas and a faint impression of stripes on its side. It measure 48 inches from the tip of its snout to its rump, not including the tail, and stands from 27 to 28 inches high at the shoulder. The mount is in amazingly good shape, showing no signs of wear and tear and retaining the color of the fur. It arrived in Ennis Friday. One of its first stops was the gravesite of the man who shot it, Israel Ammon (I.A.) Hutchins. “We took him down to the cemetery to see I.A. to let him know (the creature) is back in the valley,” said Kirby's wife, Barbara. Hutchins shot the animal in 1886 on what is now the Sun Ranch, but not on his first try. He accidentally shot and killed one of his cows when he first spotted the creature on his land, his son Elliott Hutchins recounted in his memoirs. He killed the strange animal when it appeared on his land a second time and traded the body with entrepreneur Joseph Sherwood for a new cow. Sherwood was a taxidermist. He mounted the animal and put it on display in his combination store-museum at Henry's Lake in Idaho. His taxidermy collection was later given to the Idaho Museum of Natural History, where it was kept in storage. The creature apparently baffled the people who saw it alive, and some speculated it was a hyena escaped from a circus rather than a wolf. The younger Hutchins remembered its haunting screams at night and wrote that after it was shot and in its death throes, the animal bit through a half-inch rope with a single bite and “exerted his very last strength to reach any one of us.” The story of the “ringdocus” - as Sherwood reportedly named it - reached a national audience when the prolific writer and naturalist Ross Hutchins wrote about it in his 1977 autobiography, “Trails to Nature's Mysteries: The Life of a Working Naturalist,” and included a picture of the mount. I.A. Hutchins was his grandfather. The tale was again picked up by writers Loren Coleman and Jerome Clark in their book “Cryptozoology A to Z.” In that book, Coleman linked it to a Native American legend about the “shunka warak'in,” a creature that snuck into camps at night to steal dogs. The animal has so far eluded identification. The younger Hutchins wrote that a detailed description was sent to the Smithsonian Institution, which wasn't able to identify it. The picture of the mount included the scientific-sounding name “Guyasticutus” as a label for the creature, but the name may have been tongue-in-cheek. Early accounts report that the Guyasticutus was a mythical creature invented by traveling showmen to swindle gullible ticket-buyers. Coleman and Clark suggested that a DNA test should be done on the mount to determine what it is. Kirby, however, was not so certain he was ready to end a mystery that had been passed down by his family for four generations. “Do we want to know?” he said. The mount will be displayed in the Madison Valley History Museum when it reopens in May. Looking at the photo, the animal's face strongly resembles that of a wolf. You can't really tell anything about its supposedly sloping shoulders or hindquarters from the photograph. The Museum's website is at http://madisonvalleyhistoryassociation.org/ Their address is: Madison Valley History Association, Inc., P.O. Box 474, Ennis, Mt. 59729 Madison Valley History Association, Ennis, Montana. Our mission is to develop a museum to house and preserve collections of artifacts, tapes, photographs, and stories of historical importance to the Madison Valley and interpret them through display and education. The MVHA Museum is presently located in Ennis in the front part of the Wildlife Museum building just south of the Town Pump Store on the west end of Main Street. Admission to the MVHA is free, although donations are appreciated. The MVHA Museum opens in May on Memorial Day Weekend and remains open until the end of September. Hours are 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. The Wildlife Museum, sponsored by Altimus Taxidermy, is located in the back of the building and is open when the MVHA Museum is open. An admission fee is charged to visit the Wildlife Museum. Hopefully they will redesign the page for the animal at: http://madisonvalleyhistoryassociation.org/creature.htm Their newsletter "The Wagon Tongue" mentions in the July 2008 issue (vol. 6, no. 3) that "the 'Beast' is attracting attention..." The story of the 19th century shooting and mounting of this unknown cryptid canine has been repeated often. It is scheduled to be one of the stories discussed in a forthcoming History Channel “Monster Quest” program. The “Monster Quest” film crew visited the International Cryptozoology Museum specifically to talk to me about this cryptid and other related canine enigmas. The mystery of the Shunka Warak’in has been an enduring one in cryptozoology. It appears today that we may be closer to solving it. This is a remarkable turn of events, and I could not be happier to hear about this. I look forward to thoughtful individuals considering the DNA testing of the newly re-discovered taxidermy mount. Intriguingly, if it is still owned by the the Idaho Museum of Natural History in Pocatello, perhaps now Dr. Jeff Meldrum could request the test. Dr. Irv Kornfield’s University of Maine DNA lab is ready and willing to do this testing. In late 2008, a new book was published, A Cryptozoological Study of the Shunka Warak’in, by Mystical Mikal, published by BookSurge Publishing. This approximately 61-page book, according to Cryptomundo, "looks at the overlap between one old saga of a werewolf-like creature and cryptozoology." The single review on Amazon.com (as of today, March 3, 2009) isn't so good: "Wow! Quite possibly the worst cryptozoology book ever published! Save your money! Just google "Shunka Warak'in" and you'll learn everything that is in this book and probably more. The author makes lots of reference to the alledged mounted Shunka Warak'in, but never has a photo (then again, there are no photos in the book). He makes reference to Shunka Warak'in sighting is Illinois, Canada and elsewhere, but gives no details. No original research at all. You'll learn more from a 30 min internet search than you will from this book. " I don't think the book looks quite as bad as that review make sit out to be, although it does seem to be a cut-and-paste self-published book based on uncited Internet sources. The Table of Contents indicates there is an overview of cryptozoology as a discipline, then the book looks at the reported sightings and offers a possible explanation. There are two other sections, "Similarities of the 'Ringdocus' with extinct animal species" (about 10 pages) and "Misidentified Sunka Warak'in kill sites" (3 pages). I didn't see any mention of werewolves however. On page 51, the author states "This animal has since been renamed 'Guyasticuts' meaning 'Rocky Mountain Hyena,' and is currently undergoing DNA testing." However on the same page he also says "The second suspected Shunka Warak'in sightings occurred in 1995 within the North American states of Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois, and in Alberta, Canada. However, little is known of this incident." Obviously he is relating what he read about Hall's generalized reports for those areas in Coleman's book, but this sentence makes no sense grammatically. In addition, note that the Bozeman Chronicle article clearly stated: "The picture of the mount included the scientific-sounding name “Guyasticutus” as a label for the creature, but the name may have been tongue-in-cheek. Early accounts report that the Guyasticutus was a mythical creature invented by traveling showmen to swindle gullible ticket-buyers." And the poor author didn't even spell Guyasticutus right! In any case, Guyasticutus does -not- mean "Rocky Mountain Hyena." It doesn't mean anything at all, as John Kern and Irwin Griggs' This America states on page 329: Still other words got into the American language from nowhere; like Topsy, they just grew. Witness guyasticutus. The guyasticutus was --or still is, for all we know-- the most ferocious, rambunctious, man-eating wild animal ever exhibited under canvas to gullible Americans. For only ten cents, ladeez and gentlemen, a tenth part of a dollar, you can come into the tent and see with your own eyes this horrendous beast which consumes forty-eleven men, women, and tender babes-in-arms at a gulp, then bellows for forty-eleven more. No one except its proprietor, alas, has ever actually seen the guyasticutus. For just when the crowd around the entrance has bought the last ticket, the proprietor rushes out of the tent and roars, 'Run for your lives, ladeez and gentlemen! Escape before you are swallowed alive! The guyasticutus has busted loose!" So maybe that review from Amazon.com is sadly correct! Loren Coleman noted that there was a developing custody battle between Montana and Idaho for the mount in his Dec. 11, 2007 post: Lance Foster, myself, and others have looked for the mounted Shunka Warak’in for decades. I’ve written about it in columns, books, and blogs. Finally, after 121 years of it being missing-in-action, the taxidermy mount has surfaced. But guess what? There is a developing tug-of-war over who owns it, which state has the rights to it, and where it will end up: The Sherwood Beast of Island Park legend and lore has been kidnapped! The stuffed critter of mysterious origin — long displayed at the Sherwood Museum on Henry’s Lake — was recently removed from storage in Pocatello and loaned to a Madison Valley, Montana man who claims he is the grandson of the settler who shot the animal. The Island Park Historical Society Board of Directors and other area residents are concerned about the move because they believe the mount should remain in Idaho and hope someday it can be displayed in Island Park. The Sherwood Museum closed in the late 1970’s, and the family sold the museum and surrounding property in the 1990’s to Steve and Carol Burk of Idaho Falls. Before the sale the Sherwood family donated the taxidermy mounts and artifacts to the Idaho State Historical Society. The mounts are stored at the Museum of Natural History in Pocatello and the artifacts and photographs are stored in Boise. A recent Bozeman Chronicle article by Walt Williams, “ Mystery monster returns home after 121 years,” makes it sound as if the animal belongs in Montana. It states, “Now after 121 years, the taxidermy mount has been found. The creature that once spooked some of the Madison Valley’s first white settlers has come home.” Full article is here. Williams writes that Jack Kirby, claiming to be the grandson of the settler who shot the animal, read a Chronicle story about local legends of strange creatures, and tracked down the mount in the Idaho Museum of Natural History in Pocatello. The museum loaned him the mount to display at the Madison Valley History Museum when the facility reopens in May 2008. Meanwhile, it is stored in the basement of a building on the north edge of Ennis. Williams describes the mount: “The “ringdocus” or “shunka warak’in” — two of the names it has been given over the years — strongly resembles a wolf, but sports a hyena-like sloping back and an odd-shaped head with a narrow snout. Its coat is dark-brown, almost black, with lighter tan areas and a faint impression of stripes on its side. It measure 48 inches from the tip of its snout to its rump, not including the tail, and stands from 27 to 28 inches high at the shoulder. The mount is in amazingly good shape, showing no signs of wear and tear and retaining the color of the fur.” The article notes that Kirby took the mount to the gravesite of the man he claims shot it, Israel Ammon (I.A.) Hutchins. Based on information in a family member’s, Ross Hutchins, autobiography, Kirby claims I. A. Hutchins shot the animal in 1886 on what is now the Sun Ranch, and traded the body with Joseph Sherwood for a cow. A few years ago, Mack’s Inn resident, Harold Bishop, did some research on the beast for a scout project. He interviewed a Chester resident, Pete Marx, who told him a range rider named Heini Schooster killed the beast that was displayed in the museum. Schooster lived down the Madison River from the old Cliff Lake Post Office, which is not that far from the Sun Ranch. Bishop’s story had Schooster killing the beast with a lever action .32 special, Kirby claims the fatal shot ws fired with a G. W. Morse rifle — caliber is not given. The Island Park News runs Bishop’s story every October when it publishes its annual Sherwood Beast Halloween haunts story. The story also notes that people at Bozeman College were unable to ID the animal. When the state accepted the Sherwood collections, officials said they would hold them until they can be displayed properly in Island Park. The Island Park Historical Society helped broker the deal under the leadership of its president at the time, the late Mary McBroom. For years, the IPHS has tried to raise interest in building a local museum. This week, IPHS’s Board of Directors agreed to write a letter of concern to the state, expressing an interest in making sure the mount is returned properly and hoping it would then be displayed at the John Sack cabin in Island Park. ~ by Elizabeth Laden “Sherwood Beast loaned to Montana,” The Island Park News, 2007-12-07. That is yet another part of the "Sherwood Beast" legend. The Island Park News regularly ran stories on the shunka warak'in; a search under "beast" at their search page (http://www.islandparknews.com/past.php) turned up 18 results, several referring to the animal. The paper generally refers to it as the "Sherwood Beast" or S.B. in the "Sherwood Beast Tales," a regular semihumorous Halloween tale written by Elizabeth Laden for several years running (an example: "Sherwood Beast gets his mojo back" at http://www.islandparknews.com/atf.php?sid=3578). She also calls him "Guyastickutes calderamus"; there's that damned "Guyasticutus" reference again! However, there are some interesting bits when you sift through the silliness. Not that I can presently make heads or tails out of "S. B. caught it with his teeth, which as you know if you are an S. B. fan, are actually the false teeth from his dead brother’s taxidermy mount at Idaho State University in Pocatello." But she connects this story with the stories about cryptids in Maine (proved to have been a dog) and in Montana (the sheepkiller mentioned earlier). There was also a 2008-02-01: Guest Column: Sherwood collection update, but I can't access it because I am not a subscriber. The urban myth grows too.There are just more and more pages and theories about the shunka warak'in and ringdocus. It is really strange how modern legends begin, and take their own unpredictable directions. For example, here is a webpage devoted to the animal: http://www.unknownexplorers.com/shunkawarakin.php If you google "ringdocus" or "shunka warak'in" you will be amazed how many results you get. This one seems to be part of an art installation: "Score of the Ringdocus (I'm Just Too Scared Of Wolves)" http://flickr.com/photos/39102227@N00/2349386871 So now what? The obvious answer is DNA testing, or simple identification by a qualified zoologist. Montana State University at Bozeman is not far from Ennis; Bozeman is also the location of the Museum of the Rockies. Having a biologist/mammalogist check it out would at least help resolve whether the mount is really a wolf, or a "doctored" wolf (aka a Barnum-type "humbug"), or not. I think I'm at least going to try and call Ennis and see if I can track down anyone who knows if the mount is still there. And then maybe I can get someone with a car to go with me down there to check it out in person. It's a day trip. The other possibility is to hunt down the bundle in the Museum of the American Indian and see if the skin of the Ioway's shunka warak'in still exists, and what that might help prove. Those collections are split up, some in Washington, DC, and some in the Heye Museum in New York. I do know in 1994 or so, I examined an amulet from an unknown animal in the Milwaukee Public Museum, that may be from the same animal the Ioway killed. But it had no hair left and was only a strip of badly worn skin. So, the mystery continues. Part of the reason I posted this is because I was recently contacted by a student whose team is making a documentary about the Shunka Warak'in as a university film project. I am going to be interviewed for the film next week it looks like, and I needed to get my thoughts together, so this has helped. Now that I have collected what is known about the Shunka Warak'in to the best of my ability, and taken this chance to again reflect about it, I will post again...probably after I get to Ennis and take some photos. I will certainly suggest that to the film crew next week. My life seems to have become entwined with this fellow's story over the past 20 years or so. But you never know about the Shunka Warak'in. The legend seems to have a knack of taking its own direction, and preserving itself as a mystery in plain sight.

Posted by: John Kirk on May 12th, 2007 Many readers are familiar with the most famous lake cryptid in British Columbia known variously as Ogogpogo or Naitaka. There are actually more sightings reports for Ogopogo than there are for the Loch Ness unknown. However, in recent years sightings have diminished. As I spend a fair amount of my investigative work at Okanagan Lake, I have to plan each year’s program around the time when sightings most frequently taken place, but acquiring recent sightings data is becoming more and more difficult as the sightings are drying up. The last sighting on record was obtained by Jill Jellett and her husband on 27 June, 2006. The Jelletts were having dinner in a waterfront restaurant in Summerland which is about ten miles north of the southern shore of Okanagan Lake. Over the years Summerland has seen its share of sightings and is the location of the longest sighting of Ogopogo which took place for several hours in 1926 at the local Pier. The creature at first showed itself to a handful of people, who then spread the news around the entire community At first Jan thought she was seeing a seal, but quickly realized that seals do not stick their heads up to a height of five feet and seals also do not have rounded muzzles, but rather they have sharp ones. Jen and her husband then realized that they were actually seeing an Ogopogo – there are several creatures living in the lake – but the sighting did not last much longer. In fact this is the only sighting report to which I can put a name that occurred in 2006. So far in 2007 there has not been a single sighting report. It is not usual for sightings to take place in winter, but they do on occasion, occur. This year no reports have surfaced in the colder months, but then again we have had very stormy weather and tons of rain so people generally avoided being out and about on or by the water. This summer we plan to bring our investigators from the BCSCC back up to the lake and carry out our work at various places where previous sightings have occurred. We hope we will have a better year than we have had in recent years where we saw no signs of the creature and its activities. One of the founders of the BCSCC, John Kirk has enjoyed a varied and exciting career path. Both a print and broadcast journalist, John Kirk has in recent years been at the forefront of much of the BCSCC’s expeditions, investigations and publishing. John has been particularly interested in the phenomenon of unknown aquatic cryptids around the world and is the author of In the Domain of the Lake Monsters (Key Porter Books, 1998). In addition to his interest in freshwater cryptids, John has been keenly interested in investigating the possible existence of sasquatch and other bipedal hominids of the world, and in particular, the Yeren of China. John is also chairman of the Crypto Safari organization, which specializes in sending teams of investigators to remote parts of the world to search for animals as yet unidentified by science. John travelled with a Crypto Safari team to Cameroon and northern Republic of Congo to interview witnesses among the Baka pygmies and Bantu bushmen who have sighted a large unknown animal that bears more than a superficial resemblance to a dinosaur. Since 1996, John Kirk has been editor and publisher of the BCSCC Quarterly which is the flagship publication of the BCSCC. In demand at conferences, seminars, lectures and on television and radio programs, John has spoken all over North America and has appeared in programs on NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, TLC, Discovery, CBC, CTV and the BBC. In his personal life John spends much time studying the histories of Scottish Clans and is himself the president of the Clan Kirk Society. John is also an avid soccer enthusiast and player.

Posted by: Loren Coleman on June 8th, 2012 Richard T. Crowe, 64, famed ghost hunter, well-known for his Ghost Tours of Chicago, passed away on Wednesday, June 6, 2012, from the complications of pancreatic cancer. Crowe set up the world’s first ghost bus tour after receiving his Master’s degree from DePaul University in 1973. I knew Rich first as a cryptid hunter, in the years before his ghost business. For example, on July 19, 1972, Richard Crowe investigated Momo (Missouri Monster) at Marzolf Hill, Louisiana, Missouri, by trekking there with fellow investigator Loren Smith, and the primary eyewitness, Terry Harrison. But it was the Enfield trek that I shared with him that I will never forget. The McDaniel house, which was attacked by the Enfield Horror, 1973, and investigated by Crowe & Coleman. Photo from the Loren Coleman archives. Crowe (from Chicago) and I (from central Illinos) journeyed together to investigate the 1973 anthropoid cryptid reports from southern Illinois, which has come to be collectively called the “Enfield Horror” (coined by Troy Taylor, I think). Crowe and I examined the railroad tracks, fields, and yard near the Henry McDaniel home of Enfield. Eyewitnesses included McDaniel, Rick Rainbow, news director of Radio Station WWKI, Kokomo, Indiana, and ten-year-old Greg Garrett. Garrett saw the creature in April 1973, and said it was apelike. Rick Rainbow and three other persons saw the thing on May 6, 1973, beside an old abandoned house near McDaniel’s place. They didn’t get a good look at it because its back was to them and it was running in the shadows but they later described it as about five and a half feet tall, hairy, grayish, and stooped. Rainbow taped the cry it made, as guns going off can be heard in the background. I talked to Rainbow on the phone, and played his tape on Boston’s WBUR. Soon after the Rainbow incident, Crowe and I traveled to Enfield, interviewed locals and witnesses, and then had our own experience. We did not see the creature but we did hear a weird, unusual, high-pitched daylight screech while we were searching the area around McDaniel’s home. Richard Crowe, 2012. Crowe was a Chicago-based collector of unusual folklore and ghostlore. Crowe has both a BA and MA in English Literature from DePaul University and organized, as mentioned, the very first ghost bus tour in the world, the Chicago Ghost Tour, for DePaul’s Geographical Society while finishing his studies there in 1973. He is a member of both the Chicago and Salt Creek Civil War Round Tables, the Westerners (Chicago Corral), and the Al Capone Fan Club. Crowe was the Chicago chapter head of the John Dillinger Died for you Society. He belongs to many other historical and folkloric societies, nationally and internationally. Crowe had a business that consists of day and evening bus tours, summer boat cruises, Chinatown walking tours, lectures, theme parties, out of state packages, and TV and movie consultation – but everything he did revolves around ghosts, the supernatural, the unexplained! Crowe’s events were available for the general public or as private offerings for corporate and large groups at a quantity discount. From birthday to retirement parties, senior outings to school field trips, corporate incentives to conventions, Crowe would deliver. As the original, full-time professional ghost hunter in the Midwest , Crowe was very popular on the TV and radio talk show circuit. He has appeared on cable and network TV on programs ranging from Oprah to Unsolved Mysteries to Haunted History. His radio appearances have included WGN’s Steve and Johnnie Show, WIND’s Geoff Pinkus Show, WLS’s Roe Conn Show and George Noory’s “Coast to Coast.” Crowe was a long time member and booster of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (CCTB), the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. In 2009, Crowe was honored as a Kentucky Colonel, the highest award bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky “in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments.” He was also inducted into the Showmen’s League of America, an organization founded by Buffalo Bill Cody. A younger Crowe. Crowe traveled and gathered new material from all parts of the world. He had been to Ireland (12 trips), England (7 times), Yugoslavia (twice), Scotland , Mexico , Jamaica , Hong Kong , Macau , and the PRC (Mainland China ). He had lead numerous out-of-state tour groups to Voodoo New Orleans, Colonial Witchcraft Salem (MA), and Civil War Gettysburg (PA). Crowe lived in a reputed haunted house in the southwest suburbs with Carmilla, his black cat, surrounded by antiques and haunted artifacts. His book, Chicago’s Streetguide to the Supernatural was a local bestseller during his lifetime. He was also the co-producer in 1986 of the 90 minute DVD, The Ghosts of Chicago, the first in-depth study of classic Chicago haunts (considered for a local Emmy.) Mr. Crowe, the Midwest’s original full-time, professional Ghosthunter, devoted himself to uncovering Chicago’s rich history of hauntings, ghosts and other supernatural phenomena. He pioneered the use of luxury buses and sightseeing boats to include the public on his adventures into the supernatural so you can come along and have as much fun as he has. Funeral services for Richard T. Crowe are as follows…wake will be from 3-9 p.m. on Monday, June 11, 2012, at Modell Funeral Home, 5725 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, IL 60629. Funeral will be Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 9 a.m. from the funeral home to St. Patricia Church, 9050 S. 86th Avenue, Hickory Hills, IL 60457. Interment, of course, will be at Resurrection Cemetery. Resurrection Cemetery was on Crowe’s ghost tours, and many of his friends and family feel his burial there is only fitting. Crowe had collected numerous sightings of “Resurrection Mary.” Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading. 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.

become an editor the entire directory only in Unknown_Primates/Bigfoot Anomalies and Alternative Science - Wikipedia article on this alleged ape-like creature purportedly inhabiting forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. - Organization undertaking research into these unique creatures and working to save their habitat. Bigfoot at 50 - A skeptical review of the history of Bigfoot. - Blog with news, sightings and musings of bigfoot by Linda Newton-Perry, who writes the newspaper column "A Matter of Time." - Contains sightings, links, and pictures. - Includes news, sightings, stories, newspaper and magazine clippings, videos, and interviews. Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization - Includes geographic database, theories, research projects, and tips on collecting evidence. Bigfoot in New York? - Contains links, pictures, and information. The Bigfoot Research Network - A system to search for, document, and analyze potential evidence. - Includes links, sighting submissions, pictures, and history. Gulf Coast Bigfoot Research Organization - Contains links, stories, news, pictures, and information. The Honey Island Swamp Monster - Contains information and pictures. - Includes a siting database, pictures, reports, links, submit a report, and other Kentucky cryptid information. Mad River Sasquatch Study - A study on the possibility of Bigfoot within the Miami Valley of Ohio. Offers information, news, and sightings. Michigan Bigfoot Information Center - Information on the Study of Bigfoot/Sasquatch in Michigan - Information about Bigfoot and Sasquatch in Minnesota. New Jersey Bigfoot Reporting Center - Database of Bigfoot sightings in the Garden State, with articles and book reviews. North American Bigfoot - Blog by bigfoot field researcher, Cliff Barackman, with bigfoot pictures, a cast database and bigfoot evidence for peer review. Report a bigfoot sighting with supporting evidence. The Ohio / Pennsylvania Bigfoot Research Group - Conducts research in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Includes videos, sound clips, photos, and research information. - Includes sightings, news, journals, a FAQ, links, and a sighting reporter. Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society - Offers expedition and conference information, newsletter, forums, and links. Sasquatch and Native Americans - Indian legends about the Sasquatch. Sasquatch Information Society - Includes news, pictures, research, and interviews. - Offers sightings, audio and video, links, and information. Texas Bigfoot Research Center - Includes links, members, pictures, newsletter, and current investigations. TexLa Cryptozoological Research Group - Group researching reports of Bigfoot/Sasquatch and other cryptids in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. This is Bigfoot Country: Washington State - Contains information, links, and photos. Virginia Bigfoot Research - Includes sightings, maps, information, pictures, and links. " search on: to edit this category. Copyright © 1998-2015 AOL Inc. Visit our sister sites Last update: June 29, 2014 at 9:24:03 UTC -

as promised, our pal, mike estelle came through and provided me with not just a segment for the blog, but the entire thing! here, he has accepted my challenge of several weeks back for folks to write in with their own takes on craig's classic pin-up, "zombie circus." and below that, mike also sent in a topic for both contemplation and discussion. thanks for givin' me a day off mike! and here he is... …and she felt bad for refusing the offer. While still being new to the recently deceased way of life Molly couldn’t make heads nor tails of how they could possibly be a good influence for her. The way the Ringleader pushed his case and tried to persuade her into becoming one of them made her ectoplasmic form crawl. Creepy!! And the looks she received from those surrounding her after she had politely said no, she was better off. But now they’re moving on and she knows she can’t let them continue their bizarre form of entertainment. What could she do though, she was just a ghost. She’ll have to try to find someone, or something, to help her….. Hey Todd--Ok and now my guest post. I was going to try to do something cryptid related but I came up blank. Then I was going to do something funny, and well it ended up not being very funny at all. So I decided to try something else out. You’ve been wanting discussions-so I thought a good idea would be getting people’s opinions on comics in printed form vs. comics on the web and what they’re likes and dislikes were. I know there’s been topics on forums all over on this, but I don’t think you’ve ever had something related to this on the blog, and if you did feel free to smack me upside the head and say ‘I already did that you ass!’ Ok so webcomics aren’t new and neither is the way of things for comics in printed form. And they’re also crossing over-webcomics get collections and some people decide to post their comics online, for various reasons, whether financial or just to get the word out to people. I’ve noticed more people heading to the web these days though. While I love comics in ANY form, I’m hoping weekly’s and even trades continue, and I mean for those people who aren’t doing work for the big 2 and Image. I understand the hurdles involved to get books out there these days, but I love going to the store and getting books. On the other hand I like a lot of webcomics as well, but I don’t get to be on the internet that much, or for long sessions at a time, so I get behind on a lot of them. Thankfully some have become popular enough, or the creators get the money and chance, that they get collected and are available somehow for purchase. I personally would rather have the books as it’s easier to cart them around and read than for me to lug my entire workstation around with me. Yeah, I could buy a laptop and get, or *ahem* ‘borrow’, some wi-fi, but no matter what I will always prefer the printed form. So what are people’s thoughts on this? And if you read any webcomics what ones? I’m always looking for good ones to read so let me know of any good ones! and here's a quick "five for friday!" same last names 1. betty, gary, anderson 2. ted, lana, tina 3. kate, steve, terry 4. george, bret, lorne 5. lorne, tom, garth have a great memorial day or jake's birthday weekend! ~~ however you celebrate... thanks again, mike! smell ya later!

Hoaxes are the bane of cryptozoological research worldwide. Throughout recorded history, those who investigate reports of unknown, unexpected animals have been compelled to deal with frauds, practical jokes, and “silly season” filler in the press. Wisconsin hoaxers made a giant snake from painted cotton cloth in 1849. Nine years later, the coordinates for a sea serpent sighting placed it deep in the Libyan desert. In July 1885 an Ohio newspaper fabricated the capture of a 1,200-pound aquatic monster off the coast of Maine. Today, hoaxes are facilitated by Photoshop software and CGI technology, producing images of crystal clarity and startling effect. In June 2010 alone, the CFZ exposed two suspect “dogman” videos within as many days. Professional debunkers seize upon such incidents to brand cryptozoology a pseudo-science and dismiss it out of hand. And yet, for every bogus “Nessie tooth” or cut-rate Bigfoot costume lying crumpled in a con man’s freezer, there are other hoaxes perpetrated in the name of truth and reason. Curiously, journalists who pride themselves on placing “monster” sightings underneath a microscope—or treating them to knee-jerk ridicule—often accept such “revelations” as the gospel truth, without a hint of critical examination. That peculiar double standard has inspired me to review some headline “exposés” from recent years which seem, on balance, to be more disinformation than enlightenment. Case No. 1 involves the Mansi photograph of an alleged cryptid in Lake Champlain. * * * Dividing New York from Vermont, with its northern tip in Canada, Lake Champlain is 110 miles long, with a surface area of 435 square miles. Its average depth is 64 feet, with a maximum recorded depth of 440 feet. It bears the name of French explorer Samuel de Champlain, who “discovered” it in 1609, with help from aboriginal scouts. Some accounts claim that Champlain was also the first European to sight the lake’s legendary cryptid—later dubbed “Champ”—but those reports stem from an erroneous “quotation” from Champlain’s diary, published by the Vermont Journal in 1970.1 In fact, the first “genuine” Champ sighting dates from July 1819, with 339 recorded by July 2005. American showman P.T. Barnum offered $50,000 for Champ’s capture in 1873, scaled back to $20,000 in 1887, but neither bid produced a specimen.2 Most lake monster believers agree that the best evidence of Champ’s existence is a photograph snapped on 5 July 1977 and published for the first time four years later. Anthony and Sandra Mansi (then engaged to be married) , with two children from Sandra’s previous marriage, had camped at Vergennes, Vermont, on 4 July, and stopped along the lake’s shore the following day, near St. Albans. While the children played, Sandra noted a disturbance in the water, some 150 feet offshore. At first, she took it for “an elephant tuna fish,” then a scuba diver, until a “dinosaur” head and neck rose some six feet above the surface.3 As she described what happened next: The rest of the neck came out of the water and then the hump came out. And it looked around, it never swam, it just looked around, like this. And it was the texture like that of an eel. You know how an eel looks slimy and shiny if the light is on it somewhat. That was the texture of it. It was kind of slow moving and really quite majestic. But I was terrified. And I thought that sucker had legs and was coming out on shore.4 Before fleeing with her family, Sandra snapped a photo with her Kodak Instamatic camera, placing it in an album and keeping the incident secret until autumn 1979, when she contacted Dr. Philip Reines, professor of communications at State University of New York in Plattsburgh. Reines introduced Mansi to Champ researcher Joseph Zarzynski, who in turn delivered the photo to Dr. George Zug, then curator of reptiles and amphibians at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. On 9 July 1980, Dr. Zug wrote to Zarzynski: “The Mansi photograph is fascinating and quite good considering the circumstances under which it was taken. Unfortunately, I can offer no equivocal identification....Certainly all our examinations cast no doubts on the authenticity of their photograph and report.”5 Zarzynski next contacted Dr. Roy Mackal at the University of Chicago, who sent Mansi’s photo to colleague J. Richard Greenwell at the University of Arizona. Greenwell arranged for Dr. B. Roy Frieden, a mathematical physicst, to examine the photo at UA’s Optical Sciences Center. Frieden’s report, issued on 30 April 1981, declared that “the photo does not appear to be a montage or a superimposition of any kind.” The sole “suspicious detail” was a horizontal “brownish streak,” identified as a probable sandbar by some unnamed former resident of Lake Champlain’s vicinity whom Frieden consulted. While accepting that judgment without further evidence, Frieden granted that “There is another school of thought that says since it’s dark, maybe it means deep water.”6 If it was a sandbar, Frieden wrote, “there is a distinct possibility that the object was put there by someone, either the people who took the photo or by the people who were fooling them, because you could simply walk out on such a sand bar and tow the object behind you and hide behind it as you made it rise out of the water and so forth....[I]f the sand bar question is resolved and the fact that it’s not a sand bar can be really confirmed, then there’s much smaller likelihood of this being a hoax.”7 Three decades after the fact, the sandbar question has not been resolved (though skofftics take it for granted), yet questions remain. It seems impossible that any third party could drag a makeshift monster out from shore in full view of the Mansis, then submerge it (on a sandbar!) and make it rise again, all while remaining invisible. Thus, if there was a willful hoax, the Mansis must have been active participants. There is no rational alternative. * * * The New York Times broke Mansi’s story on 30 June 1981, with a summary of Dr. Frieden’s findings and a black-and-white print of the photo (http://www.cryptomundo.com/bigfoot-report/champ-photo). By then, the Times announced, the photo’s negative was missing. Maclean’s and Time magazines ran copies of the original color photo simultaneously on 13 July 1981 (http://www.cryptomundo.com/bigfoot-report/champ-photo). Predictably, the ensuing debate was intense. Next to weigh in on the Mansi photo was Dr. Paul LeBlond, head of the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of British Columbia and a founding director of the International Society of Cryptozoology. Writing for the premiere issue of the ISC’s peer-reviewed journal in winter 1982, Dr. LeBlond offered an estimate of Champ’s dimensions calculated from surrounding waves. Using the Beaufort scale (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/beaufort.html) to estimate wind speed from the appearance of the lake’s surface, LeBlond gauged the distance between visible waves, thus determining that “Champ stretches from 1.5 to 2 wavelengths at the water line: this dimension ranges from an extreme lower bound of 4.8m [16 ft.] to an extreme upper bound of 17.2m [56 ft.].” Thus, the original Mansi estimates of Champ’s total length as 12-15 feet (Sandra) or 15-20 feet (Anthony) fell into the lower possible size range. Dr. LeBlond also dismissed the hidden sandbar hypothesis as “inconsistent with the behavior of the waves traveling over that area.”8 While Dr. LeBlond was preparing his piece for Cryptozoology, the ISC’s newsletter broke further news from Arizona, where Roy Frieden had subjected the Mansi photo to electronic enhancement and reverse image contrast processing. Based on those studies, he concluded that the photo “did demonstrate that the monster’s ‘back’ and ‘head’ are connected (not clearly visible to the eye in the original print).” However, the enhancement “could not resolve the facial features because the head was heavily shadowed.”9 * * * Enter the staff of Skeptical Inquirer, published since 1976 by a group pledged to “promote scientific inquiry, critical investigation, and the use of reason in examining controversial and extraordinary claims,” presently known as the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Two “research fellows” of the CSI—SI columnist Joe Nickell and managing editor Benjamin Radford—spent a total of eight days at Lake Champlain in August 2002, during which they reportedly “examined all aspects of the Champ legend, from its alleged inception, through the impact of a famous 1977 photograph of the creature, and beyond,” modestly declaring their effort “the most wide-ranging, hands-on investigation of Champ ever conducted with an intent to solve, rather than promote, the mystery.”10 On 22 August alone, according to Nickell, they interviewed a New York skeptic and his cryptozoologist brother, then “began to explore Lake Champlain from its southernmost tip near Whitehall to its northern end in Québec.” Subsequent days included lakeside vigils, observation of a sign listing Champ sightings, and a visit to a local bar, where one self-proclaimed witness declared all but himself to be drunkards. By the time the intrepid explorers departed, their disbelief in Champ was (not surprisingly) confirmed and carved in stone.11 Even so, another year passed before Nickell and Radford published their findings, in two parts, for SI’s July/August issue of 2003. Nickell dealt with Champ’s “legend,” citing inconsistencies in media reports and eyewitness descriptions, describing the phenomenon of “expectant attention” that prompts sightings of monsters where none exist, and blaming the “bandwagon effect” for proliferation of sightings in specific years. The net result: “Not only is there not a single piece of convincing evidence for Champ’s existence, but there are many reasons against it, one of which is that a single monster can neither live for centuries nor reproduce itself.”12 Claims, we should note, that have never been advanced by any serious researcher. As alert as he is to misuse of propaganda techniques by others, Nickell nonetheless seems willing to use the duplicitous “straw man” approach (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Straw_man). Radford was left to debunk the Mansi photo. He began by interviewing Sandra herself on 24 August 2002, but directly quotes only 57 words from her statement in a 3,433-word article. Despite selective editing, Mansi did not appear to contradict her original statements from 1981, which left Radford to raise “The Hoaxing Question.”13 First, Radford notes that “the photo has virtually no objects of known scale (boat, human, etc.) by which to judge the creature’s size or the distance,” a fact which—while accurate—assumes significance only if the photo was hoaxed.14 By definition, photographs of unexpected incidents cannot be staged for the subsequent convenience of armchair analysts, by including mundane objects missing from the scene as events unfold. Next, Radford declares, “The fact that the Mansis, allegedly afraid of ridicule, waited four years to release the photo was also seen [by Radford] as suspicious. All we are left with is a fantastic story whose only supporting proof is a compelling but ambiguous photograph of something in the water.”15 The same result would exist, of course, if the Mansis had broadcast their story and photo in July 1977. The hypocrisy of this argument only becomes apparent when—as revealed in subsequent installments of this series—we find skeptics eager to accept wholly unsubstantiated “hoax confessions” aired for the first time 40 to 60 years after the fact. Following that lead-in, Radford leaves the Mansis to attack Richard D. Smith, head of New Jersey-based Wind & Whalebone Media Productions, who wrote of Mansi’s photo in 1983: “As a photographer and filmmaker, I can speak with some authority as to what it would take to fake a picture of this sort. Assuming the remote possibility that the Mansi photo is a fraud, it would require fabrication of an excellent, full-sized model (highly expensive in terms of expertise and materials) which would have to be smuggled out to Champlain or another lake, there assembled or inflated, and successfully maneuvered around out in the water (most difficult, especially with a slight wind blowing), the whole thing accomplished without being seen or the slightest leak in security (unlikely).”16 Radford—who, according to his SI profile, has produced no films at all 17—deems professional filmmaker Smith’s opinion “nearly comical in its strained assumptions,” particularly with regard to a life-sized model of Champ being used by the Mansis, or by someone attempting to dupe them. What explanation, then, remains? Radford beneficently declares himself “willing to grant that [Mansi] is probably a sincere eyewitness reporting essentially what she saw.”18 But what did she see? Radford’s first suggestion is the sandbar suggested by Dr. Frieden in 1981 and confidently dismissed by Dr. LeBlond a year later. Unable to resolve that contradiction, he states categorically (but without proof, beyond his personal assertion) that LeBlond was “clearly wrong” in plotting the probable location of Mansi’s sighting on a map of Lake Champlain. That said, he drops the sandbar argument and veers off in a new direction for “The Radford Analysis.”19 Ignoring the report from Dr. Frieden, quoted in the ISC Newsletter 21 years earlier, Radford notes “an odd thing” about Mansi’s photo. Specifically, “It is not apparent at first glance, but the ‘head’ and ‘hump’ are not clearly connected.” Without the benefit of Dr. Frieden’s wisdom and equipment, Radford speculates that Mansi’s creature may be two separate objects coincidentally juxtaposed, the apparent head and neck “perhaps a gnarled tree root branching away at an angle.”20 After conducting various experiments to prove his point—allegedly measuring Champ in Mansi’s original photo, wading out from shore with a “mock Champ,” etc.—Radford concluded that “for those claiming that the Mansi object is huge, the numbers don’t add up.” In his view, the presumed neck is barely three feet high, while the whole object stretches seven feet from end to end. Again, no computations are provided to contest Dr. LeBlond’s work from the Beaufort scale. The net result: “If the main eyewitness is to be believed [sic], this ‘extremely good evidence’ for Champ (and, by extension, other lake monsters) is even weaker than previously suspected.”21 * * * Radford tried for another bite at the apple nine months later, with a new article and hypothesis in the April 2004 issue of Fortean Times. Moving steadily away from his prior assessment of Sandra Mansi as “a sincere eyewitness reporting essentially what she saw,” Radford laments that “remarkably little progress has been made in identifying [the photo’s] subject” since his last attempt. Now, he implies conspiracy.22 “Whether by accident or design,” Radford writes, “virtually all of the information needed to determine the photograph’s authenticity is missing, lost or unavailable. For example, Mansi cannot provide the negative, which might show evidence of tampering, neither can she provide other photographs from the roll (which might show other angles of the same object, or perhaps ‘test’ photos of a known object from an odd position). Mansi is unable to locate the site of the photo, which would help to determine a number of things, including the size of the object, and the photo itself shows virtually no objects of known scale by which to judge the creature’s size or distance.”23 Tackling “the most fundamental question”—whether Champ is alive or a posed, inanimate object—Radford judges the angle of head and neck “very unnatural,” declaring that “[i]t is hard to conceive of a large, aquatic animal whose morphology would allow for such a tortuous positioning.” Mansi’s 1981 description of a creature seemingly insensible to noise and movement on the shore further convinces Radford that “the object could not hear because it was inanimate.” Setting up his pitch, he tells us: “Finally, we have Sandra Mansi’s description of the object’s texture. In her words, the object was wet and glistening and its texture was ‘like bark, like crevice-ey...’ Perhaps, then, it was bark.”24 Perhaps ... except that Radford’s article cites no source for Mansi’s comment—which, as we have seen, flatly contradicts her longstanding description of Champ’s skin as having a “texture like that of an eel...slimy and shiny.” Radford’s previous piece for Skeptical Inquirer includes no mention of “crevice-ey” skin, nor does any other source retrievable by press time for this article. If Mansi provided this contradictory description in her 2002 interview with Radford, why not cite it? Whatever its provenance, the “crevice-ey” quote banishes Radford’s suspicion of conspiracy, reinstating Sandra Mansi as “an honest person” in his estimation. Concluding that the object in her photo “had none of the characteristics of a living animal,” Radford drops his original two-piece Champ and offers a drifting log as “The Best Candidate.” Not just any log, of course, but one resembling a plesiosaur. Radford photographed such a piece of driftwood at Lake Champlain (http://www.forteantimes.com/front_website/gallery.php?id=441), and while it clearly does resemble a monster of some kind, it has nothing whatever in common with Mansi’s subject. To bridge that yawning gap, Radford resorts to pen and paper, sketching an imaginary “monster” log with all the necessary bits and posing it in sundry attitudes to seal the deal(http://www.forteantimes.com/front_website/gallery.php?id=439). Even then, he concedes, “I cannot conclusively prove the object is a tree; fortunately, I don’t have to.”25 No, indeed. Those who question his solution are required (by Radford) to prove the nonexistence of a most convenient log that Radford himself never found, at Lake Champlain or anywhere else. * * * In 2006, Radford and Nickell recycled their Champ articles more or less verbatim in a book, Lake Monster Mysteries, published by the University Press of Kentucky. Their introduction proclaims the book “unique in several respects,” but cites only one, saying: “Many books on this topic are not so much written as compiled, consisting essentially of collections of entertaining stories and legends written to entice and amuse. Little if any attempt is made to actually investigate the sightings or even treat the subject as a mystery to be solved.” [Emphasis in the original.] And again, “Rather than simply cataloging the sightings, we have chosen a different path: in-depth, hands-on investigations.”26 That said, readers may be surprised to find that, while Radford and Nickell treat 20 alleged “monster” lakes in varying detail, they only describe personal visits to five, with no substantive details provided for three of those “expeditions.” Indeed, by actual page-count, treatment of Champ accounts for 30 percent of their text overall. Information on most of the others is simply compiled from pre-existing sources, with no apparent “hands-on” work in evidence.27 As for entertainment, it is difficult to top the authors’ claim that “such investigations might be dangerous,” prompting them to review their insurance policies “for the ‘psychological aftershocks’ we might endure if we were fortunate enough to come face-to-face with one of these creatures.” The “threat” from nonexistent monsters, including two notorious hoaxes thoroughly debunked in 1855 and 1904 respectively, goes unexplained.28 Nickell’s portion of the book’s Champ chapter is simply his 2003 SI article, treated to a cosmetic makeover. Selective phrases are revised—“friend and fellow skeptic Robert Bartholomew” becomes “friend and fellow researcher Robert Bartholomew,” etc.—but SI subscribers may feel that they’ve wasted $26.95 on a retread.29 Radford is more imaginative, borrowing text from his Fortean Times article in addition to the older SI piece, repeating Mansi’s alleged description of bark-like skin (now spelled “crevice-y”), still without a citation.30 In addition to reprinting photos from his other articles, Radford trumps his FT drawings with photos of an identical monster log sculpted from clay, in miniature. Dubbing it an “animated sequence,” he presents four snapshots of the imaginary log in poses meant to mimic Mansi’s Champ, perched atop a transparent blade of some kind to hold the model in midair. Curiously, two of the four resultant photos bear no resemblance to Mansi’s subject, and animation of the sequence would present a figure flopping and rolling in a manner totally unlike Mansi’s description of Champ as she saw it.31 Despite repeated descriptions of Sandra Mansi as “an honest person” and “a sincere eyewitness,” Radford still regards her as both mistaken and brainwashed by overzealous cryptozoologists. To prove the latter point, Radford declares his 2002 interview with Mansi “the basis of comparison” for all other statements she’s made, either before or since that date. According to Radford, the Mansis initially thought that the object they’d seen was “probably a fish.” They “totally dismissed” any notion of Champ until the photo was developed, whereupon they “considered the possibility” but remained apathetic. Only after three years of exposure to pesky researchers, was Mansi converted into a Champ believer. Thus, Radford explains, “cryptozoologists created a monster.”32 Radford assures us that he does not “flatly discount the idea of large, unknown creatures in Lake Champlain,” but that claim—and his protestations of Sandra Mansi’s sincerity—ring hollow as he beats the drum for a potential hoax. Disclaimers of a fraud, he says, are “comical,” “strained,” and “far-fetched.” The indicators of a hoax, in Radford’s view, are numerous: a single, high-quality photo taken by chance; Mansi’s disposal of the negative; her inability to pinpoint the encounter site; the four-year delay in publication. All, he tells us, are suggestive of the very hoax which Radford himself discounts.33 * * * Let us be clear: if the Mansi photo is a hoax, Sandra Mansi herself must be responsible. With that in mind, and assuming a hoax, what might be its motive? Profit springs to mind ... but whose? A genuine lake monster photo might be worth millions, yet Ben Radford concedes that Mansi has rejected various lucrative offers for rights to her photo.34 Copies seen in print normally bear a copyright notice in Mansi’s name, or shared jointly with the Gamma Liaison news photo agency, but contacts for its purchase are strangely elusive. Two years of effort, during preparation of my own Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology, proved fruitless. Today, Gamma Liaison’s website (http://www.liaisonintl.com/) is inaccessible, while that of its parent company—Getty Images (http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Getty-Images-Inc-Company-History.html)—proves equally frustrating. Searches on the Getty site return no hits for Sandra Mansi or Champ, nor does Mansi’s photo appear anywhere among the 1,639 images returned by a search for “monsters.” Likewise, no trace of Mansi’s photo may be found in Britain’s Fortean Picture Library (http://www.forteanpix.co.uk/subind.html). What else remains, as motive for a hoax, once profit is removed? Reality TV has taught us that some people will do anything to claim a tawdry moment in the spotlight, but Sandra Mansi’s personal behavior does not seem to fit that mold. Nothing reveals her as an inveterate practical joker. There is no hint of malice in her actions—and even if there was, its target would remain obscure. Floating log or monster? Hoax, sincere mistake, or accurate report of an encounter with a real-life cryptid? At 33 years and counting, we shall likely never know. But if skeptics are correct in saying that the Mansi photo fails to prove Champ’s case, so sketches and models of hypothetical logs fall far short of proving the creature a myth. The contest is a draw. The mystery remains. 1 “Champ, the Lake Champlain ‘Monster,’” Paranormal Encyclopedia, http://www.paranormal-encyclopedia.com/c/champ. 2 Gary Mangiacopra and Dwight Smith, Does Champ Exist? (Landisville, PA: Coachwhip Publications, 2007), pp. 172-210; Joseph Zarzynski, Champ: Beyond the Legend (Chesterfield, Derbyshire: Bannister Publications, 1984), p. 83. 3 Zarzynski, pp. 62-3. 4 Mangiacopra and Smith, p. 58. 5 Zarzynski, p. 63. 6 Ibid., pp. 140-1. 7 Ibid., pp. 141-2. 8 Paul LeBlond, “An Estimate of the Dimensions of the Lake Champlain Monster from the Length of Adjacent Wind Waves in the Mansi Photograph.” Cryptozoology 1(Winter 1982): 54-60. 9 Anonymous. “Lake Champlain monster draws worldwide attention.” ISC Newsletter 1 (Summer 1982): 1-4. 10 Joe Nickell, “Legend of the Lake Champlain Monster,” Skeptical Inquirer 27 (July/August 2003), http://www.csicop.org/si/show/legend_of_the_lake_champlain_monster. 13 Ben Radford, “The Measure of a Monster: Investigating the Champ Photo,” ,” Skeptical Inquirer 27 (July/August 2003), http://www.csicop.org/si/show/measure_of_a_monster_investigating_the_champ_photo. 16 Zarzynski, p. 69. 17 “Ben Radford,” CSI, http://www.csicop.org/author/benradford. 18 Radford, “The Measure of a Monster.” 22 Benjamin Radford, “Lake Champlain Monster,” Fortean Times (April 2004), http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/157/lake_champlain_monster.html. 26 Benjamin Radford and Joe Nickell, Lake Monster Mysteries (Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2006), pp. 7-8. 27 Ibid., pp. 11-147. 28 Ibid., pp. 9, 79-88, 101-9. 29 Ibid., pp. 28-43; Joe Nickell, “Legend of the Lake Champlain Monster.” 30 Radford and Nickell, pp. 43-59; Radford, “The Measure of a Monster”; Radford, “Lake Champlain Monster.” 31 Radford and Nickell, pp. 165-7. 32 Ibid., 153-5, 157. 33 Ibid., pp. 45-7. 34 Ibid., p. 46.

Despite hundreds, if not thousands of years of anecdotal sightings, reports and intriguingly blurry photos, there has been no definitive proof of the existence of mysterious cryptids such as the yeti, sasquatch or skunk ape. Reports of flying bipedal hominids are even rarer. One thinks of John Keel’s experiences in Point Pleasant, Virginia, with the so-called Moth Man, but that aside, the idea of this form of cryptid has inherent anti-gravitic properties is something which is clearly so closely guarded that even the cover-up has yet to be discovered. Players must guide their magic-carpet riding yeti, through a landscape of pyramids, mountains and outer space, while collecting gold coins, avoiding nasty buzzing things and picking up enough cash to pimp your Yeti with cool threads, turning your yeti into a clown, cowboy, or even a flying Scotsman… Players can even share their successes, achievements and encounters with mysterious Men In Black, via Facebook, Twitter and Apple’s Game Center. “As parents with young kids, we understand our market. I used to write games as a teenager before it was cool to be a geek. Steven is a prolific artist and has exceptional talent which he has brought to bear in creating original and fun characters which feature in the game.” As soon as you pick up the game you can’t help but be struck by the superb artwork. The Yetis were born out of Steven’s Wet Yeti graphics studio, who’s prints and greetings cards have built up a dedicated following in recent years. As Steve describes “It has been a joy to see life breathed into the characters using Anthony’s quirky puppet-like animation, which really suit the game well. It’s a fantastic feeling to be launching the game” Go Yeti! is available NOW for iOS devices. You can find it on the App Store for £0.69/$0.99. Nevistech has already achieved immortality and the respect of new-found colleagues, thanks to its inclusion in the compendium of ultimate comprehensiveness, the Scottishgames.net, Company Directory*. * Government approved.

Greetings, all. Ambush Bug here with another AICN HORROR: ZOMBIES & SHARKS column. This time around this demented carousel of carnage we have a romantic horror host, a surreal clown nightmare, a flesh-eating disease, a homeless simian, chat room chills, a soul-hopping demon, a horrific rock opera, more MONSTERS episodes, Palance vs an alien, and Dolph vs. the Geico Gecko! But before we dive into the reviews, I wanted to post a reminder for those in the Chicago area to be sure to head out to Flashback Weekend this weekend (August 8-10th) for Chicago’s premiere horror convention. No self-respecting horror fan should miss this amazing gathering of horror celebrities, dealers, and fans. You can check out the full schedule here, but the one thing no one will want to miss is that Robert Englund will be donning his full Freddy Krueger makeup for one last time TODAY at the Con! The whole thing is happening at the usual spot: Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 N River Road, Chicago IL. I’ll be tooling about the festival all weekend. Hope to see you there! On with the horror reviews! (Click title to go directly to the feature) The Boo Tube: MONSTERS Season 3 Episodes 1-6 (1991) Retro-review: PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974) Retro-review: WITHOUT WARNING (1980) Send in the Clowns: ALL DARK PLACES (2012) MONKEY BOY (2009) SON OF GHOSTMAN (2013) CABIN FEVER: PATIENT ZERO (2014) THE DEN (2013) AT THE DEVIL’S DOOR (2014) And finally…Jeff Farrell’s LITTLE GIRL LOST! The Boo Tube: Collected DVD Box Set new this week from eOne Entertainment! MONSTERS: THE COMPLETE SERIES Box SetSeason Three: Episodes 1-6 (1991) Retro-reviewed by Ambush Bug Ahhh, MONSTERS. It’s one of those TV series that warms my heart. Back in the late 80’s when practical effects were king, Mitchell Gallin and Richard P. Rubinstein, the producers of TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE TV series, decided to put together a show which highlighted a different story about a different monster every week. In my region the show was broadcast late at night, and it was a thrill to be able to stay up late and watch it. Now, given the amount of years since I’ve watched it, I’m bound to be disappointed at the way some of them present upon reviewing. But still, this was a fun series deserving of this look back, episode by episode, at this quaint little shock series. I’m currently looking back on the TWILIGHT ZONE series as well, so for the time being, I’ll be flipping between TZ and MONSTERS every week looking back on TV horrors of yesteryear episode by episode! Episode 3.1: Stressed Environment Directed by Jeffrey Wolf Written by Benjamin Carr Starring Carol Lynley, Victor Raider-Wexler, Scott Weir, Kathleen McCall Benjamin Carr, who later wrote HEAD OF THE FAMILY and CURSE OF THE PUPPET MASTER for Full Moon, writes this really fun episode about a scientific experiment gone wrong. A colony of rats have been placed in a stressed environment filled with pesticides, rat traps, and other methods of death which has forced the vermin to evolve at a faster rate than usual. The result is primitive rat warriors with tools sharpened with their teeth and claws and horrible attitudes. This one is made fun with some stop motion and puppet rats and a decent script which hits all the right science gone wrong notes rapidly due to the twenty minute constraints of the episode. “Stressed Environment” is one of the more fun episodes of the week. Episode 3.2: Murray’s Monster Directed by Scott Alexander Written by Scott Alexander Starring Joe Flaherty, Miriam Flynn, Teresa Ganzel, Marvin Kaplan Scott Alexander, who wrote THE PEOPLE VS LARRY FLINT, MAN ON THE MOON, and ED WOOD, probably isn’t including this episode on his resume. While the comedic cast is impressive with SCTV’s Joe Flaherty, CHRISTMAS VACATION’s Miriam Flynn, THE TOY’s Teresa Ganzel, and ALICE’s Marvin Kaplan, this one is a dud from the get go. Flaherty plays a burnt out shrink who is more in enamored with his secretary (Ganzel) than his wife (Flynn). When a new client arrives, he exhibits the ability to change into a giant ape creature. Rudimentary pop psychology is abundant, making this one feel all the more dumb, and with the poorly written comedy, this feels more like one of the last skits of the night on an episode of SNL than anything else. It’s certainly not scary and certainly not one of the better episodes of MONSTERS. Episode 3.3: Bug House Directed by Kenny Myers Written by Josef Anderson, Lisa Tuttle (story) Starring Karen Sillas, Robert Kerbeck, Juliette Kurth Kenny Myers, who provided makeup effects for everything from SCREAMERS to JOHN CARTER, directs this episode written by horror auteur Lisa Tuttle, and this one is full of creepiness of a quality that I don’t often associate with the MONSTERS series. While the series is a lot of fun, most of the time, aside from the horror FX, the stories are a bit weak. This one puts story first and really unfolds a suspenseful and twisted tale of a woman who is concerned when she visits her pregnant sister who has not only taken residence in her father’s house, but also begun a relationship with a strange man. Age-old sibling rivalry begins and the man seems all for bedding both sisters. But what of the strange chirping and crunching in the walls? And why is her sister’s pregnant belly moving like that? The answers are unnerving, and with some fantastic gross-out effects involving all kinds of bugs and larvae. This episode will definitely get under your skin. Episode 3.4: Cellmates Directed by Stephen Tolkin Written by David Odell Starring Maxwell Caulfield, Ferdy Mayne, David Sage, Geno Silva Stephen Tolkin, who wrote the shitty 1990 CAPTAIN AMERICA movie, directs this episode which was written by David Odell, who wrote SUPERGIRL and MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (but on the plus side also wrote THE DARK CRYSTAL). GREASE 2’s Maxwell Caulfield is tossed into a jail cell next to BARRY LYNDON’s Ferdy Mayne. While Caulfield looks like the more dangerous one, if there’s one thing the MONSTERS series has taught us, it’s that appearances can be deceiving. This bizarre episode ranks high on the wackadoodle scale as the old man turns into a milky white ooze and melts away in the moonlight, only to return later in the episode to haunt Caulfield. Lots of slimy effects go on here, but not a whole lot of sense or explanation, and while it’s fun seeing people melt into piles of goo, there really is no point to this insane episode. Episode 3.5: Outpost Directed by T.K. Hudson Written by Michael Reaves Starring Juliet Mills, Tony Fields Michael Reaves, who wrote a lot of cartoons like BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES and GARGOYLES, does a decently tragic sci fi story of a man who was genetically designed to work on an alien planet’s environment and finds himself very, very lonely. When another scientist is sent to check on him, there’s a lot of melodrama going on and this episode takes its time to grab you, but it ends up being a pretty strong story. The monster makeup isn’t the best as Tony Field’s monster makeup looks like a combination between the Draak’s from ENEMY MINE and the giant turd creature Bill Paxton turns into at the end of WEIRD SCIENCE. The lumpy facial appliances, though they look sad, are hard to feel empathy towards, making a lot of the melodrama fall flat. Still, this is another one with a strong story, and in terms of MONSTERS episodes, that’s a rarity. Episode 3.6: The Hole Directed by David Severeid Written by Haskell Barkin, Wayne Berwick & Gerry Conway (story) Starring Ahmad Rashad, Antone Pagan, Glenn Kubota, Mitchell McCormack, Guy Helson, Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini This episode has quite the hybrid of writers behind it with Haskell Barkin who wrote a lot of Hanna-Barbera cartoons like LAFF-OLYMPICS and JABBER JAW, Wayne Berwick who directed THE MICROWAVE MASSACRE, and Gerry Conway, who not only wrote FIRE & ICE but also created Marvel Comics’ THE PUNISHER. This episode also sports an eclectic cast of sports announcer Ahmad Rashad, STRIPES’ Antone Pagan, and boxer Ray “Boom Boom” Macini making a cameo as a tale about Viet Nam tunnel rats becomes a desperate chase for survival again scores of tunnel zombies bursting from the walls. While no Oscars will be handed out for this episode, it does take advantage of an original environment which is already claustrophobically scary and makes it more so by adding earth-boring monsters. Add a bit of heavy-handed commentary about America’s involvement in Viet Nam and this is an episode more entertaining than most. Season 1: Episodes 1.1-1.6, 1.7-1.12, 1.13-1.18, 1.19-1.22, 1.23-1.24 Season 2: Episodes 2.1-2.5, 2.6-2.10, 2.11-2.17, 2.18-2.24 New on BluRay from The Shout Factory! PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974)Directed and written by Brian DePalma Starring William Finley, Paul Williams, Jessica Harper, & Gerrit Graham Retro-review by Ambush Bug I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of musicals, but when one is good, I have to admit it. Brian DePalma took beats from THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, FAUST, THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, and THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO and married them in a BIG LOV- style marriage and put it to music and somehow it worked. PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE is probably my favorite of DePalma’s films. It’s pretty much a flawless mishmash of classic horror set to music. Winslow is a struggling musician trying to make it big, so he goes to hit music producer Swan with his opera. Swan likes the music, but not Winslow, so he gets the nebbish bard arrested and in a daring escape Winslow suffers an accident in a record press scarring his face and driving the musician mad with revenge. Now Winslow haunts Swan’s rock music hall, dubbed The Paradise, and longs to see his music sung by the beautiful Phoenix and will murder anyone who gets in the way of making her a star. The story proves to be a relentless Faustian tragedy that surprisingly resonated with me deeply. It’s one of those stories that’s been told before, but with this director and with this cast, and especially with these songs, it all works so well. How many musicals have you seen where the story is shit but the music is good, or vice versa? Here both are absolutely phenomenal. The soundtrack is written by Swan himself, Paul Williams, and the music proves to be both melodically haunting and lyrically tragic. Sure some of it proves to be a product of its disco era time, but most of the songs are surprisingly beautiful, my favorite being Williams’ shiver-inducing “The Phantom’s Theme”, which you can hear below (though at times the vocals remind me of SOUTH PARK’s Trey Parker). Check it out. The cast is fantastic. Winslow is played by William Finley (who also appeared in DePalma’s haunting SISTERS) and though he’s not very likable as the whiney musician done wrong, he is absolutely fantastic behind the bird-shaped mask of the Phantom. Though his kills are supposed to be comedic, his performance is seething with such intensity and seriousness that it still comes off frightening even when he’s killing someone angrily with a plunger. Another achievement in casting brilliance is placing musician Paul Williams (probably best known for songs like “Just an Old Fashioned Love Song”, “Rainbow Connection”, and “Rainy Days & Mondays”, but I’ll always know him as Little Enos from the SMOKEY & THE BANDIT films) into the role of Swan. He’s literally the Devil in this film, asking for contracts signed in blood. His smug and smarmy demeanor makes him one of horror’s truly memorable and original villains. Rounding out the cast is Phoenix played by Jessica Harper (best known for her starring role in SUSPIRIA), who is absolutely gorgeous and is surprisingly good at singing (although it is obvious she isn’t a pro at flexing the golden pipes). The way the three of these characters dance around with one another is operatic. Swan seduces Phoenix. Swan seduces Winslow. Winslow seduces Phoenix. Phoenix seduces the crowd. In the hands of bigger name actors, this wouldn’t have been so effective, but here, Finley is the born loser turned seething monster, Harper is the hollow-eyed muse, and Williams is the devilish imp gleefully manipulating them both. Many of the tricks one has come to expect from a DePalma film are front and center in PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE. There’s an over-attention to mechanics and the construction of intricately played out scenes. There’s the split screen communicating the sequence of events occurring all at once. There’s the operatic ending which takes much time to construct and all but moments to destroy. If you’re a DePalma fan, this is pretty much the perfect example of what he can do right. I have a friend who hates DePalma and even he admitted after seeing PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE that it was a good film. I have nothing but praise to toss towards PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE. It’s one of those films I can watch over and over. Though THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW has developed a massive cult following, this is the horror musical that deserves it. If you’ve seen PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, you know what I mean. If not, I’m jealous that you get to experience its brilliance for the first time. Retro-review: New this week from The Shout Factory! WITHOUT WARNING (1980)aka ALIEN ENCOUNTERS, ALIEN SHOCK, IT CAME WITHOUT WARNING, THE WARNING (make up your mind, willya?) Directed by Greydon Clark Written by Lyn Freeman, Daniel Grodnik, Ben Nett, Bennett Tramer, Steve Mathis Starring Jack Palance, Martin Landau, Tarah Nutter, Christopher S. Nelson, Cameron Mitchell, Neville Brand, Sue Ane Langdon, Ralph Meeker, Larry Storch, Lynn Theel, David Caruso, Darby Hinton, Mark Ness, & Kevin Peter Hall as the Alien Retro-reviewed by Ambush Bug Goofy as all get out, the impressive cast actually both helps and hurts WITHOUT WARNING in the end. The story of WITHOUT WARNING is basically PREDATOR set in a small American town filled with old drunks and camping college kids. Though the alien’s motivations aren’t as clearly stated in PREDATOR, you get the gist of it as numerous cast members go right out and tell the viewer throughout the film about the alien’s hunting preoccupation. The story is one long arduous trek, as a group of campers run into an alien (right after it makes short work of a pair of hunters—played by Cameron Mitchell and MALIBU EXPRESS’ Darby Hinton and a cub scout coach—played by Larry Storch!). The survivors of that encounter make their way to a bar where we meet a loony war vet (Martin Landau) and a gruff outdoorsman (Jack Palance). Landau goes nuts and tries to kill the kids while Palance attempts to save them. Oh and in the last ten minutes, you get to see the alien. The cast for this film is pretty amazing. Seeing Jack Palance wrestle with Martin Landau is something you don’t see every day. Add Mitchell, Storch, Hinton, David Caruso, and Ralph Meeker to the mix and you can play a game trying to pick out all of the familiar faces you’ll see. Tarah Nutter plays one of the campers with most of the screen time and does a great job of it, but her ass-length hair makes her resemble Cousin It when it isn’t in large braided pony tails. While the story is pretty simplistic and downright moronic at times, the cast does it’s best to elevate it to another level. Still, seeing Palance running towards the alien to do battle screaming “ALIEN! ALIEN!” over and over is something you can’t help but laugh at. It’s a shame the alien isn’t seen fully until the end because it does look great. Kevin Peter Hall who played the Predator in PREDATOR 2 and the lovable Harry in HARRY & THE HENDERSONS plays another hunter alien here and while he isn’t given much to do but fling floppy Frisbee leeches at people. Still seeing the height of the alien in the distance and his simple stiff stature makes for an unnerving image. The most impressive thing about WITHOUT WARNING is the quality of the effects. Well, some of them. Rick Baker designed the simplistic, yet effective look of the bulb headed alien. He’s scary and really impressive looking with a pale complexion and hollow eyes. The one thing you’re going to take away from this film is a genuinely scary look of the alien’s head. Now, the rest of the effects…not so great. While it is the ever-talented Greg Cannom’s work, it definitely isn’t his best. The Eggo waffles with teeth the alien flings at its prey are hilariously weird looking mid-fling. They’re floppy and stick to the victims loosely. Now, when the camera zooms in on the things; tentacley amoebas with pointed teeth, they get a little cooler, but for the most part, the alien’s weaponry will cause more chuckles than chills. There’s also a good amount of gore involved as all of those killed by the alien are strung up and found in a shed presented for all to see in later sequences. One of the things that stands out in WITHOUT WARNING is the unconventional way the story unfolds. Most of the people are killed early and those who survive the first half hour end up being around for most of the film. Unlike most films which whittle their number down to one, this one sticks with its cast and allows them to evolve a bit more than your typical slasher. And while they don’t show the alien much, the Palance and Landau characters make it all more interesting. Greydon Clark seemed to have the foresight to know that really these two actors hamming it up in goofy, cartoony roles would be the highlight of the film. Special features include an interview with the two camper leads Tarah Nutter & Christopher S. Nelson looking back on the film. I always love the pieces as aged actors look back on their younger selves in the roles. There’s also an interview with Greg Cannom talking about the effects as well as one with producer Daniel Grodnik about the story leading up to filming. All in all, WITHOUT WARNING is a whole lot of fun and it looks better than ever, as is a Shout Factory staple. It’s goofy sci fi with tons of character actors bouncing off of one another. Don’t go in expecting to have your mind blown and I’ll bet you’ll have fun with it. Send in the Clowns: Bug celebrates the release of his 4-issue miniseries comic book PIROUETTE by checking out some clownie horrors! ALL DARK PLACES (2012)Available on Netflix here! Directed by Nicholas Reiner Written by Nicholas Reiner Starring Joshua Burrow, Stephanie Fieger, Daniel Brennan, Tim Douglas, Dylan Mars Loff, and Liam Seide as The Clown! Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here Reviewed by Ambush Bug I’m continuing my coverage of clown/circus related horror films and reminding folks about my own circus horror comic book PIROUETTE, which hits stands in September (Previews item code JUL14 0937 and issue #2 item code AUG14 1131). Today’s clownie horror is ALL DARK PLACES, a surprisingly effective little bit of cerebral carnage focusing on how bad parenting can be more harmful than a painted face any old day. The marriage between Jamie (Stephanie Fieger) and her estranged husband Christian (Joshua Burrow) has been strained due to Christian’s drug use and childish lifestyle of following his dream to be a musician. Thinking of her child’s well being, she is concerned about how Christian’s irresponsibility affects their child Dylan (Dylan Mars Loff), but she still loves Christian. Giving the relationship one last try, Jamie hopes this time Christian will make right on his promises and the family can be whole. Overjoyed, Christian plans to get a solid job and start up his old band. Skeptical, Jamie is supportive, but knows where Christian’s pursuit of rock fame has led him before. Oh, and Dylan talks with a scary clown in his closet every night. Writer/director Nicholas Reiner does a great job of making all of this melodrama digestible and not annoying. This film could easily slide into the realm of Lifetime movies of the week, but some edgy decisions with the script and an effectively creepy clown make it all feel suspenseful and a cut above those made for TV flicks. As both Jamie and Christian make terrible choices as parents, it seems Dylan is all but sure to be headed down this dark path with this weird clown in his closet. Reiner’s dialog, especially between the Clown (played sleazily by Liam Seide) and Dylan, has a whiff of sentimentality as the two of them seem to have a genuine friendship, but the sweaty clown also makes no bones about being dangerous and evil as well. What plays out is a metaphor on how bad parenting can really fuck a kid up more than anything. There is a bit of ambiguity to this film, as both Jamie and Christian begin to see the clown in Dylan’s closet as well. It seems that when Dylan was younger, right before Jamie first left Christian, Christian perceived the actions of a party clown to be perverse and beat him up in front of Dylan. This left an undeniable mark on the relationship and seemingly, that clown haunts the while family to this day. Is this a ghost story? A story about the ghost of a killer clown? Or something more metaphysical and metaphorical about how sins of the past can never really go away? Director/writer Reiner provides no easy answers to any of these questions. There’s no doubt not everyone should have children, and that seems to be the point Reiner is trying to make here as both parents make horrible decisions such as taking acid in order to pep up their sex life and having loud sex with their kid in the very next room. Yes, Christian is a narcissistic drug addict, but Jamie isn’t showing much good judgment by taking him back time and again. ALL DARK PLACES is a strong relational drama, using a scary clown as a metaphor for all of the family’s problems. It’s a film that gives shape to dysfunction and does a fantastic job of covering it in face paint and bright clothing and making it effectively scary. This isn’t a huge budgeter or flashy horror film, but ALL DARK PLACES does pack a strong metaphorical punch. SPLASH AREA: NIGHT OF THE FREAKS/CLOWN HUNT DOLL-BOY/ALL HALLOW’S EVE THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL FEAR OF CLOWNS I & II CIRCUS OF THE DEAD 100 TEARS/KLOWN KAMP MASSACRE And don’t forget to tell your comic store to order Ambush Bug’s new comic PIROUETTE #1 (July Previews item code JUL14 0937) and the new issue #2 available to order in August Previews (item code AUG14 1131) from Black Mask Studios! Support your old pal Ambush Bug by checking out his new comic book! New this week on DVD from Chemical Burn Entertainment! MONKEY BOY (2009)Directed by Antonio Monti Written by Antonio Monti, Chiara Parodi, & Davide Zagnoli (screenplay) Starring Giampiero Bartolini, Gianni Fantoni, Giovanna Gardelli, & Andrea Melli as the Monkey Boy! Find out more about this film here Reviewed by Ambush Bug DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES reignited my fascination for monkeys amok films, which I must admit I’ve always had a soft spot for ever since I saw MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (the original) as a kid. While MONKEY BOY is on a much smaller scale than both of those films, it does tell a tale of brutality and survival through the lens of a fairy tale. The film opens eloquently as we are treated to a story about a princess, a king, and a magic mirror. After an elaborate animated opening sequence, we see an old woman preparing a meal for a shadowed figure in her basement. She prepares the meal, taps the bowl with her metal bracelet, and drops it off on the floor of the basement. A hairy simian-like hand grabs the meal and begins scooping the mush towards its mouth, but a pair of burglars attack the old woman and accidentally unlock the basement door, unleashing a creature part-human, part-ape into the world. After making short work of the burglars, Monkey Boy wanders the countryside, encountering all sorts of seedy individuals along the way. Hopping from car to car and trying to stay out of sight, Monkey Boy encounters a prostitute being beaten up by a john. When the ape attacks the woman and seemingly attempts to rape her, the john (a connected mob type) calls in reinforcements to track the ape-man down. It all culminates in a standoff between hoods and the Monkey Boy in a farmhouse. The thing that distinguishes MONKEY BOY from most films is that it treats the material as if it were a real life fairy tale. While the fairy tale at the beginning obviously has to do with the rest of the story, it’s not an exact retelling which will infuriate some, but make others to think a bit before understanding the connections. Monkey Boy’s story is an epic one and the narrative flips and flops unpredictably through time, revealing how the old woman came to be the caretaker of Monkey Boy and how he was conceived. Through all of these odd twists and turns, the film never lost me and ended up impressing me at the surprisingly sophisticated way in which the whole thing unfolds. Though the makeup and performance as Monkey Boy are not revolutionary in how they were achieved, they are extremely well done. Monkey Boy himself looks very distinct and unlike other renditions of man-apes in other films, yet it’s totally recognizable that this is the missing link between man and ape. And while playing monkeys has been done before in everything from GORILLAS IN THE MIST to KING KONG, Andrea Melli’s performance under all of the Monkey Boy makeup fantastically walks the line between beast and man. Though the budget for this film is low, the production values are higher than the norm and it seems filmmaker Antonio Monti knew where to put the money and how to use it wisely. With a convincing monkey suit, absorbingly simplistic animation, and a strong narrative, MONKEY BOY proves to be a tragic adult fable worth investing in. Now available here on digital download and DVD! SON OF GHOSTMAN (2013)Directed by Kurt Larson Written by Kurt Larson Starring Devin Ordoyne, Angela Gulner, Kurt Larson, Marlon Correa, Matthew Boehm, Sara Tomko, Joe Lorenzo, Daniel McCann Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here Reviewed by Ambush Bug And now for something a little different. At first some might look at SON OF GHOSTMAN and wonder why it is showing up in this week’s AICN HORROR column. It’s basically a low budget rom com about a lovable loser who has just been fired and dumped who meets a young woman and the two fall in love with one another. Sure there are the usual speedbumps that occur in these types of films where the relationship has complications, coincidences occur just at the right time, and misunderstandings abound. But the reason why this film shows up here is that at its heart, SON OF GHOSTMAN is a love song to all of those late night horror host shows we all grew up on as a kid. For most horror fanatics, you mention names like Elvira, Svengoolie, Zacherle the Cool Ghoul, Vampira, Dr. E. Nick Witty, and Sir Graves Ghastly, and you feel a warm rush come over you like taking a shot of good bourbon. For me, growing up in central Ohio, we had Dr. Creep and Fritz the Night Owl. Through their witty and ghoulish banter, I was introduced to so many B to Z grade films and I loved every second of them. That’s how our main character Denny (Devin Ordoyne) feels about the Ghostman, a local horror movie host who, like Peter Vincent in FRIGHT NIGHT, has seen better days. With Ghostman losing in the ratings to an up and coming douchebag horror host and former high school rival Rick (Kurt Larson) who dons the persona of Count Dracool, Denny is prompted one night on a drunken bender to don the Ghostman makeup and film himself as Son of Ghostman. When a local kid Zack (Matthew Boehm) sees his drunken tape, he sees something in Denny’s goofiness that is appealing, much like the Ghostman before him. With no other options to pursue, Denny teams with Zack and his failed actor buddy Carlo (Marlon Correa) to produce a local access rival to Count Dracool’s show. Meanwhile, Denny meets Claire (the lovely Angela Gulner) who just happens to be Zack’s sister. Complications arise as Son of Ghostman’s rise in popularity conflicts with Denny’s secret identity and to top it all off, Zack is set to go to college, but Denny doesn’t want to lose his top writer for the show. Cue typical rom com complications. Though there is a fun scene of bloody gore of two men in werewolf masks devouring a clown, if you’re looking for frights and scares, SON OF GHOSTMAN isn’t going to provide you with any. It’s a love story, both about one’s love of a childhood idol and one of a more romantic nature. In many ways, it’s a story of how Denny the man boy with no prospects becomes a man. There are not a lot of bells and whistles to this film and its low budget is pretty obvious, but there’s a heart present from frame one that you can’t deny. Ordoyne is likable in the lead, as is the rest of the cast (even the Jason Sudekis-esque douchebag Count Dracool is fun). So while this story is a bit by the numbers in terms of rom coms, it definitely had the charm to make me stick with it until the end. Like those old horror movie theaters hosted by those campy horror movie hosts, SON OF GHOSTMAN is not put together with the most expensive of material. But those horror host shows oozed with a love of the genre which made watching them so much fun. That same fun is communicated deftly in SON OF GHOSTMAN, and if you’re looking for a change of pace—a chance to warm the heart instead of rip it out and eat it--SON OF GHOSTMAN will most likely do the trick. New on DVD from Lionsgate! LEGENDARY (2013)aka LEGENDARY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON Directed by Eric Styles Written by Andy Briggs Starring Scott Adkins, Dolph Lundgren, Yi Huang, Nathan Lee, James Lance, Lydia Leonard, Le Geng, Murray Clive Walker, Viktor Sobtchak, Tom Austen, David Thomas Jenkins Find out more about this film here Reviewed by Ambush Bug LEGENDARY is better than your typical SyFy monster movie fare…but not by much. I guess the cast (or the main two characters, Scott Adkins and Dolph Lundgren) elevate LEGENDARY to above middling as the two do add a lot to the film. Adkins and Lundgren play Travis and Harker, respectively, former monster hunter partners who have split up after an especially perilous encounter with a giant-sized Russian bear. Hearing about a possible new and enormous reptile rampaging through a remote Chinese village, Travis loads up his team of altruistic investigators who want to find these cryptids for scientific research. Getting wind of the same reptilian cryptid, Harker loads up his team of hunters who basically just want the beast as a trophy and heads out to the same location. So we’ve got two teams after the same beast for different reasons with a history of not getting along with one another. Sounds like it could be the makings of a fun dumb action monster movie. Well, instead of all that director Eric Styles and writer Andy Briggs toss in not one but two badly written romance plots--between Travis and someone from Harker’s team and a lesser plot about a budding romance between the financier of the excursion and someone on Travis’ team. So much time is spent on developing these two relationships that it seems like the filmmakers had forgotten about the reptile all together. Still, it pops up every now and then, putting one of the four people in peril just long enough for them to be saved by the other and hold each other in an embrace that speaks multitudes of sappy love poems. I could ignore the tedious romance scenes if the monster were actually scary, but instead, the beastie looks exactly like a giant Geico gecko. Big head and emoting eyes and all, the monster looks more like it wants to sell the team insurance than eat them. Sure, it may be anatomically accurate and I wasn’t expecting Godzilla, but still at least try to make it scary. It doesn’t help that the choices in how the camera captures the monster have it look like it’s small in the frame as well. Instead of ominous worm’s eye view shots or shots placing the monster next to objects that would highlight the beast’s supposed immense size, the camera simply catches the creature sitting on a rock or wandering through a cave. And while the CG is much better than the usual shark/lizard hybrid monster that pops up on SyFy, it still looks pretty rudimentary, especially when it shares scenes with people. Yes, there’s a culminating fight between Dolph and Adkins, but it ends quickly and really isn’t that exciting. The promise of two teams of different philosophies butting heads is a plentiful one, but it’s never really milked for what it could have been in this story. Instead we get a big gecko swimming and running after people with insurance premiums in its eyes. LEGENDARY is watchable and brainless, but it certainly doesn’t live up to its name. In select theaters and now on iTunes RLJ Entertainment! CABIN FEVER: PATIENT ZERO (2014)CABIN FEVER 3 Directed by Kaare Andrews Written by Jake Wade Wall (screenplay) Starring Sean Astin, Currie Graham, Ryan Donowho, Brando Eaton, Jillian Murray, Mitch Ryan, Solly Duran, Lydia Hearst, Claudette Lali, Juan 'Papo' Bancalari, Find out more about this film on Facebook here Reviewed by Ambush Bug While I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of CABIN FEVER, I will say I enjoyed it for what it was. The film delivered in the gore department and even had quite a bit of the blackest of humor. Throw in some well-placed shudders of utter paranoia and disgust in terms of twinging those germophobic gag reflexes and you have a film that leaves a mark. While I missed the Ti West-directed middle chapter (and from what I heard, I actually didn’t miss much), I was pretty excited going into this third installment in the CABIN FEVER series mainly because of the inclusion of Kaare Andrews. Knowing Andrews from his work in comics and the decent little plane horror flick ALTITUDE, I was intrigued to see how Andrews’ comic book sensibilities would play out with a decent budget and talented cast. And this film has both. While it isn’t blockbuster status, CABIN FEVER: PATIENT ZERO does have fun with the flesh-eating virus concept by moving the locale from a cabin in the woods to a tropical retreat, following a group of lifelong friends going on one last huzzah before one of their own (Marcus, played by Mitch Ryan) gets married. Along on the trip is Marcus’ wild child brother Josh (played by the son of Trinity on DEXTER Brando Eaton), his noble best friend Dobbs (the James Franco-esque Ryan Donowho), and hottie tomboy Penny (Jillian Murray). Going off on a yacht to an uncharted island, the crew find sandy beaches, lapping waves, and scores of dead fish floating under the surface of the water. Writing the dead fish off to sharks, the crew continues to party, but unknowingly become infected with a virus of the worst kind. At the same time, at the other end of the uncharted isle, in a locked down facility, a man named Porter (Sean Astin) is being held against his will by scientists who claim that his resistance to infection from the disease may be the key to stopping a global outbreak. The thing Andrews does with this film is that it ups the ante from a secluded shack in the middle of nowhere to a virus of massive proportions. While the film doesn’t go full on CONTAGION on us, it does raise the stakes and makes the dangers of spreading this disease much more potent. The fact that it has already infected the fish surrounding the isle suggests that no matter how much the scientists try to contain the virus, it’s already too late. But while this is a bigger film, Andrews is able to maintain that intimacy that made CABIN FEVER effective in the first place. As with the original, when characters touch, breathe, sneeze, cough, or merely walk by each other, there’s a palpable sense of danger in the air. Given that half of the film the kids don’t know they are infected and go about sharing bottles of beer and swapping saliva and other body fluids makes it all the more ooky. But it’s not just the tone of the film that makes it an effective bout of germophobia. The over the top gore is going to please a lot of AICN HORROR readers. For the most part, everything is practical and things get increasingly messy as the movie goes on. The opening sequence (which I’ll get to later) is filled with all sorts of rotted away body parts covered in slime, blood, and ooze. While the opening scenes are the aftermath of the last outbreak and the infected are already dead, later in the film we see the outbreak on the living and it gets even more over the top as body parts are ripped off, melted away, and simply slide off by themselves. Sequences like an infected girl fight on the beach and a cunnilingus scene like no other ever put to film are two of many sequences that would have my guts heave if I wasn’t laughing out loud so hard. While Andrews does a lot right here, there is an over-reliance on the old slo mo shots. While it’s awesome over the title sequence as Astin’s Porter is captured by infection suit-wearing agents with machine guns, the technique is used again and again later in the film with less of an effect with each use. On top of that, the narrative itself gets a bit muddy at the end. It’s not that it doesn’t make sense; it’s just that there’s a lot going on that feels gratuitous like the bloody girl fight and the extraneous ending that goes on a little too long. The ending itself makes it feel as if it was answering questions I never really cared to ask and felt kind of lackluster as soon as the survivors leave the island. Still, CABIN FEVER: PATIENT ZERO does what a good sequel should. It maintains the tone of the original while upping the ante and creatively running with some of the themes present in the first film. The gore is excellent, as is the acting. And with some scenes that are bound to go down as classics (I’m still squirming at the cunnilingus scene), there’s a lot of CABIN FEVER: PATIENT ZERO worth catching. New this week on DVD from IFC Midnight! THE DEN (2013)Directed by Zach Donohue Written by Zach Donohue & Lauren Thompson Starring Melanie Papalia, David Schlachtenhaufen, Matt Riedy, Adam Shapiro, Victoria Hanlin, Matt Lasky, Jeff Rubino, Rikin Vasani, Butch Anderson, Brian Bell Reviewed by Ambush Bug Man, what a mixed up mess of a movie. The below review is going to be the epitome of a mixed review as there were parts of THE DEN that I really loved, but then again there were bonehead decisions where the film shoots itself in its own foot. In the end, I still don’t know if the parts I liked outweighed the parts I didn’t, but maybe I’ll get to that decision by the end of this review. THE DEN is a found footage film like few others, utilizing Skype/Facetime chat as its first person POV and told completely from the confines of a computer screen. The film focuses on Elizabeth (Melanie Papalia), a tech-addicted woman of the modern age. She has convinced a group of beneficiaries to award her a grant to basically surf chatrooms in order to come up with trends and statistics to show they might find this mode of communication a beneficial advancement to modern communication. Excited as can be that she gets the grant for basically doing something she was already addicted to, Elizabeth sets out to work hard at clicking from one chatroom attendee to another striking up banal conversations with complete strangers. What could go wrong? Well, a lot, actually. As Elizabeth scrolls through guys asking to see her tits and showing their penises, she comes across a still photo of a young girl. The image continues to pop up until it transitions to what looks like a murder. Notifying the police, Elizabeth is told that it is most likely a prank. That’s what her tech buddy boy toy tells her and it’s what her actual boyfriend attests to as well. Soon, whomever killed the girl in the photo begins tracking Elizabeth down and abducting and assaulting her closest friends, so instead of logging off, Elizabeth continues to click through the chatrooms—her addiction now to find this killer which results in her uncovering something much bigger than she ever imagined. Problem one with THE DEN is that while Melanie Papalia is an extremely beautiful and likable actress with her adorable big brown eyes and girl next door demeanor, she is a horrible fucking person to everyone around her. She neglects her loving boyfriend in favor of her studies, flirts with a tech guy and leads him on as long as she has something that can help her and then pushes him away rudely and aggressively, and she prefers to interact with strangers in a chatroom instead of her pregnant sister, best friend next door, or anyone else. The thing is, and while I don’t want to speak for all women because I know they aren’t all like this, there is a large proportion of women today that are so tech-addicted that Elizabeth is absolutely believable despite her callous and rude nature. Seeing women and men with their noses down in their iPhones while eating at a table with others, walking across the crosswalk, working out at the gym, riding a public transit system, riding a bike, and other inappropriate times instead of interacting with the real world around them makes the amount of time Elizabeth has her face in front of a computer screen believable, but definitely not likable. But I can take watching a movie with an unlikable protagonist. I was fine with it in another IFC Midnight film, CONTRACTED (reviewed here), and scores of other films. My main problem with THE DEN is that it feels like it ends at about the one hour mark, but instead of rolling credits, the story goes into a direction that really blows everything you know out of the water. While I don’t want to spoil too much, the decisions to open up the story into a much broader arena may keep in tune with the theme of the film, but it really does betray the intimate thriller that plays out in the first hour. I liked the first hour of this film following Elizabeth’s addictive tendencies and seeing them work against her, but while there is a bit poeticism in seeing a camera bolted to her head a la THE BUTCHER, as soon as the story no longer occurs on Elizabeth’s computer screen, the film ceased to be engaging for me. Ending on a note more reminiscent of HOSTEL than anything else, THE DEN is filled with moments of great suspense, great acting, and an original take on the first person POV subgenre. And then the hour mark occurs and everything goes downhill from there. This one is worth checking out, but I found myself getting more and more frustrated with THE DEN the longer I was logged on to it. New this week On Demand and in select theaters from IFC Midnight on September 12th! AT THE DEVIL’S DOOR (2014)aka HOME Directed by Nicholas McCarthy Written by Nicholas McCarthy Starring Naya Rivera, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ashley Rickards, Wyatt Russell, Arshad Aslam, Rob Brownstein, Tara Buck, Laura Kai Chen, Assaf Cohen, Nick Eversman, Kent Faulcon, Ava Acres, Reviewed by Ambush Bug Yes, I reviewed this last week in my Fantasia Fest recap. But this is a film worth reposting, especially since it’s available this week On Demand. Filmmaker Nicholas McCarthy caught my attention last year with his horrific ghost story of indescribable terror, THE PACT (reviewed here). He returns with his sophomore effort, AT THE DEVIL’S DOOR, I’m happy to say he’s got another winner of a horror film on his hands. Playing with both timeline and narrative structure, McCarthy offers up a somewhat complex tale of ghosts and demons with a little bit of witchcraft tossed in for good measure. The story is an unconventional one, but tells the tale of a demon with a singular purpose: find the one body that is right for him to take over completely. Throughout the story, this demon takes residence in a few people and as the tale spans different locales and times, the demon’s goal is the one thing tying it all together. Three women are tragically linked to the demon’s designs. The opening scene has a young girl talked into selling her soul to a witch doctor by her boyfriend. We then trip forward in time to meet a pair of sisters, Vera and Leigh (GLEE’s Naya Rivera &, Catalina Sandino Moreno, respectively). Leigh is a real estate agent trying to sell a house with a dark past and Vera is an aimless artist who fears being alone all her life. When Leigh starts seeing the girl from the beginning of the film (Ashley Rickards from MTV’s AWKWARD) wandering around the empty house, she is led face to face with the demon--but Leigh is not who the demon wants. The story is much more complex that your typical demon possession yarn. The demon possession is the common touchpoint of the film, and it’s established well and early, so no matter when or where the story goes, it’s easy to understand by following the demon’s burned footprints. McCarthy does a great job of making the leaps in time and place easy to follow, allowing the strength of the female leads to carry us along the way wherever they take us. Lately, there seems to be a substitution of scares for Don Music head slams onto a keyboard. These sudden sharts of music are effective in unnerving the viewer, but these are empty scares filling space left for actual scary things to occur. There are plenty of music whammies in AT THE DEVIL’S DOOR, but what separates this film from the usual vacant fodder is that the musical punches are accompanied by equally frightening visuals. There are no false scares in AT THE DEVIL’S DOOR, just creepily set up scenes and visuals (accompanied by the music bump) that are the stuff of pure, uncut nightmare. AT THE DEVIL’S DOOR is an unconventionally told version of a common tale, but with some fantastic performances by the female leads, some absolutely horrific shocks, one scary-ass demon, and a handling of suspense that is more potent than any I’ve seen in recent horror films, this is one horror film that is anything but common. And finally…time for me to make like J.J. Jackson and introduce the premiere of a new music video! Ahem…here’s a new music video/horror short film from GHOSTLIGHT director Jeff Farrell, who does double duty as a filmmaker and a musician. Off his new album "Color in the Black", which is available now on CD Baby and iTunes, let’s all snap our fingers and swoon to LITTLE GIRL LOST! See ya next week, folks! Ambush Bug is Mark L. Miller, original @$$Hole/wordslinger/writer of wrongs/reviewer/interviewer/editor of AICN COMICS for over 13 years & AICN HORROR for 4. Follow Ambush Bug on the Twitters @Mark_L_Miller. Be sure to tell your comic shop to order his new comic PIROUETTE from July’s Diamond Previews (item code JUL14 0937) today! Interested in illustrated films, fringe cinema, and other oddities? Check out Halo-8 and challenge everything!

|Other name(s)||Ujit, Nguoi Rung| |Country||Vietnam, Laos, and Borneo| |Region||Vũ Quang (Vietnam)| |Habitat||Jungle and forest| The Batutut or Ujit or Người rừng, sometimes also known as "forest people", is a proposed hominid cryptid, reputedly similar to the bigfoot, thought to inhabit the Vũ Quang nature reserve and other wilderness areas of Vietnam, Laos and northern Borneo. The Vũ Quang has been the source of a number of newly discovered mammals by Dr. John MacKinnon. Mackinnon claims to have first observed tracks in 1970 that led him to believe that a hominid similar to the Meganthropus lives there (instead, cryptozoologist Loren Coleman believes that the Batutut are a surviving population of Homo erectus or Neanderthal.). Mackinnon's 1975 book In Search Of The Red Ape describes his experiences and findings. A 1947 sighting by a French colonist refers to the animal as a L'Homme Sauvage (wild man). Vietnamese scholars refer to the animal as the Người Rừng ("forest man"). It is described as being approximately 1.8 m (6 ft) tall and covered with hair except in the knees, the soles of the feet, the hands, and the face. The hair ranges in color from gray to brown to black. The creature walks on two legs and has been reported both solitary and moving in small groups. The creature is most often sighted foraging for food from fruits and leaves to langers and even flying foxes. Sightings during the Vietnam War In his book Very Crazy G.I. - Strange but True Stories of the Vietnam War, Kregg P. J. Jorgenson relates a sighting of such a creature by a team of US soldiers. The men referred to it as a "Rock Ape" reporting it as being small in stature, about 5 feet tall and having a reddish tinge to its fur. Two Người Rừngs were reportedly captured by tribesmen near Đắk Lắk Province in 1971. In 1974 a North Vietnamese general, Hoang Minh Thao, requested an expedition to find evidence of the creatures, but it was unsuccessful. A professor Tran Hong Viet of Pedagogic University of Hanoi, a researcher of Người Rừng, reported in 1982 finding similar footprints to those of MacKinnon in 1970, measuring 28x16 cm., of which he made casts. He had been making an extensive post-war inventory of natural resources, and while collecting specimens near Chu Mo Ray in Sa Thầy District, he came across the prints. A photo of the cast of the print was later published by Fortean News of the World (Japan Fortean Information Society). On the 5th season premier of Syfy's Destination Truth, host Josh Gates and team go to Vietnam in search of the Batutut. Gates interviews a local primatologist, Vu Ngoc Thanh, and examines his casting of a footprint. Later in Ke Bang National Park, Gates's team find several large humanlike footprints and make a casting of their own which is taken back to the U.S. and examined by noted Bigfoot researcher, anthropologist Jeffrey Meldrum. Meldrum called the print "a significant discovery" and one of the best pieces of evidence he has seen. - *The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates (NY: Anomalist Books, 2006, ISBN 1-933665-12-2) - "In Search of the Red Ape (9780345245250): John Mackinnon: Books". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-01-25. - ""L'Homme Sauvage" De Kontum". Coombs.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 2012-01-25. - "Bigfoot: The Nguoi Rung GI Story 2001 and Rock Apes". Bigfootencounters.com. 2000-11-25. Retrieved 2012-01-25. - Newton, Michael (2005). "Batutut". Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology: A Global Guide. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 39–40. ISBN 0-7864-2036-7. - Sever, Al. "Very Crazy, G.I.!: Strange but True Stories of the Vietnam War (9780804115988): Kregg P. Jorgenson: Books". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-01-25. - "Nguoi Rung, Vietnamese Forest People". Coombs.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 2012-01-25. - "Nguoi Rung footprint". Coombs.anu.edu.au. 1996-08-29. Retrieved 2012-01-25. - Hairy Hominids: Batutut - The Nguoi Rung..a GI's Story by Kregg P. J. Jorgenson - Nguoi Rung, Vietnamese Forest People, Wildman: mythical or missing ape

It's known as the Jersey Devil, the winged beast spawned 400 years ago by Satan himself. Some say this creature still inhabits the dense pine forests of southern New Jersey, where Richard Vineyard takes his family for a rustic weekend camping trip. As the Vineyard family ventures further into the woods in search of the perfect campsite, Richard teeters on the edge of sanity. And it seems that the blood-crazed demon called The Jersey Devil may no longer be just a myth. Darren Lynn Bousman burst onto the genre scene in 2005, when he directed Saw 2, one of the better installments in the franchise. Bousman spent the next couple years of his career with Jigsaw, directing the subsequent third and fourth franchise installments, which I was also a fan of. From there, it was on to Repo : The Genetic Opera, a grassroots rock opera that quickly garnered a huge cult fan base, a fan base which did not include me. Musicals just aint my bag, and though Repo is more my type of musical than any other musical that's come before it, it still didn't do a thing for me. Sorry. A couple years after Repo, Bousman helmed the Mother's Day remake, a film made in 2010 but not widely released here in the states until earlier this year. Taking the basic plot of the goofy Troma film from 1980 and turning it into a brutal straight up horror flick, Bousman's vision of Mother's Day was one of my favorite remakes from the past couple years, and ensured that from there on out, I would watch anything and everything with the name Darren Lynn Bousman attached to it. With that film, Bousman proved to me that he wasn't just 'that Saw guy', and that he was a force to be reckoned with in the genre. Last year saw the release of 11-11-11, that film that is only relevant one day out of every one hundred years. As such, it was largely forgotten after November 11th of last year, so by the time it was actually widely available for consumption (in 2012...), there was pretty much no interest from anyone in consuming it. Including myself. After hearing nothing but highly negative reviews, I completely avoided 11-11-11, and still have not watched it. Since I likely won't be around in 2111, that may never change. In 2012, it was back to song and dance for Bousman with The Devil's Carnival, another horror themed musical that toured around the country earlier in the year, and now can be watched for free over on Netflix. I haven't done so, and I don't think I need to reiterate why. I'm sure it's cool and all, for those who were a fan of Repo, but yea, not my cup of joe. Which brings us to The Barrens, Bousman's other 2012 offering, which just came out on home video on October 9th. And which I just rented on VUDU last night. And with that, we're all up to speed on Bousman's career up to this point, so we may proceed to the review! I guess the point I was trying to make by all that text I just typed above is that Darren Bousman is a very interesting filmmaker. For one, he always seems to be making movies that get the shaft when it comes to distribution. And for two, he's pretty hit or miss with his movies. Though the likes outweigh the dislikes for me personally, it's kinda hard to say whether or not I'm a fan of him as a filmmaker, considering he's not exactly consistent with his output. One year you've got an awesome film like Mother's Day, and the next, you've got ... The Barrens. Hit ... and miss. The Barrens is another big time miss for Bousman, one of my personal biggest disappointments of 2012. As a fan of most of Bousman's work, and an avid Cryptozoology nut, I had been looking forward to seeing his take on the Jersey Devil mythos for the past couple months, hopeful that this would be one of the rare movies about a mythical Cryptid that was actually good. Save for Mothman Prophecies and the fun flick Abominable, Cryptozoological creatures have mostly only been given the super shitty Syfy treatment over the years, which makes me one sad little man. In the hands of Bousman, my hopes were high that the Jersey Devil would finally be given the cinematic respect he deserves. ....Which is why I was so disappointed to discover that The Barrens is a Jersey Devil movie that is pretty much about anything but the Jersey Devil. Bousman's lame-o script is instead a psychological peek inside the fractured mind of a father/husband (played by True Blood's Stephen Moyer), a man who has taken his family camping in Jersey Devil territory, and who thinks the Devil is real, and out to get him. And so, for the majority of the movie, the Jersey Devil is only seen as delusions in Moyer's head, or at least what we're led to believe are crazy delusions. Now that's all good and well, and the idea of a crazy man going out into the woods and thinking he's seeing the Jersey Devil, when he's not, could be quite an interesting tale, in the right hands. There was definitely the germ of an interesting idea there, which could very well have sprouted into an effective exploration on the effects of fear and paranoia. But here's the problem with The Barrens. In addition to the script just all around being incredibly boring and dull, we are shown early on that the Jersey Devil does in fact exist, in the world that this movie inhabits. In the opening pre-credits sequence, two young campers come upon a pile of dead animal bodies and are then killed by something that flys towards them, though we never see what it was that attacked them. But obviously, since it was flying, and this is a movie about the Jersey Devil and all, we can be pretty sure that it was the Jersey fucking Devil. And thus, the fact that the whole movie tries to convince us that we're watching a movie about a crazy guy who thinks he sees a creature that doesn't really exist, rather than a movie about a family that's about to become a hearty meal for the Jersey Devil, is totally silly. If Bousman had instead decided to not show us that the Jersey Devil was real, in the early parts of the film, then the movie could've perhaps been interesting, as we'd actually wonder if this guy is really nuts, or if he's right about the Devil. Instead, Bousman spoils that whole thing from the word go, thus making everything that comes after the opening credits a totally predictable bore. Gee, I wonder who's really responsible for killing all the campers, man or myth, when you already showed us two campers getting killed by the Jersey Devil before the opening credits!! **I realize the above paragraph is a bit spoiler-ific, but it's the movie that spoils the movie, so don't blame me!** The other major fault of Bousman playing the film for psychological kicks rather than making a straight up Jersey Devil gone wild flick is that the movie is a total bore, without any of that Jersey Devil action that I went into it hoping for, and expecting. It's essentially The Shining ... in the woods ... made by Syfy ... and I don't say that in any sort of complementary way. Basically, it's a Syfy movie that's devoid of the one thing that makes Syfy movies remotely watchable; cool monster on human kill scenes. Though the film obviously wasn't setting out to be fun, but rather a psychological trip, I again must reiterate that I didn't dislike it simply because it wasn't what I was expecting it to be. If the story had been any good, I would've enjoyed it had the Jersey Devil played any actual role in it or not. But the fact of the matter is that the story just isn't good. And again, since we've already pretty much been told the secret of the film within the first couple minutes, there's not much reason to even go along for that boring ride. Sorry Darren, but when I'm sitting there the whole time itching to see the Jersey Devil tear up every character in the film, your attempts at making a Jersey Devil film more interesting than the typical Jersey Devil film have failed. As far as Stephen Moyer is concerned, I'm a big fan of him as Bill on True Blood, but I've never really been impressed by any of his acting outside of that show, and I always have a hard time seeing him as anything other than Vampire Bill. He seems to be struggling with his accent throughout The Barrens, much like he was in The Caller, which gets a bit distracting. Oddly enough, he gets to use his native accent in this film, so I'm not sure what the problem was there. It's as if he's stuck between his real accent and his True Blood accent, both of which are internally fighting with one another to get out of his mouth! Ya know when you're watching a movie, and you're kinda bored, so you hit the select button on your PS3 remote, hopeful that you've only got a few minutes left? And then once you hit the button, you realize that you've only made it an hour into the film, and you've still got 30 minutes to go? Yea. That pretty much sums up my experience of watching The Barrens last night. The Barrens is a big step back for Bousman, a film that feels more like a debut effort from an amateur filmmaker. Still love ya Darren, but you're better than this. And the Jersey Devil's better than this too. Those cryptids get no respect, I tell ya.

|A 19th-Century engraving of the enigmatic but seemingly extinct izcuintlipotzotli | Sometimes, tragically, by the time that a cryptid attracts mainstream scientific attention, it is too late - the creature in question has already become extinct. Certainly, for example, it may be too late to secure a specimen of a still-unidentified creature formerly reported from Mexico - the unpronounceable izcuintlipotzotli - because it has not been reported for more than 150 years. This bizarre beast first came to attention in 1780, courtesy of a tome entitled Historia Antigua de Mexico ('Mexico's Ancient History'), penned by Jesuit priest Father Francisco Javier Clavijero, a highly respected New World scholar. Inhabiting the Tarascan region of Michoacán in western Mexico, the izcuintlipotzotli was the size of a maltese terrier, with a small, wolf-like head, extremely short neck, lumpy muzzle, and small pendant ears. Strangely, its forelimbs were notably shorter than the hindlimbs, its skin was mottled with black, brown, and white spots, and - most striking of all - a grotesque hump (but possibly fatty rather than bony in composition) extended the entire length of its back, from its shoulders to its haunches. Indeed, part of its name, 'potzotli', translates as 'hunchback'. So singular was its appearance that some zoologists questioned the accepted belief that the izcuintlipotzotli was a breed of dog (albeit an emphatically homely one), even speculating that it may be some exotic species of rodent! However, the few known engravings of it that exist (such as the example opening this present ShukerNature blog post) suggest that this idiosyncratic entity was even less like a rodent than a dog. Whatever it was, however, the izcuintlipotzotli is no more. What appears to be the last documented mention of such a creature occurred in 1843, within Frances Calderón de la Barca's book Life in Mexico, noting a dead specimen that she saw hanging from a hook near the door of an inn visited by her in the valley of Guajimalco. I am not aware of any preserved museum specimens either. If anyone reading this does have any additional information, however, concerning the seemingly demised izcuintlipotzotli, I would greatly welcome receiving it. This post is excerpted from my book Mysteries of Planet Earth: An Encyclopaedia of the Inexplicable (Carlton: London, 1999).

The Unidentified Mysterious Animal Club or UMA Club, was an unofficial division of the CIA dedicated to cryptozoology, a fringe science focused on the search for animals which are considered to be legendary or otherwise nonexistent. It was founded and led by Major Zero. Sigint was also a member of the group, acting as its vice president. One of their biggest interests was the search for the Tsuchinoko, a plump snake-like creature cryptid. The club also expressed interest in finding a Megatherium or the De Loys' Ape in Colombia. Behind the scenesEdit In Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Sigint discusses Colombia's UMAs in an optional radio conversation if he is recruited as a playable character. He asks Naked Snake and some members of his resistance to procure one while they are in the country. Big Boss also briefly references the UMA Club when speaking to Amanda Valenciano Libre about Chico's fascination towards UMAs, in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (first mentioned) - Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (mentioned) - Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (indirect mention) Notes and referencesEdit - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010). Briefing Files > Briefing Library > Amanda > About Herself > Chico: Amanda: OK. I promise. ...You know what book Chico really likes? The "World Encyclopedia of Mysterious Creatures." The Loch Ness Monster, the Yeti... // Snake: UMAs. Yeah, I know. // Amanda: He's still so much like a boy... I worry about him. // Snake: He'll be fine. I know plenty of grown men who still go crazy over UMAs. // Amanda: Are... are you serious?

|Soloman "Doc" Saturday| |Voice Actor|| Phil Morris (The Secret Saturdays)| Bumper Robinson (Ben 10: Omniverse) |First Appearance||The Kur Stone: Part One| Solomon "Doc" Saturday is the father of Zak Saturday and husband to Drew Saturday, along with the adoptive father of Zon, Fiskerton and Komodo Saturday. He lost sight in one eye while protecting Zak from a Cryptid. He was very surprised when he found out that Zak was Kur and was against the Secret Scientists cryogenic-ray freezing his son. Doc is of African American heritage, with dark skin, black hair (with a streak of white going down the middle), and one dark brown eye, while the other is a sightless blue color due to him being blind in that eye. Doc has a black jump suit with a orange vest over it, a yellow belt and two yellow gloves, one of which being Doc's Battle Glove, with two big boots. - According to Doc in Curse of the Stolen Tiger, he met Drew while rock climbing.

Brilliant. Click here or on either of the pix to go to the complete portfolio. Brilliant. Click here or on either of the pix to go to the complete portfolio. Obviously led to this: A tugboat reads CL and gets confused – even though the missed connection clearly refers to one of the Moran tugs, Miss Stacy is overcome and throws herself at the Portsmouth side of the Memorial Bridge. (You can follow the bridge on Twitter - @psmithbridge.) The 2007 Boston bomb scare occurred on January 31, 2007 when the Boston Police Department mistakenly identified battery-powered LED placards resembling the Mooninite characters in the show Aqua Teen Hunger Force found throughout Boston, Massachusetts and the surrounding cities of Cambridge and Somerville as improvised explosive devices. * I don’t see a lot of improvement in the threat assessments DHS, the cops, etc. are doing. A month or so ago I re-watched the classic 1979 BBC adaptation of LeCarré’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – partly to get ready for the new Gary Oldman movie, but mainly because it is so damn good. I was happily viewing when one shot caused my jaw to drop: George Smiley is on his way to the Lamplighter’s HQ to interview Toby Esterhase. I saw the ‘Starlight Laundry’ sign and immediately thought of Mr. Stross. His wickedly entertaining Laundry series is a Secret Service/Lovecraft/bureaucracy horrorthrillercomedy amalgam that I can recommend unreservedly. “Aha”, says I, “I’ll bet this scene is The Laundry’s birthplace!” Alas. A little while later I tweeted – wondering if there was any back story to the choice of a laundry in the BBC shot. [technical note - I will work out the 'embedding Storify w/in a WordPress post' kinks in the fullness of time - for now, a screen scrape] “Apophenia is the experience of seeing meaningful patterns or connections in random or meaningless data.” * And lest anyone think I’m particularly observant/pattern recognizing/perceptive, I think this one belongs in the “even a blind pig can believe he’s found an acorn once in a while” bucket. I was thinking about the two examples I posted earlier in the week of folks interrogating historical pictures/text for scientific info. And one of the things I was thinking about was the difference in credibility between the more recent traveler’s reports and pictures and those provided by the classical artists and commentators. There are a bunch of factors – art (with its varied intentions) vs. photography (at least until the advent of the shoop, subject to a lighter level of manipulation), the specific credibility problems around the taking of wild animals (a polite way of saying that all fishermen are liars), but I kept dwelling on one other difference. The African travelers of the 1850′s are like us. The Romans, Greeks and Etruscans aren’t. I don’t want to overdo it – I think that people, are at the core, similar – but the facts available to a Greek philosopher (even Democritus) and the available ways of organizing the facts? Not the same as those available to an explorer in the 1800s. This facts and framework thing affects how one sees the world and thus feeds back on how the world is portrayed. Tangent – another argument in favor of mining the most prosaic of historical docs? Three sheep on a tax roll are always three sheep, after all. So I listened to an NPR piece on the search for the HMAS Sydney rapt. I knew about her history; Robert Farley over at Lawyers, Guns and Money has put up an excellent series of posts on the Sydney – Kormoran engagement and aftermath In a nutshell, on 19 Nov. 1941 HMAS Sydney encountered and engaged the Kriegsmarine merchant raider HSK-8 Kormoran. Both ships were sunk; 318 Germans survived but all of the crew of Sydney was lost. A variety of theories have been proposed to explain the lack of Australian survivors from involvement of a Japanese sub through German treachery and subsequent murder of survivors to the more prosaic poor ammunition storage leading to magazine explosion. LG&M posts fleshing this out: Sydney, Kormoran, the battle and afterward (with bonus musings on the legality of a couple of James T. Kirk’s ploys). In 2008 the wrecks of both Kormoran and Sydney were located. Where the engagement took place has been an open question since the get-go and it’s one that folks searching for the wreck wanted to have answered, the ocean being a big place and all. Let’s ask the survivors: “Particularly in a wartime situation, the position of the ship is really kept in the bridge area,” Trotter says. “It would not be normal that the rest of the ship’s company would be told.” Still, in the course of their interrogations, about 70 Germans did come up with a location. But those locations, taken together, didn’t make much sense — the positions were spread out, smeared over hundreds of miles. One survivor even placed the sinking almost halfway to Antarctica. So most Australians concluded that the Germans must be lying, their conflicting accounts part of a ploy to throw the Australians off the scent. When Sydney hunters went out looking for the boat — and many did — they either completely disregarded the accounts from the Germans, or, in a couple of cases, focused exclusively on the captain’s version of the story. * The assumption that the Germans were lying fueled the sub/treachery theories. Without any semi-specific area to search, efforts to locate the wrecks came up empty. Enter cognitive psychologists Kim Kirsner and John Dunn. As cognitive psychologists, Kirsner and Dunn took a very different view of the German accounts. To them, the spread of the reports looked like the kind of data they saw in memory experiments. So they set out to prove scientifically that the Germans were probably telling the truth. “We wanted to make the case — show that the characteristics of these reports were the right kind of characteristics,” says Dunn. That is, that the inconsistencies in the reports were precisely the kind of inconsistencies that occur naturally from failures of memory and the vagaries of transmitting information from person to person. * They expanded the work of Frederic Bartlett: One of his most famous studies was on the cognitive and social processes of remembering. He composed a series of short fables (the best known was called The War of the Ghosts), each of which comprised a sequence of events which were ostensibly logical but subtly illogical, and there were several discreet non-sequiturs. He would recite this story to subjects, then later (sometimes much later) ask them to recall as much of it as possible. He discovered that most people found it extremely difficult to recall the story exactly, even after repeated readings, and hypothesised that, where the elements of the story failed to fit into the schemata of the listener, these elements were omitted from the recollection, or transformed into more familiar forms. * Kirsner and Dunn did a statistical analysis on Bartlett’s data and on the German’s accounts. They saw similar results – in other words, it seems like the Germans were doing standard misremembering, not lying. The effort to find the wrecks went on from there, but my brain came to a screeching halt. One: our schemata cause us to misremember consistently. Two: a group of inconsistent accounts can be analyzed and we can see if they fit into a normal misremembering scenario. Question one – given a schemata pattern and a benchmark – in this case, Kirsner and Dunn’s analysis of sailor stories and the now known location of the ships – can we use the stats to model and correct for inaccuracies in other tales? Question two – given 2 or 3 pattern/benchmark pairs separated by time/culture/etc, can we contrast different misremembering tendencies and say something about the schemata in place for each pair? Question 3 – would a constellation of these schemata metrics give us a way to filter out some of the framing (theirs and ours) that stands between us, with a bunch of traveler’s tales, and a more accurate data set? Reaction one: cool. Off I went to the South Shore (I think that’s the correct region name) yesterday for a cookout. Not just any cookout, mind you, but a chance to meet Steve and Libby Bodio in the flesh; Steve and I have been corresponding, exchanging links, etc. for quite a few years. If you know anything about the Bodios, you know to expect a diverse crowd, viz. a herpetologist who studied elephant seals before going into the building trades, someone who dropped out of law school to sell (fine) carpets (and fly falcons), etc. It was a great get together and more than a bit of a milestone for me – more on that in a moment. Steve -on the left- chuckling over an anecdote. The back of Libby’s head (sorry – photojournalism wasn’t a priority and the one portraity picture I took is not great) and Eric, Steve’s last Massachusetts apprentice (many years ago). Note in both photographs the object sticking out to Steve’s back pocket. There’s a story there; I’ll let Steve tell it, but in the meantime guess away as to it’s identity. Steve hasn’t been east in many years, so there was a lot of year-totalling-up for him to do with old friends. I’m a newcomer – we’ve known each other on line for 5 years or so – not even the blink of an eye comparatively. That being said, I was thinking this morning about how long I’ve known about him… A Rage for Falcons was the first thing of his I remember reading. I may have read essays or reviews before finding A Rage (in Stroudwater Books when it was in the Pic ‘n Pay Plaza in Portsmouth, for you local old-timers) but the descriptions of falconry in A Rage left a mark and rekindled my desire to fly raptors. I went to the bookshelf and pulled the book, opened it and read ‘copyright 1984′. We’re talking 27 years. Great conversation (Libby and I talked tazis and teckels – where else could one do that?), great beer (thanks, Throwback), and great hosts (THANKS!, Karen and George). What a day! Also – I’m still upright! Given what’s been happening in the Midwest, I am not going to complain at all about the spring weather here in New England; instead, I’ll just observe that it has been cold and wet. Cold enough that seeing wildflowers is a bit of a surprise – although photoperiod-wise they’re right on time, it still feels a little early. The green of new leaves against a gray cotton wool sky is close to hallucinatory in intensity; acid green, indeed. Pink Ladyslipper Cypripediun acaule getting ready to bloom. A new-to-me bog. I shall return. Two follow-up items… And a new piece of art from Solongo Mellecker – a favorite cryptid, the Mongolian Deathworm. For those not familiar with the worms, the artist’s description, “[the] Mongolian death worm, known as “olgoi horhoi” in Mongolian, meaning large intestine worm, is a snake like creature believed to exist in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. The worm is a bright red creature, resembling a blood filled intestine, is about 2 to 5 feet long. It can rise from the sand without warning and kill a prey big as a camel.” Tremors critters, eat your (multiple?) hearts out. Via @roundmyskull, a post on a British dazzle camoufleur and Vorticist: Edward Wadsworth. The Design Student has indicated an interest in model building/painting (we’re going to ransack the house for his old Warhammer figurines – could be a nice side job); perhaps I should build a WWI ship model or 2 for him to dazzle up. And a print from RISD’s dazzle plan collection. I reiterate – I need more wall space. A web site that takes your Flickstream and runs it into a fast slide show – 2,445 photos in five and a half minutes.

Top 10 Things You Might Not Know About Cryptids A cryptid is a creature whose existence has been suggested, but not accepted by the scientific community. The term was coined in 1983 by a man named John E. Wall. Hundreds of cryptids exist around the world with some of the most famous being the Yeti, Loch Ness Monster, and El Chupacabra. In order to study reliable accounts of unexplained creatures you often need to visit some of the most remote places on Earth, including the Amazon Rainforest, Papua New Guinea, Antarctica, sections of Canada, Russia, Vietnam, and the Congo. This article will examine ten stories about cryptids. I have focused on large animals, with Sasquatch making multiple appearances. Gigantopithecus is an extinct genus of ape that existed as recently as 100,000 years ago. Fossils of the creatures have been uncovered in China, India, and Vietnam. The species lived in the same location as several other hominins, but were much larger in body size. Fossil records suggest that Gigantopithecus blacki reached the size of 3 meters (9.8 ft), and weighed up to 540 kilograms (1,200 lb). In 1935, the first official remains of Gigantopithecus were discovered by a distinguished paleontologist and geologist named Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald when he found a collection of bones and teeth at an apothecary shop in China. Ralph von Koenigswald came to learn that a large amount of the creatures fossilized teeth and bones were used in ancient Chinese medicines. The fossils of Gigantopithecus are primarily found in the southeast section of Asia. In 1955, forty-seven Gigantopithecus blacki teeth were found among a shipment of “dragon bones” in China. Authorities traced the shipment back to a source that had a huge collection of Gigantopithecus teeth and jawbones. By 1958, three mandibles (lower jaws) and more than 1,300 teeth of the creature had been recovered. Not all the remains have been dated to the same time period and there are three (extinct) named species of Gigantopithecus. The jaws of Gigantopithecus are deep and thick. The molars are flat and exhibit the ability for tough grinding. The teeth also have a large number of cavities, which is similar to giant pandas, so it has been hypothesized that they might have eaten bamboo. An examination of the microscopic scratches and plant remains found embedded in Gigantopithecus teeth has suggested that the creatures ate seeds, vegetables, fruit, and bamboo. All of the traits exhibited by the Gigantopithecus have caused some cryptozoologists to compare the creature to Sasquatch. One of these people is Grover Krantz, who believed Bigfoot was a living member of Gigantopithecus. Krantz believed that a population of the creatures could have migrated across the Bering land bridge, which was later used by humans to enter North America. In the early 20th century, it was thought that Gigantopithecus blacki was an ancestor of humans, due to the molar evidence, but this idea has since been dismissed. Today, the idea of convergent evolution has been used to explain the molar similarities. Officially, Gigantopithecus blacki is placed in the subfamily Ponginae along with the orangutan. Pteranodon is a genus of pterosaurs that included some of the largest known flying reptiles. They held a wingspan of over 6 meters (20 ft) and existed in North America, specifically present day Kansas, Alabama, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota. For over 200 years, people in these areas of the United States have reported enormous birds. The bird sightings are so prevalent that the creatures have been given the name Thunderbirds, which is taken from Native American mythology. In many cases, Thunderbird reports are accompanied by large footprints. Probably the most controversial report surfaced on July 25, 1977, when a group of three children from Lawndale, Illinois, claimed that two giant birds chased them and then grabbed a ten-year-old boy named Marlon Lowe. One of the birds reportedly clamped down on Lowe’s shoulder with its claws, lifted him about two feet off the ground, carried him some distance, and then released him. Thunderbird sightings continue to intrigue cryptozoologists to this day. The creatures are said to have lizard-like features, which is similar to the extinct pterosaurs. In the 1950s, an unusual photograph was published in a “believe it or not” type book in the U.S. The picture shows a collection of American Civil War soldiers standing over an enormous bird carcass. The carcass holds a strong resemblance to a Pteranodon. According to the story, the bird was shot down by soldiers during the American Civil War in 1864 near the city of Vicksburg. The story says that the publication referred to the creature as “some kind of unknown bird or monster.” In an interesting twist, there is a second photograph on the Internet that displays the exact same scene, but is known to be faked. The picture is not as convincing, but was made to look similar to the original for a television show named Freaky Links, which aired on the Fox network. The fake picture shows soldiers standing over a different carcass. The image is deceiving and the fact that there are two photographs that show the same thing has discredited the original. Whatever the case, the picture remains an interesting story. Today, Thunderbirds are one of the most popular cryptids in North America. One of the best Bigfoot videos of late is the Pennsylvania White Bigfoot clip, which was taken in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. For many years, the residents of Carbondale have reported some bizarre sightings of a white Bigfoot. Carbondale is a small city that was the site of the first underground mine in the United States. It used to be a major terminal of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad. In July of 2008, a local news station in Pennsylvania ran a story which talked about the “white creature” after receiving an anonymous email. It was said to be “some sort of animal about 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 meters) tall, covered in all white fur.” The email specifically mentioned a wooded area in Carbondale near a mine reclamation site. Mine reclamation is the process of restoring land that has been mined to an economically usable condition. In 2010, people began to report sightings of a white juvenile Bigfoot in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. Homeowners began to hear strange noises and disturbances in the woods. In one case, an unidentified man witnessed movement in his backyard and was able to capture some bizarre video footage. For one full second, the man filmed a large white creature that resembled the shape of a Bigfoot. In the video, as the man’s camera hits the creature’s face, it quickly moves away. Over the Internet, the video clip is said to display some bizarre factors. For starters the animal’s body proportions are extremely large, which is not easily faked. The creature holds a defined brow ridge, coned head, and hooded nose. The shoulders are extremely high and the arms are long. The object is fast and mobile. The creature has white fur on its head and small ears. Most importantly, the video shows the object’s face contorting as it runs away, which suggests that it may not be a mask. The included video has the clearest footage. You can fast-forward to the action. The Cat Sìth is a creature from Celtic mythology that resembles a large black cat with a white spot on its breast. The cat is mentioned in several legends and is said to haunt the Scottish Highlands. In the past, people in this area of the world used to believe the Cat Sìth was a transformed witch. For centuries, stories of unexplained black cats have been reported in Scotland. In most cases, the animals are said to be the size of a dog, with a thick tail and arched back. In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Black Cat,” a magical feline with a white patch on its breast is featured. Over the last 100 years, hundreds of people have reported black jaguar-like cats in the United Kingdom. The Beast of Bodmin is a phantom wild cat that has been said to live in Cornwall, England. The cat came to the attention of the media after people began to report mutilated livestock. In Scotland, black cats were thought to be a mythological species until 1984 when Ronnie Douglas shot and killed the first Kellas Cat. The animals DNA was tested and found to be a hybrid between wild and domestic sub-species of Felis silvestris. The discovery of the Kellas cat was remarkable and proved that the Scottish legends of black cats were true. The Kellas cat is described as being over 65 cm (25 inches) long, with powerful hind legs and a tail that can grow to be around 30 cm (12 inches) long. In some areas of Scotland, larger specimens have been sighted. The animal’s huge tail makes it stand out among other felines, while others have reported that the Kellas cat looks like a hybrid between a black cat and a rabbit. Similar to the Cat Sìth legend, the Kellas cat holds a collection of white fur at the base of the throat, or on the chest region. The cat appears to exhibit behavior unlike any other Scottish wild cats. They have been repeatedly described as hunting in pairs and are said to be largely cursorial (built for running), not arboreal (tree climbing). Many specimens of the Kellas cat have surfaced over the years, with some having disappeared, while others are on display. One such example is kept in a museum in Elgin, Scotland. The Patterson-Gimlin film is a famous short motion picture of an unidentified bipedal creature that is said to have been filmed on October 20, 1967, by Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin on the Klamath River outside of Orleans, California. The footage is one of best pieces of Bigfoot evidence in existence and has been examined by many researchers. The official story surrounding the video is that it was filmed by Patterson and Gimlin as they stumbled upon a large Bigfoot by the river. In 2009, another theory emerged which proposed that the famous clip shows a Bigfoot massacre carried out by Patterson, Gimlin, and six other men. Unlike other Bigfoot videos, the Patterson-Gimlin film is unique because it captures a Sasquatch in the open. In most Bigfoot videos made available, the creatures are viewed hiding behind trees or camouflaged on the ground. This makes the Patterson footage a bit unique and out of the ordinary. As the massacre theory goes, in 2006, a new version of the Patterson-Gimlin film emerged. The copy was much longer and showed eight men killing a family of Bigfoot. According to the story, the film starts off shaky and three Sasquatch are seen entering the picture. The creatures are digging in the sand when they are attacked by a sudden hail of gunfire which comes from the tree line. One of the Bigfoot is instantly shot dead and another bolts for the woods. The remaining Sasquatch strangely just walks off in the direction of the tree line. As the Bigfoot moves, the men continue to take shots at it from a distance. The walking Bigfoot is said to be the one you see in the popular film. In 2008, Bigfoot researcher M. K. Davis, who specializes in video stabilization, began to endorse the massacre story and claimed that he found evidence for the event. He says that a bloody Sasquatch corpse can be seen in a hole at the beginning of the film, in the earliest frames. Davis also points to a picture which shows Bob Titmus, Dale Moffit, and a white dog named White Lady next to a pile of red material. Davis has speculated that the Bigfoot seen the video was shot twice (once in the leg) and then hunted down. The story also mentions another film which is said to show a bunch of men dragging one of the lifeless bodies, placing it on a tarp or a pool cover, and then cutting it up. The history of cryptids can be traced over multiple centuries through folklore, mythology, and tradition. In some cases, a creature with similar characteristics and physical features can be given a different name across cultures. One such case is the modern Waheela. The Waheela is a wolf-like cryptid that has been reported in the Northwest Territories of Canada and areas of Michigan and Alaska. The animal has been described as a wolf on steroids. Some estimates have placed the height of a typical Waheela at 3.5 feet (1 meter) tall at the shoulders. Cryptozoologist Ivan Sanderson has suggested that the Waheela might represent a relict population of Amphicyonids, which are prehistoric bear-dogs. Reports of the Waheela indicate that the creatures have shorter legs than a wolf. The height comes from its massive body size. The Waheela’s ears are small and it has toes set farther away than typical wolves. Unlike modern species, the Waheela are never seen in packs and prefer to travel alone or in groups of two or three. The animals live in the coldest, most inhospitable environments of the extreme north, favoring areas where people don’t live. The characteristics of the Waheela are extremely similar to the Shunka Warakin, which is an animal mentioned in American folklore that is said to resemble a wolf or hyena. In 1886, a creature was shot by a man named Israel Ammon Hutchins on the Sun Ranch in Montana. The corpse was extremely mysterious and resembled the Shunka Warakin legend. The animal was stuffed, given the name Ringdocus, and displayed at a general store near Henry Lake’s, Idaho, until it disappeared in the 1980s. In 2007, Ringdocus was rediscovered in Pocatello, Idaho. To date, no DNA testing has been carried out on the animal. On November 2, 2006, in Garfield County, Montana, a strange 106-pound animal was shot after it killed a total of 120 sheep across a wide range of land. The creature was reddish-yellow in color and did not resemble a normal wolf. Cryptozoologists researched the story and suggested that the animal might be a surviving Shunka Warakin. The corpse has since been identified by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department as a four year old male wolf with unusually red colored fur. Both the Waheela and the Shunka Warakin are similar to the Amarok, which is a giant wolf from Inuit mythology. The Inuit are a group of indigenous people that live in a location where the bear-wolves have been reported, including the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada, the United States, and Russia. The Amarok were said to hunt down and eat anyone foolish enough to be alone at night. Unlike real wolves, they were said to be solitary and did not travel in large packs. Today, the mysterious Waheela is said to live in the Nahanni Valley of Canada’s Northwest Territories, including the Valley of Headless Men, which is one of the last unexplored places on Earth. In 2011, it was revealed that the U.S. State Department issued a series of regulations in the 1950s for people traveling to the Himalayan region of Nepal and Tibet in search of the Yeti. The rules said that all expeditions must buy a permit. If seen, the animal must be photographed or taken alive. “The creature must not be killed or shot at except in an emergency situation out of self defense.” Finally, any news proving the existence of the Yeti must be cleared through the Nepalese government, which wanted to take credit for the discovery. The story made headlines around the world because it showed that the United States and other governments believed that the Yeti might exist. In the 1950s, interest in the Yeti peaked when Eric Shipton took photographs of a number of large prints in the snow, at about 6,000 m (20,000 ft) above sea level while attempting to scale Mount Everest. In 1956, Polish Army lieutenant Sławomir Rawicz published a book titled The Long Walk in which he claimed that while crossing the Himalayas in the winter of 1940 with a group of soldiers, their path was blocked for hours by two bipedal animals that were moving around in the snow. In the 1950s, the Yeti caught the attention of adventurer Tom Slick. Slick came to the conclusion that there were two kinds of Yeti. One was about 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall and black in color, while the other was smaller, and reddish. Slick claimed to have witnessed the Yeti on separate occasions, but his encounters with the creature were few and far between. In 1959, Tom Slick made a remarkable discovery while on an expedition in Nepal. He reportedly witnessed a Yeti from a distance and watched the animal for a couple minutes. The creature was about 5 or 6 feet (1.5 – 1.8 meters) tall and had reddish-colored hair. After the animal disappeared, Slick and his team entered the area and found a pile of newly dropped feces. Slick collected the sample and took it to a French laboratory for testing. The analysis discovered a parasite named a whipworm. The whipworm is a worm that is associated with a wide variety of mammals and each species has a unique strain of the worm. The whipworm that was found in the feces could not be classified by science. “Since each animal has its own parasites, this indicated that the host animal is equally an unknown animal.” If true, the feces fossil is evidence that there could have been an unknown creature living in Nepal in 1959. It is one of the best pieces of evidence for the existence of the Yeti. Currently, the feces can be viewed at the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine. Sadly, Tom Slick died in 1962 when his Beechcraft plane crashed in Montana en route to Canada. He was only 46-years-old. One of the most intriguing cryptids in the world is the Mokele-mbembe. The Mokele-mbembe is a large creature that has been reported in the Lake Télé Community Reserve, which is located in the north-east section of the Congo. Lake Télé is surrounded by a series of swamp forests that have never been explored. The land is extremely remote and rugged. A retired biologist named Dr Roy Mackal said of Lake Télé: “It’s the end of the world. It gives you a feeling of a surviving prehistoric time.” In 2007, a US-based Wildlife Conservation Society found evidence that there is a population of approximately 125,000 Western lowland gorillas in the Lake Télé Community Reserve, which is more than the current total population of the species. For hundreds of years, a large reptile-like creature has been reported in Lake Télé. It has been described as “half elephant, half dragon,” and looks like a big elephant or rhinoceros with a long neck, tail, and small head. Mokele-mbembe’s characteristics have caused some people to connect the sightings with sauropods. Sauropods were a form of saurischian (“lizard-hipped”) dinosaurs. They had long necks, long tails, small heads, and thick legs. Sauropods were once widespread on Earth and fossilized remains of the creatures have been found on every continent, including Antarctica. Mokele-mbembe is said to be gray in color and a territorial herbivore. Despite being an herbivore, the creature is reported to roar aggressively if approached by humans. Mokele-mbembe has been spotted on land and in the water. Sightings say that the animal might have a single horn, which is used to kill those who trespass on its territory. Since 1900, numerous expeditions have been carried out in search of the legendary Mokele-mbembe. In 1919, a 32-man expedition was sent to Africa from the Smithsonian Institution. The men reported large footprints, unexplained tracks, and strange noises. The expedition ended in tragedy when a locomotive suddenly derailed and turned over in a flooded area. The accident happened in a place where the locals were said to have seen the dinosaur. In 1979, a story emerged of an African tribe that trapped, killed, and ate a Mokele-mbembe. To date, many people have described close encounters with a large monster in the Lake Télé Community Reserve, but nobody has been able to provide evidence that it exists. Some have captured fuzzy photographs and videos, but nothing substantial. However, it is plausible that an undiscovered sauropod species could exist in this area of Earth on the grounds that there is a huge amount of unexplored territory. The land holds large creatures, such as elephants, which live in open clearings and thicker wooded areas. Homo floresiensis is a possible extinct species in the genus Homo. Homo is a genus that includes modern humans and those closely related. All species of the genus except Homo sapiens (modern humans) are extinct. It was thought that Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthals), who died out approximately 24,000 years ago, were our last surviving relative, but in 2003 the remains of Homo floresiensis were found on the island of Flores in Indonesia. The partial skeletons of nine individuals were recovered, including one complete cranium. Archeologists recovered stone tools around the bones ranging in age from 94,000 to 13,000 years ago. It was determined that the species of Homo floresiensis was potentially alive as recently as 12,000 years ago. Homo floresiensis was unveiled on October 28, 2004, and was nicknamed the “Hobbit” due to its small body and brain size. Other features that might distinguish the species from modern humans include the form of the teeth, the absence of a chin, a different shaped humerus (upper arm bone), and the thickness of the legs. The height of the surviving skeleton was about 1.06 m (3 ft 6 in) tall. The feet of H. floresiensis are flat and long in relation to the rest of the body. As a result, it had a hard time walking and had to bend its knees further back than modern people do. If you look into the history and mythology of Flores, Indonesia, you will find many stories that describe human-like creatures named Ebu Gogo. The phrase ebu means “grandmother” and gogo means “he who eats anything.” The indigenous people of Flores named the Nage have described the Ebu Gogo as being a fast runner and standing around 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) tall. They were said to have wide and flat noses, broad faces with large mouths, and hairy bodies. The Edu Gogo were also said to have spoken a unique language. The creatures were able to mimic human speech like a parrot. The Nage people believe that the Ebu Gogo were alive as recently as the 20th century. The species was said to be stupid and easy to trick. It is thought that Homo floresiensis was hunted to extinction by the inhabitants of Flores because the creatures would steal food and kidnap children. With the discovery of the Homo floresiensis bones in 2003, some people have began to speculate that the Ebu Gogo myths found in Southeast Asia might be rooted in fact. Pterosaurs (winged lizards) were flying reptiles that existed on Earth from 200 to 65.5 million years ago. They are thought to be the earliest vertebrates to have evolved powered flight. The wings of a pterosaur were formed by a membrane of skin, muscle, and other tissues that stretched from the legs to a lengthened fourth finger. In popular media, pterosaurs are often referred to as flying dinosaurs, but this is incorrect. A pterosaur is not a dinosaur because they do not descend from the last common ancestor of the groups Saurischia and Ornithischia. Papua New Guinea is one of the most culturally diverse and unexplored areas on Earth. It is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands. The land is extremely remote and many undiscovered species of plants and animals are thought to exist in the interior of Papua New Guinea. For centuries, the locals have reported strange creatures and the area is home to many cryptids. One of the most famous is “Murray,” who is a giant dinosaur said to live in Lake Murray, which is the largest lake in Papua New Guinea. Murray has been described as resembling a theropod dinosaur, such as Tyrannosaurus. The Ropen is a flying cryptid that is said to live in the vicinity of Papua New Guinea. They have been described as large featherless creatures that have long tails and briefly glow as they fly. The Ropen has been said to look like a huge bat or pterosaur. Starting in 1994, a series of expeditions were carried out on Umboi Island in search of the Ropen. Umboi Island is a volcanic island located between the mainland of Papua New Guinea and the island of New Britain. After investigating the island, cryptozoologists returned with stories of a large nocturnal creature that exhibits bioluminescence and has a wingspan of about 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 meters). The Ropen is said to feed on fish, but reports have surfaced that the creatures have performed human grave robbing. In rare cases, certain giant Ropen have been seen with a wingspan of over 10 feet (3 meters). In late 2006, Paul Nation, of Texas, explored a remote mountainous area on the mainland of Papua New Guinea and videotaped two lights that the local natives called “indava.” The lights are thought to have come from the bioluminescence of a Ropen. In the 1990s, the cryptid became a target for creationists because traditional interpretations of the Bible suggest that pterosaurs lived in human times. If a modern day pterosaur was discovered, it would help prove the authenticity of certain sections in the Bible. Other people who have studied the reports feel the Ropen is a Flying Fox fruit bat or frigatebird.

New Monster book: Vermont Monster Guide A new book of cryptid monsters is out. The “Vermont Monster Guide” is a compilation of the weird creatures, accounts and stories from Vermont. “Though not widely acknowledged, the Green Mountain state is home to more winged wonders, wet weirdoes, and crypto creatures than any other state in the country. You probably know about Champ, the elusive monster of Lake Champlain. But what about Northfield’s Pigman? And Richford’s The Awful? Wherever you are in Vermont—in town or country, river or lake, land or sky—you’re never far from the unknown. Or the unexpected.” Seems like a great read. Even if for most of the sightings or reports, I am very skeptical, I like reading these things. For example; there are hundreds of local legends in Los Angeles about haunted houses, ghostly apparitions, lizard people and dog men. Reading about these stories helps me get the creative juices flowing. It’s especially fun when you tell your Niece and Nephew a few the stories while walking around the old parts of the city. The book “Vermont Monster Guide” is out this month. If you like reading monster stories, get yourself a copy. In fact get 2 and give one as a gift. Or if you are really feeling generous….my birthday is October 2. By DANIEL BARLOW Vermont Press Bureau – Published: September 13, 2009 Everyone knows the story of Champ, the mysterious monster allegedly living at the bottom of the big lake that inspired its name. But what about the bats with human faces sighted outside Rutland? How about the pet-eating Pigman of Northfield? Or the cats with freakishly long legs that roam the dumpsters in Burlington? Thankfully, there is now a guide to the monsters, creatures and oddities that observers say have been haunting Vermont’s woods and lakes for hundreds of years. “I wouldn’t say that Vermont has more monsters than other states,” said Joseph Citro, author of “The Vermont Monster Guide,” published this month by the University Press of New England. “But we are home to some of my favorite monsters.” Stephen R. Bissette, who drew the outlandish and sometimes grotesque drawings of the monsters in the book, agreed, adding that since Vermont is an “old state,” it has collected a unique bunch of monster tales. “For some people, Vermont still sounds like a fantastic and exotic location,” said Bissette, who pointed to a tabloid article from the early 1990s that proclaimed bats with human faces had been found in the Green Mountain National Forest near Rutland. The unknown is not new territory for Citro and Bissette. Both native Vermonters, the two friends previously collaborated on “The Vermont Ghost Guide,” which tracked spooky tales across the state. Citro, who said his love of these stories came from his father “spinning yarns” while he was growing up in Chester, has made a career out of writing about weird regional legends. Bissette, a retired cartoonist living in Windsor and teaching at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, is known for his horror comics, including his 1980s Swamp Thing stories with British writer Alan Moore. “Steve was the perfect collaborator for this project,” Citro said. “His style really brings these creatures to life. He’s just really good.” In addition to Bissette’s bold black-and-white drawings, each entry in the book gives the monster’s name and the location (such as a specific lake or town, or the general “any deep woods”) and dates of sightings. Citro also relates the gripping accounts of witnesses or the legends that have been handed down about ancient creatures. Bissette, 54, said he and Citro were inspired by the pseudo-science and cryptozoology paperback books of their youth – books with titles such as “Things” and “More Things” and “Strange Creatures from Time and Space.” Bissette also drew inspiration from a book closer to home: Rutland Herald and Times Argus cartoonist Jeff Danziger’s 1980s children’s book, “The Champlain Monster.” “Jeff’s work was a real inspiration for me,” Bissette said of his peer’s early career. “Here was a guy who lived here in Vermont and not New York City and was actually making a living off cartooning.” Citro has collected stories of Vermont monsters and ghosts for years, filing them away for later use in books. He said his research consists of old newspaper clippings (the story about the Sidehill Cronchers, a pig-like creature seen in Bridgewater, is culled from a 1966 Rutland Herald report) and stories people have told him over the years. During a recent book release party in White River Junction, Bissette joked that monster stories are difficult to flesh out because the anecdotes they hear usually amount to, “I saw a monster and then I ran away.” “Sometimes you wonder if a person really just saw a fisher cat, which can be elusive and look frightening to a person who has never seen one,” Bissette said. But their book doesn’t overtly pass judgment or try to debunk the monster mysteries. As Citro writes in the introduction, “Some may be real (whatever that means). Some may be the product of imagination reinforced by repetition. And some may exist close by, near enough to breathe down our necks.” A few of the stories came right from the creators’ youth. Growing up in Duxbury, Bissette repeatedly heard the local legend that there was a gigantic snapping turtle in the depths of a local pond, just waiting for an unsuspecting swimmer. “The story was that it would grab you by the leg, pull you under and you were dead,” Bissette said. Citro had his own Vermonster sighting. Back in 2000, he and a friend were on the highway returning from New Hampshire when they saw something big and dark on the road ahead of them. As they got closer, they saw that it appeared to be a big cat. For centuries, Vermonters have reported seeing mountain lions, black panthers and other exotic large cats roaming the wilderness. “It was broad daylight, too!” Citro said. “But that was my catamount sighting.” Bissette, who drew several sea creatures, BHMs (big hairy monsters) and other horrors for the book, said he has a hard time picking a favorite. “I love ‘em all,” he said. “Drawing these monsters was very easy for me to do.” Citro said he has a lot of affinity for Vermont’s best-known monster: Lake Champlain’s Champ. The large number of witnesses over the years – including groups who have reported seeing it at the same time – and some scientific tests done at the lake lead Citro to conclude that … something is there. Does he believe? “It’s not really a question of believing,” Citro said. “I think there is an awful lot of evidence that there is a very large unknown animal in the lake.” Both creators praised their third collaborator on the project, a Texas-born cartoonist named Cayetano Garza Jr. who moved to White River Junction several years ago. Garza, a noted Web cartoonist, painted the front and back covers of the book, lending a new look to Bissette’s work. “I present the black-and-white artwork to ‘Cat’ and he creates something that is truly unique,” Bissette said. Citro and Bissette are already working on a related follow-up book, although they are mum on the details right now. The two joked that they planned to pitch a book called “The Shrunken Heads of Vermont,” which would feature — well, the shrunken heads of famous Vermonters. “We realized that no one but us actually wanted to see the shrunken head of Marselis Parsons,” Citro said with a laugh. Full source: Rutland Herald Latest posts by Xavier Ortega (see all) - Kitsap, Washington 911 Recording: Bigfoot Outside - November 22, 2014 - Charles Fort: Notes On Poltergeists & Other Anomalous Phenomena - November 18, 2014 - Roswell Researcher Claims To Have Alien Body Photos - November 17, 2014 - Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot: New Evidence Found On Frame 61 - September 26, 2014

Cheesman was unable to train for a career as a veterinary surgeon due to restrictions on women's education. Instead, she studied entomology, and was the first woman to be hired as a curator at Regent's Park Zoo, in London. In 1924 she was invited to join a zoological expedition to the Marquesas and Galapagos Islands. She spent approximately twelve years on similar expeditions, travelling to New Guinea, the New Hebrides and other islands in the Pacific Ocean. In New Guinea she made a collecting expedition to the coastal area between Aitape and Jayapura (known as Hollandia at the time) and visited the Cyclop Mountains, near Jayapura, collecting insects. Evelyn assisted at the Natural History Museum, London for many years as a volunteer. She was awarded an OBE for her contribution to entomology. A number of insect species are named after her including the recently described true bug Costomedes cheesmanae. She also collected reptiles and amphibians and several New Guinea species were named in her honour: - Platymantis cheesmanae Parker, 1940 - Cyclops Range Ground Frog (Ceratobatrachidae) - Barygenys cheesmanae Parker, 1936 - Mt Tafa Burrowing Frog (Microhylidae) - Cophixalus cheesmanae Parker, 1934 - Cheesman's Hill-forest Frog (Microhylidae) - Litoria cheesmani (Tyler, 1964) - Cheesman's Big-eyed Treefrog (Hylidae) - Lipinia cheesmanae Parker, 1940 - Cheesman's Moth Skink (Scincidae) The tree frog is interesting in that the herpetologist who described it, has used the masculine genitive ending 'i' instead of the feminine 'ae', showing an assumption that the collector must have been a man. In New Guinea, Cheesman briefly investigated the mysterious flying lights now called "ropen lights," decades before the late-20th Century and early 21st Century ropen expeditions. In her book The Two Roads of Papua, she dismissed the possibility that the lights are from "any human agency." Nevertheless, her investigation did not acknowledge the possibility of a cryptid, therefore she is not labelled a cryptozoologist. Cheesman was the author of many books and scientific articles on entomology and her travels. - Tuzin, Donald F. (1997) ‘The Cassowary's Revenge: the life and death of masculinity in a New Guinea society’ University of Chicago Press, p. 86 - Doesburg, P.H. van. A taxonomic revision of the family Velocipedidae Bergroth, 1891 (Insecta: Heteroptera) Zool. Verh. Leiden 347, 28.v.2004, 5-110, figs 1-229.— ISSN 0024-1652/ISBN 90-73229-92-3

Loch Ness Monster Nessiteras rhombopteryx Scott, 1978) The "Surgeon's Photograph" (now known to be a hoax) |Sub grouping||Lake monster| |First reported||565 (retrospectively),[a] |Last reported||2014| The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid, a creature whose existence has been suggested but has not been discovered or documented by the scientific community. It is reputedly a large unknown animal that inhabits Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next. Popular interest and belief in the animal's existence has varied since it was first brought to the world's attention in 1933. Evidence of its existence is anecdotal, with minimal and much-disputed photographic material and sonar readings. The most common speculation among believers is that the creature represents a line of long-surviving plesiosaurs. The scientific community regards the Loch Ness Monster as a modern-day myth, and explains sightings as including misidentifications of more mundane objects, outright hoaxes, and wishful thinking. Despite this, it remains one of the most famous examples of cryptozoology. The legendary monster has been affectionately referred to by the nickname Nessie[b] (Scottish Gaelic: Niseag) since the 1940s. - 1 Origins - 2 History - 3 Photographs and films - 4 Searches for the monster - 4.1 Sir Edward Mountain Expedition (1934) - 4.2 Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau (1962–1972) - 4.3 LNPIB sonar study (1967–1968) - 4.4 Andrew Carroll's sonar study (1969) - 4.5 Submersible investigations - 4.6 "Big Expedition" of 1970 - 4.7 Robert Rines's studies (1972, 1975, 2001 and 2008) - 4.8 Operation Deepscan (1987) - 4.9 Discovery Loch Ness (1993) - 4.10 Searching for the Loch Ness Monster BBC (2003) - 5 Explanations - 5.1 Misidentification of common animals - 5.2 Misidentifications of inanimate objects or effects - 5.3 Folklore - 5.4 Hoaxes - 5.5 Exotic species of large animals - 6 Popular culture - 7 See also - 8 Footnotes - 9 Bibliography - 10 Documentary - 11 External links The term "monster" was reportedly applied for the first time to the creature on 2 May 1933 by Alex Campbell, the water bailiff for Loch Ness and a part-time journalist, in a report in The Inverness Courier. On 4 August 1933, the Courier published as a full news item the assertion of a London man, George Spicer, that a few weeks earlier while motoring around the Loch, he and his wife had seen "the nearest approach to a dragon or pre-historic animal that I have ever seen in my life", trundling across the road toward the Loch carrying "an animal" in its mouth. Other letters began appearing in the Courier, often anonymously, with claims of land or water sightings, either on the writer's part or on the parts of family, acquaintances or stories they remembered being told. These stories soon reached the national (and later the international) press, which described a "monster fish", "sea serpent", or "dragon", eventually settling on "Loch Ness Monster". On 6 December 1933 the first purported photograph of the monster, taken by Hugh Gray, was published in the Daily Express, and shortly after the creature received official notice when the Secretary of State for Scotland ordered the police to prevent any attacks on it. In 1934, interest was further sparked by what is known as The Surgeon's Photograph. In the same year R. T. Gould published a book, the first of many that describe the author's personal investigation and collected record of additional reports pre-dating 1933. Other authors have claimed that sightings of the monster go as far back as the 6th century (see below). Saint Columba (6th century) The earliest report of a monster associated with the vicinity of Loch Ness appears in the Life of St. Columba by Adomnán, written in the 7th century. According to Adomnán, writing about a century after the events he described, the Irish monk Saint Columba was staying in the land of the Picts with his companions when he came across the locals burying a man by the River Ness. They explained that the man had been swimming the river when he was attacked by a "water beast" that had mauled him and dragged him under. They tried to rescue him in a boat, but were able only to drag up his corpse. Hearing this, Columba stunned the Picts by sending his follower Luigne moccu Min to swim across the river. The beast came after him, but Columba made the sign of the Cross and commanded: "Go no further. Do not touch the man. Go back at once." The beast immediately halted as if it had been "pulled back with ropes" and fled in terror, and both Columba's men and the pagan Picts praised God for the miracle. The oldest manuscript relating to this story was put online in 2012. Believers in the Loch Ness Monster often point to this story, which takes place on the River Ness rather than the loch itself, as evidence for the creature's existence as early as the 6th century. However, sceptics question the narrative's reliability, noting that water-beast stories were extremely common in medieval saints' Lives; as such, Adomnán's tale is likely to be a recycling of a common motif attached to a local landmark. According to the sceptics, Adomnán's story may be independent of the modern Loch Ness Monster legend entirely, only becoming attached to it in retrospect by believers seeking to bolster their claims. In an article for Cryptozoology, A. C. Thomas notes that even if there were some truth to the story, it could be explained rationally as an encounter with a walrus or similar creature that had swum up the river. R. Binns acknowledges that this account is the most serious of various alleged early sightings of the monster, but argues that all other claims of monster sightings prior to 1933 are highly dubious and do not prove that there was a tradition of the monster before this date. Modern interest in the monster was sparked by a sighting on 22 July 1933, when George Spicer and his wife saw 'a most extraordinary form of animal' cross the road in front of their car. They described the creature as having a large body (about 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in) high and 7.6 metres (25 ft) long), and long, narrow neck, slightly thicker than an elephant's trunk and as long as the 10–12-foot (3–4 m) width of the road; the neck had undulations in it. They saw no limbs, possibly because of a dip in the road obscuring the animal's lower portion. It lurched across the road towards the loch 20 yards (20 m) away, leaving only a trail of broken undergrowth in its wake. In August 1933 a motorcyclist named Arthur Grant claimed to have nearly hit the creature while approaching Abriachan on the north-eastern shore, at about 1 a.m. on a moonlit night. Grant claimed that he saw a small head attached to a long neck, and that the creature saw him and crossed the road back into the loch. A veterinary student, he described it as a hybrid between a seal and a plesiosaur. Grant said he dismounted and followed it to the loch, but only saw ripples. Some believe this story was intended as a humorous explanation of a motorcycle accident. Sightings of the monster increased following the building of a road along the loch in early 1933, bringing both workmen and tourists to the formerly isolated area. Sporadic land sightings continued until 1963, when film of the creature was shot in the loch from a distance of 4 kilometres. Because of the distance at which it was shot, it has been described as poor quality. Chief Constable William Fraser (1938) In 1938, Inverness-shire Chief Constable William Fraser wrote a letter stating that it was beyond doubt the monster existed. His letter expressed concern regarding a hunting party that had arrived armed with a specially-made harpoon gun and were determined to catch the monster "dead or alive". He believed his power to protect the monster from the hunters was "very doubtful". The letter was released by the National Archives of Scotland on 27 April 2010. C. B. Farrel (1943) In May 1943, C. B. Farrel of the Royal Observer Corps was supposedly distracted from his duties by a Nessie sighting. He claimed to have been about 230 metres (750 ft) away from a large-eyed, 'finned' creature, which had a 6-to-9-metre (20 to 30 ft) long body, and a neck that protruded about 1.2–1.5 metres (3 ft 11 in–4 ft 11 in) out of the water. Sonar contact (1954) In December 1954 a strange sonar contact was made by the fishing boat Rival III. The vessel's crew observed sonar readings of a large object keeping pace with the boat at a depth of 146 metres (479 ft). It was detected travelling for 800 m (2,600 ft) in this manner, before contact was lost, but then found again later. Many sonar attempts had been made previously, but most were either inconclusive or negative. Photographs and films Hugh Gray's Photograph (1933) On 12 November 1933, Hugh Gray was walking along the loch after church when he spotted a substantial commotion in the water. A large creature rose up from the lake. Gray took several pictures of it, but only one of them showed up after they were developed. This image appeared to show a creature with a long tail and thick body at the surface of the loch. The image is blurred suggesting the animal was splashing. Four stumpy-looking objects on the bottom of the creature's body might possibly be a pair of appendages, such as flippers. Although critics have claimed that the photograph is of a dog swimming towards the camera (possibly carrying a stick), researcher Roland Watson rejects this interpretation and suggests there is an eel-like head on the right side of the image. This picture is the first known image allegedly taken of the Loch Ness Monster. "Surgeon's Photograph" (1934) The "Surgeon's Photograph" is purported to be the first photo of a "head and neck".[c] Dr. Wilson claimed he was looking at the loch when he saw the monster, so grabbed his camera and snapped five photos. After the film was developed, only two exposures were clear. The first photo (the more publicised one) shows what was claimed to be a small head and back. The second one, a blurry image, attracted little publicity because it was difficult to interpret what was depicted. The image was revealed as a fake in The Sunday Telegraph dated 7 December 1975. Supposedly taken by Robert Kenneth Wilson, a London gynaecologist, it was published in the Daily Mail on 21 April 1934. Wilson's refusal to have his name associated with the photograph led to it being called "Surgeon's Photograph". The strangely small ripples on the photo fit the size and circular pattern of small ripples as opposed to large waves when photographed up close. Analysis of the original uncropped image fostered further doubt. In 1993, the makers of Discovery Communications's documentary Loch Ness Discovered analysed the uncropped image and found a white object was visible in every version of the photo, implying it was on the negative. It was believed to be the cause of the ripples, as if the object was being towed, though it could not be ruled out as a blemish in the negative. Additionally, one analysis of the full photograph revealed the object was quite small, only about 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 ft) long. However, analyses of the size of the photograph have been inconsistent. In 1979 it was claimed to be a picture of an elephant (see below). Other sceptics in the 1980s argued the photo was that of an otter or a diving bird, but after Christian Spurling's confession most agree it was what Spurling claimed – a toy submarine with a sculpted head attached. Details of how the photo was accomplished were published in the 1999 book, Nessie – the Surgeon's Photograph Exposed, that contains a facsimile of the 1975 article in The Sunday Telegraph. Essentially, it was a toy submarine bought from F.W. Woolworths with a head and neck made of plastic wood, built by Christian Spurling, the son-in-law of Marmaduke Wetherell, a big game hunter who had been publicly ridiculed in the Daily Mail, the newspaper that employed him. Spurling claimed that to get revenge, Marmaduke Wetherell committed the hoax, with the help of Chris Spurling (a sculpture specialist), his son Ian Marmaduke, who bought the material for the fake, and Maurice Chambers (an insurance agent), who asked surgeon Robert Kenneth Wilson to offer the pictures to the Daily Mail. The hoax story is disputed by Henry Bauer, who claims this debunking is evidence of bias, and asks why the perpetrators did not reveal their plot earlier to embarrass the newspaper. Tim Dinsdale also disputes the claim of this photograph as a hoax in his book Loch Ness Monster. He claims that he studied the photograph so often and from many different angles that he was able to discern objects that prove the photograph is not a hoax. He states "upon really close examination, there are certain rather obscure features in the picture which have a profound significance." Two of the obscure features are: a solid object breaking the surface to the right of the neck, and to the left and behind the neck there is another mark of some sort, Dinsdale states. After making this claim Dinsdale discusses that these objects are too hard to identify, but that just proves that they could be part of the monster. According to Dinsdale either the objects are part of a very subtle fake or genuinely part of the monster. Another object that he points out to prove the photograph is not a fake is the vague smaller ripples that are behind the neck, which seem to have been caused after the neck broke the surface. Dinsdale emphatically states that this is a part of the animal that is underwater behind the neck. Alastair Boyd, one of the researchers who uncovered the hoax, argues that the Loch Ness Monster is real, and that although the famous photo was hoaxed, that does not mean that all the photos, eyewitness reports, and footage of the monster were as well. He asserts that he too had a sighting and also argues that the hoaxed photo is not a good reason to dismiss eyewitness reports and other evidence. Taylor film (1938) In 1938, G. E. Taylor, a South African tourist, filmed something in the loch for three minutes on 16 mm colour film, which was in the possession of Maurice Burton. Burton refused to show the film to Loch Ness investigators (such as Peter Costello or the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau). A single frame was published in his book The Elusive Monster; before he retired. Roy P. Mackal, a biologist and cryptozoologist, declared the frame was "positive evidence". Later, it was shown also to the National Institute of Oceanography, now known as the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. Dinsdale film (1960) In 1960, aeronautical engineer Tim Dinsdale filmed a hump crossing the water leaving a powerful wake. Dinsdale allegedly spotted the animal on his last day hunting for it, and described the object as reddish with a blotch on its side. When he mounted his camera the object started to move and said that he shot 40 feet of film. JARIC declared that the object was "probably animate". Others were sceptical, saying that the "hump" cannot be ruled out as being a boat, and claimed that when the contrast is increased a man can be seen in a boat. In 1993 Discovery Communications made a documentary called Loch Ness Discovered that featured a digital enhancement of the Dinsdale film. A computer expert who enhanced the film noticed a shadow in the negative that was not very obvious in the positive. By enhancing and overlaying frames, he found what appeared to be the rear body of a creature underwater. He commented that "Before I saw the film, I thought the Loch Ness Monster was a load of rubbish. Having done the enhancement, I'm not so sure". Some have countered this finding by saying that the angle of the film from the horizontal along with sun's angle on that day made shadows underwater unlikely. Others pointed out that the darker water is undisturbed water that was only coincidentally shaped like a body. The same source also says that there might be a smaller object (hump or head) in front of the hump causing this. Holmes video (2007) On 26 May 2007, Gordon Holmes, a 55-year-old lab technician, captured video of what he said was "this jet black thing, about 14 metres (46 ft) long, moving fairly fast in the water." Adrian Shine, a marine biologist at the Loch Ness 2000 centre in Drumnadrochit, described the footage as among "the best footage [he has] ever seen." BBC Scotland broadcast the video on 29 May 2007. STV News' North Tonight aired the footage on 28 May 2007 and interviewed Holmes. In this feature, Adrian Shine of the Loch Ness Centre was also interviewed and suggested that the footage showed an otter, seal or water bird. Holmes's credibility has been doubted by an article on the Cryptomundo website, which states that he has a history of reporting sightings of cryptozoological creatures, and sells a self-published book and DVD claiming evidence for fairies. His video also has no other objects for size comparison. The MonsterQuest team investigated this video as well in their TV episode "Death of Loch Ness", where they examine evidence that Nessie has died, as well as other photos. In this documentary, Holmes asserts he spotted two creatures. A CNN news report showed the footage and an interview with Gordon Holmes. Sonar image (2011) On 24 August 2011, Marcus Atkinson, a local Loch Ness boat skipper, photographed a sonar image of a long 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) wide unidentified object which was apparently following his boat for two minutes at a depth of 23 m (75 ft). Atkinson ruled out the possibility of any small fish or seal being what he believed to be the Loch Ness Monster. In April 2012, a scientist from the National Oceanography Centre said that this image is a bloom of algae and zooplankton. However, Roland Watson, a cryptozoologist and Loch Ness Monster researcher, has criticised this analysis, stating that the object in the image is very unlikely to be a bloom of algae and zooplankton, since algae needs sunlight to grow, and the waters of Loch Ness are very dark, and nearly devoid of sunlight, 23 m (75 ft) down. George Edwards's photograph (2011) On 3 August 2012, skipper George Edwards published a photograph he claims to be "The most convincing Nessie photograph ever", which he claimed to have taken on 2 November 2011. Edwards's photograph consists in a hump out of the water which, according to him, remained so for five to ten minutes. The Daily Mail reports that Edwards had the photograph independently verified by specialists such as a Loch Ness Monster sighting devotee and a group of US military monster experts. Edwards spends 60 hours per week on the loch aboard his boat, Nessie Hunter IV, in which he takes tourists for a ride on the lake, and claims to have searched for the Loch Ness monster for 26 years. Said Edwards, "In my opinion, it probably looks kind of like a manatee, but not a mammal. When people see three humps, they're probably just seeing three separate monsters." However, other researchers of the Loch Ness phenomena have questioned the authenticity of the photograph. A subsequent investigation by Loch Ness researcher, Steve Feltham, suggests that the object in the water is in fact a fibreglass hump used previously in a National Geographic documentary that Edwards had participated in. Researcher Dick Raynor has also questioned Edwards's claims about finding a deeper bottom to Loch Ness, which he refers to as "Edwards Deep". He also found inconsistencies between Edwards's claims of the location and conditions of the photograph and the actual location and weather conditions of that day. Additionally, Raynor also stated that Edwards had previously told him he had faked a photograph in 1986, which he had promoted as genuine in the National Geographic documentary. David Elder's video (2013) On 27 August 2013, tourist David Elder presented a five-minute video of a "mysterious wave" in the loch. He believed that the wave was being produced by a 4.5 m (15 ft) "solid black object" just under the surface of the water. Elder, aged 50, of East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, was taking a picture of a swan at the pierhead of Fort Augustus, at the south-west end of the loch, when he captured the movement. He added that "The water was very still at the time and there were no ripples coming off the wave and no other activity on the water." Sceptics suggested that the wave may have been the result of a gust of wind. Apple Maps photograph (2014) On 19 April 2014 it was reported that Apple Maps was showing what appeared to be the monster close to the surface of the loch. It was spotted by Andrew Dixon who was browsing a map of his home town at the time and took a moment to take a look at the loch. Possible explanations for the image are that it could be the wake of a boat, a seal causing ripples or a floating log. Searches for the monster Sir Edward Mountain Expedition (1934) Having read the book by Gould, Edward Mountain decided to finance a proper watch. Twenty men with binoculars and cameras positioned themselves around the Loch from 9 am to 6 pm, for five weeks starting 13 July 1934. They took 21 photographs, though none was considered conclusive. Captain James Fraser was employed as a supervisor, and remained by the Loch afterwards, taking cine film (which is now lost) on 15 September 1934. When viewed by zoologists and professors of natural history it was concluded that it showed a seal, possibly a grey seal. Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau (1962–1972) The Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau (LNPIB) was a UK-based society formed in 1962 by Norman Collins, R. S. R. Fitter, David James, MP, Peter Scott and Constance Whyte "to study Loch Ness to identify the creature known as the Loch Ness Monster or determine the causes of reports of it." It later shortened the name to Loch Ness Investigation Bureau (LNIB). It closed in 1972. The society had an annual subscription charge, which covered administration. Its main activity was for groups of self-funded volunteers to watch the loch from various vantage points, equipped with cine cameras with telescopic lenses. From 1965 to 1972 it had a caravan camp and main watching platform at Achnahannet, and sent observers to other locations up and down the loch. According to the 1969 Annual Report of the Bureau, it had 1,030 members, of whom 588 were from the UK. LNPIB sonar study (1967–1968) Professor D. Gordon Tucker, chairman of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Birmingham, England, volunteered his services as a sonar developer and expert at Loch Ness in 1968. The gesture was part of a larger effort helmed by the LNPIB from 1967 to 1968 and involved collaboration between volunteers and professionals in various fields. Tucker had chosen Loch Ness as the test site for a prototype sonar transducer with a maximum range of 800 m (2,600 ft). The device was fixed underwater at Temple Pier in Urquhart Bay and directed towards the opposite shore, effectively drawing an acoustic 'net' across the width of Ness through which no moving object could pass undetected. During the two-week trial in August, multiple animate targets 6 m (20 ft) in length were identified ascending from and diving to the loch bottom. Analysis of diving profiles ruled out air-breathers because the targets never surfaced or moved shallower than midwater. Andrew Carroll's sonar study (1969) |This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2014)| In 1969 Andrew Carroll, field researcher for the New York Aquarium in New York City, proposed a mobile sonar scan operation at Loch Ness. The project was funded by the Griffis foundation (named for Nixon Griffis, then a director of the aquarium). This was the tail-end (and most successful portion) of the LNPIB's 1969 effort involving submersibles with biopsy harpoons. The trawling scan, in Carroll's research launch Rangitea, took place in October. One sweep of the loch made contact with a strong, animate echo for nearly three minutes just north of Foyers. The identity of the contact remains a mystery. Later analysis determined that the intensity of the returning echo was twice as great as that expected from a 3-metre (10 ft) pilot whale. On returning to the University of Chicago, biologist Roy Mackal and colleagues subjected the sonar data to greater scrutiny and confirmed dimensions of 6 metres (20 ft). |This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2014)| Earlier submersible work had yielded dismal results. Under the sponsorship of World Book Encyclopedia, pilot Dan Taylor deployed the Viperfish at Loch Ness on 1 June 1969. His dives were plagued by technical problems and produced no new data. The Deep Star III built by General Dynamics and an unnamed two-man submersible built by Westinghouse were scheduled to sail but never did. It was only when the Pisces arrived at Ness that the LNPIB obtained new data. Owned by Vickers, Ltd., the submersible had been rented out to produce The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, a film featuring a dummy Loch Ness Monster. When the dummy monster broke loose from the Pisces during filming and sank to the bottom of the loch, Vickers executives capitalised on the loss and 'monster fever' by allowing the sub to do a bit of exploring. During one of these excursions, the Pisces picked up a large moving object on sonar 60 m (200 ft) ahead and 15 m (49 ft) above the bottom of the loch. Slowly the pilot closed to half that distance but the echo moved rapidly out of sonar range and disappeared. "Big Expedition" of 1970 |This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2014)| During the so-called "Big Expedition" of 1970, Roy Mackal, a biologist who taught for 20 years at the University of Chicago, devised a system of hydrophones (underwater microphones) and deployed them at intervals throughout the loch. In early August a hydrophone assembly was lowered into Urquhart Bay and anchored in 210 metres (690 ft) of water. Two hydrophones were secured at depths of 300 and 180 metres (590 ft). After two nights of recording, the tape (sealed inside a 44 gallon drum along with the system's other sensitive components) was retrieved and played before an excited LNPIB. "Bird-like chirps" had been recorded, and the intensity of the chirps on the deep hydrophone suggested they had been produced at greater depth. In October "knocks" and "clicks" were recorded by another hydrophone in Urquhart Bay, indicative of echolocation. These sounds were followed by a "turbulent swishing" suggestive of the tail locomotion of a large aquatic animal. The knocks, clicks and resultant swishing were believed were the sounds of an animal echo-locating prey before moving in for the kill. The noises stopped whenever craft passed along the surface of the loch near the hydrophone, and resumed once the craft reached a safe distance. In previous experiments, it was observed that call intensities were greatest at depths less than 30 metres (100 ft). Members of the LNPIB decided to attempt communication with the animals producing the calls by playing back previously recorded calls into the water and listening via hydrophone for results, which varied greatly. At times the calling patterns or intensities changed, but sometimes there was no change at all. Mackal noted that there was no similarity between the recordings and the hundreds of known sounds produced by aquatic animals. Robert Rines's studies (1972, 1975, 2001 and 2008) In the early 1970s, a group of people led by Robert H. Rines obtained some underwater photographs. Two were rather vague images, perhaps of a rhomboid flipper (though others have dismissed the image as air bubbles or a fish fin). The alleged flipper was photographed in different positions, indicating movement. On the basis of these photographs, British naturalist Peter Scott announced in 1975 that the scientific name of the monster would henceforth be Nessiteras rhombopteryx (Greek for "The Ness monster with diamond-shaped fin"). Scott intended that this would enable Nessie to be added to a British register of officially protected wildlife. Scottish politician Nicholas Fairbairn pointed out that the name was an anagram for "Monster hoax by Sir Peter S". The underwater photos were reportedly obtained by painstakingly examining the loch depths with sonar for unusual underwater activity. Rines knew the water was murky and filled with floating wood and peat, so he took precautions to avoid it. A submersible camera with an affixed, high-powered flood light was deployed to record images below the surface. If he detected anything on the sonar, he would turn the lights on and take some pictures. Several of the photographs, despite their obviously murky quality, did indeed seem to show an animal resembling a plesiosaur in various positions and lightings. One photograph appeared to show the head, neck and upper torso of a plesiosaur-like animal. After two distinct sonar contacts were made, the strobe light camera photographed two large lumps in the water, suggesting there to be two large animals living in the loch. Another photo seemed to depict a horned "gargoyle head", consistent to that of several sightings of the monster. Sceptics point out that several years later, a log was filmed underwater which bore a striking resemblance to the gargoyle head.[who?] A few close-ups of what might be the creature's diamond-shaped fin were taken, with the "fin" in different positions, as though the creature was moving, but after some time it came to be known that the "flipper photograph" was highly enhanced and retouched compared with the original image. The Museum of Hoaxes shows the original unenhanced photo. Team member Charles Wyckoff claimed that someone retouched the photo to superimpose the flipper, and that the original enhancement showed a much smaller flipper. No one is sure how the original came to be altered. On 8 August 1972, Rines' Raytheon DE-725C sonar unit, operating at a frequency of 200 kHz and anchored at a depth of 11 metres (36 ft), identified a moving target (or targets) estimated by echo strength to be 6 to 9 metres (20 to 30 ft) in length. Specialists from Raytheon, Simrad (now Kongsberg Maritime), and Hydroacoustics, Inc.; Marty Klein of MIT and Klein Associates (a producer of side scan sonar); and Dr. Ira Dyer of MIT's Department of Ocean Engineering were all on hand to examine the data. Further, P. Skitzki of Raytheon suggested that the data showed a protuberance, 3 metres (10 ft) in length, projecting from one of the echoes. Mackal proposed that the shape was a "highly flexible laterally flattened tail" or the misinterpreted return from two animals swimming together. In 2001, the Robert Rines' Academy of Applied Science videoed a powerful V-shaped wake traversing the still water on a calm day. The AAS also videotaped an object on the floor of the loch resembling a carcass, found marine clam-shells and a fungus-like organism not normally found in fresh water lochs, which they suggest gives some connection to the sea and a possible entry for Nessie. In 2008, Rines theorised that the monster may have become extinct, citing the lack of significant sonar readings and a decline in eyewitness accounts. Rines undertook one last expedition to look for remains of the monster, using sonar and underwater camera in an attempt to find a carcass. Rines believed that the animals may have failed to adapt to temperature changes as a result of global warming. Operation Deepscan (1987) In 1987, Operation Deepscan took place. Twenty-four boats equipped with echosounder equipment were deployed across the whole width of the loch and they simultaneously sent out acoustic waves. BBC News reported that the scientists had made sonar contact with a large unidentified object of unusual size and strength. The researchers decided to return to the same spot and re-scan the area. After analysing the echosounder images, it seemed to point to debris at the bottom of the loch, although three of the pictures were of moving debris. Shine speculates that they could be seals that got into the loch, since they would be of about the same magnitude as the objects detected. Darrell Lowrance, sonar expert and founder of Lowrance Electronics, donated a number of echosounder units used during Operation Deepscan. After examining the echogram data, specifically a sonar return revealing a large moving object near Urquhart Bay at a depth of 180 metres (590 ft), Lowrance said: "There's something here that we don't understand, and there's something here that's larger than a fish, maybe some species that hasn't been detected before. I don't know." Discovery Loch Ness (1993) |This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2014)| In 1993 Discovery Communications began to research the ecology of the loch. The study did not focus entirely on the monster, but on the loch's nematodes (of which a new species was discovered) and fish. Expecting to find a small fish population, the researchers caught twenty fish in one catch, increasing previous estimates of the loch's fish population about ninefold. Using sonar, the team encountered a kind of underwater disturbance (called a seiche) due to stored energy (such as from a wind) causing an imbalance between the loch's warmer and colder layers (known as the thermocline). While reviewing printouts of the event the next day, they found what appeared to be three sonar contacts, each followed by a powerful wake. These events were later shown on a program called Loch Ness Discovered, in conjunction with analyses and enhancements of the 1960 Dinsdale Film, the Surgeon's Photo, and the Rines Flipper Photo. Searching for the Loch Ness Monster BBC (2003) In 2003, the BBC sponsored a full search of the Loch using 600 separate sonar beams and satellite tracking. The search had enough resolution to pick up a small buoy. No animal of any substantial size was found whatsoever and despite high hopes, the scientists involved in the expedition admitted that this essentially proved the Loch Ness monster was only a myth. A variety of explanations have been postulated over the years to account for sightings of the Loch Ness Monster. These may be categorised as: misidentifications of common animals; misidentifications of inanimate objects or effects; reinterpretations of traditional Scottish folklore; hoaxes; and exotic species of large animals. Misidentification of common animals There are wake sightings that occur when the loch is dead calm with no boat nearby. A bartender named David Munro claims to have witnessed a wake he believed was a creature zigzagging, diving, and reappearing. (There were 26 other witnesses from a nearby car park.) Some sightings describe the onset of a V-shaped wake, as if there were something underwater. Moreover, many wake sightings describe something not conforming to the shape of a boat. Under dead calm conditions, a creature too small to be visible to the naked eye can leave a clear v-shaped wake. In particular, a group of swimming birds can give a wake and the appearance of an object. A group of birds can leave the water and then land again, giving a sequence of wakes like an object breaking the surface, which Dick Raynor says is a possible explanation for his film. A giant eel was one of the first suggestions made. Eels are found in Loch Ness, and an unusually large eel would fit many sightings. This has been described as a conservative explanation. Eels are not known to protrude swanlike from the water and thus would not account for the head and neck sightings. Dinsdale dismissed the proposal because eels move in a side-to-side undulation. Sightings, in 1856, of a 'sea-serpent' or Kelpie in a freshwater lake near Leurbost in the Outer Hebrides were also explained as being of an oversized eel, which were also believed to be common in 'Highland lakes': "All, however, agree, in describing its form as that of an eel; and we have heard one, whose evidence we can rely upon, state that in length he supposed it to be about forty feet. It is probable that it is no more than a conger eel after all, animals of this description having been caught in the Highland lakes which have attained a huge size." On 2 May 2001, two conger eels were found on the shore of the loch; as conger eels are saltwater animals and Loch Ness is freshwater, it is believed that they were put there to be seen as "Mini-Nessies". In a 1979 article, California biologist Dennis Power and geographer Donald Johnson claimed that the Surgeon's Photograph was in fact the top of the head, extended trunk and flared nostrils of a swimming elephant, probably photographed elsewhere and claimed to be from Loch Ness. In 2006, palaeontologist and artist Neil Clark similarly suggested that travelling circuses might have allowed elephants to refresh themselves in the loch and that the trunk could therefore be the head and neck, with the elephant's head and back providing the humps. In support of this he provided a painting. When viewed through a telescope or binoculars with no outside reference, it is difficult to judge the size of an object in the water. Loch Ness has resident otters and pictures of them are given by Binns, which could be misinterpreted. Likewise he gives pictures of deer swimming in Loch Ness, and birds that could be taken as a "head and neck" sighting. A number of photographs and a video have confirmed the presence of seals in the loch, for up to months at a time. In 1934 the Sir Edward Mountain expedition analysed film taken the same year and concluded that the monster was a species of seal, which was reported in a national newspaper as "Loch Ness Riddle Solved – Official". A long-necked seal was advocated by Peter Costello for Nessie and for other reputed lake-monsters. R.T. Gould wrote "A grey seal has a long and surprisingly extensible neck; it swims with a paddling action; its colour fits the bill; and there is nothing surprising in its being seen on the shore of the loch, or crossing a road." This explanation would cover sightings of lake-monsters on land, during which the creature supposedly waddled into the loch upon being startled, in the manner of seals. Seals could also account for sonar traces that act as animate objects. Against this, it has been argued that all known species of pinnipeds are usually visible on land during daylight hours to sunbathe, something that Nessie is not known to do. However seals have been observed and photographed in Loch Ness and the sightings are sufficiently infrequent to allow for occasional visiting animals rather than a permanent colony. Misidentifications of inanimate objects or effects In 1933 the Daily Mirror showed a picture with the following caption 'This queerly-shaped tree-trunk, washed ashore at Foyers may, it is thought, be responsible for the reported appearance of a "Monster"'. (Foyers is on Loch Ness.) In a 1982 series of articles for New Scientist, Dr Maurice Burton proposed that sightings of Nessie and similar creatures could actually be fermenting logs of Scots Pine rising to the surface of the loch's cold waters. Initially, a rotting log could not release gases caused by decay, because of high levels of resin sealing in the gas. Eventually, the gas pressure would rupture a resin seal at one end of the log, propelling it through the water—and sometimes to the surface. Burton claimed that the shape of tree logs with their attendant branch stumps closely resemble various descriptions of the monster. Four Scottish lochs are very deep, including Morar, Ness and Lomond. Only the lochs with pinewoods on their shores have monster legends; Loch Lomond—with no pinewoods—does not. Gaseous emissions and surfactants resulting from the decay of the logs can cause the foamy wake reported in some sightings. Indeed, beached pine logs showing evidence of deep-water fermentation have been found. On the other hand, there are believers who assert that some lakes do have reports of monsters, despite an absence of pinewoods; a notable example would be the Irish lough monsters. Seiches and wakes Loch Ness, because of its long, straight shape, is subject to some unusual ripples affecting its surface. A seiche is a large, regular oscillation of a lake, caused by a water reverting to its natural level after being blown to one end of the lake. The impetus from this reversion continues to the lake's windward end and then reverts. In Loch Ness, the process occurs every 31.5 minutes. Boat wakes can also produce strange effects in the loch. As a wake spreads and divides from a boat passing the centre of the loch, it hits both sides almost simultaneously and deflects back to meet again in the middle. The movements interact to produce standing waves that are much larger than the original wake, and can have a humped appearance. By the time this occurs, the boat has passed and the unusual waves are all that can be seen. Wind conditions can give a slightly choppy and thus matte appearance to the water, with occasional calm patches appearing as dark ovals (reflecting the mountains) from the shore, which can appear as humps to visitors unfamiliar with the loch. In 1979, Lehn showed that atmospheric refraction could distort the shape and size of objects and animals, and later showed a photograph of a rock mirage on Lake Winnipeg that looked like a head and neck. The Italian geologist Luigi Piccardi has proposed geological explanations for some ancient legends and myths. He pointed out that in the earliest recorded sighting of a creature, the Life of St. Columba, the creature's emergence was accompanied "cum ingenti fremitu" (with very loud roaring). The Loch Ness is located along the Great Glen Fault, and this could be a description of an earthquake. Furthermore, in many sightings, the report consists of nothing more than a large disturbance on the surface of the water. This could be caused by a release of gas from through the fault, although it could easily be mistaken for a large animal swimming just below the surface. Binns concludes that it would be unwise to put forward a single explanation of the monster, and probably a wide range of natural phenomena have been mistaken for the monster at times: otters, swimming deer, unusual waves. However, he adds that this also touches on some issues of human psychology, and the ability of the eye to see what it wants to see. According to the Swedish naturalist and author Bengt Sjögren (1980), present day beliefs in lake monsters such as the Loch Ness Monster are associated with the old legends of kelpies. He claims that the accounts of loch monsters have changed over the ages, originally describing creatures with a horse-like appearance; they claimed that the "kelpie" would come out of the lake and turn into a horse. When a tired traveller would get on the back of the kelpie, it would gallop into the loch and devour its prey. This myth successfully kept children away from the loch, as was its purpose. Sjögren concludes that the kelpie legends have developed into current descriptions of lake-monsters, reflecting modern awareness of plesiosaurs. In other words, the kelpie of folklore has been transformed into a more realistic and contemporary notion of the creature. Believers counter that long-dead witnesses could only compare the creature to that with which they were familiar, and they were not familiar with plesiosaurs. A study of the Highland folklore literature prior to 1933 with specific references to Kelpies, Water Horses and Water bulls suggested that Loch Ness was the most mentioned loch by a large margin. The Loch Ness monster phenomenon has seen several attempts to hoax the public, some of which were very successful. Other hoaxes were revealed rather quickly by the perpetrators or exposed after diligent research. A few examples are mentioned below. In August 1933, Italian journalist Francesco Gasparini submitted what he claimed was the first news article on the Loch Ness monster. In 1959, he confessed to taking a sighting of a "strange fish" and expanding on it by fabricating eye witness accounts. "I had the inspiration to get hold of the item about the strange fish. The idea of the monster had never dawned on me, but then I noted that the strange fish would not yield a long article, and I decided to promote the imaginary being to the rank of monster without further ado." In the 1930s, a big-game hunter named Marmaduke Wetherell went to Loch Ness to look for the Loch Ness Monster. He claimed to have found footprints, but when casts of the footprints were sent to scientists for analysis, they turned out to be from a hippopotamus. A prankster had used a hippopotamus-foot umbrella stand to make the footprints. In 1972 a team of zoologists from Yorkshire's Flamingo Park Zoo had gone in search of the legendary monster and discovered a large body floating in the water. The corpse was 4.9–5.4 m (16–18 ft) long and weighed up to 1.5 tonnes, described by the Press Association as having "a bear's head and a brown scaly body with clawlike fins." The creature was put in a van to be taken away for testing, whereupon police chased them down and took the cadaver under an act of parliament that prohibits the removal of "unidentified creatures" from Loch Ness. But it was later revealed that Flamingo Park's education officer John Shields had shaved the whiskers and otherwise disfigured a bull elephant seal that had died the week before and dumped it in Loch Ness to dupe his colleagues. On 2 July 2003, Gerald McSorely found a fossil supposedly belonging to Nessie when he tripped and fell into the loch. After examination, it became clear that the fossil was not from Loch Ness and had been planted there. In 2004, a documentary team for television channel Five, using special effects experts from movies, tried to make people believe there was something in the loch. They constructed an animatronic model of a plesiosaur, and dubbed it "Lucy". Despite setbacks, such as Lucy falling to the bottom of the loch, about 600 sightings were reported in the places they conducted the hoaxes. In 2005, two students claimed to have found a huge tooth embedded in the body of a deer on the loch shore. They publicised the find widely, even setting up a website, but expert analysis soon revealed that the "tooth" was the antler of a muntjac. The Loch Ness tooth was a publicity stunt to promote a horror novel by Steve Alten titled The Loch. In 2007, a video purported to show Nessie jumping high into the air showed up on YouTube. This was revealed by the online amateur sceptic's community eSkeptic to be a viral ad promoting the then-upcoming Sony Pictures film The Water Horse. The release of the film confirmed the eSkeptic analysis: the viral video comprises footage from The Water Horse. Exotic species of large animals In 1933 the suggestion was made that the monster "bears a striking resemblance to the supposedly extinct plesiosaur", a long-necked aquatic reptile that went extinct during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. At the time this was a popular explanation. The following arguments have been put against it: - Plesiosaurs were probably cold-blooded reptiles requiring warm tropical waters, while the average temperature of Loch Ness is only about 5.5 °C (42 °F). Even if the plesiosaurs were warm-blooded, they would require a food supply beyond that of Loch Ness to maintain the level of activity necessary for warm-blooded animals. - In October 2006, the New Scientist headlined an article "Why the Loch Ness Monster is no plesiosaur" because Leslie Noè of the Sedgwick Museum in Cambridge reported, "The osteology of the neck makes it absolutely certain that the plesiosaur could not lift its head up swan-like out of the water". - The loch is only about 10,000 years old, dating to the end of the last ice age. Prior to that date, the loch was frozen solid for about 20,000 years. - If creatures similar to plesiosaurs lived in the waters of the Loch Ness, they would be seen very frequently as they would have to surface several times a day to breathe. In response to these criticisms, proponents such as Tim Dinsdale, Peter Scott and Roy Mackal postulate a trapped marine creature that evolved either from a plesiosaur or to the shape of a plesiosaur by convergent evolution. Robert Rines also explained that the "horns" described in some sightings may be breathing tubes or nostrils that allow the animal to breathe without breaking the surface. In 1968 Frank Holiday proposed that Nessie and other lake-monsters such as Morag could be explained by a giant invertebrate such as a bristleworm, and cited the extinct Tullimonstrum as an example of the shape. He says this provides an explanation for land sightings and for the variable back shape, and relates it to the medieval description of dragons as "worms". Mackal considered this, but found it less convincing than eel, amphibian or plesiosaur types of animal. In the 1930s, the Dutch zoologist Antoon Cornelis Oudemans first proposed that the Loch Ness Monster could possibly be an unknown form of long-necked Pinniped (semi-aquatic mammals including seals). In 1892, Oudemans had come to the conclusion that several sightings of Sea serpents were probably huge, plesiosaur-like pinnipeds. He came up with a hypothetical new species of long-necked pinniped, to which he gave the scientific name of Megophias megophias. He theorised that the Loch Ness cryptid was simply a freshwater version of his own Megophias megophias. In 2003, cryptozoologists Loren Coleman and Patrick Huyghe discussed the pinniped hypothesis, and found it to be the most likely candidate for the Loch Ness Monster. - Bear Lake monster - Champ (cryptozoology) - Chessie (sea monster) - Lake monster - Lake Tianchi Monster - Lake Van Monster - List of reported lake monsters - List of topics characterized as pseudoscience - Nahuel Huapi Lake Monster - Sea monster - Stronsay Beast - Wani (dragon) - Water Horse - The date is inferred from the oldest written source reporting a monster near Loch Ness. - Derived from "Loch Ness". Also a familiar form of the girl's name Agnes, relatively common in Scotland, e.g. the Daily Mirror 4 August 1932 reports the wedding of "Miss Nessie Clark, a Banffshire schoolteacher" - The photo is often cropped to make the monster seem proportionally large, while the original uncropped shot shows the other end of the loch and the monster in the centre. - Life of St. Columba (chapter 28). - Delrio, Martin (2002). The Loch Ness Monster. Rosen Publishing Group. p. 48. ISBN 0-8239-3564-7. - Carroll, Robert T. (09-02-23). "Cryptozoology". The Skeptic's Dictionary. Retrieved 12 April 2009. Check date values in: - A. G. Harmsworth (2009). Loch-ness.org says the Plesiosaur theory is "Without doubt (the) most popular candidate among monster believers and the press". - Robert Todd Carroll, The Skeptic's Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions pages 200–201 (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003). ISBN 0-471-27242-6 - Campbell, Elizabeth Montgomery & David Solomon, The Search for Morag (Tom Stacey 1972) ISBN 0-85468-093-4, page 28 gives an-t-Seileag, an-Niseag, a-Mhorag for the monsters of Lochs Shiel, Ness and Morag, adding that they are feminine diminutives - "Up Again". Edinburgh Scotsman. 14 May 1945. p. 1. "So "Nessie" is at her tricks again. After a long, she has by all accounts bobbed up in home waters..." - The Sun 27 November 1975: I'm the man who first coined the word "monster" for the creature. - R. Binns The Loch Ness Mystery Solved pp 11–12 - Inverness Courier 2 May 1933 "Loch Ness has for generations been credited with being the home of a fearsome-looking monster" - "Is this the Loch Ness monster?". Inverness Courier. 4 August 1933. - R. Binns The Loch Ness Mystery Solved pp 19–27 - Daily Mirror, 11 August 1933 "Loch Ness, which is becoming famous as the supposed abode of a dragon..." - The Oxford English Dictionary gives 9 June 1933 as the first usage of the exact phrase Loch Ness monster - R. P. Mackal (1983) "The Monsters of Loch Ness" p.94 - Daily Mirror 8 December 1933 "The Monster of Loch Ness – Official! Orders That Nobody is to Attack it" ... A Huge Eel?" - Gould, Rupert T. (1934). The Loch Ness Monster and Others. London: Geoffrey Bles. - J. A Carruth Loch Ness and its Monster, (1950) Abbey Press, Fort Augustus, cited by Tim Dinsdale (1961) Loch Ness Monster ppp 33–35 - Adomnán, p. 176 (II:27). - Watson, Roland. "The World's Oldest Loch Ness Monster Document". Retrieved 16 August 2012. - Adomnán p. 330. - R. Binns The Loch Ness Mystery Solved, pp. 52–57 - T. Dinsdale (1961) Loch Ness Monster page 42. - Tim Dinsdale Loch Ness Monster pp 44–5 - "He had apparently fallen off his motor bike and told his mother that the damage to the bike was caused by the monster making him crash! Will all authors please stop treating this sighting as if it were genuine." "Land Sightings". loch-ness.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. - R. Mackal (1976) "The Monsters of Loch Ness" page 85. - mikko takala. "Sightings on Land". Lochness.co.uk. Retrieved 28 May 2009. - Casciato, Paul (28 April 2010). "Loch Ness Monster is real, says policeman". reuters. 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Mackal (1976) The Monsters of Loch Ness pages 141–142, chapter XIV - Coleman, Loren & Huyghe, Patrick. (2003). The Field Guide To Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, And Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep. Retrieved 16 May 2012. - Bauer, Henry H. The Enigma of Loch Ness: Making Sense of a Mystery, Chicago, University of Illinois Press, 1986 - Binns, Ronald, The Loch Ness Mystery Solved, Great Britain, Open Books, 1983, ISBN 0-7291-0139-8 and Star Books, 1984, ISBN 0-352-31487-7 - Burton, Maurice, The Elusive Monster: An Analysis of the Evidence from Loch Ness, London, Rupert Hart-Davis, 1961 - Campbell, Steuart. The Loch Ness Monster – The Evidence, Buffalo, New York, Prometheus Books, 1985. - Dinsdale, Tim, Loch Ness Monster, London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1961, SBN 7100 1279 9 - Harrison, Paul The encyclopaedia of the Loch Ness Monster, London, Robert Hale, 1999 - Gould, R. T., The Loch Ness Monster and Others, London, Geoffrey Bles, 1934 and paperback, Lyle Stuart, 1976, ISBN 0-8065-0555-9 - Holiday, F. W., The Great Orm of Loch Ness, London, Faber & Faber, 1968, SBN 571 08473 7 - Mackal, Roy P., The Monsters of Loch Ness, London, Futura, 1976, ISBN 0-86007-381-5 - Whyte, Constance, More Than a Legend: The Story of the Loch Ness Monster, London, Hamish Hamilton, 1957 |Wikimedia Commons has media related to Loch Ness Monster.| - Nova Documentary On Nessie - Smithsonian Institution - Skeptic's Dictionary: Loch Ness "monster" - Darnton, John (20 March 1994). "Loch Ness: Fiction Is Stranger Than Truth". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 May 2009. - Photos of Nessie and other cryptids

List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 TV series) characters |This article or section may have been copied and pasted from a source, possibly in violation of Wikipedia's copyright policy. Please remedy this by editing this article to remove any non-free copyrighted content and attributing free content correctly, or flagging the content for deletion. Please be sure that the source of the copyright violation is not itself a Wikipedia mirror. (March 2014)| This is a list of characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, an American animated series based on the eponymous franchise that premiered on September 29, 2012 on Nickelodeon in the United States and that premiered on YTV in Canada. A team of humanoid mutant red-eared slider turtles who are kept a secret from the world by usually going to the surface only in the night time. - Leonardo / "Leo" (voiced by Jason Biggs in season 1 and most appearances in season 2, Dominic Catrambone in various episodes of season 2, Seth Green in season 3) - Leonardo is an enthusiastic ninjutsu student, learning how to be an effective leader for his three often unruly brothers. He wears a blue mask and fights with two katana swords called Niten Ryu. Aside from his sensei, he takes leadership references from his favorite sci-fi cartoon series Space Heroes which annoys his brothers to no end, but also gives vital plot points to an episode. In this incarnation, his skin seems darker than his brothers'. Leo drives the Shellraiser. In "Fungus Humungous," Leo's biggest fear is losing his team and getting blamed for failure. In "The Invasion," Shredder says that Leo is overconfident. Despite this, he is able to defeat multiple Foot Bots as well as Tiger Claw, Rahzar, and Fishface before Shredder knocks him out with one hit leaving him with many cracks in his shell, many bruises, and leaving him unconscious. At the end, his brothers, April, and Casey try to heal him as they travel upstate in the Party Wagon. In "Within the Woods," Leo finally regains conscious in the bathtub at the O'Neil family house, but the reason his voice souds different is because he sustained damage to his throat from his previous fight with the Foot Clan. He is able to recover from some of his injuries and help the Turtles, April, and Casey defeat Creep. He is still recuperating from his remaining injures as he is seen using a crutch in later episodes. - Donatello / "Donnie" (voiced by Rob Paulsen) - Donatello is in charge of the design and manufacture of all of the tools and weapons in the Turtles' arsenal. He is also a gifted hacker. He wears a purple mask and fights with a rokushakubo which converts to a naginata via a blade inside one end of the staff. He also has a crush on April, which his brothers all tease him about. This incarnation of Donatello is depicted with gap teeth. Rob Paulsen had previously voiced Raphael in the original 1987 TV series. Donnie is in charge of maintaining the Shellraiser's systems, and using its on-board laboratory. In the second season, he and Casey Jones are in a rivalry due to them both having a crush on April. In "Fungus Humungous," Donnie's worst fear is April hating him. In "Into Dimension X," Donnie struggles to find a power source for the Turtle Mech. In "The Invasion," he argues with Leo and must take charge as leader when Leo is separated from the team. He tries to tell April how he really feels about her until she stops him. At the end of "A Foot Too Big," he tells April he will leave her alone but changes his mind when she kisses him. In "Race with the Demon," his rivalry with Casey is put to an end when they work together to stop the Demon Racer. - Raphael / "Raph" (voiced by Sean Astin) - Raphael often lets his impulsiveness get in the way of rational thought. He wears a red mask and fights with two sai. While hot-headed, he has a soft side, as demonstrated by his interactions with his pet turtle Spike. But when Spike is mutated into Slash, Raph loses the only thing he could share his "deep thoughts" with. This incarnation of Raphael is depicted with a lightning bolt-shaped crack in his upper left plastron. Raph is in charge of the Shellraiser's weapons systems. In "Cockroach Terminator," it is revealed that Raph is afraid of cockroaches until he managed to defeat the mutant cockroach Spyroach. However in "Fungus Humungous," Raph is still afraid of the Spyroach. In "The Invasion," Raph brings a photo of Spike as the one thing to save from the lair before it is destroyed and hopes that Slash survives the invasion of the Kraang. - Michelangelo / "Mikey" (voiced by Greg Cipes) - Michelangelo is a lover of video games, skateboarding, pranks and pizza. He wears an orange mask and fights with two nunchaku which convert into kusarigama via a blade inside of one of the sticks of each nunchaku and extra lengths of chain stored in the other. Mikey has a great skill of water balloon launching which could have defeated the Shredder if Karai did not interfere. Mikey's lack of intelligence is constantly used by his brothers. He was used as bait for mutant Kirby in a costume which he named "Tur-fly-tle". Despite possessing a childlike innocence, he always brings his best game to a fight. Mikey is in charge of navigating the Shellraiser and is also the one that discovered the anime Super Robo Mecha Force Five. In "Fungus Humungous," Mikey's worst fear is Squirrelanoids. In "Into Dimension X," Mikey runs into a portal leading into Dimension X to save Leatherhead. He is seen hours later with a Kraang skull on his head, and exploding rocks on his belt. Mikey somehow gains all the needed intelligence to survive in Dimension X and manages to save Donnie a power cell for his Turtle Mech. In "The Invasion," Mikey brings Ice Cream Kitty and stores her in between frozen pizza boxes to keep her cold. - Hamato Yoshi / Splinter (voiced by Hoon Lee) - Hamato Yoshi was the son and heir of the leader of the Hamato Clan, whose rivalry with the Foot Clan came to an end when he was a child. It was this victory that brought into his family Oroku Saki (Shredder), the child of the Foot Clan's leader, who Yoshi welcomed into his clan as a brother, maintaining an intense but healthy competition with him in their ninja training. As they grew older, their brotherhood was tested (and failed) when both they fell in love with the same woman, Tang Shen, who ultimately chose Yoshi over Saki. As a result, ultimately because of Saki's own jealousy and hatred, their brotherhood ended bitterly, and Yoshi and Shen married and had a daughter named Miwa. Unfortunately, when Shredder learned of his Foot Clan heritage, he attacked Yoshi in the Hamato Clan monastery, seeking to avenge his clan's extinction. During their struggle, a blow meant for Yoshi took the life of Shen, and Shredder, blaming Yoshi for his own error, burned down the monastery and left Yoshi for dead. In disgrace at the loss of both his wife and child, Yoshi left Japan to start a new life in America as "Splinter". After moving to New York City, he had just purchased the Turtles, who were four baby non-mutated red-eared sliders back then, from a pet shop when he was bumped by a strange man in the street. According to Splinter, something felt 'off'" about the man, so he followed him and witnessed a suspicious conversation between two human-disguised Kraangdroids, but the Kraang spotted Splinter and attacked him to keep him quiet. During the fight, the canister the Kraang were carrying broke open and splashed the Turtles and Splinter with mutagen. As the result of stepping on a brown rat while entering the ally, Splinter mutated into a humanoid mutant brown rat. Realizing he could no longer live a normal life on the surface, he retreated to the sewers where he raised his pets as his sons for fifteen years and taught them the ancient Japanese fighting art of ninjutsu. He is very protective of his sons and can sometimes be overprotective. Being a master of ninjutsu, he is capable of defeating a powerful opponent like Leatherhead in "It Came From the Depths." However, given part of his DNA is that of a rat, he proves susceptible to the mind manipulations of the rodent-controlling Rat King, who forces him to battle his own sons in "I, Monster." It takes Leo reminding him of his humanity that enables Splinter to break Rat King's hold over him and defeat his would-be controller. In "Showdown" Pt. 2, Splinter finds out from Shredder that his daughter Miwa is still alive. When he is about to end his former friend, Karai comes to Shredder's rescue. Splinter recognizes her as his daughter and immediately withdraws from the fight and retreats back to the lair. Splinter only hints at learning more from Shredder to his sons, who had just saved New York from the Kraang invasion, rather than make their victory feel hollow. Eventually in "Follow The Leader," Splinter chooses to tell Leo the truth first. In "Of Rats and Men," Splinter's rivalry with Rat King in again tests his limits as a human-rodent hybrid. Using Rat King's own handicap (sight only through the eyes of his rodent subjects to compensate for his blindness), Splinter blindfolds himself and does battle with Rat King until he accidentally falls off a cliff to his certain death. Splinter is again brought face to face with both Shredder and Karai in "Wormquake," where he is defeated and abducted by Shredder's new lieutenant, Tiger Claw. Drugged, he tries once more in vain to convince Karai of the truth, and is forced into an unfair battle with Shredder until the Turtles return to rescue him. It is only when he meditates and shakes off the effects of the drugs do the tables turn and a victory is secured over Tiger Claw. In "The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman," Donnie's discovery of retro-mutagen offers Splinter a return to human form, but given the supply is so little, he willingly sacrifices that chance so that his sons can restore April's father to normal. In "The Wrath of Tiger Claw," Karai becomes unsure of who to believe and feigns a defection to the Turtles' side while planning an attack on the lair with Tiger Claw. Splinter shows Karai a completed copy of the photo she carries around with her of her mother (the completed image being of both Yoshi and Shen), and makes her believe him finally. But their reunion is short-lived as Tiger Claw overpowers her and delivers her back to Shredder, who locks her away. In "Vengeance is Mine," Splinter is once more reunited with Karai after the Turtles' successful rescue attempt. However, he makes the mistake of confiding the entire story of how her mother died to Karai, prompting her to return to Shredder's stronghold to exact vengeance. This results in her again being captured and used as bait to lure the Turtles into a vat of mutagen tainted with serpent DNA (a rat's natural predator). In the course of the rescue attempt, Leo tries to free Karai (suspended over the vat), but Shredder's swipe of his gauntlet meant for Leo cuts the chain instead. Both Shredder and Splinter watch in horror as Karai is mutated into a serpent creature with snakes for hands. Again, Shredder blames his own mistake on Spliter, and Splinter barely manages to get through to his daughter before she escapes the fire that her struggle starts in the lab. Leo tries to apologize to Splinter for allowing Karai to escape the lair, but Splinter is too overcome with grief to acknowledge it. In "Into Dimension X," Splinter is seen meditating for days. Leo believes he is "healing his spirit". In "The Invasion," Splinter fights Shredder and witnesses him seemingly kill Leatherhead. Thinking he is dead, Splinter continues to fight Shredder for "killing" his partner. Splinter and Shredder's fight continues through the sewers even when the Turtles arrive. Splinter is then dumped into a sewage disposal similar to where Mikey trapped the Squirrelanoids. Later on, Karai saves him from drowning and places him on dry land. - April O'Neil (voiced by Mae Whitman) - The 16 year-old daughter of Dr. Kirby O'Neil who befriends the Turtles after the Kraang kidnap her and her father. After the Kraang get away with her father, April's aunt takes her in and the Turtles promise to help her find her father and take down the Kraang. In "Monkey Brains," Splinter learns April has a special spiritual sensitivity and offers to train her to be a kunoichi, which she accepts. As the series progresses, her training starts to pay off. In "TCRI," it is revealed that her father's abduction had nothing to do with his area of expertise but because of the Kraang's unknown plans for April. In "Baxter's Gambit," April learns about Splinter's family and compliments his daughter saying she's beautiful, he shows her the weapon that he was going to give to her, a Japanese war fan, Splinter decides to give it to April. In "Karai's Vendetta," April fights Karai and narrowly beats the better kunoichi. Afterwards, April is forced to stay in the sewers with the Turtles now that the Foot Clan and the Kraang are after her. In "Showdown" Pt. 1, the Kraang mind-controls Kirby to hand April over to Karai so that she can be given to the Kraang. In "Showdown" Pt. 2, April awakens in the Technodrome in the presence of Kraang Prime, who states that her mental energy is what is needed to transform Earth so that the Kraang can live on it. Kraang Prime then begins to siphon the mental energy from April, but she is successfully rescued by the Turtles. In "The Mutation Situation," April's friendship with the Turtles is strained after she learns that one of their attacks on the Kraang was responsible for transforming Kirby. In "Mutagen Man Unleashed," April decides to resume her normal teenage life without remendering the Turtles and befriends Casey Jones upon becoming his tutor. She ends up stalked by Mutagen Man who has developed a crush on her. When the Turtles are fighting Mutagen Man, April works to keep Casey from seeing them. In "Target: April O'Neil," April tries a lot harder to restart her normal life, convincing herself that she doesn't need mutants and ninjas like her father, the Turtles or the Foot Clan and aliens like the Kraang in it anymore, but she realizes that she may have put her human friends, such as Casey, in jeopardy when Karai tries to hunt her down again, only to be held back by the Kraang through the new Foot Bot, Chrome Dome. April's friendship with the Turtles is rekindled after they rescue her from both Foot Soldiers. In "The Kraang Conspiracy," the Kraang are shown to have made clones of April, including a "derp" one. When Raph is attacked by the Kraang while trying to save the real April from the DNA extraction machine, she suddenly releases a psychic blast. Afterwards, Donnie studies April's DNA and finds traces of Dimension X alien DNA in it, predicting that she is a half-human, half-Kraang mutant. The news of this leaves April shocked. In "Fungus Humungous," It is revealed that April's worst fear is bats and the loss of her father. In "The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman," Stockman-Fly captures April in a plot to merge with her in mutagen and become one. During a fight between Leo, Donnie, Casey, and Stockman-Fly, the rope holding her breaks and she falls into the mutagen despite Donnie's attempts to catch her. However, it is revealed that April's body is immune to the mutagen's effects due to her alien DNA. In "The Invasion," April is horrified to learn that her friend Irma is a disguised Kraangdroid. She also stops Donnie from sharing his true feelings to her, knowing that it might cause problems. Later, she witnesses her father mutating again, horrifying her. At the end, she mentions her family owns a summer home upstate. Her summer home is then the Turtles, April, and Casey's new base. In "A Foot Too Big," Donnie tells her that he will stop following her but he changes his mind when she kisses him. - Kirby O'Neil (voiced by Keith Silverstein) - The psychologist father of April O'Neil, who meets the Turtles when he and April are captured by the Kraang. Although April is rescued by the Turtles, the Kraang take off with Kirby. In "The Gauntlet," the Turtles learn from Kirby that the Kraang have been abducting scientists so that they can help modify the unstable mutagen. The Turtles are unable to rescue Kirby as he is recaptured, buying the Turtles time to escape. In "TCRI," it is revealed that since Kirby is a psychologist, his abduction has nothing to do with the mutagen....the Kraang's real target is April. In "Operation: Breakout," Kirby is officially rescued by the Turtles and reunited with April. However, he has fallen under the Kraang's control. In "Showdown" Pt. 1, the Kraang control Kirby into handing April over to Karai and the Foot Ninjas. In "Showdown" Pt. 2, the Turtles discover the mind-control device on the back of Kirby's neck and free him. In "The Mutation Situation," Kirby is having recurring nightmares about the Kraang. Kirby ends up helping the Turtles track down a Kraang stealth ship carrying a shipment of mutagen. When a mutagen canister falls towards April, Kirby protects his daughter from the canister and falls off the roof, taking the mutagen himself. As the result of falling past a flock of vampire bats, Kirby mutates into a humanoid mutant vampire bat with a large head, wings on its back, ears shaped like bat wings, a small right arm, and the retaining of his red hair and beard that Mikey, against Donnie's wishes, dubs "Kirby-Bat" (which is what the action figure of his mutated form is referred to, and was confirmed to be a new mutant by Brandon Auman) and "Wingnut" (a classic character although the Wingnut reference was just a joke). Kirby-Bat chases after April and flies off with her. When April awakens on another roof, Kirby-Bat arrives and regurgitates what he would consider food, such as rats and garbage. With Mikey dressed up as a butterfly which he names "Tur-fly-tle" as part of a plan to get Kirby-Bat, the Turtles use Mikey as bait to trap him in a warehouse by drawing Kirby-Bat towards them. The Turtles struggle to get through to Kirby-Bat's side as they work to trap him in the warehouse. Once inside the warehouse, the Turtles trap him in a cage as April catches up to them. As Donnie vows to find a way to cure Kirby-Bat, he breaks free and ends up flying off. The mutation of Kirby had temporarily put a strain in April's friendship with the Turtles. In "Fungus Humungous," he appears as hallucination as one of April's fears, which are bats. In "Metalhead Rewired," Kirby-Bat is among the mutants captured by Kraang in order for them to control them. He is first discovered by the Turtles in his cell. Then he, Cockroach Terminator, a Parasitic Wasp and a Squirrelanoid discover that Metalhead has opened their cells. He is then attacked by two Kraang, but Donnie kills the two aliens with his bo staff. He then tells Kirby-Bat to head to the portal for April. With help from Metalhead, the Turtles free the captive mutants and they escape through the portal, leaving Kirby-Bat's location a mystery. In "The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman," Kirby-Bat assists the Turtles into fighting Stockman-Fly over retro-mutagen. When the retro-mutagen canister hits a street light, April steers Kirby-Bat under one of the falling drops which is enough to mutate him back into Kirby O'Neil. In "The Wrath of Tiger Claw," Kirby is seen trying to call his daughter, but is unable to and he says that his daughter always answers the phone. In "The Invasion," he feels sad about the Kraang's invasion on humanity and reveals his old Party Wagon to his daughter and her friends. Unfortunately for Kirby, Kraang Prime peers around the corner from behind and sprays him with the perfected mutagen before he can leave with them. This ends up mutating him into a half-Kraang monstrosity much to April's horror. He is mentioned in "Buried Secrets" when April's mom asked where he was. When Casey was tells her that he got mutated into a Kraang, Raph stops him. Leo says that Casey was kidding, and lies by saying that Kirby was on a safari in Puerto Rico. - Spike / Slash (voiced by Corey Feldman) - Spike was a radiated tortoise that was raised as a pet turtle by Raph when he was flushed down the bathroom toilet of his original owner's home. Raph has a soft spot for him, and often talks to him about his feelings in private. This is important for Raph because he needs Spike as a sounding board for his inner thoughts and feelings. He can't reveal his feelings to his brothers so he shares them with Spike, who can't speak, but is an excellent listener. His brothers tease him about this sometimes. Spike's favorite food is lettuce leaves, which he is often seen eating, and rides around more often on Raph's shoulder. In "Slash and Destroy," Spike mutates into a large humanoid mutant radiated tortoise with a spiked shell, a tough horned head, extending bony nails used as makeshift weapons, powerful superhuman strength, excellent vocal mimicry and amazing agility by drinking some mutagen that spills in Raph's room after he confiscates it following an incident that nearly kills him. Upon understanding about what Raph has to go through, Spike renames himself "Slash", obtains a mace for a weapon, puts on a black mask, and states to Raph that they need to lose some dead weight when they head out to find a mutagen container. During the mission, Slash starts attacking Donnie and Mikey where Raph claims that the mutation has warped Slash's mind. As Slash plans to dispose of Mikey and Donnie, Raph states that he didn't want this happening to his brothers. However, Slash states that there is no turning back now, so Raph ends up working to prevent him from disposing of Donnie or Mikey, only to learn from him that he has spent years watching Raph train and knows what he can do. Raph comments that he doesn't know all of his moves. Their fight wrecks the area where Leo is having tea time with a girl who was using the "mutagen" to pass as tea. Leo ends up showing up to help Raph only to knock him down. During the fight, Raph hits a vulnerable part on Slash's arm and falls off the building. When Raph looks over the building, Slash's body is gone as the Turtles suspect that Slash had gotten away. In "Metalhead Rewired," Slash is among the mutants captured by Kraang in order for them to control them. He is first discovered in his cell, while yelling at the Kraang. He is then released by Metalhead as he begins to destroy the Kraang for capturing him. Slash does help Raph defeat some Kraangdroids and then escapes with Pete and Spider Bytez. With help from Metalhead, the Turtles free the captive mutants and they escape through the portal. In "Newtralized," Slash gets captured by the Kraang again but this time, he is freed by Newtralizer and the two of them start working together to stop the Kraang's plots. Of course Slash gets concerned over Newtralizer's motives involving the humans getting in the crossfire. During the fight at the docks, he goes against Newtralizer's plot to annihilate the Kraang and the city at the same time, causing Raph to help him out. After Newtralizer and the Kraang Walker it is piloting are defeated, Raph states that there is a room back in the Turtles' lair for him, but Slash declines stating that he is walking his own path and leaves Raph on equal terms. He appears as a photo of his normal form in "The Invasion". Raph is hoping that Slash has escaped the invasion. - Pete (voiced by A.J. Buckley) - A wood pigeon living in New York that was mutated by the Kraang into humanoid mutant wood pidgeon with large sharp talons and strange mutagenic growths all over his body, learning to talk and befriending Kirby O'Neil, who uses him to send a message to his daughter in "The Gaunlet." Pete has a strange yet large craving for bread and will do anything to get some, telling the Turtles the location of where Kirby is in exchange for it. In "Metalhead Rewired," Pete is among the mutants captured by Kraang in order for them to control them. He is seen shortly with a Squirrelanoid and a Parasitic Wasp, then he makes for the portal with Slash and Spider Bytez. With help from Metalhead, the Turtles free the captive mutants and they escape through the portal. - Leatherhead (voiced by Peter Lurie) - An American alligator that was originally owned by a young boy until his parents found out and flushed him down their bathroom toilet into the sewer. The Kraang found him, took him back to Dimension X, and experimented on him, mutating him into an extremely large mutant alligator with a tough hide, uncontrollable force in his spirit, keen senses and superhuman strength. But since the Kraang were unable to break his spirit, he easily escaped from them, stole the cell that powers their portal between Dimension X and Earth, and retreated back to the sewers, vowing to keep them from getting it back so that they can start their invasion. He first appears in "It Came From The Depths," where the Kraang locate and attack him, demanding the return of the power cell. The Turtles witness this event and Mikey urges his brothers to help intervene. Soon after the Turtles protect Leatherhead, restore his health, and learn of his origin, they help him keep the power cell away from the Kraang. In "TCRI," Leatherhead tells the Turtles where the Kraang's base is by drawing the shape of the TCRI building. He helps them by attacking the Kraang while they make their way to the top of TCRI and dragging Traag back into the portal to Dimension X. In the "Mazes & Mutants," the Turtles encounter a fire-breathing dragon who resembles Leatherhead, but bigger. Mikey, believing it to be his long gone friend, refuses to fight because of their friendship, only to find out that it isn't the real Leatherhead. The illusion is seen again when Sir Malachi leaves. In "Into Dimension X," the real Leatherhead is seen with more scars and gray skin due to being stranded in Dimension X for decades (this was due to the time difference between Earth and Dimension X). He sends a message to the Turtles in a Kraang Communication Orb to tell them that the Kraang have perfected the mutagen, but is recaptured by the Kraang. Later, after the Turtles receive the message (much to Mikey's joy that his best friend is still alive), they quickly head into a Kraang portal (which Donnie opens) and into Dimension X. When they find and free Leatherhead, they are surprised to discover that he's become an old mutant. Together, all five of them fight the Kraang and close all the portals. During the fight, Leatherhead helps Leo just by simply grabbing his face to fling him to fight off one of the Kraang's robots. After they make it back to Earth, he and the Turtles give each other a high three and get ready for the next invasion that the Kraang are planning. In "The Invasion," Leatherhead helps Splinter fight off the Kraang. When Splinter thanks him and asks him if he'll help him find his sons, Leatherhead agrees as they both head to the surface. Later, just as the Shredder is about to kill a trapped Splinter, Leatherhead reappears and attacks him, but is unable to crush him due to his old age. He rushes to free Splinter, but Shredder takes him down and seemingly kills him, but it is not confirmed as his body falls through the icy water. Now full of high anger, Splinter breaks free and then continues to fight Shredder for "killing" his partner. But after the invasion, Leatherhead's body is never found, leading to the belief that he may be still alive. - Hamato Miwa / Karai (voiced by Kelly Hu) - Hamato Miwa was the daughter of Hamato Yoshi (Splinter) who, as a baby, was taken away from Splinter by Oroku Saki (Shredder) after a fight between the two men that burned down the Hamato Clan monastery and killed her mother, Tang Shen, and raised as a member of the Foot Clan and expert kunoichi under the name Karai. She first appears in "New Girl in Town" during a duel with Leo, while the other Turtles are out looking for Snakeweed. Karai tries to encourage Leo to break the rules for a change, daring him to help her steal a sword once owned by swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. When Leo's life is threatened by Snakeweed and he asks for her help, Karai throws a knife toward him, (which helps him break free), which Leo interprets as an act of friendship but which Raph considers malicious. In "The Alien Agenda," she attacks the Turtles at the Kraang's World Wide Genome Project and pushes a button which causes all the animal and plant DNA to be dumped into the mutagen resulting in the creation of a composite beast, Justin. Karai escapes with the Kraang robot body and presents it to Shredder. As Baxter Stockman gets to work studying the technology, Shredder assigns Karai to learn more about the Kraang so that he can use whatever information is gathered about them in his war against the Turtles. In "Karai's Vendetta," Shredder interrogates a captured Kraang (even when Karai informs them on how they work their exo-skeletons) on why they have been hunting the Turtles and learns that they are protecting April O'Neil. Shredder ends up sending Karai to capture April in order to draw the Turtles to him. After a chase throughout the city, April manages to trick Karai into letting her guard down by mentioning that her mother is dead (which is the same with Karai) and throws Karai down the subway stairs. In "Showdown" Pt. 2, Karai comes to Shredder's aid as Splinter is about to deliver the finishing blow. He immediately recognizes her as his long-lost daughter, but Karai reveals she believes Splinter killed her mother Tang Shen, a lie fed to her by Shredder as a child. Upon learning this, Splinter evades Karai's attacks and retreats in sadness. In "Follow the Leader," Karai is seen training with the Foot Bots until Shredder arrives and tells her not to do any actions towards the Turtles while he is in Japan dealing with an urgent matter. She goes against Shredder's orders and decides to test the Foot Bots on the Turtles. When Leo gets captured, Karai has the Foot Bots attack him as part of their training at the Bradford Dojo, where they manage to defeat them. Upon the other Turtles arriving, Karai has the Foot Bots restrain them so that she can draw Splinter to her. When the Turtles make a tactical retreat, she orders the Foot Bots to pursue them and engages Leo to a sword fight where Leo tries to convince her that Splinter did not take the life of her mother. In "Target: April O'Neil," Karai leads the Foot Bots in an attack on April at one of her tutoring sessions with Casey Jones at an ice rink, which fails when Donnie rescues her and the new Foot Bot leader, Chrome Dome, arrives (followed by the other three Turtles) and intervenes with both sides intentions for the Kraang. In "Wormquake," Leo tells her that Splinter is her real father, but she does not believe him. After the defeat of Tiger Claw, Raph then wonders where Karai is now while April still cannot believe that she is Splinter's very daughter. Splinter states that one day Karai may indeed accept the truth, but that is her decision to make and hers alone. Unbeknownst to all of them, Karai is secretly hiding behind another billboard not too far away from them, hearing every single thing that they say. Judging by her several facial expressions, not only does she find herself in a difficult dilemma, but finally seems to start questioning herself. In "The Wrath of Tiger Claw," she begins to doubt that Shredder is her real father. When she looks at a picture of her mother, she hears the words Leo said to her from "Wormquake." When Shredder arrives, he asks her what is troubling her. Then, Karai asks him to know more about the truth about her mother and him, but Shredder claims she already knows the "truth". When Tiger Claw returns, Shredder sends him and Karai to go after the Turtles again. Together, they break into Mr. Murakami's restaurant to ask him where the Turtles are. When Karai catches April, she doesn't insist to fight her and wants to tell something about her. When Leo and Donnie see Karai with April, they both head to the girls. Karai tells Leo that she believes him about telling her that Splinter is her real father. Leo takes her to their lair to see Splinter, but Donnie knows Raph isn't going to believe this. As soon as they arrive (with Casey knocked out after Tiger Claw threw him off a building), Raph is furious that they brought her to the lair. She tells him that she didn't know that Shredder lied to her, but Raph still remains unconvinced and threatens to hurt her with his sai. While Leo and Raph continue arguing, Karai secretly uses a tracking device to have Tiger Claw locate where the Turtles are. She then encounters Splinter, who shows her to the training room and reveals a picture of himself as a human with Tang Shen and with Karai as a baby. Karai, feeling guilty, apologizes to him and the Turtles, but doesn't plan to stay because she signaled Tiger Claw, getting Raph to angrily claim that he was right about her. Before she leaves, Splinter tells her that she is who she chooses to be, not what others make her. At a meat factory called "Patty Man's" (which was Mikey's idea), Tiger Claw fights the Turtles and lets Karai finish off Leo, but she turns on him. Tiger Claw then kidnaps her to take her to Shredder's lair with Leo watching in horror, but Raph still doesn't insist on helping her and Mikey is badly bruised. Then, Tiger Claw tells Shredder that Karai has betrayed him and was fighting alongside the Turtles. When Karai angrily asked Shredder if Splinter is her father, Shredder says yes, which makes Karai shocked that she was lied to by Shredder her whole life. Shredder orders Tiger Claw to take her away. Karai is locked in a dungeon cell as Tiger Claw and Shredder leave, screaming in horror. In "The Legend of the Kuro Kabuto," she tries to escape from her cell while covering it up in front of a visiting Shredder. In "Vengeance is Mine," the Turtles succeed in rescuing Karai from the Shredder. When with Splinter, Karai learns from Splinter about the rivalries between the Hamato Clan and the Foot Clan. When Karai goes after Shredder herself, she ends up fighting him but gets overwhelmed. When in Stockman-Fly's lab, Tiger Claw gags Karai with tape, then a Foot-Bot hangs her in a cage above the mutagen, which reveals that Shredder plans to use her as bait so that the Turtles can fall into the trap and be thrown into Stockman-Fly's mutagen tank where they would be made into snakes after Stockman-Fly pours albino horned viper DNA into it. During the Turtles and Splinter's mission, Leo tries to rescue Karai until Shredder interferes. Because of this, Karai falls into the mutagen and emerges as a gigantic mutant albino horned viper with a pair of extra heads for hands (referred to in the toyline as Serpent Karai) (similar to Scale Tail from the 1987 toyline), much to the shock of Splinter and Shredder. Karai's mutated form ends up causing a fire in Stockman-Fly's lab which causes both sides to retreat. In a twist ending, it is shown that Karai can change at will between her human and mutant form yet still has some snake traits in her eyes, fangs and tongue. There is no doubt that the extra chemical Stockman-Fly accidentally adds into the mutagen allows Karai to transform between her human and mutant form at will. At the beginning of "The Invasion," Karai is spotted by Raph, who is searching for her just as the Kraang begin their invasion. She later rescues Splinter from drowning and places him on dry land, giving him a kiss on the cheek before leaving. Despite being one of the good guys, she still appears in the list of villains during the opening sequence of Season 3. - Timothy / Pulverizer / Mutagen Man (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) - Timothy was an ineffective teenage ice-cream truck vendor who eyewitnesses the Turtle's first battle with Baxter Stockman from his apartment window and, ever since then, dedicates himself with fighting crime as a costumed vigilante calling himself the Pulverizer and models his appearance after the Turtles. He first appears in "The Pulverizer," where the Turtles rescue him from a bungled attempt to stop the Purple Dragons from looting a warehouse. Pulverizer winds up back at the Turtles' lair after he accidentally gets stuck to the Shellraiser. Taking pity on the would-be hero, Donnie attempts to train Pulverizer in basic self-defense, but Pulverizer shows little capacity to learn. In a failed attempt to stop the Kraang from fleeing with their power cell, Pulverizer winds up in need of help, and Donnie chooses to save him instead of getting the power cell back. Pulverizer vows to train on his own in order to be better the next time he meets the Turtles. In "The Pulverizer Returns," Pulverizer is recruited into the Foot Clan (mainly to serve as a "cannon fodder") and agrees to gather info on Shredder's plans for the Turtles, only to later volunteer to be the test subject for a supply of stolen mutagen. During the Turtles' rescue attempt, he attempts to activate the mutagen machine, but is stopped multiple times by Donnie. However, he is successful on one attempt causing the mutation to occur. As the result of not coming in contact with any living thing, Pulverizer mutates into a huge mutant blob of mutagen with floating organs and a disintegrating touch that Mikey later on dubs "Mutagen Man" (becoming this series' interpretation of Mutagen Man). Mutagen Man is rescued from the explosion his mutation causes by the Turtles, who work together to place him in an empty mutagen container, and Donnie vows to find a way to restore him back to normal. In "The Mutation Situation," Donnie and Metalhead are seen testing his organs. Again, he is seen briefly in "Invasion of the Squirrelanoids." In "Mutagen Man Unleashed," Donnie develops a voice box so that Mutagen Man can speak easily. Mutagen Man drinks some of the mutagen samples and gains the ability to form new arms and legs outside of his container. In this form, Mutagen Man goes after April upon developing a crush on her. When Mutagen Man finds April, he ends up attacking Casey Jones who tries to fight back. April helps Casey to fight Mutagen Man as they escape on Casey's bicycle. As April and Casey get away, Mutagen Man is confronted by the Turtles where he is officially named by Michelangelo. Mutagen Man then starts to power down upon running out of mutagen. During the ride back to the lair, Mutagen Man drinks from a mutagen container and escapes from the Shellraiser and goes after April again. The Turtles manage to catch up to Mutagen Man near April's apartment. Using camouflage and misdirection that involves mutagen, the Turtles fool Mutagen Man where they end up freezing him with a retro-mutagen prototype that had similar affects of liquid nitrogen. Mutagen Man's frozen body is taken back to the lair as Donnie vows to continue finding a cure for him. He is seen numerous times frozen in Donnie's lab in some episodes. In "The Invasion," Mutagen Man's frozen body is seen when the Kraang storm the lair. While packing his stuff, Donnie says good-bye to Timothy, rather than taking him with them. He tells him that they'll be back, but if they don't, he should defrost in about 70 years or so. Donnie hopes the world will be a better place by then. - Casey Jones (voiced by Josh Peck) - A hockey-player student at April's school who April is hired to tutor for an extra credit assignment. When they first meet, he shows April his courtesy and the two quickly become friends, much to Donnie's jealousy. He shows admirable fighting skills, especially when he helps April fight Mutagen Man and an entire Foot Bot squad in "Mutagen Man Unleashed" and "Target: April O'Neil". Casey also remindes April of Donnie by repeating his quotes and stating that pizza is his favorite food. In "The Good, the Bad, and the Casey Jones," Casey takes up a crime-fighting hobby following these recent incidents, arming himself with hockey sticks, baseball bats, and a stunner in one of his hockey gloves. He ends up being introduced by April to the Turtles and Splinter when he follows Raph into their home, and helps the Turtles when two Foot Bots invade their lair. In "Of Rats and Men," Casey seems to be extremely terrified of rats. In "The Invasion," Casey drives Kirby's old hipster vehicle, the Party Wagon, for him to get his family and friends out of the city. However, his unable to find his family and predicts that they were mutated as he, April, and the Turtles flee the city. In "Race with the Demon," his rivalry with Donnie is put to an end when they work together to stop the Demon Racer. - Jack J. Kurtzman (voiced by Robert Forster) - A private investigator and journalist investigating the disappearance of Kirby O'Neil and other missing scientists, leading to him discovering the Kraang and investigating them on his own. Displaying a book full of notes, he insists that the Kraang presence on Earth is "ancient" and actually goes back thousands of years. He first appears in "The Kraang Conspiracy," where he is taking pictures of the Turtles while they and April are out on a mission. The Turtles follow Kurtzman to his apartment and he introduces himself to them, explaining that he has been investigating the Kraang. He shows them a picture of April as a baby and tells her and the Turtles that the Kraang have been attempting to terraform the Earth for thousands of years, but needed a "specific chain of human DNA", so they kidnapped April's mother before April was born and used her in their experiments. He explains that with April's DNA, the Kraang could perfect the mutagen in this dimension. Eventually, the Kraang manage to find them. Kurtzman, the Turtles and April retreat, but the Kraang follow them so they get away in the Shellraiser. Afterwards, Kurtzman tells them that they need to infiltrate TCRI in order to erase all of April's DNA codes. The Turtles succeed after the fight with the Kraang and the April clones and get away with in Kurtzman's van. Kurtzman states that he'll be in touch. In "Wormquake," April and Donnie meet him about the Kraathatrogons. Lucky for them, Kurtzman shows photos of the Kraathatrogons and calls the Kraang's scheme the "Manhattan Project". He reveals that the Kraathatrogons are only children, while the adults are huge, and some are hundreds of feet long and shows that the Kraang brought them from Dimension X to take them to their machines in order to collect their mutagen, which is kind of like milking a giant cow, much to the two's disgust (mostly April's). Kurtzman also explains that there isn't a clue to stop them, but he knows that the Kraang ride on them and to control the worms is by pulling the antennas like the reins on a horse (which April finds gross). - Ice Cream Kitty (voiced by Kevin Eastman) - A stray tabby cat that April finds in an alley and, deciding to find it a home, asks Mikey to raise as his pet. Upon unknowingly eating mutagen that was accidentally poured onto a bowl of Neapolitan ice cream on Donnie's lab table, the cat mutates into a small mutant tabby cat made of a small mountain of Neapolitan ice cream that Mikey dubs "Ice Cream Kitty" and hides in the freezer while trying to keep the others from learning of it. Mikey later used Ice Cream Kitty to help fight The Rat King where Ice Cream Kitty broke Rat King's control over Splinter. Donnie tells Mikey that they will have a talk about the incident that caused Ice Cream Kitty's transformation later. In the episode "Mazes & Mutants," Ice Cream Kitty seems to be friends with Splinter, considering giving him a cheesesicle (a frozen treat, which consists of a slice of Swiss cheese on a popsicle stick). In "Newtralized!," Ice Cream Kitty makes another appearance when she gives Raph an ice pack for Casey's head. In "Pizza Face," she gives Mikey a cheesesicle so he can make pizza. She supposedly attacked one of Pizza Face's minions when Mikey locked him in the freezer, but it's not confirmed as she just freaks it out with a haunting turn. In "The Invasion," she helps Mikey knock out a Kraang with the freezer's door. When the Turtles pack their stuff, Ice Cream Kitty refuses to leave, but finally accepts it as she fits in the cooler between two frozen pizza boxes. She returns in "A Foot Too Big", where she meets Bigfoot who opened the freezer. They both screamed when they saw each other before Bigfoot threw the fridge out of the cabin. In "Buried Secrets", it shows she actually understands Michelangelo suspecting April's mom as a fake. While listening to him, Mikey sprays some whipped cream on her head and placing a cherry on top. Ice Cream Kitty then senses something and begins to hiss furiously, revealing April's mom with a canister of mutagen. She lets Mikey go after her. - Bigfoot (voiced by Diedrich Bader) - The legendary cryptid. She first appears in "A Foot Too Big," where she is being hunted by a collector named The Finger. Donnie and Mikey encounter her while doing a "Turtle Hunt" with Raph. When Raph arrives, he helps them in an attempt to fight Bigfoot, Donnie finds a wound on Bigfoot's arm and, thinking that she's hurt, decides to take her back to the barn to get the wound cleaned. Upon getting Bigfoot into the house, April bandages up her arm and gives her a makeover while mentioning about Finger being after her. Bigfoot then gets affectionate with Donnie. While Raph cleans out the bathtub after Bigfoot makes waste in it, Bigfoot shows the other Turtles some forest stealth, but is nearly attacked by Finger along with Donnie and Mikey. After overhearing Leo and Casey making jokes about her, she runs off crying with Donnie and Mikey apologizing after her. Bigfoot falls into Finger's pit trap. Donnie and Mikey attempt to rescue her, but get captured by Finger as well. While distracting Finger by insulting his shrunken-head mama, the two Turtles free themselves and fight him. Realizing his defeat fighting the Turtles, Finger threatens to kill Bigfoot. Emerging from the trap's netting, the makeover April gave Bigfoot earlier causes Finger to realize that she's a lady who he is unable to harm. As Finger apologizes to his shrunken-head mama for unknowingly trying to hurt a lady, Bigfoot comforts Finger and soon grows affectionate for him. Bigfoot then leaves with Finger in her arms. - Punk Frogs - A group of humanoid mutant frogs that are the results of mutagen being dumped near their pond during Mikey's fight with Mom-Thing in "Buried Secrets". In "The Croaking," the Frogs are seen robbing camp sites until Mikey meets them at the Frog Fortress in their tree. After capturing April and Casey, the Frogs plot to use their Frog Soldiers to invade the cities in order to get revenge on the humans for destroying their environment. The other Turtles arrive and fight the army until the tree is set fire. After understanding that not all humans are bad after being rescued by April and Casey, the Frogs leave to Louisiana to live with the frogs that reside in the bayou. - Attila the Frog (voiced by Maurice LaMarche) - The leader of the Punk Frogs. He first appears in "The Croaking," where, upon meeting Mikey and learning about his brothers at the O'Neil family house, he sends Genghis Frog to "liberate" the Turtles from the humans, stating that the humans are the reason behind the loss of their environment and planning to use the mutagen that Rasputin studies to invade the cities to get revenge on the humans. When the rest of the Turtles arrive, Attila fights against Leo. After being rescued from the fire by April and Casey, Attila sees that not all the humans are evil and promotes Napoleon to general upon seeing the wisdom in him. - Genghis Frog (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) - A member of the Punk Frogs who leads the Frog Soldiers. He first appears in "The Croaking," where he leads the Frog Soldiers into "liberating" the Turtles from April and Casey. When Leo states that they are friends with the humans, Genghis Frogs orders the Frog Soldiers to attack the Turtles, April, and Casey which ends with the two humans being captured. After April and Casey prove that not all humans are evil, Attila makes Napoleon the new general of the Frog Soldiers, much to Genghis's dismay. - Rasputin the Mad Frog (voiced by Maurice LaMarche) - A member of the Punk Frogs. He first appears in "The Croaking," where he discovers the truth behind the mutagen. When the rest of the Turtles arrive, he tries to stop Napoleon from freeing the captives, only to be knocked out. After April and Casey prove that not all humans are evil, Rasputin is present when Napoleon is made the new general of the Frog Soldiers. - Napoleon Bonafrog (voiced by Jon Heder) - A member of the Punk Frogs. He first appears in "The Croaking," where Mikey encounters him in the woods and they have a brief fight. After clearing things up, Napoleon becomes impressed with Mikey's ninjitsu and takes him to the Frog Fortress to meet his fellow frogs. Napoleon is considered to be the clumsiest of the group by Genghis, but is impressed with the information about Mikey's brothers while stating that his brothers pick on him. When Napoleon disagrees with Attila's plans, Rasputin tells him that siding with humans is treason. During the Turtles' fight against the Frog army, Napoleon frees Mikey. Later, the other Frogs see that not all humans are bad when saved by April and Casey from the fire and promotes Napoleon as the new general of the Frog Soldiers upon seeing the wisdom in him. Napoleon Bonafrog's mannerism is based on Jon Heder's character from Napoleon Dynamite. - Frog Soldiers (voiced by Rob Paulsen, Josh Peck, and Kevin Michael Richardson) - a group of mutant frogs led by Genghis Frog and later by Napoleon Bonafrog. - Bernie (voiced by Bill Moseley) - A physicist who discovered the Dream Beavers forty years ago and has been awake since then to keep them from infiltrating his dreams. He first appears in "In Dreams," where he has become the shopkeeper of a local store. Upon learning about the Dream Beavers attacking the Turtles, he gives Casey advice on how to defeat them. After Casey destroys the Dream Plug that keeps the Dream Beavers in the dream world, sending them back to their dimension, Bernie falls asleep as Casey and Donnie take him home. - Dr. Cluckingsworth, M.D. - an ordinary chicken at the O'Neil family summer house that develops a large brain-shaped cranium at the top of his head after ingesting the mutagen sample taken from Donnie after it leaked from Speed Demon. The resulting mutation makes him super-smart and enables him to lay mutagen eggs. He plays a key part in helping Casey and Donnie defeat Speed Demon. - Muckman - A mutant garbage-looking humanoid. - Joe Eyeball - A mutant with a large eyeball. - Renet (voiced by Ashley Johnson) - A young-time sorceress and the object of Mikey's amorous affections. The Foot Clan is a ninja organization that was founded 1,500 years ago in Japan by an unequaled ninja named Koga Takuza, who also forged an alloy stronger than steel from the stolen sacred totems of defeated adversaries to fashion a helmet known as the Kuro Kabuto. Though wiped out after an attack on the Foot Clan monastery made by the Hamato Clan in modern times, the clan itself was restored by Takuza's last remaining descendant, Oroku Saki, as he takes the Kuro Kabuto for himself and rechristens himself as "The Shredder". Originally populated by only human members, the Foot had become a global network of ninja assassins. Members were trained and inducted from all forms of life, such as wealthy martial arts star Chris Bradford (Shredder's prized student) and Brazilian street thug Xever. Under Shredder's guidance, the clan is recently focusing only on the blood feud between him and his adopted brother Hamato Yoshi, the last Hamato Clan leader, once Saki learned that he's alive in New York, training the Turtles and their Kraang-parented friend, April O'Neil, as his new ninja clan. That feud has the consequence of both Bradford and Xever getting mutated as Shredder later allies himself with the Kraang to establish an army of mutants while having former TCRI inventor Baxter Stockman, who later becomes one of these mutants, fortify his New York army with the Foot Bots. - Oroku Saki / Shredder (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) - One of the series's main antagonists, Oroku Saki was the son and heir of the leader of the Foot Clan who was orphaned as a baby when his clan went extinct after their long conflict with the Hamato Clan. However, when the Hamoto Clan's leader, the father of Hamato Yoshi (Splinter), found Saki in what was left of the Foot Clan monastery, he took the poor infant into his family and raised him alongside Yoshi as another son. As they both grew older, Saki's rivalry with Yoshi intensified when they both fell in love with the same woman, Tang Shen. Fueled by jealously after Shen decided to marry Yoshi, Saki learned of his true heritage and rebuilt the Foot Clan as "The Shredder" after inheriting the Foot Clan's signature artifact, a helmet called the Kuro Kabuto. One year after the birth of Yoshi and Shen's daughter Miwa, Shredder attacked the family in the Hamato Clan monastery, unintentionally killing Shen and furiously setting the residence in a blaze that burned his head bald and scarred. Projecting blame on Yoshi for Shen's death, he then spirited away Miwa, who he raised in the Foot Clan under the name Karai, while leaving her father for dead. Fifteen years later, in "Rise of the Turtles" Pt. 2, Shredder learns that Splinter is alive and in New York after noticing the Hamato Clan logo imprinted on a shuriken during a television news report. Seeking to finish his business with Splinter, he relocates to New York and sends the Foot Clan, under the command of Chris Bradford (Dogpound / Rahzar) and Xever (Fisface), after the Turtles before presently facing them in person in "The Gauntlet". Luckily, overpowered by the more experienced opponent, the Turtles escape after Shredder is distracted by the newly mutated Xever and Bradford. In "The Alien Agenda," Shredder doesn't believe in the Kraang until Karai brings him a Kraangdroid. As Baxter Stockman (Stockman-Fly) gets to work on studying the technology, Shredder assigns Karai to learn more about the Kraang so that he can use whatever information is gathered about them in his war against the Turtles. In "Karai's Vendetta," Shredder interrogates a captured Kraang (even when Karai informs them on how they work their exo-skeletons) on why they have been hunting the Turtles and learns that they are protecting April O'Neil. He then sends Karai to capture April in order to draw the Turtles to him. In "The Pulverizer Returns," he decides to obtain mutagen from the Kraang so that he can transform some of the Foot Soldiers into mutants, though warned by the captive Kraang operative of unpredictable results. After the Turtles thwart the plot, the captive Kraang operative tells Shredder that they have a common enemy in the Turtles. In "Showdown," Shredder abducts April to lure Splinter to his base, delighting in the irony of his former friend's current state while revealing he handed the girl over to the Kraang. During the course of the battle, Shredder reveals the truth of Miwa's survival and that he raised her as Karai for the purpose of completing his revenge by turning her against Splinter. In "The Mutation Situation," Shredder orders some mutagen from the Kraang. After the mutagen canisters are scattered throughout the city, he plans to build his army on his own. In "Follow the Leader," Shredder leaves for Japan to take care of an urgent matter and tells Karai not to do any action towards the Turtles while he is away, which she ignores. In "Wormquake," he returns and brings Tiger Claw onto his team as his second-in-command. In "The Wrath of Tiger Claw," he sends Karai with Tiger Claw in order to find the Turtles. After Karai interferes with the mission, she is brought to Shredder by Tiger Claw to explain her treachery as she asks Splinter if he is her real father. Shredder answers yes and has Tiger Claw lock her up. In "The Legend of the Kuro Kabuto," he visits Karai in her jail cell explaining why he kept her real father a secret and hopes that she will one day understand what he had to do. After the Kuro Kabuto is stolen by Anton Zeck (Bebop) on behalf of Ivan Steranko (Rocksteady), Shredder finds Zeck's calling card on a glued-down Rahzar and orders him to get everyone. After explaining the Kabuto's history, Shredder orders his minions to hunt for Zeck, sending Fishface with Stockman-Fly and Rahzar with Tiger Claw. When Leo confronts Shredder for a trade, he keeps him busy long enough for the others to get to Karai. Shredder manages to get the Kuro Kabuto back upon the Turtles' retreat. The "Karai" he trades the helmet later turns out to be a bomb as the Turtles evade it. In "Vengeance is Mine," Shredder intervenes with Tiger Claw's attempt to kill the real Karai when she tries to escape. When he tells Karai that he wants her to understand what he had to do, she furiously tells him that he is not her father. After the Turtles free her, Shredder states to Tiger Claw that her will want to have her revenge on him. When Karai returns to confront him, he manages to overwhelm and defeat her. He then plans to use her as bait so that he can have the Turtles fall into the mutagen vat filled with snake DNA that Stockman-Fly had placed in there. During Shredder's fight with Splinter, Shredder tries to stop Leo from freeing Karai only to cause her to fall into the mutagen vat and emerge as a snake-like mutant much to the dismay of Shredder and Splinter. Just as he had with Shen's death, Shredder blames Splinter for Karai's mutation as the resulting battle ends up destroying Stockman-Fly's lab. In "The Invasion," Shredder tells Kraang Prime that he will help in the Kraang's invasion in exchange that they find Karai and mutate her back to normal. After defeating Leatherhead, Shredder's fight with Splinter continues through the sewers. When Shredder takes down Splinter, he throws Splinter into the sewer dispoal pipes in front of April and the Turtles and leaves the area with a broken arm. When the Turtles and April vow to avenge Splinter, they make it to his lair in the Turtle Mech but are forced to fight Kraang Prime and escape after being defeated. - Hachiko - Shredder's pet Akita who only appears in "The Gauntlet," where he bites Chris Bradford's right hand when he tries to pet him. Shredder claims that the Akita is even angrier at him for his recent failures. Hachinko's bite is what mutates Bradford into Dogpound after being exposed to mutagen. - Chris Bradford / Dogpound / Rahzar (voiced by Clancy Brown) - Chris Bradford was a world-famous martial artist who is secretly a prized member of the Foot Clan, owning a chain of dojos across the country for the purpose of recruiting Foot Soldiers. He first appears in "New Friend, Old Enemy," where he is sent by Shredder to pair up with Xever (Fishface) to find Splinter. After his first encounter with the Turtles, he befriends Mikey on a social media website in an attempt to entrap the Turtles, going so far as to teach Mikey his secret kata "The Death Dragon", which he learned from Shredder. Bradford later captures Mikey and baits the Turtles to rescue him and lead the Foot to Splinter. However, the plan fails after Splinter recognizes the 'Death Dragon' move during the Turtles' sparring. Bradford is defeated by Mikey's use of the 'Death Dragon' before he and Xever are flushed down the sewers. In "The Gauntlet," Bradford goes after the Turtles with Xever again, but fails when they are both exposed to mutagen from the Kraang's mutagen bomb on top of the Wolf Hotel. As the result of previously being bitten on the hand by Shredder's pet Akita Hachinko, Bradford mutates into a truck-size mutant Akita with a spiked back, a large left arm, heightened senses and superhuman strength that Mikey dubs "Dogpound". In "Showdown" Pt. 1, Dogpound reveals his own twisted knowledge of the Shredder-Splinter rivalry to Fishface, implicating Yoshi as the true instigator. Both he and Fishface are easily defeated by Splinter when he arrives to rescue April. In "Mikey Gets Shellacne," Dogpound becomes disillusioned with his mutated state and uses Karai's order to get Baxter Stockman as an excuse to force the scientist in finding a means to restore his humanity. However, a fight with Mikey in Stockman's lab causes Dogpound falls into Stockman's mutagen tank, mutating him into a near-skeletal werewolf variation of his previous form that Mikey dubs "Rahzar", enabling him to fight at his full potential again. But Mikey tricks Rahzar into attacking the electric system as the sprinklers go off, electrifying himself along with Fishface and Stockman. In "Wormquake," Shredder sees Bradford in new form where he states that he looks terrible. Rahzar demonstrates the ability to eject his bony parts at his opponents. In "The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman," he and Shredder confront Stockman of his miserable failure, and has his mutagen collar explode, turning him into Stockman-Fly. When Rahzar returns with a squadron of Foot Bots to see Stockman-Fly, the mutant fly quickly destroys the Foot Bots and escapes. Later, when Shredder tells Stockman-Fly to make one last mutant, Rahzar tosses a chocolate bar for Stockman-Fly to eat. In "The Legend of the Kuro Kabuto," he teams up with Tiger Claw to get the Shredder's helmet, the Kuro Kabuto. In "Vengeance is Mine," he and Fishface are distracted by Mikey's shadow puppet skills. During their fight, when Rahzar scratches Mikey on his left arm and in slow motion, Mikey shouts "TO...KKA!" before he pushes Rahzar off the building into a pile of trash. In "The Invasion," he is about to attack the Turtles in front of April's apartment when Mikey pushes a couch off the second-story balcony that falls on top of him and crushes him. - Xever / Fishface (voiced by Christian Lanz) - Xever was a Brazilian street urchin who was left an orphan by his parents and to teach himself how to survive on his own by pick-pocketing. As he grew older, he began breaking easily into other people's homes for their valuable property, but was finally caught by the authorities while burglarizing what was later revealed to be Foot Clan property and put in prison. However, this was until he was bailed out and indoctrinated into the Foot Clan by Shredder, who trained him as his crime expert and a cut-throat killer armed with a pair of butterfly knives. He first appears in "New Friend, Old Enemy," where he is sent by Shredder to assist Chris Bradford (Dogpound / Rahzar) in finding Splinter since he is familiar with the criminal underworld of Manhattan, but the plan to trick the Turtles into leading them to Splinter fails when they flush him and Bradford down the sewers. In "The Gauntlet," Xever is exposed to mutagen from the Kraang's mutagen bomb on top of the Wolf Hotel while going after the Turtles with Bradford again. As the result of previously holding a snakehead at a Chinatown Market stall, Xever mutates into an enormous mutant snakehead with powerful stick-like arms and fangs releasing a venom that produces fever, nausea and hallucinations that Mikey later dubs "Fishface". Shortly after the mutation, Fishface is forced to reside in the pool at the Foot Clan's lair since he has a hard time breathing out of water. In "The Alien Agenda," Baxter Stockman (Stockman-Fly) creates a water-breathing rig and a pair of mechanical legs for Fishface that he tries to get working. In "The Pulverizer," Fisface finally gains control over his new legs when they are reversed engineered from a Kraangdroid and bites Raph in the shoulder. In "Baxter's Gambit," Raph learns more about Fishface's origin. In "Showdown" Pt. 1, Dogpound and Fishface fight Splinter when he arrives to rescue April. He is defeated by Splinter and gets knocked into the water when Shredder arrives to fight Splinter. In "Mikey Gets Shellacne," while following Karai's order to get her Stockman, Fishface witnesses Dogpound's transformation into Rahzar before they and Stockman are knocked out from electric shock. In "Wormquake!," Fishface seems to be a little scared when Tiger Claw shows up (presumably because a tiger's diet includes fish) and offers him some refreshments. When he faces Raph again, he reveals his new weapon is a larger butterfly knife called a switch saber. In "The Legend of the Kuro Kabuto," he teams up with Stockman-Fly to retrieve Shredder's helmet, the Kuro Kabuto. In "Vengeance is Mine," he is seen giving Karai awful prison food, which Tiger Claw orders him to give her. Later, he and Rahzar are distracted by Michelangelo's shadow puppet skills. Then he, Tiger Claw and some Foot-Bots chase the Turtles and Karai, but Fishface is unable to catch up after Donnie pours pizza grease on the street, making his motorcycle slip. - Baxter Stockman / Stockman-Fly (voiced by Phil LaMarr) - Baxter Stockman was a child prodigy who tried proving his brilliance at a science fair at school while presenting a volcano with real lava, which ended up burning down the gym and getting him expelled. As he grew older, he went a lot further into his dark knowledge by getting a job as an inventor at TCRI, but was fired for spilling copier toner and ever since, he vowed revenge against those who turned his "brilliance" down. He first appears in "I Think His Name is Baxter Stockman," where he attempts to break into a building in a rudimentary battle suit. The Turtles stop him, but Stockman obtains Donnie's T-Pod, which contains a military-grade artificial intelligence chip, and incorporates it into his armor. This results in Stockman's battle armor upgrading itself until it transforms into a Stockman-made robotic being, which Mikey dubs "The StockmanPod". StockmanPod defeats the Turtles, causing them to flee. Using wisdom from Splinter about "fighting the person inside the armor", the Turtles engage the StockmanPod again, and make use of a beehive to cause the StockmanPod to fall off a building. The Turtles deactivate the T-Pod and throw Stockman in the dumpster again. In "MOUSERS Attack," Stockman is brought by Dogpound before Shredder following an incident with the MOUSERS that interferes with the Foot Clan's new plan to kill the Turtles, and Shredder spares him in return for his services that include a water-breathing rig and mechanical legs reverse engineered from a Kraangdroid for Fishface. In "Baxter's Gambit," Stockman convinces Shredder to let him execute a full-proof plan to kill the Turtles with his Maze of Doom. However, this plan is also revealed to be an attempt on the lives of Dogpound and Fishface for their abuse. Though the two groups have a ceasefire to deal with their common enemy, Stockman uses his helicopter hat to escape. In "Mikey Gets Shellacne," Stockman goes through the remains of TCRI with the intent to start his own mutant army. However, the Turtles find him looking for a molecular centrifuge and Stockman is captured by Dogpound under Karai's orders. After claiming that he can restore Dogpound's humanity at his captor's insistence prior to his transformation into Rahzar, Stockman is outfitted with a mutagen collar to make sure he does not attempt another betrayal. In "The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman," Shredder becomes tired of Stockman's failure to make a mutant army with his 74th attempt being a duck that can swim and do karate. When Stockman states that he has plan to make an army of pigs and rhinos, Shredder activates the mutagen collar on him and leaves. As the result of a housefly landing on his nose before the collar explodes, Stockman mutates into a humanoid mutant housefly with a lobster-like black claw for a right hand, a vertical mouth that spits a slime strong enough to dissolve metal, heightened hearing and superhuman speed and flight that dubs himself "Stockman-Fly", collecting cravings for sugary products. After planning to make himself normal by obtaining human DNA and shutting off the power to his lab, Stockman-Fly evades Rahzar and escapes. He later interferes with the Turtles' plan to test retro-mutagen on Kirby-Bat. After the retro-mutagen falls on to a car, Stockman-Fly captures April in order to get more retro-mutagen or else April will be mutated at his lab. He brings April to his lab where she tries to fight him to no avail, but Stockman-Fly suspends her over the mutagen as a way to combine with her and become one. Leo, Donnie, and Casey Jones interfere and work to fight Stockman-Fly and free April. Rahzar joins the battle in order to claim the retro-mutagen, so Stockman-Fly competes with the Foot Bots sent by Rahzar in order to get to the retro-mutagen first. He swipes the retro-mutagen canister from the Turtles causing them to go after him while competing with the Foot-Bots. With help from Kirby-Bat, April pursues him and manages to restore her father to normal. Stockman-Fly is brought to Shredder, who wants him to make one more mutant for him as Rahzar tosses a chocolate bar to him. Stockman-Fly sarcastically thanks Shredder for his generosity before proceeding to eat the bar. In "The Legend of the Kuro Kabuto," he partners with Fishface to retrieve Shredder's helmet, the Kuro Kabuto. During the chase, his accidental interference prompts Fishface to remark that he is such a buzz-kill, and Michelangelo decides that "Buzzkill" should have been a perfect mutant name for Stockman. In "Vengeance is Mine," Stockman-Fly assists Shredder in using Karai has bait so that Shredder can have the Turtles fall into the mutagen vat filled with albino horned viper DNA. This doesn't go as planned for not only did Stockman-Fly (who is startled by Shredder) allow two chemicals to accidentally mix together (which he still adds to the vat), but Karai herself falls into the mutagen vat as well. The resulting fight ends up setting Stockman-Fly's lab on fire leaving Stockman-Fly horrified as Shredder pushes him out of the way to confront Splinter. - MOUSERS - An acronym for Mobile Offensive Underground Search Excavation and Retrieval Sentries, the MOUSERS are small robots that were created by Baxter Stockman to steal on his behalf. Stockman programs them to attack anything tagged with his radioisotope spray. The MOUSERS will attack anyone, including Baxter Stockman himself. In "Showdown" Pt. 1, two them are used by Shredder and Karai as the messengers of Shredder's message for Splinter to come out and challenge him. - Monster of Doom - An upgraded version of the StockmanPod created by Baxter Stockman. It is first used by Stockman in "Baxter's Gambit" for his revenge on the Turtles, Dogpound, and Fishface. It took the combined strategies of both groups to defeat it. - Tiger Claw (voiced by Eric Bauza) - Tiger Claw was a Japanese circus performer who was mutated as a child into a very tall humanoid mutant Bengal tiger with heightened smell and hearing, superhuman strength and razor-sharp fangs and claws. As he grew older, he eventually became part of the criminal underworld where he was indoctrinated into the Foot Clan by Shredder, who trained him as his bounty hunter and a master of all weapons, collecting them from most warriors he defeats. He lost his tail in battle against a rival and searches for the person who is responsible so that he can take his revenge. He first appears in "Wormquake," where he is made Shredder's second-in-command and sent with Karai to attack the Turtles in order to draw out Splinter. After Tiger Claw defeats Raph and Mikey, Leo ends up calling Splinter on the Cheese Phone for help. Splinter arrives and fights Tiger Claw. During the fight, Karai hits Splinter with a dart with a weakening poison on it, enabling Tiger Claw to knock Splinter down and capture him. When Shredder plans to finish off Splinter, Tiger Claw shows his sense of honor by granting Splinter a final showdown with Shredder, but Leo, Raph, and Mikey are able to rescue Splinter and get him to a safe spot. While Leo, Raph, and Mikey are fighting Tiger Claw, Karai, Rahzar, and Fishface, Splinter recovers from the poison and joins the fight. During the battle, April and Casey emerge on a Kraathatrogon where it swallows Tiger Claw upon his jet pack malfunctioning. In "The Wrath of Tiger Claw," Tiger Claw returns with a torn right ear and an eyepatch on his left eye after escaping the Kraathatrogon and fighting his way through different dimensions back to Earth. Soon after he reunites with Shredder, he is sent with Karai to destroy the Turtles. During their mission, Tiger Claw states that Karai was assigned to this mission because she knows where the Turtles hang out. Together, they attack Mr. Murakami's restaurant where they get info on where to find April and Casey. While Karai goes after April, Tiger Claw goes after Casey. Casey works to evade Tiger Claw's attack, thinking that he is still mad about "the worm thing", but ends up getting thrown off the building. Tiger Claw later traces Karai to the Turtles' sewer lair and starts to head there, but she and the Turtles end up luring him to the meat locker of a factory, where the Turtles end up fighting him. When Karai arrives, she attacks Tiger Claw, but he knocks her out. He then leaves with her and informs Shredder of her actions. After Shredder confirms to Karai that Splinter is her true father, he has Tiger Claw lock her up. In "The Legend of the Kuro Kabuto," he teams up with Rahzar to get Shredder's helmet, the Kuro Kabuto. In "Vengeance is Mine," he stops Karai from escaping and has her shackled and locked up in another cell. When Leo and Raph rescue her, Tiger Claw attacks them, only to be temporarily stunned by the dog whistle that Donnie sets up. He chasees them to capture Karai, only to get knocked out by the Shellraiser. Later, Shredder has him get in touch with Stockman-Fly. Once Karai is recaptured, Tiger Claw gags her with tape and they hang her above Stockman-Fly's mutagen tank to lure the Turtles and Splinter. However, everything goes wrong when Karai gets mutated and Stockman-Fly's lab catches fire. Tiger Claw then tells Shredder to retreat with him or the whole lab will go down with him and that he won, though Shredder feels that he hasn't won with Karai as a mutant. - Ivan Steranko / Rocksteady (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) - Ivan Steranko was a Russian arms dealer and artifact collector with a diamond right eye, which was the result of an accident caused by Anton Zeck (Bebop), who is an old friend and business partner of Shredder's, known with Excalibur, the Spear of Destiny, Alexander the Great's armor, a polar bear hunting trophy, and a taxidermy rhinoceros in his collection and the ability to tell the difference between a fake artifact and a real one. He first appears in "Enemy of My Enemy," where he meets with Shredder for a weapons deal. Shredder has the cargo searched just in case Steranko is pulling any tricks. During the Turtles' fight with Shredder, Steranko is knocked out by the weapon that is being sold to the Foot Clan. In "The Legend of the Kuro Kabuto," he sends Zeck to steal Shredder's helmet, the Kuro Kabuto, to add to the collection. When Zeck meets up with Steranko in his helicopter, they discover that Leo has swapped it out with dirty diapers. As a result, Steranko vows to hurt Zeck for it. In "A Chinatown Ghost Story," it is mentioned that Steranko would pay the Purple Dragons through the roof for the Mystic Dagger. In a later episode, both he and Zeck are captured by Fishface and Rahzar. Shredder is furious at his old friend for sending Zeck to steal his helmet while Steranko pleads him to forgive him since they've known each other for 10 years. After Zeck is mutated, Steranko still tries to convince Shredder to spare him and would be much better as a human to work for him instead of a mutant. However, Rahzar strikes him, making him lose his Ushanka and fall into the second batch of mutagen within the mutagen vat. As the result of Stockman-Fly pouring black rhinoceros DNA into the vat, Steranko mutates into a large mutant black rhinoceros with his shoulder pads and knuckle dusters fused to his body. - Anton Zeck / Bebop (voiced by J.B. Smoove) - Anton Zeck was a professional thief in a high-tech suit with an energy mohawk armed with high tech gadgets who once caused an accident that cost Ivan Steranko (Rocksteady) his right eye. He first appears in "The Legend of Kuro Kabuto," where he is sent by Steranko to steal Shredder's helmet, the Kuro Kabuto. Following his theft, where he leaves his calling card on a glued-down Rahzar, Zeck runs into the Turtles, who steal the Kuro Kabuto from him. The Turtles, Rahzar, Fishface, Tiger Claw, and Stockman-Fly fight Zeck over the helmet, but he manages to evade them. When Zeck meets up with Steranko in his helicopter, they discover that Leo has swapped it out with dirty diapers at the last minute. As a result, Steranko vows to hurt Zeck for it. In a later episode, they are captured by Fishface and Rahzar. Zeck is terrified and tells Steranko that he doesn't want to be a mutant because he's too handsome. When Shredder arrives, he is furious at them both stealing his helmet and has Fishface shove Zeck into the first batch of mutagen within the mutagen vat. As the result of Stockman-Fly pouring warthog DNA into the vat, Zeck mutates into a tall humanoid mutant warthog with a broken left tusk and the high-tech suit and energy mohawk fused to his body. - Foot Soldiers - An army of ninjas loyal to Shredder, making up the soldiers of the Foot Clan. They wear black suits and masks with bug-like eyes and red bandannas with the Foot Clan logo on them (similar to the outfits worn by the Foot Ninjas from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films). The Foot Soldiers seem to never talk. Each of the Foot Soldiers fight with staffs, shurikens, katanas, Naginata, Tonfa, and nunchucks. The Foot Soldiers recruits are trained at Chris Bradford's dojos. At the time when Shredder is in Japan, the Foot Soldiers haven't been seen since the Foot Bots came into view. - Foot Bots - An army of robotic Foot Soldiers that were created by the Kraang to strengthen the Foot Clan. The Foot Bots can adapt to every ninja moves and skills. During the Turtles' first fight with the them in "Follow the Leader," the Turtles had to do unpredictable moves and skills to defeat them. In "Target: April O'Neil," the Foot Bots are upgraded with two extra retractable arms with weapons protruding from where the hands would be. They learn how to ice skate among other things as seen when they face off against Casey Jones at the ice skating rink. In "The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman," the Foot Bots are shown to have gliding abilities with retractable fabric wings. The Kraang (voiced by Nolan North) are a race of brain-shaped aliens from Dimension X piloting robotic bodies called Kraangdroids that are responsible for bringing mutagen to Earth a thousand years ago. They have not mastered English and communicate in redundant speech. In "The Gauntlet," the Turtles learn that the Kraang have been abducting scientists so that they can help modify the mutagen's properties. In "The Alien Agenda," the Kraang establish the World Wide Genome Project as a front while they were collecting the DNA of every animal and plant species on Earth. In "The Pulverizer," the Kraang reclaim the power cell that Leatherhead stole from them. In "TCRI," it is revealed that the Kraang have their headquarters in the higher parts of the TCRI building. It is also revealed that the Kraang can also survive in poisonous gas. While inside the TCRI building, the Turtles discover the Kraang's invasion plan: to mutate the whole planet so that their kind can live here, which will wipe out everyone else in the process. When the Turtles manage to get away when their explosives are unable to destroy the Kraang's portal, Mikey manages to obtain a Kraang data storage device which reveals that the Kraang are also after April. In "Cockroach Terminator," the Kraang steal a special lens as part of a plot to use their laser drill to burrow to the Earth's core as part of the Kraang's invasion plan. This plot is thwarted by Raph. In "Enemy of My Enemy," two Kraang operatives pilot a spacecraft when hunting the Turtles up to the point where they end up crashing a weapons trade involving the Shredder. The spacecraft is repelled by Leo and crashes into the ocean. After he and Karai emerge from the water, Shredder is shown to have captured one of the Kraang pilots. In "Karai's Vendetta," the captured Kraang is interrogated by Shredder on why they hunt the Turtles and learns on how they've been targeting April. The Kraang set up a base in the East River where they start a plot to turn Earth's water into Kraang water and have brought a large unnamed sea monster from Dimension X to help guard the base. The Turtles managed to destroy the base and escape from the sea monster. In "The Pulverizer Returns," the captive Kraang agent tells Shredder that the mutagen that had mutated Chris Bradford and Xever into Dogpound and Fishface has unpredictable results on Earth. After Shredder's mutagen plot is thwarted by the Turtles, the captive Kraang tells Shredder that they have a common enemy in the Turtles which leads to an alliance between the Foot Clan and the Kraang. In "Showdown" Pt. 1, the Kraang begin their invasion by bringing the Technodrome to Earth. Even though the Turtles destroyed the portal, the Technodrome and Kraang Prime have already arrived. In "Showdown" Pt. 2, the Kraang start to collect human specimens for Kraang while Kraang Prime begins to siphon the mental energy from April. This plot was thwarted by the Turtles. In "Plan 10," the Kraang develop a mind-swapping device in order to swap the minds of anyone which results in Raph and a Kraang getting their minds switch. After the mind-swap is undone, the Turtles destroy the device. It is also revealed that the Kraang are going to invade Earth with a lot of Kraang soldiers. In "Buried Secrets," it is revealed that the Kraang were awakened at the site of the O'Neil Family's summer house by April's great-grandfather which explained why the Kraang have been targeting April ever since they abducted her mother. They also created a failed infiltration creation using the DNA of a Kraang and April's mom which was too dangerous for them. - Kraang Prime (voiced by Roseanne Barr) - A god-size brain-shaped alien who is the leader of the Kraang and one of the series's main antagonists. When he speaks to other Kraang, he uses redundant speech, but when speaking to anyone else, he uses normal speech. He first appears in "Showdown" Pt. 1 where he tells the rest of the Kraang that the invasion of Earth should begin now as the Technodrome will appear in six hours. Kraang Prime arrives on Earth in the Technodrome. In "Showdown" Pt. 2, he confronts April O'Neil after is captured and states that she has the mental energy needed to transform the Earth so that the Kraang can live on it. Kraang Prime then proceeds to begin siphoning the mental energy from April. As soon as Kraang Prime obtains enough of the mental energy, he begins his plot to mutate the Earth. However, the Turtles arrive to fight Kraang Prime and thwart his Earth mutation plot. Kraang Prime then emerges in a giant robotic body and chases after them. Leo manages to hold him off while the others get away. Luckily, Leo manages to escape with the captive humans as the Technodrome falls into the ocean. In "The Kraang Conspiracy," Kraang Prime is seen in a hologram without his robotic suit, telling the Kraang about his plan with the mutagen and catching April spying on him. In "Plan 10," he is telling two Kraang about swapping minds with humans and invasion, but becomes suspicious about one of the Kraang (which has Raph's mind swapped into it) being a little strange. Kraang Prime also states to the Kraang operatives that he has a lot of Kraang soldiers ready for the next invasion. In "The Invasion," he makes a deal with Shredder that he will deliver the Turtles and Splinter to him, and return Karai to her normal form. In repayment, he wants Shredder to help him invade the Earth. He and his army mutate several humans into Kraang-like creatures (including Kirby) and then chases the Turtles in their Party Wagon. Later, he fights the Turtles and April in the Turtle Mech, but is defeated when he gets electrocuted with power syphoned from the city's power grid that results in it going down. Kraang Prime then comes out of his robotic body and proceeds to pursue them, but fails when the Turtles and April get away in the Party Van driven by Casey. - Mrs. Campbell (voiced by Cassandra Peterson) - A research scientist from the World Wide Genome Project who takes an interest in April O'Neil. She is actually an android created by the Kraang who used the World Wide Genome Project as their front. When she was pursuing April, she ends up fighting the Turtles until her face is sliced off and is then shorted out by water from a nearby water fountain. Another robot of Mrs. Campbell was seen as the receptionist at TCRI. This time, she and the Kraang operatives were taken out by Leatherhead. The same Mrs. Campbell makes an appearance in "Showdown" Pt. 1 where she and the Kraang are taken out by Metalhead at TCRI. Another Mrs. Campbell has an appearance in "The Kraang Conspiracy," where she attacked the Turtles and allowing one of the Kraangdroids to capture April. She was defeated when Raphael threw one of his sais at one of her missile-launching elbows, causing her to explode. - Irma Langinstein / Kraang Subprime (voiced by Kate Micucci as Irma, Gilbert Gottfried as Kraang Subprime) - A Kraang spy with a robotic left eye, a huge scar, a blue tattoo across his right eye and a robotic claw on his left front tentacle who poses as Irma Langinstein, April O'Neil's best friend in high school. She seems to be a lot more serious than her 1987 incarnation; though she retains the glasses from her previous incarnation, she is more gothic than nerdy. In "Mousers Attack," she calls April when her phone is stolen by the Purple Dragons. In "Mutagen Man Unleashed," she is shown as a background character, but her face is not seen. In "The Good, The Bad and Casey Jones," she makes her first introduction appearance when she and April both discover the bruises on Casey's face. When Irma ask Casey how he got them, she makes a suspicious "Hmm?", though Casey seems annoyed and angrily asks her if she's his interrogator. This makes Irma upset and she tells April to leave for the exam and not be late. In "Of Rats and Men," she has pizza with Casey and April. She seems disappointed that the people claim that pizza was gluten-free, but she claims to have definitely tasted gluten. Casey thanks her for hanging with them on their "date", since they really need a chaperon. When Casey gets spooked by a rat, Irma laughs about someone as big as him for being scared of a little rat. April then spots a stray cat (which would later become Ice Cream Kitty) and decides to find it a home. Irma states that rats are relatively harmless, and explained that they also share many human similarities, which is why they are used in scientific experiments. She doesn't intend to keep the cat, because she's more of a "rat person". She then hears a strange noise behind her, but doesn't seem to see anything watching. When April and Casey leave with the cat, Irma is disappointed that they ditched her again. She says to herself that she'll one day find out where the two are always running off to, which possibly hints that she may encounter the Turtles in a future episode. Suddenly, a strange mutant (later revealed to be a giant rat), that has been spying on her, appears and roars, then Irma turns around and screams in horror as it seemingly attacks her. Later, it is discovered that Irma is captured (along with Casey and several other people) by The Rat King's army of giant rats. The Rat King decides to test his new serum on Irma after the previous mutagen serum is not perfected. However, the Turtles, Splinter and April (even Ice Cream Kitty) find him and April manages to release Casey, Irma and the citizens. When they head to the surface, one of the giant rats attacks April, Irma, and Casey; but the rat is taken out by Casey. In "Pizza Face," she insist that April should watch a scary movie with her, but April lies to her that she has a date with Casey, though Irma doesn't believe the "dating with Casey" excuse. She is also suspicious and wandering about her "secret friends" that she won't let her know, which may be a clue that she'll know the Turtles. Then, she and April accidentally get bumped into a pizza delivery guy, who exclaims that he's being attacked. April leaves with a box of pizza the guy drops, which makes Irma sad that April left with no honest reason. In "The Wrath of Tiger Claw," Irma watches a movie with April and Casey. When April senses that they're being followed, they intend to split up. Once again, they leave Irma, who gets confused about what April was talking about. She is frustrated at them for leaving her again. In "A Chinatown Ghost Story," she and April are captured by the Purple Dragons under Ho Chan's orders. Irma is seen without her glasses when Ho Chan removes them, claiming that she has some sort of power within her. After Ho Chan is defeated, Irma arrives and instead of letting her know who they are, the Turtles leave the scene. In "The Invasion," April decides to let Irma know who her friends are. They are then attacked by Foot-Bots, but they managed to hide in the sewers. However, once they arrive, Irma begins to act strange. Her face starts twitching, her neck expands to reveal a robotic neck, and her eyes glow red while repeatedly saying, "Turtles!" She expands her body to reveal that she's been a robot the whole time. Then, Kraang Subprime peers out from inside the robot as he laughs evilly, horrifying everyone (especially April). Kraang Subprime reveals that the discovery of the lair was the only component needed to launch a full scale invasion as several portals open to allow several Kraang-droids to enter. He tells the Kraang to wipe out the lair, but says that Splinter comes with them. During the fight, Kraang Subprime pursues the Turtles and fights Splinter. Later, he is defeated by Splinter, who destroys his robotic suit and knocks him off. Kraang Subprime vows that the Kraang will dominate the Earth and tells Splinter that he and his children will be destroyed. Before he could say anything else, the stairs fall and crush Kraang Subprime, presumably killing him. His tentacle limps before laying motionless. Since then, it is unknown if there is a real Irma in the series. - Biotroid - A Yeti-type bio-mechanical suit with powerful arms, blades on its nipples and butt cannons, making it a very awkward villain. It is first used by the Kraang in "The Mutation Situation" on the Kraang stealth ship to protect the shipment of mutagen from the Turtles, with the resulting battle causing the mutagen canisters to fall onto the streets, one of which causes Kirby to mutate into Kirby-Bat when he tries to protect April from the mutagen. It is defeated by the Turtles and the stealth ship is redirected towards the moon. More Biotroids appear in "Wormquake," where two of them are piloted by the Kraang to attack Donnie, April, and Casey during their investigation on a portal to Dimension X. - Kraang Cops (Various Voices) - Two recurring minor characters where they were Kraang operatives posing as police officers. In "The Invasion," it is revealed that they were Kraang spies. Dimension X creatures The Kraang have used various creatures that come from Dimension X to help them in their plots. Among the Dimension X creatures are: - Traag - A 20-foot-tall lava-spewing rock monster from Dimension X with regenerating abilities who is in service to the Kraang. He first appears in "TCRI," where he is brought by the Kraang through the portal inside the TCRI building that connects Earth to Dimension X. He proves a challenge to the Turtles when even their bombs could only blast him apart, but Leatherhead ends up dragging him through the portal back to Dimension X. In "Showdown," Traag is seen guarding the portal again after it is upgraded with a force field. When the Turtles try to destroy it, they draw the attention of Traag and the Kraang, so Leo uses the laser to defeat Traag. In "Into Dimension X," he somehow goes back to Dimension X and partners with Granitor to attack the Turtles. However, they are defeated by Mikey in his "savage" outfit where he uses his voice to break the part of the cliff that they are on. - Dimension X Sea Monster - An unnamed alien sea creature from Dimension X resembling the Loch Ness Monster that acts as an underwater guardian for the Kraang. It first appears in "Karai's Vendetta," where it is brought by the Kraang from Dimension X according to Donnie. The sea monster is seen guarding the Kraang's underwater base where they turn earth's water into "Kraang water". When the Turtles (in the Turtle Sub) encounter it, they are able to outsmart it and get in the underwater base. It later attacks the Turtles in the underwater base and Mikey seemingly defeats it, while Donnie uses a Kraang laser gun to set an explosion to destroy the base. However, when all four Turtles got in their sub, the sea monster somehow manages to survive the explosion and chases the Turtle Sub. It then hits the sub to make it stop as the Turtles watch in horror when they believe they're about to meet their demise as the beast grabs their sub. However, the sea monster begins to make happy whale sounds where it thinks the Turtles Sub is a female of its own kind and has fallen in love with it. The Turtles are really disturbed and disgusted by this latching on the sub, causing Mikey to comment on it and Leo (with a disturbed face) pulls a lever and sets some explosive charges on the sea monster to force it to release them. As the Turtle Sub leaves, the sea monster is left heartbroken. In "Plan 10," it is seen guarding the wreckage of the Technadrome when the Turtles, April and Casey (including a Kraang that is trapped in Raph's body) encounter it again. The monster again recognizes the Turtle Sub as a female of its own kind. It wants to give trash for the sub to 'eat'. When the Turtle Sub passes, the sea monster becomes sad again and follows. When the Turtle Sub launches a torpedo to distract it, it accidentally hits the sea monster, angering it and causing it to attack the sub. Donnie gets its tongue caught in one of the engines, causing the sea monster to pull its tongue out and swim away with sadness. - Kraathatrogons - A race of alien worms from Dimension X with antennae used as riding reins that the Kraang "milk" for mutagen. They first appear in "Wormquake," where they are brought by the Kraang through an underground portal connecting Earth to Dimension X. However, Donnie reverse-engineers the portal in order to get rid of them. During the fight with the Kraang, one of the Kraathatrogons makes it to the surface and swallows Tiger Claw. When Leo reverse engineers the portal, the Kraathatrogons are sucked in, with one of them ending up in the 80s' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles dimension. The Kraathatrogon that swallows Tiger Claw reappears in a flashback in "The Wrath of Tiger Claw," where it is killed when Tiger Claw cuts it open in order to escape easily. In "Into Dimension X," dozens of Kraathatrogons are seen in 'the wild' of Dimension X. Three are seen roaming on a small platform. A mother Kraathatrogon is seen feeding her babies mutagen. Another is seen flying, much like a flying snake. - Granitor - A 20-foot-tall blue fire-spewing rock monster from Dimension X with regenerating abilities who resembles Traag, but is more of a pale pink, and is in service to the Kraang. He first appears in "Into Dimension X," where he partners with Traag to attack the Turtles. However, they are defeated by Mikey in his "savage" outfit where he uses his voice to break the part of the cliff that they are on. - Rocktopus - A giant octopus/insect-like alien from Dimension X that sports a small creature-like attachment to draw in its prey. It first appears in "Into Dimension X," where it attacks the Turtles until they are saved by Mikey. It came back, but only to be forced away by some responding sounds by Mikey. Later, the Rocktopus's attachment poked out from one of the portals, distracting a Kraang before Mikey shoved them both back into the portal. In "The Invasion", two pigeons were sprayed by the perfected mutagen and it caused them to turn into the small creature-like attachments that resembled the exact one on Rocktopus. - Living Atoms - A group of sentient large atoms from Dimension X that shoot a bolt of electricity. They first appear in "Into Dimension X," where they attack the Turtles until they finally manage to outrun them. - Bio-Electrical Eyeball - A gigantic sun-size eyeball from Dimension X that shoots electricity at its enemies. It first appears in "Into Dimension X," where it blows up a nearby ship with electricity. - Purple Dragons - A street gang that has been extorting shop owners for protection money in the Lower East Side. Most of theme are Chinese-Americans who secretly became allies with the Foot Clan and are commanded by Rahzar and Fishface. In "A Chinatown Ghost Story," they rob a museum to obtain specific artifacts for Steranko only to be thwarted by Donatello, April, and Casey. The Purple Dragons do manage to get away with a dagger that contains Ho Chan's ghost as he temporarily makes them his servants. - Hun (voiced by Eric Bauza) - The new leader of the Purple Dragons who debuts in Season 3. Unlike previous incarnations of the character, Hun is a Chinese-American man and has a slender shape. - Fong (voiced by Andrew Kishino) - The skinny and young Chinese-American man who is the unofficial leader of the Purple Dragons in Season 1 and 2 (unless Rahzar and/or Fishface is present) who is sometimes armed with a butcher knife. In "A Chinatown Ghost Story," Ho Chan's ghost briefly gives him lightning-based abilities. Staff writer Kenny Byerly named Fong after Benson Fong, an Asian actor from the '60s who appeared in such films as The Love Bug and Flower Drum Song. - Sid (voiced by Andrew Kishino) - A large Chinese-American member of the Purple Dragons who is sometimes armed with an axe. In "A Chinatown Ghost Story," Ho Chan's ghost briefly gives him thunder-based abilities. Sid was named by show writer Jeremy Shipp. - Tsoi (voiced by James Sie) - A moustached Chinese-American member of the Purple Dragons who is sometimes armed with a sledgehammer. In "A Chinatown Ghost Story," Ho Chan's ghost briefly gives him wind-based abilities. He is named after Andrea Tsoi, a friend of show writer Kenny Byerly's. - Snake / Snakeweed (voiced by Danny Jacobs) - Snake was a thug working for the Kraang as their getaway driver, who the Turtles catch and interrogate to find out where the Kraang are holding April and Kirby O'Neil. After getting away from the Turtles upon answering them, Snake meets up with the Kraang at their hideout and warns them that the Turtles are coming. During their mission to rescue the O'Neils, the Turtles crash a truck full of mutagen into the Kraang base where the mutagen heads straight towards him. As the result of falling off balance into a field of ivy weeds, Snake mutates into a gigantic regenerating mutant ivy weed with a hundred leaf-handed vines for arms, a hole in its neck showing the heart and a stem that splits in half to use as legs that Mikey dubs "Snakeweed". While the rest of the Turtles fight Snakeweed, Leo lures him into a power core where he is electrocuted and blown up. After the Turtles leave, Snakeweed's heart starts beating again. In "New Girl In Town," he returns and is abducting people to use them as fertilizer. At the end of the episode, the Turtles fight him again. He is eventually frozen and shattered into pieces, but his heart starts beating once again. In "Metalhead Rewired," Snakeweed was among the mutants captured by Kraang in order for them to control them. He was first discovered in his cell by the Turtles, then he and Spider Bytez were released by the Kraang to attack the Turtles. Luckily, Metalhead freed them from the Kraang's control, attacking the Kraang, but having no intentions of harming the Turtles. Snakeweed then briefly aided the Turtles before making his way to escape. With help from Metalhead, the Turtles freed the captive mutants and they escape through the portal. - Vic / Spider Bytez (voiced by Lewis Black) - Vic was a crabby New Yorker in his 40s who videotapes the Turtles on his cell phone during a rooftop battle with the Kraang after one of the Turtles accidentally knocks down his satellite dish. Calling the Turtles "Kung Fu Frogs", Vic also insults Raph, causing him to lose his temper. When Vic attempts to sell his video to the Kraang, they kidnap him. Leo, Mikey and Donnie attempt to rescue him as Vic tries to get to his cell phone where a brown spider crawls into it and bites him. During the fight, Vic gets splashed with mutagen. As the result of being bitten in the finger by a black widow spider that crawls onto his phone, Vic mutates into a humongous mutant black widow spider with a round body, short arms and legs, agile arachnid legs for hair, and a huge fanged mouth that spits digestive acid that Mikey dubs "Spider Bytez". Spider Bytez blames the Turtles for his mutation and attacks them. During the battle, his cell phone is destroyed. Just when Spider Bytez has the advantage, Raph shows up and gains control over his temper. Spider Bytez escapes, vowing to get revenge on the Turtles later. In "Metalhead Rewired," Spider Bytez was among the mutants captured by Kraang in order for them to control them. He was first seen in the sewers, being chased by the Kraang, and begging for the Turtles to help him. The Kraang managed to capture him, then they lock him in a chamber and brainwash him. Then, Spider Bytez and Snakeweed were released to destroy the Turtles, but Metalhead freed them. Spider Bytez was last seen with Pete and Slash as they head for the portal. With help from Metalhead, the Turtles freed the captive mutants and they escape through the portal. - Dr. Victor Falco / Rat King (voiced by Jeffrey Combs) - Dr. Victor Falco was a scientist presumably working for the Kraang on an experiment involving mutagen and chimpanzee DNA. Believing that he was close to developing a neurochemical that could make him psychic, Falco tests the chemical on his colleague Dr. Tyler Rockwell, transforming him into a humanoid mutant chimpanzee that can read emotions. After the Turtles figure out that Falco was lying about Rockwell's involvement in the research, they confront him. Falco injects himself with the chemical, which gives him the ability to predict the Turtles' every move. Donatello figures out how to close off his mind from Falco to defeat him. Falco escapes before the Turtles can interrogate him about the Kraang's plot. In "I, Monster," he is destitute but has salvaged some mutagen and has recreated the psychic chemical in his rat-infested lab. An accident with the chemical makes his body into a corpse-like state as well as gives him psychic control over rats, who help him out of the rubble caused by the explosion. While taking over all the rats in the city including Splinter, Falco dubs himself "The Rat King" and attempts to take over New York with his legion of rats. He manipulates Splinter into fighting the Turtles, but Splinter frees himself from the mind control and defeats him. The rats then swarm over Rat King's unconscious body to get him away from the Turtles. In "Of Rats and Men," the Rat King resurfaces and has his giant rats attack Manhattan while trying to control Splinter again. The Rat King does peer into Splinter's mind to get what he needs. The Turtles end up fighting the Giant Rats as they are abducting humans with one of them being Irma. In The Rat King's lair, Rat King tells the captives that he created the Giant Rats from the Mutagenic Growth Serum so that he can use the mutagen to turn the captive humans into Rat People. Though Rat King has had some failed experiments in the past. When The Rat King plans to make Irma his first subject, the Turtles and Splinter fight The Rat King while April tries to free the captive humans. Michelangelo throws Ice Cream Kitty at Rat King breaking his control over Splinter. While Splinter faces The Rat King, the Turtles face the giant rats. Splinter engages The Rat King further underground where he knocks Aristotle off of The Rat King's shoulder and then kicks The Rat King into the pit. In "Mazes & Mutants," there is a skeleton (or more) that has decaying looking teeth and messy hair which resembles The Rat King's skeleton in Sir Malachi's illusions. - Aristotle - The Rat King's pet white rat. At the end of "Of Rats and Men," Splinter manages to knock him off of Rat King's shoulder as the rat falls into a chasm. It is unknown if he survived, but it is likely (depending on how high he was), since a rat can fall as far as 50 feet and land uninjured. He was named after the Greek philosopher. - Caligula - A giant rat who serves as Rat King's mode of transportation. - Rat Man Freak (voiced by Jason Biggs) - A humanoid mutant rat who just appears in "Of Rats and Men." When the Rat King is planning to turn the humans into rat people with his Mutagenic Growth Serum, Aristotle tells him that the serum's not perfected. Then, both the Rat King and Aristotle witnesses the man he tests the serum on mutates into a hideous, disabled monstrosity. His only line was "Cheese! Please give me CHEESE!" His name is not mentioned in the show, but comes from the credits. - Claudius, Nero, and Commodus - The other three giant rats that are named. - Justin - After Karai pushes a control button on a machine at the World Wide Genome Project, a variety of animal DNA samples (examples being the DNA of a jellyfish, an isopoda, an octopus, a cobra, and a cat) gathered by the Kraang are dumped into the mutagen resulting in the creation of a composite monster that Mikey simply dubs "Justin" (he was originally going to call him "Octo-Eyeball-Jelly-Bug"). After Karai leaves, Justin attacks the Kraang until only the Turtles are left, but Leo manages to use his katanas as a conductor of electricity to destroy it. In "Metalhead Rewired," Justin turns up alive and among the mutants captured by the Kraang in order for them to control them. It is seen briefly with Spyroach when he escapes his chamber. He is shot down by a Kraangdroid as he falls several feet, but he managed to survive and escape. With help from Metalhead, the Turtles free the captive mutants and they escape through the portal. - Spy-Roach / Cockroach Terminator - Spy-Roach was a cockroach that was trained by Donnie in to spy on the Kraang with special micro-equipment in "Cockroach Terminator," where Raph's fear of cockroaches is revealed. An accident on Donnie's part that happens while it was spying on the Kraang causes Spy-Roach to fall into a vat of mutagen and mutate into the Cockroach Terminator, a humanoid mutant cockroach with the equipment fused to its body. After escaping from the Kraang base, Cockroach Terminator runs into the Turtles and attacks them. Raph is able to use the Shellraiser's cannon to knock it out, yet Cockroach Terminator manages to sneak away behind the Turtles's back. When the Turtles thwart the Kraang's robbery of the special lens, Cockroach Terminator catches up to the group and defeats the Kraang. Then it attacks Raph until Leo saves him. The Turtles use bug spray in order to get Cockroach Terminator out into the street where it gets hit by a truck and collides into the wall. Yet it survives and goes after them. Leo discovers that Cockroach Terminator is targeting Raph and chases him until it gets caught in the wet cement, but Cockroach Terminator molts its skin and emerges in a second form which it can now fly. It then chases after Raph while the Turtles are trying to get to the Kraang. When Cockroach Terminator grabs Mikey, Raph ends up having to overcome his fear to rescue Mikey, piloting his vehicle to lure Cockroach Terminator away so that the other Turtles can stop the Kraang. Raph's fight with it ends up disrupting the Kraang's laser drill. Raph then turns the laser drill on Cockroach Terminator, blasting it apart. Although a new Cockroach Terminator starts to form from one of the fragments of the old Cockroach Terminator or it could be the head of the original Cockroach Terminator that has signs of life. In "Fungus Humungous," he appears as a hallucination (as a larger version of his normal form) as Raph's fear, which are, of course, cockroaches. In "Metalhead Rewired," Cockroach Terminator is among the mutants captured by the Kraang in order for them to control them. It is seen briefly with Justin as they both escape their chambers, and then, in its final form, flies out during its escape. With help from Metalhead, the Turtles free the captive mutants and escape through the portal. - Parasitica Wasp - A giant mutant parasitoid wasp that hypnotizes the Turtles into protecting its egg by stinging them (the hypnotized victims infect their enemies by biting them). They nearly possessed the Turtles until they were broken free by Mikey and destroyed by the Turtles. Also, it showed that when the wasp stung Leo, it died after having lost its stinger, however, real wasps do not die after stinging their enemies, and therefore they do not lose their stingers since they're not barbed. In "Metalhead Rewired," at least two Parasitica Wasps are among the mutants captured by Kraang in order for them to control them. The first one is seen with a Squirrelanoid, Kirby Bat and Cockroach Terminator when they discover that Metalhead has opened their cells and the portal. Another wasp is seen shortly with a Squirrelanoid and Pete as it flies to the portal. The other wasp is not able to escape as it got knocked out of the air when the portal closes and crashes on the ground. With help from Metalhead, the Turtles free the captive mutants and they escape through the portal. - Newtralizer (voiced by Danny Trejo) - A tall mutant/alien fire-belly newt in a weapon-upgraded suit of high-tech armor with a huge mouth that he uses to eat the Kraang that was the result of one of the Kraang's experiments with mutagen where he was considered dangerous to them. He first appears in "Operation: Breakout," where he is accidentally released by Donnie from a Kraang detention cell during the second attempt to rescue Kirby O'Neil. Mikey drives a car on top of him, crushing him and allowing them to escape. Newtralizer is shown to have survived after the Turtles leave. In "Metalhead Rewired," Newtralizer is among one of the mutants captured by the Kraang in order for them to control them. He is seen briefly in a background when Slash punches one of the Kraangdroids as Newtralizer, Rockwell, and a Squirrelanoid escape their chambers. He also doesn't have its gear, though he may have reclaimed it before heading to the portal. With help from Metalhead, the Turtles free the captive mutants and they escape through the portal. In "Newtralized," Newtralizer frees Slash from the Kraang and works with him to stop the Kraang's plots and steal some plutonium for their teleporter devices. It is shown that a part of Newtralizer's armor had a program that enabled him to speak human language. When it comes to Newtralizer's collaboration with Slash, it is shown that Newtralizer doesn't care for the humans when it comes to stopping the Kraang. During a fight with the Kraang at the docks, Newtralizer hijacks the Kraang Walker and uses it to attack the Kraang while planning to attack the city, so Raph and Casey Jones work with Slash to stop it. After the Kraang Walker is destroyed, Newtralizer is defeated. The final scene of the episode shows that Newtralizer survives the Kraang Walker's destruction. - Squirrelanoids - a group of humanoid mutant eastern gray squirrels with red skeleton-like skin, glowing green eyes and mouths and retractable tongues with a secondary head at the end that are the results of an eastern gray squirrel drinking from one of the mutagen canisters that fell from the Kraang's stealth-ship during the Kraang's fight with the Turtles in "The Mutation Situation". In "Invasion of the Squirrelanoids," the Turtles find the mutated squirrel and bring it back to the lair, where it begins to multiply and mutate. When the Turtles are being overwhelmed by the Squirrelanoids, Splinter arrives and fends them off, allowing them to escape into the tunnels. The Turtles end up going after them to keep them from reaching the surface and causing havoc. Using some popcorn and his knowledge of comic books, Mikey baits the Squirrelanoids into a grain pipe and flushes them into the septic tanks until Donnie can come up with a retro-mutagen to use on them. However, one of the Squirrelanoids manages to escape and attacks a sewer worker that found the bag of popcorn. In "Fungus Humungous," it appeared as a hallucination as Mikey's worst fear after he was sprayed by one of the mushroom's spawns. In "Metalhead Rewired," at least 3 Squirrelanoids are among the mutants captured by Kraang in order for them to control them. One is first seen with a Parasitic Wasp, Kirby Bat and Cockroach Terminator when they discover Metalhead opening their cells. The second one is seen with Dr. Rockwell and the Newtralizer when Slash punches one of the Kraangdroids. The other is seen with a Parasitic Wasp and Pete before making its way to the portal. One of the Squirrelanoids is seen again in a background when Dr. Rockwell beats up one of the Kraangdroids. With help from Metalhead, the Turtles free the captive mutants and they escape through the portal. - Chrome Dome (voiced by Nolan North) - An android in a dark ninja outfit (which resembles Chris Bradford's full ninja outfit) armed with a plasma sword and whip that Karai has the Kraang develop in her plan to kill April O'Neil. During the Foot Clan's fight with the Turtles, Chrome Dome snatches April from her duel with Karai and reveals that the Kraang has programmed it to follow their plan to reserve April, now viewing both sides as its enemy. Mikey is able to defeat it by running it's plasma sword through its chest. In "Vengeance is Mine," another Chrome Dome is used by Shredder as a decoy in order to capture Karai. This Chrome Dome however, is destroyed by Karai. - April Derp (voiced by Mae Whitman) - A reject clone of April O'Neil who only appears in "The Kraang Conspiracy". Unlike most of the clones, she is very large, her right leg and left arm are terribly deformed, a large mouth grows on her back, and a small head on the side of her left eye that resembles the real April. The Kraang sends her to attack the Turtles, but she is killed by the real April's psychic powers. - Fungus Humungous (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) - A humongous one-eyed mutant mushroom that can grow smaller mushroom spawns and release spores that cause people to see their worst fears. It first appears in "Fungus Humungous," where it is first encountered by a sewer worker who runs by April and Casey ranting about a monstrous squirrel. When April is exposed to the spores, she sees her worst fear of bats including a vision of her mutated dad. The Turtles come with Casey to find April, but when Casey is exposed to the spores, he experiences his fears of being overwhelmed by a swarm of rats. When the Turtles find April, one of Fungus Humungous's mushroom spawns attacks where Raph is exposed to the spores, causing him to see Leo as Spyroach. The Turtles find a lair filled with mushroom spawns causing Leo, Donnie, and Mikey to fight them. Mikey gets exposed to the spores and experiences his fear of the Squirrelanoids. Donnie gets exposed as well, causing him to experience his fear of April hating him. Leo then gets exposed, causing him to experience the fear of losing his team. Leo then falls into the Fungus Humungous's lair, where he finds that the mutagen is responsible for its creation. As Fungus Humungous spreads its spawns, Mikey fights through them while facing his fears. Leo faces his fears and discovers that Fungus Humungous can't stand sunlight. Once Leo lets in a lot of sunlight through the hole in the ceiling, he uses it to defeat Fungus Humungous and neutralize the spores on the others. A twist ending reveales that one of Fungus Humungous' spawns had survived when Mikey finds it on his pizza. - Antonio / Pizza Face (voiced by John DiMaggio) - Antonio was an Italian pizza chef who ran Antonio's Pizza until he ingested mutagen thinking that it would be a good pizza topping, mutating himself into a big mutant pepperoni and mushroom pizza with arms, a mouth, and eyes made of pepperoni controlling different pizzas into coming to life by attaching itself to its victims in a zombie-like state. He first appears in "Pizza Face," where Mikey goes to Antonio's Pizza to get his money back and finds the other victims of Pizza Face as he is attacked by them. Upon returning to the lair, Mikey finds that his fellow Turtles and Splinter have become affected as Mikey fights off Pizza Face's pizzas. Mikey ends up interrogating one of these pizzas to find out who he works for. The pizza ends up telling Mikey about his origin and plans to feed off them. After putting the pizza into the freezer with Ice Cream Kitty, Mikey infiltrates Antonio's Pizza restaurant where Pizza Face (who liked the name that Mikey called his appearance as) is starting to make the humans into calzones for him to feed off of. Mikey confronts him and fights the pizza-controlled Turtles until he ends up trapped in Pizza Face's cheese. Upon eating his way out of the cheese, Mikey fights his way past Pizza Face's victims where he ends up swallowed up by Pizza Face only to eat himself up. Mikey threatens Pizza Face to free his victims or else, and Pizza Face does what Mikey does as every one he brainwashed is freed. Even though it seemed like a nightmare to Mikey, it turns out that Pizza Face's slice has survived and is hiding out in one of the pizza boxes. - Ho Chan (voiced by James Hong) - Ho Chan was a powerful martial artist during China's Shang Dynasty whose martial arts powers were so incredible that they were mistaken for sorcery. He was cursed without flesh and trapped in an ancient dagger which is stolen by the Purple Dragons (who were stealing artifacts for Steranko) in "A Chinatown Ghost Story". The Purple Dragons release him and he gives them the powers of lightning, thunder and wind, making them his loyal servants and giving him control over their minds. He orders the Dragons to go after April O'Neil, since only with her powers could he be mortal again. Irma is also captured where Ho Chan claims that Irma has some type of power in her. Later, Ho Chan takes the Purple Dragons' powers and gives it to Leo, Raph and Mikey, turning them against Casey and Donnie. April is able to defeat him by stabbing him with the dagger, trapping him inside once again. As Donnie sends the Mystic Dagger to the depths of the ocean, Ho Chan vows to return. Ho Chan is a homage to James Hong's character Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Little China. - Creep - A regenerating mutant swamp monster made of mud and moss wearing the clothes of a sun-beaten scarecrow and possessing superhuman strength and vines used as whips growing out of his body. Creep is the result of Leo vomiting a medicine that had mutagen in it onto the shores of a creek in "Within the Woods" causing his birth. Following this, he stalks the Turtles, April, and Casey near the O'Neil Farmhouse, targeting Raph first. He then ambushes Donnie and Mikey near a shack containing the bottle of the mutagen medicine. During the fight that follows, the medicine causes Raph to mutate into a plant mutant. As soon as Creep finds and attacks Casey and April, who try their best to take him down, he ends up taking Casey's mask. Upon seeing April get abducted, Leo traces Creep to his shack and fights him and fails to defeat him. After Leo walks back to the shack with the group, they use the mutagen medicine bottle and play keep away with Creep until the bottle is destroyed by Leo and Creep is chained by April and Casey. Donnie then uses an I.V. vacuum to drain the mutagen out of him in order to restore Raph to his regular form. The rest of Creep ends up back into his goo-like form which starts to glow in a glass jar as it begins to crack. - The Finger (voiced by Jesse Ventura) - A hunter and collector wearing a shrunken head around his neck that he refers to as his mother (because it almost looks like that is where his high voice is coming from) whose name is attributed to an extra finger he has on his right hand. He first appears in "A Foot Too Big," where he hunts down Bigfoot and stumbles upon the Turtles as well. After Bigfoot runs into the forest after hearing Leo and Casey making fun of her, she falls into The Finger's trap. When Donnie and Mikey run after her, they are captured by as well. The two Turtles manage to escape and try helping Bigfoot but are overpowered by The Finger's fighting moves. When The Finger is about to kill Bigfoot, he realizes that Bigfoot is a lady (due to April giving her a makeover earlier) which he says he would never harm. After he apologizes to his mother and breaks down in tears, Bigfoot carries him off into the woods. - Mom Thing (voiced by Renae Jacobs) - A Kraang/human abomination that was a composite of the thoughts and Kraang DNA of April's mother, Mrs. O'Neil. It first appears in "Buried Secrets," where the Turtles, April, and Casey discover a Kraang ship containing the creature's frozen body in Mrs. O'Neil's form in the basement of the O'Neil family house. After she is unfrozen, the creature acts like Mrs. O'Neil is surprised to see her daughter again. However, Mikey has his suspicions about her, which the rest of the guys don't believe. While following her into the woods, Mikey discovers that he is right, and that Mrs. O'Neil is actually a Kraang in disguise. She overpowers him, however, and places him under mind control. After she does the same to Donnie and Leo, Raph finally realizes that Mikey was telling the truth, but April and Casey still don't believe him. It isn't until Mrs. O'Neil (in her human form) forces April to leave with her that she reveals her true identity, turning into a giant spider-like Kraang that Raph dubs "Mom Thing". After attacking the remaining three in the barn and swallowing Raph and Casey, she convinces April to join her. April defeats her by using her psychic powers to blast her apart and turn everyone back to normal. Donnie reveals that the Mrs. O'Neil they discovered was only a composite of her thoughts and Kraang DNA, assuming that the real Mrs. O'Neil is still dead. April is convinced, however, that her mother is still alive somewhere. In a twist ending, the mutagen that Mom Thing spills plays a part in the origin of the Punk Frogs. - Dream Beavers - A family of over-sized mutant/alien North American beavers from the Dream Dimension with dream-infiltrating abilities who sought to take over Earth after they were brought to the dreams of Earth's people when a physicist named Bernie was working on dimension-traveling machine called the Dream Plug. He kept this machine ever since in his Latin book to prevent penetration of the Beavers into the earthly dimension, and has been keeping himself awake for forty years in order to prevent them from getting into his dreams. They first appear in "In Dreams," where they infiltrate the dreams of the Turtles and bring their nightmares to life in order to drain their life-force. April uses her powers to enter their dreams in order to get them to wake up. When the Turtles realize that they are in a dream, the Dream Beavers come together to attack them. Upon learning about them from Bernie, Casey destroys the Dream Plug which not only wakes the Turtles but also frees the Dream Beavers, who convert into a smaller size and return to their dimension as Bernie finally falls asleep. - Dark Beaver (voiced by John Kassir) - The red-furred leader of the Dream Beavers with glowing red eyes and a flaming skull symbol tattooed on his stomach who infiltrates Donnie's dream. - Dire Beaver (voiced by Robert Englund) - A purple-furred member of the Dream Beavers with glowing red eyes and a bomb symbol tattooed on his stomach who infiltrates Leo's dream. - Dread Beaver (voiced by Robert Englund) - An orange-furred member of the Dream Beavers with glowing red eyes and a crying cracked skull symbol tattooed on his stomach who infiltrates Raph's dream. - Dave Beaver (voiced by John Kassir) - A blue and pink-furred member of the Dream Beavers with blue eyes and a rainbow-and-starred heart symbol tattooed on his stomach who infiltrates Mikey's dream than the Turtles shared dreams. Dave is the unintelligent member of the group. - Speed Demon (voiced by Steven Blum) - A mutant purple muscle car entity capable of turning whoever is driving it into its mutant host with the need for speed that is the result of a car running over a spilled mutagen supply that Rasputin the Mad Frog looses during the Punk Frog's fight with the Turtles in "The Croaking". In "Race with the Demon," it pursues Donnie, April, and Casey in their station wagon and tries to run them off the road. News of the Demon Racer's vehicle causing trouble on the road reaches the local news. In order to get even with the Speed Demon, Casey and Donnie construct a racing vehicle to compete with it. When Casey later encounters Speed Demon's vehicle, he finds out that Speed Demon is actually a mutant. Speed Demon then plans to run an old lady and her vehicle off the road, but Casey repels him just as the rest of the Turtles and April catch up. Mikey finds mutagen that leaked from Speed Demon onto the road as Donnie claims a sample of it. While piloting the new car (which is made from parts of Kraang technology) with Dr. Cluckingsworth, Casey tries to take down Speed Demon by using a smokescreen to slow it down. Donnie then removes the driver (who returns to normal) from the car, but is too late to learn that the car is the actual mutant as Speed Demon possesses him. In order to get Donnie out of Speed Demon, Casey is challenged to a race to Dead Man's Curb. With help from Dr. Cluckingsworth, Casey frees Donnie from Speed Demon as it starts attacking them, only to get knocked off a cliff when the other Turtles and April arrive. As Speed Demon falls into the river below and explodes, it vows to return. - Tang Shen - The wife of Hamato Yoshi (Splinter) and the mother of Hamato Miwa (Karai), who died 15 years ago when Splinter's adoptive brother and rival suitor, Oroku Saki (Shredder) broke into the Hamato Clan monastery and burned it to the ground, spiriting away Karai. She only appears in flashbacks since her death. - Mrs. O'Neil (voiced by Renae Jacobs) - The mother of April and the wife of Kirby. In "Karai's Vendetta," April first mentions her, distracting Karai with the fact that April has lost her mother as well as she manages kick her down a flight of subway stairs and escape. Mrs. O'Neil first appears for the first time in "The Kraang Conspiracy" in an old family photo as Jack Kurtzman reveals the extradimensional Kraang abducted her before April was born. The Kraang wanted for yet unexplained reasons a suitable human host for their plans of conquest for the Earth and finally found it in Mrs. O'Neil, so they kidnapped her and subjected her to experiments in which her human DNA was mixed with the genetic material of the Kraang. As a result, April was born half Kraang, half human. In "Buried Secrets," the turtles find April's long-lost mother frozen in a Kraang ship buried under the O'Neil farmhouse, but the "Mrs. O'Neil" they find turns out to be a Kraang/human hybrid with Mrs. O'Neil's memories that Raph dubs "Mom Thing". After the Mom Thing is destroyed, April believes that her real mother is still alive somewhere. - Metalhead - A durable turtle robot armed with many weapons at its disposal such as a flamethrower and a laser cannon that is built by Donnie from salvaged Kraang technology. He first appears in "Metalhead," where he is ironically used by Donnie to thwart the Kraang's plot in dumping mutagen in the city's water supply. In "Metalhead Rewired," he sacrifices himself to save the Turtles and the mutants from the Kraang. The only thing that remains is his head, although Donnie may build another Metalhead one day in the future. Despite Metalhead not appearing on the show any more, he can still be seen walking through Donnie's lab in the opening sequence and his severed head has been seen on the shelf in the background of the lab in some episodes. - Carlos Chiang O'Brien Gambe (voiced by Jim Meskimen) - A local TV news reporter who reports on the different happenings in Manhattan. - Dr. Tyler Rockwell (voiced by Frank Welker) - Dr. Tyler Rockwell was a neurochemist who was Victor Falco's science partner and colleague until he was unknowingly used as a subject in Falco's experiment involving mutagen, a neurochemical, and monkey DNA. April and the Turtles learn Rockwell has gone missing and investigate. They discover that Falco had transformed Rockwell into a humanoid mutant monkey (referred to in the toyline as "Monkey Brains") that can sense emotion. So far, it hasn't been shown what Tyler Rockwell's human form looks like. After the Turtles defeated Falco, they released Rockwell, who heads to the window. Before he does, he turns back to look at the Turtles as if he's trying to thank them. In "Metalhead Rewired," Dr. Rockwell's mutated form is among the mutants captured by Kraang in order for them to control them. He is first seen being brainwashed in his chamber when the Turtles discover him. After Metalhead sets him free, he, Newtralizer and a Squirrelanoid escape, then Rockwell beats up one of the Kraangdroids before heading to the portal. With help from Metalhead, the Turtles free the captive mutants and they escape through the portal. In "Mazes & Mutants," the Turtles fight the Monkey Goblins used by Sir Malachi, that all resemble Rockwell. The Turtles find the Monkey Goblins to be someone they know. The illusions were seen again when Sir Malachi leaves. - Mr. Murakami (voiced by Sab Shimono) - A blind, but skillful Japanese chef who runs a noodle shop. He becomes a friend to the Turtles after they save him from an extortion attempt by the Purple Dragons. Despite being blind, he knows what the Turtles are, but isn't afraid of them. Murakami rewards the Turtles with a dish called "Pizza Gyoza" (a type of Japanese-style dumpling that is stuffed with pizza ingredients) which the Turtles love. April and The Turtles address Mr. Murakami as "Murakami-san." - Joan Grody (voiced by Kari Wahlgren) - The hostess of a TV show called "Grody to the Max." - 80's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - While in a room full of portals, Donatello, April O'Neil, and Casey Jones look into a portal where they see their 80's counterparts. In the final scene, the 80's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles see a Kraathatrogon emerge in Manhattan and engage it. The 80's Turtles are also seen in a flashback of "The Wrath of Tiger Claw," where they encounter Tiger Claw in their own dimension when he got out of the Kraathatrogon. - 80's Leonardo (voiced by Cam Clarke) - The 80's counterpart of Leonardo. - 80's Donatello (voiced by Barry Gordon) - The 80's counterpart of Donatello. An error in the credits shows 80's Donatello is credited as Townsend Coleman. - 80's Raphael (voiced by Rob Paulsen) - The 80's counterpart of Raphael. - 80's Michelangelo (voiced by Townsend Coleman) - The 80's counterpart of Michelangelo. An error in the credits shows 80's Michelangelo is credited as Barry Gordon. - 80's Casey Jones - The 80's counterpart of Casey Jones who is seen in a brief cameo. - 80's April O'Neil - The 80's counterpart of April O'Neil who is seen in a brief cameo. Donnie finds her jumpsuit attractive. - Martin Milton / Sir Malachi (voiced by Paul Reubens) - Martin Milton was a man who played "Mazes & Mutants" so much that he played it for every hour of every day. One day, he was exposed to a falling mutagen canister while he was feeding a flock of house sparrows some bread that was in his hands. As a result of this, Martin mutates into a dwarf-sized mutant house sparrow in a medieval-style hood and tunic with a left peg leg and carrying a staff with an egg-shaped decoration on top used to perform magic and illusions that dubs himself "Sir Malachi," referring himself as a "sparrow wizard" and doing solo LARP in the sewers. He first appears in "Mazes and Mutants," where he uses his magic to send the Turtles into the "Mazes & Mutants" game where he has them go through the quest in order to defeat a dragon and free Princess April. The Turtles go through Sir Malachi's game where the first riddle involves fighting the Monkey Goblins that resemble Dr. Tyler Rockwell's mutant form. When Raph challenges Sir Malachi, he turns Raph's head into a turkey's head. The next riddle Sir Malachi gives involves the Turtles evading a rolling fireball. When the Turtles find April and end up fighting the dragon, which resembles Leatherhead, Sir Malachi arrives upon the dragon's defeat where he wants the Turtles to play his game until his heart is content. Leo states that Sir Malachi is a mutant who created the maze in their mind. Raph throws Mikey's Ring of Awesomeness towards Sir Malachi. Upon the Turtles not believing in Sir Malachi's illusion, the spell is broken and the Turtles learn Sir Malachi's origin. After being promised not to play the "Mazes & Mutants" his way again, Sir Malachi leaves with the illusions of Leatherhead and the Monkey Goblins right behind him. The creators of this show have said that Malachi's character was inspired by the role-playing games that they all enjoy and they very much wanted a "wizard" character. - Long-Tongue Worms - Small alien worms from Dimension X that all appear harmless unlike most creatures from Dimension X. They appear in "Into Dimension X", where Mikey demonstrates that they use these worms as lassos, and the green liquid that comes out of their rear end is edible. He then takes one with him back to Earth. - Earth Protection Force - A secret black ops unit created to handle extraterrestrial threats. They first appear in "The Invasion," where they take on Kraang Prime to protect the city. - April's Great-Grandfather - The unnamed great-grandfather of April, who built the O'Neil farm many years ago. Unknowingly to him, he didn't realize that a Kraang ship (which crashed on Earth) was under the house. One day, he discovered the Kraang ship and accidentally awoke several Kraang before they experimented on him. TV show characters The following characters appear in the TV shows that are watched by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Space Heroes characters Space Heroes is fictional animated science fiction TV series that is Leonardo's favorite show. It is a parody of Star Trek: The Animated Series. - Captain Ryan (voiced by Brian Bloom) - The main hero and leader of a spaceship crew in "Space Heroes." He resembles Captain James T. Kirk. - Crankshaw (voiced by Scott Menville) - A young ensign who Captain Ryan slaps every time he panics. - Dr. Mindstrong (voiced by Ben Cross) - An alien scientist. - Commander Grundch (voiced by Nolan North) - The second-in-command of Captain Ryan. - Rodriguez (voiced by Greg Cipes) - A soldier chosen by Captain Ryan for a suicide land mission. - "That Other Guy" (voiced by Rob Paulsen) - A human-like alien who was chosen by Captain Ryan for a suicide land mission. - Trumplets - Cute, yet annoying creatures. - Celestial (voiced by Anna Graves) - A minor character who tried to seduce Captain Ryan into giving her the secret codes only for Ryan to disintegrate her. Captain Ryan keeps her boots as a memento. - Hypnotica - An alien that brainwashed Captain Ryan into thinking it was a beautiful woman. - Cortexicons - A race of strange mind-controlling aliens. One of them took control of Dr. Mindstrong in one episode. Super Robo Mecha Force Five characters Super Robo Mecha Force Five is a fictional anime show that was discovered by Michelangelo in "Mutagen Man Unleashed" and has very bad acting. It is also called SRMFF! for short. The series is a pastiche of the animated series Voltron and includes elements of the anime Mazinger Z, the American/Japanese animated television series Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go, and the Power Rangers franchise. Unlike Space Heroes, all four Turtles like the show. - Captain Dash Coolstar (voiced by Brian Bloom) - The leader of the Super Robo Mecha Force Five and main character of the "Super Robot Mecha Force Five" anime who controls the torso of Mighty Super Robo Mecha. He represents Leonardo. - Dr. Blip (voiced by Scott Menville) - The scientist of the team who controls the right leg. Similar to Crankshaw, Dr. Blip gets slapped by Captain Dash Coolstar every time he panics. He represents Donatello. - Squeakums - An alien monkey and animal sidekick of the team who pilots the right arm. He represents Michelangelo. - Lunk (voiced by Nolan North) - The member who controls the left arm. He represents Raphael. - Princess (voiced by Mae Whitman) - The female member who pilots the left leg. She is the princess of an entire planet and Dr. Blip has a crush on her. She represents April (also voiced by Mae Whitman). - General Unsura (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) - A villain who once took control of Mighty Super Robo Mecha. - Mind Master (voiced by Nolan North) - A villain who once tried to fill Coolstar's mind with madness. - Skele-Lord (voiced by Josh Peck) - A skeleton-like villain who was defeated by SRMFF when they stomped on him. He later came back with a giant mecha of his own. - Cyberoid X (voiced by Brian Bloom) - A minor villain. - Kill Beast Bots - Robotic yellow beasts. - Giant Space Squid - An alien squid that was destroyed by SRMFF. - Hydra Beast - A three-headed dragon-like alien. It is a parody of King Ghidorah from the Godzilla series. Crognard the Barbarian Crognard the Barbarian is the Turtles' new favorite show since they moved to April's old farm in Season 3. It is obviously a parody of Thundarr the Barbarian. - Crognard the Barbarian (voiced by Brian Bloom) - The main character who is a parody of Thundarr, and somewhat resembles He-Man. - Wizardess (voiced by Mae Whitman) - The magic-wielding ally of Crognar. She is a parody of Princess Ariel. - Graah (voiced by Nolan North) - The monstrous ally of Crognar. He is a parody of Ookla the Mok, but he resembles the monster Spooky Space Kook from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!. - Spooch (voiced by Scott Menville) - A small floating fish-like creature who is Crognard's ally. He does not appear to resemble a character from Thundarr the Barbarian. - Slug People - A race of slug-like creatures who tried to show their kindness to the heroe, but instead, they were beaten up when Wizardess had a bad vibe about them. - "Slug Person" (voiced by Nolan North) - The supposed leader of the Slug People who also tries to show kindness to the heroes, but is brutally beaten up by Crognard. - Mounts - Various creatures that are used as mounts for the heroes. - Go-lek - Crognard's pet lizard steed. - Horses - The heroes' first mounts that are parodies of the horses from Thundarr. - Reptilian steeds - Three dinosaur-like creatures that the heroes use to chase Muurg. - Giant Mountain Demon - A giant demon that swallowed Wizardess, but is defeated by Crognard. - Muurg (voiced by Brian Bloom) - An evil horned centaur that stole the Mystic Jewel of Koweewah. He is pursued by Crognard's group and is defeated by Crognard - "Tuning in to TV: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have new series, toys". The Washington Times. July 29, 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2012. - "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". Shows. YTV. Retrieved September 23, 2012. - "Michelangelo - Ninja Turtles - TMNT Characters". Nick.com. 2012-05-23. Retrieved 2012-10-20. - "'TMNT' embraces animated Turtle power in five ways". Usatoday.com. 2013-04-03. Retrieved 2013-07-16. - Comic-Con: Nickelodeon Sets 'Legend of Korra,' 'Ninja Turtles' Panels (Exclusive) Hollywood Reporter, Retrieved July 13, 2013 - Exclusive: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Guest Cast Includes Roseanne Barr - Today's News: Our Take | TVGuide.com

Posts Tagged ‘DNA’ Posted by mattusmaximus on December 18, 2013 This recent silliness by “Doctor” Oz came to my attention: apparently, during a recent show he took seriously the notion that women shouldn’t carry cell phones in their bras because it could give them breast cancer. My skeptical colleague Dr. David Gorski at Science-Based Medicine summarizes Oz’s idiocy and fear-mongering here… … The story aired on December 6 and was entitled Why You Should Keep Your Cell Phone Out of Your Bra. The entire segment, lasting ten minutes or so, is one blatant piece of fear mongering. Even by the usual low standards of a typical Dr. Oz segment, this one was bad. How bad? I’ll give you a taste. Let me start just by asking what you might expect in a segment claiming a link between an environmental exposure of some sort and a specific cancer? You’d expect some actual scientific evidence, wouldn’t you? Some epidemiology, perhaps, showing that women who hold their cell phones in their bras have a higher risk of breast cancer, perhaps with some relative risks that were at least statistically significant. You might expect some scientific evidence suggesting why the proposed mechanism is plausible. You might even expect that there would be convincing (or at least suggestive) evidence that women who put their cell phones in their bras, when they develop breast cancer, develop it more frequently on the side where they stick their cell phone. These would be reasonable things to expect that, even though they wouldn’t be convincing proof, would at least raise concerns. There was none of that at all. Zero. Nada. Zip. In fact, I was shocked at how evidence-free this whole segment was. Usually Oz at least tries to slather a patina of scientific evidence on his pseudoscience. OK, maybe not usually, but he does at least sometimes try when he’s not doing a story on alternative medicine, “complementary and alternative medicine,” or “integrative medicine,” anyway. Not here. It’s as if Dr. Oz’s producers weren’t even trying for this one. … If you want a good analysis that thrashes the hell out of Oz’s claims from a medical perspective, definitely read through all of Dr. Gorski’s blog post. Seeing as how I’m not a medical doctor, I won’t rehash his analysis here; but I am a physics professor, so what I can do is go through the basic physics of why it is implausible that cell phones are even physically capable of causing cancer. In fact, I’ve written numerous posts on this topic already… This first post is probably the most thorough on the fundamental physics of how electromagnetic radiation/waves (also known as light) are generated and propagate; also included is a basic primer on the different kinds of EM waves, the EM spectrum, what role frequency and energy of light play in these issues, and the all important difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Here’s the upshot: cell phones emit non-ionizing (i.e. non-cancer causing) radiation. This article about a hysterical politician in Maine points out the implications of allowing basic scientific literacy to be trumped by the kind of psuedoscience and fear-mongering propagated by “Doctor” Oz and his ilk. Just a more up-to-date article outlining some more research from the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Denmark after it looked at more than 350,000 people with mobile phones over an 18-year period. Conclusion: even while looking for supposed long-term negative effects, none were found. Posted in environmental hysteria, media woo, physics denial/woo, Uncategorized | Tagged: bra, breast cancer, cancer, cell phones, David Gorski, DNA, doctor, Doctor Oz, Dr. David Gorski, Dr. Oz, electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic spectrum, electromagnetic waves, EMF, environment, health, ionizing radiation, light, medical, medicine, physics, power lines, public health, radiation, radiation sickness, safety, safety hysteria, science-based medicine, show, skeptic, skepticism, television, TV, wi-fi | 1 Comment » Posted by mattusmaximus on December 4, 2012 Okay, no doubt by now some of you have heard all about the news that some “scientist” claims to have sequenced the DNA of Bigfoot, concluding that Bigfoot is at least partially human. Specifically, according to the following LiveScience.com article by my skeptical colleague Benjamin Radford… Genetic testing confirms the legendary Bigfoot is a human relative that arose some 15,000 years ago — at least according to a press release issued by a company called DNA Diagnostics detailing supposed work by a Texas veterinarian. The release and alleged study by Melba S. Ketchum also suggests such cryptids had sex with modern human females that resulted in hairy hominin hybrids, but the scientific community is dubious about her claim. “A team of scientists can verify that their five-year long DNA study, currently under peer-review, confirms the existence of a novel hominin hybrid species, commonly called ‘Bigfoot’ or ‘Sasquatch,’ living in North America,” the release reads. “Researchers’ extensive DNA sequencing suggests that the legendary Sasquatch is a human relative that arose approximately 15,000 years ago.”… Ooh! Bigfoot-human hybrid freaky furry sex! Are you interested yet? ;) Seriously, this is just beyond stupid, folks. And a little deeper look at the article points out exactly why this whole thing is, at best, viewed with a decidely skeptical eye and, at worst, deserves to be roundly derided in every corner of the Internet for the cryptozoological flummery it most likely is: … So where’s the evidence? Well, there is none. Not yet, anyway: Ketchum’s research has not appeared in any peer-reviewed scientific journal, and there’s no indication when that might happen. If the data are good and the science is sound, any reputable science journal would jump at the chance to be the first to publish this groundbreaking information. Until then, Ketchum has refused to let anyone else see her evidence. … [emphasis added] So let me get this straight: she puts together a press-release claiming that she’s made this amazing discovery that could very well change most everything we know about human/hominid anthropology and evolution, yet she is unwilling to allow her scientific peers to see the evidence and examine it for themselves? That’s kind of the opposite of the way science is supposed to work, Dr. Ketchum. You would think that a supposedly serious researcher would know that – that is, assuming that she’s a serious scientific researcher and not just some kind of glory-seeking pseudoscientific crypto-hack. When making such an extraordinary claim, not allowing your scientific peers to examine your evidence is tantamount to saying “I’m right because *poof* magic!” In other words, it is not convincing at all, and it speaks to your credibility being somewhat minimal. Last, but certainly not least, there is a very well-worded criticism by Ben Radford about how one is, exactly, to know that the DNA sequenced is actually that of a previously uncataloged Bigfoot-ish creature (a question which I had in mind when first hearing the claim): … How did the team definitively determine that the samples were from a Bigfoot? Did they take a blood or saliva sample from a living Bigfoot? If so, how did they get that close, and why didn’t they simply capture it or photograph it? If the samples were found in the wild, how do they know it wasn’t left by another animal — or possibly even a hunter, hiker or camper who left human genetic material? Previous alleged Bigfoot samples subjected to DNA analysis have been deemed “unknown” or “unidentified.” However, “unknown” or “unidentified” results do not mean “Bigfoot.” There are many reasons why a DNA sample might come back unknown, including that it was contaminated or too degraded by environmental conditions. Or it could simply mean that the animal it came from was not among the reference samples that the laboratory used for comparison. There is no reference sample of Bigfoot DNA to compare it with, so by definition, there cannot be a conclusive match. … Of course, I suppose the answers to these and similar questions will have to go unanswered because we expect Dr. Ketchum to act like a real scientist and share her samples, data, research, and methodology for actual peer review and analysis. Hah – silly us! :) Posted in cryptozoology | Tagged: Abominable Snowman, animals, anthropology, ape, Ben Radford, Benjamin Radform, Bigfoot, biology, biped, creature, cryptid, crypto, cryptozoology, DNA, DNA Diagnostics, evolution, genes, genetics, genome, human, Ketchum, Melba S. Ketchum, prehistoric, research, Sasquatch, sequence, Yeti, zoology | 1 Comment » Posted by mattusmaximus on November 1, 2011 Okay, I’ve said it before, and no doubt I will have to say it again, but here goes… there is no causal connection between cell phone use and cancer! Not only is it physically implausible, but there is no solid research showing such a connection; in fact, the research shows quite the opposite, as evidenced by this recent article from the BBC News… By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News Mobile phone safety has been much debated over the past two decades Further research has been published suggesting there is no link between mobile phones and brain cancer. The risk mobiles present has been much debated over the past 20 years as use of the phones has soared. The latest study led by the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Denmark looked at more than 350,000 people with mobile phones over an 18-year period. Researchers concluded users were at no greater risk than anyone else of developing brain cancer. The findings, published on the British Medical Journal website, come after a series of studies have come to similar conclusions. … Posted in environmental hysteria, physics denial/woo | Tagged: BBC, BBC News, brain, British Medical Journal, cancer, cell phones, DNA, electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic spectrum, electromagnetic waves, EMF, environment, health, ionizing radiation, light, medicine, paralyzing precautionary principle, physics, power lines, public health, radiation, radiation sickness, safety, safety hysteria, skeptic, skepticism, wi-fi | 1 Comment » Posted by mattusmaximus on August 21, 2011 It was with much interest that I read the following NPR story on the question of Christian evangelicals acceptance (or not) of evolutionary science. I wanted to just highlight a few key parts of the story and give my thoughts on this interesting development… Let’s go back to the beginning — all the way to Adam and Eve, and to the question: Did they exist, and did all of humanity descend from that single pair? According to the Bible (Genesis 2:7), this is how humanity began: “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” God then called the man Adam, and later created Eve from Adam’s rib. Polls by Gallup and the Pew Research Center find that four out of 10 Americans believe this account. It’s a central tenet for much of conservative Christianity, from evangelicals to confessional churches such as the Christian Reformed Church. But now some conservative scholars are saying publicly that they can no longer believe the Genesis account. Asked how likely it is that we all descended from Adam and Eve, Dennis Venema, a biologist at Trinity Western University, replies: “That would be against all the genomic evidence that we’ve assembled over the last 20 years, so not likely at all.” … What I find so interesting about this situation is that these evangelical scholars are going against the grain of the traditional belief in a literal Adam and Eve. One has to wonder how the broader evangelical community will react: will they seriously reconsider these traditional beliefs, will they dismiss the scholars because their creationist interpretation of Genesis trumps all, or will they seek to label these scholars as “heretical” and seek to purge them? I think the likely scenario is a combination of all three, but it seems that some prominent Christian evangelical institutions are seeking the second and third possibilities. On the one hand, some institutions are choosing to ignore scientific reality: “From my viewpoint, a historical Adam and Eve is absolutely central to the truth claims of the Christian faith,” says Fazale Rana, vice president of Reasons To Believe, an evangelical think tank that questions evolution. Rana, who has a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Ohio University, readily admits that small details of Scripture could be wrong. “But if the parts of Scripture that you are claiming to be false, in effect, are responsible for creating the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, then you’ve got a problem,” Rana says. Soooo, when hard scientific evidence from nature contradicts you interpretation of Genesis, you ignore what nature says? Yeah, that’s dumb. No wonder people who don’t already buy into this particular theology tend to think it’s downright silly. What’s worse, other Christian evangelical institutions are going even further and actively working to “expel” scholars who don’t toe the literal line on Genesis: Several other well known theologians at Christian universities have been forced out; some see a parallel to a previous time when science conflicted with religious doctrine. “The evolution controversy today is, I think, a Galileo moment,” says Karl Giberson, who authored several books trying to reconcile Christianity and evolution, including The Language of Science and Faith, with Francis Collins. Giberson — who taught physics at Eastern Nazarene College until his views became too uncomfortable in Christian academia — says Protestants who question Adam and Eve are akin to Galileo in the 1600s, who defied Catholic Church doctrine by stating that the earth revolved around the sun and not vice versa. Galileo was condemned by the church, and it took more than three centuries for the Vatican to express regret at its error. The great irony here is that so many of these same Christian evangelical organizations made such a big deal a few years back when the failed film “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” came out. “Expelled” argued that secular academia was forcing out scholars who dared to question evolutionary science; now, in fact, we see the hypocrisy behind these arguments. For years, we’ve heard these folks bitch and moan at length about some supposed conspiracy to discriminate against them, yet they are the ones purging “heretics” from their ranks because these scholars follow science as opposed to a blind allegiance to certain theological interpretations of the Bible. Last, but not least, is a word of warning from the article. Christians, take note: “When you ignore science, you end up with egg on your face,” Giberson says. “The Catholic Church has had an awful lot of egg on its face for centuries because of Galileo. And Protestants would do very well to look at that and to learn from it.” Posted in creationism, religion | Tagged: academia, Adam, Bible, Christ, Christian, Christianity, creation, creationism, creationist, DNA, evangelical, Eve, evolution, expel, Expelled, Expelled Exposed, Fazale Rana, Francis Collins, Galileo, Garden of Eden, Genesis, genetics, genomics, God, heresy, heretic, ID, Karl Giberson, original sin, purge, Reasons to Believe, scholars, science, sin, The Fall, theology | 3 Comments » Posted by mattusmaximus on June 21, 2011 Earlier this month, the World Health Organization rather irresponsibly scared the hell out of a lot of people when they reported a link between cell phone use and cancer. Of course, as I’ve mentioned in the past, we know of no plausible physical mechanism by which cell phones (or low frequency EMFs in general) can cause cancer; for a really detailed article on this issue, I highly recommend Orac’s post at Respectful Insolence. But, while Orac’s article is excellent from a technical and medical standpoint, I think the best response to this scaremongering from the WHO comes from satirist Stephen Colbert :) Posted in environmental hysteria, humor, physics denial/woo | Tagged: cancer, cell phones, Colbert Report, DNA, electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic spectrum, electromagnetic waves, EMF, environment, funny, health, humor, ionizing radiation, light, medicine, National Research Council, paralyzing precautionary principle, physics, power lines, public health, radiation, radiation sickness, safety, safety hysteria, skeptic, skepticism, Stephen Colbert, WHO, wi-fi, World Health Organization | Leave a Comment » Posted by mattusmaximus on December 11, 2010 I have to say that last week I was pretty upset with NASA, because – if you recall – there was a lot of hay being made by NASA about a big scientific discovery they were going to announce. In the process, there was a great deal of media spin & speculation on whether or not it was going to be an announcement of the discovery of “alien life” or something similar. But when it came time for the announcement, it ended up being something quite less spectacular: it was about how a group of NASA scientists had uncovered a form of bacterial life which seems to have adapted itself to living in the harsh conditions of a lake laced with heavy concentrations of arsenic – the original NASA press release can be accessed here. NASA has made a pretty big deal out of this discovery, but there are some problems with how they’ve rolled it out, in my opinion. I am of the view that they’ve oversold this thing, with overly dramatic phrases (from the above press release) such as… NASA-funded astrobiology research has changed the fundamental knowledge about what comprises all known life on Earth. This finding of an alternative biochemistry makeup will alter biology textbooks and expand the scope of the search for life beyond Earth. Upon hearing about this discovery, and not being a biochemist or evolutionary biologist myself, I decided to look past the spin being put on this by both NASA and the news media in general and go to people who know the field far better than me. In a short amount of time, I found a great post by PZ Myers over at Pharyngula on the matter, wherein he states, among other things… … I finally got the paper from Science, and I’m sorry to let you all down, but it’s none of the above. It’s an extremophile bacterium that can be coaxed into substiting arsenic for phosphorus in some of its basic biochemistry. It’s perfectly reasonable and interesting work in its own right, but it’s not radical, it’s not particularly surprising, and it’s especially not extraterrestrial. It’s the kind of thing that will get a sentence or three in biochemistry textbooks in the future. … … So what does it all mean? It means that researchers have found that some earthly bacteria that live in literally poisonous environments are adapted to find the presence of arsenic dramatically less lethal, and that they can even incorporate arsenic into their routine, familiar chemistry. … … This lake also happens to be on Earth, not Saturn, although maybe being in California gives them extra weirdness points, so I don’t know that it can even say much about extraterrestrial life. It does say that life can survive in a surprisingly broad range of conditions, but we already knew that. [emphasis added] And, unfortunately, it seems that the story could get worse for NASA, because if you know anything about how the scientific community operates, you know that when someone makes a really bold claim (such as how the NASA researchers did) then other scientists are going to want to review the work & offer criticism. Well, upon doing so, there has been some quite withering criticism coming from many DNA & biochemistry experts about the manner in which the NASA researchers conducted their work… Read the rest of this entry » Posted in aliens & UFOs, media woo, space | Tagged: alien, arsenic, astrobiology, bacteria, biochemistry, biology, cold fusion, criticism, DNA, Earth, ET, evolution, extraterrestrial, GFAJ-1, hype, intelligent, life, media, microbe, Mono Lake, NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, phosphorus, research, science, space, spin | 1 Comment » Posted by mattusmaximus on May 30, 2010 A couple of weeks back, a bombshell of an announcement hit the scientific world: the first artificial cell has been synthesized in the lab. Needless to say, this is a big deal, because it not only has vast implications for bio- & genetic engineering, but the discovery can help fill in gaps in our knowledge of how life evolved naturally from non-life (see my previous blog post on this issue – The God-of-the-Gaps Just Got Smaller: Link Found Between Life & Inorganic Matter) What’s also interesting is the reaction from some religious & creationist circles concerning this discovery. First, there is the response from the Catholic Church warning scientists not to “play God”… Catholic Church officials said Friday that the recently created first synthetic cell could be a positive development if correctly used, but warned scientists that only God can create life. Vatican and Italian church officials were mostly cautious in their first reaction to the announcement from the United States that researchers had produced a living cell containing manmade DNA. They warned scientists of the ethical responsibility of scientific progress and said that the manner in which the innovation is applied in the future will be crucial. “It’s a great scientific discovery. Now we have to understand how it will be implemented in the future,” Monsignor Rino Fisichella, the Vatican’s top bioethics official, told Associated Press Television News. “If we ascertain that it is for the good of all, of the environment and man in it, we’ll keep the same judgment,” he said. “If, on the other hand, the use of this discovery should turn against the dignity of and respect for human life, then our judgment would change.” I’m all for proceeding cautiously in this particular research, because there is the potential for abuse, just as there is with any kind of new technology. But read between the lines of what the Vatican is saying – they seem to be implying that, somehow, this artificial life is fundamentally different from “normal” life simply because of the manner in which it was created. Read the rest of this entry » Posted in creationism, religion | Tagged: abiogenesis, argument from ignorance, Bible, biology, Catholic Church, chemical evolution, chemistry, Craig Venter, creationism, DNA, evolution, faith, God, god of the gaps, ID, inorganic, intelligent design, life, matter, old earth creationism, organic, origin of life, Reasons to Believe, religion, RNA, theology, Vatican | 2 Comments » Posted by mattusmaximus on May 27, 2010 Last October I posted about a really crappy piece of “journalism” in the New York Post regarding a supposed link between cellphone use and cancer. The punchline was that the headline-grubbing morons at the NYPost ran their story before the actual study had been published! Well, now the actual study by the real scientists & researchers involved has been published, and – lo and behold – it paints a very different picture from the fear-mongering goobers at the NYPost. In part, their conclusion states: “Overall, no increase in risk of glioma or meningioma was observed with use of mobile phones.” For reference, the entire study is available here in PDF format. Now of course I’m not surprised in the least by these results, seeing as how, based upon the laws of physics as we know them, there is no plausible mechanism by which such low-energy emissions from cellphones could cause cancer! One would hope that various media outlets would take a lesson from this fiasco, but I suppose some people are more interested in selling paper than responsible news reporting. Posted in environmental hysteria, media woo, physics denial/woo | Tagged: cancer, cell phones, DNA, electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic spectrum, electromagnetic waves, EMF, environment, health, ionizing radiation, journalism, light, media, medicine, National Research Council, New York Post, news, NY Post, paralyzing precautionary principle, physics, power lines, public health, radiation, radiation sickness, safety, safety hysteria, skeptic, skepticism, wi-fi | 1 Comment » Posted by mattusmaximus on May 20, 2010 If you’re familiar with various creationist arguments, you will no doubt recognize the infamous god-of-the-gaps argument. This is basically a variation on the classic logical fallacy called the argument from ignorance, which basically states that if we don’t understand some phenomenon with 100% clarity (such as the origins of life), then that must mean that “Poof! God did it”… There is one fatal flaw with this kind of argument, which begs an interesting theological question: what happens to the god-of-the-gaps when we do come up with evidence & naturalistic explanations for the gaps in our knowledge? Most scholarly theologians disdain the god-of-the-gaps argument precisely to avoid this trap, because they don’t want their god somehow diminished as science marches ever forward. But not creationists, who usually take the intellectually lazy & dishonest route by simply dismissing the evidence filling in said gaps. Only by ignoring and distorting the science can their god-of-the-gaps be maintained, so while the rest of us learn more and more about our universe and our place within it, creationists insist upon wallowing in their ignorance, content that their twisted reading of a 2000 year-old holy text (only one of many different supposedly “divinely inspired” holy texts out there) has revealed to them the truth. So here’s the big news, and why the god-of-the-gaps just got a lot smaller: scientists have discovered a missing link between life and inorganic matter… Philosophers and scientists have argued about the origins of life from inorganic matter ever since Empedocles (430 B.C.) argued that every thing in the universe is made up of a combination of four eternal ‘elements’ or ‘roots of all': earth, water, air, and fire, and that all change is explained by the arrangement and rearrangement of these four elements. Now, scientists have discovered that simple peptides can organize into bi-layer membranes. The finding suggests a “missing link” between the pre-biotic Earth’s chemical inventory and the organizational scaffolding essential to life. “This is a boon to our understanding of large, structural assemblies of molecules,” says Emory Chemistry Chair David Lynn, who helped lead the effort, which were collaborations of the departments of chemistry, biology and physics. “We’ve proved that peptides can organize as bi-layers, and we’ve generated the first, real-time imaging of the self-assembly process. We can actually watch in real-time as these nano-machines make themselves.” … … The research is part of “The Center for Chemical Evolution,” a center based at Emory and Georgia Tech, for integrated research, education and public outreach focused on the chemistry that may have led to the origin of life. The National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy have funded the research. Many groups studying the origins of life have focused on RNA, which is believed to have pre-dated living cells. But RNA is a much more complicated molecule than a peptide. “Our studies have now shown that, if you just add water, simple peptides access both the physical properties and the long-range molecular order that is critical to the origins of chemical evolution,” Childers says. Posted in creationism, religion | Tagged: abiogenesis, argument from ignorance, Bible, biology, chemical evolution, chemistry, creationism, DNA, evolution, faith, God, god of the gaps, ID, inorganic, intelligent design, life, matter, organic, origin of life, religion, RNA, theology | 1 Comment » Posted by mattusmaximus on December 21, 2009 In another *facepalm* moment, the state legislature in Maine will soon be considering a bill that would require cell phones to carry warning labels that they, you guessed it, might cause brain cancer. Ugh – I have posted about this topic before (in my post “Electromagnetic Fields & Cancer Myths”), and I cannot state strongly enough that there is no evidence that cell phone use causes cancer! Not only is there no conclusive evidence that cell phone radiation causes cancer, but according to the known laws of physics there is no physical mechanism by which this is even possible. But that won’t stop some non-scientifically minded nut with political clout from pushing this nonsense into a useless law… Maine to consider cell phone cancer warning A Maine legislator wants to make the state the first to require cell phones to carry warnings that they can cause brain cancer, although there is no consensus among scientists that they do and industry leaders dispute the claim. The now-ubiquitous devices carry such warnings in some countries, though no U.S. states require them, according to the National Conference of State Legislators. A similar effort is afoot in San Francisco, where Mayor Gavin Newsom wants his city to be the nation’s first to require the warnings. Maine Rep. Andrea Boland, D-Sanford, said numerous studies point to the cancer risk, and she has persuaded legislative leaders to allow her proposal to come up for discussion during the 2010 session that begins in January, a session usually reserved for emergency and governors’ bills. And here’s my favorite part of the article… While there’s little agreement about the health hazards, Boland said Maine’s roughly 950,000 cell phone users among its 1.3 million residents “do not know what the risks are.” Ahem, Rep. Boland, this is an argument that is essentially begging the question… the assumption is that there is a risk, despite there being any conclusive evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship (not to be confused with correlation) between cancer & cell phone use AND a lack of any kind of physical mechanism to even facilitate that process. Folks, this is what happens when you mix political power with the Paralyzing Precautionary Principle. Now this may be crappy science, but I’m sure it’ll raise Rep. Boland’s political profile – too bad she couldn’t just stick to the actual science as opposed to pushing pseudoscientific & fear-mongering woo woo. Folks, if you live in Maine, please take a moment to contact your state representatives and ask them to – for the sake of good science & sound legislative policies – just throw Boland’s bill in the trash heap where it belongs. I’m sure there are far better, more important, and real issues the Maine legislature could be dealing with on behalf of that state’s citizens. Rep. Boland, this one’s for you… Posted in environmental hysteria, physics denial/woo, politics | Tagged: Andrea Boland, Boland, cancer, cell phones, DNA, electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic spectrum, electromagnetic waves, EMF, environment, health, ionizing radiation, legislature, light, Maine, medicine, paralyzing precautionary principle, physics, politics, power lines, public health, radiation, radiation sickness, safety, safety hysteria, skeptic, skepticism, wi-fi | 4 Comments »

Last night, a video of a Golden Eagle picking up a Canadian toddler became a viral sensation. Because a video of an eagle trying and failing to eat a baby is pretty awesome. However, it turned out the video is a hoax. Skeptics started questioning how the bird doesn’t look like a real golden eagle, and detailed analysis of the video suggests it employs CGI. Also, eagles don’t really just swoop down and pick up little children, right? This couldn’t possibly be real…….. or could it? The Lawndale Incident Fans of avian cryptozoology (all 6 of you), however, may notice a similarity to another legendary ‘70s child-snatching bird incident. In 1977, a large bird reportedly picked up and carried a 7-year-old boy for about 35 feet before dropping him back down. While little Marlon Lowe played in his front yard, a giant black bird that is now known as the “Lawndale Illinois Thunderbird” swooped down and picked up the kid, carried him, and dropped him. Though several adult eyewitness claimed it was true, not everyone believe it actually happened, and Marlon was bullied at school because of it. The bird was described as black with white feathers around its neck, which sounds like the Andean condor, native to South America. However, condors are mainly carrion scavengers and therefore have weak grasp with their talons, making it unlikely they could pick up a kid. Giant Bird Sightings in the U.S. This is not the only account of giant bird species living in North America. There’s a famous photo of several cowboys in Arizona in the 1890s standing in front of a giant bird who they’ve nailed up to a barn wall. The only problem with this photo is that its authenticity is just as dubious as that of the bird it portrays. It was allegedly run in a newspaper at the time, but the photo itself has been lost. Some people claim to remember seeing copies of it in the 1960s. There’s also reports of Arizona cowboys seeing enormous featherless birds that look like pterodactyls, though cowboys aren’t always the most trustworthy types when it comes to exaggerated tall tales. They aren’t the only ones to claim to have seen these kind of creatures, though — the Ropen is a legendary pteradactyl-like cryptid of Papau New Guinea. Giant Birds of Modernity Keep in mind, it’s not all that long ago that truly enormous birds still lived. In New Zealand several species of moa, a giant flightless bird that stood 12 feet tall, only went extinct in the 1400s. Look at these things. Imagine running into one of these. Jesus fucking Christ, am I right? The Legend of Washington’s Sea Eagle My personal favorite cryptid bird is Washington’s sea eagle, a species named and described by John James Audubon. It’s a large brown eagle, and ornithologists dismissed it as a simply a juvenile bald eagle (young bald eagles don’t have the white head yet) rather than its own species. However, there’s a good argument for the existence of the Washington sea eagle as a distinct species. Audubon did occasionally make mistakes, but he was also an expert and was familiar with bald eagles and golden eagles. He described the Washington eagle as having different characteristics in the beak and feathers, and its size was larger than both a juvenile bald eagle and a golden eagle. The golden eagle’s wingspan is typically 1.8 to 2.34M, and Washington’s sea eagle had a 3.1M wingspan, making it the largest raptor in North America, just larger than the California condor. Audubon made a fair amount of enemies in the ornithology community during his lifetime, and there were certain scientists who were overly critical of his work, claiming he was wrong about things that turned out to be true. It seems entirely plausible that he saw a very rare species of eagle that perhaps died out as the American west became more settled — it certainly wouldn’t be the only species to suffer that fate in the 1800s. Or perhaps it hasn’t died out. Perhaps a small population still exists in the northern midwest. Perhaps it was Washington’s sea eagle that picked up little Marlon Lowe in 1977 in Lanwndale, Illinois. Perhaps it was Washington’s sea eagle, not a golden eagle — driven by hunger out of his normal hidden habitat — that took a look at that adorable Quebecois tot and attempted to carry him off, possibly to raise in his nest as his own birdboy. Or maybe I just want to believe we live in a world where a hilarious video of an eagle picking up a baby is true.

Keyword Results for 'claims' Karachi, Nov 26 (ANI): Former Pakistani President Parvez Musharraf has clarified that he only gave the green signal for 'one' U.S. drone strike during his time in office. Johannesburg, November 26 (ANI): The makers of the helmet worn by the critically injured Australian batsman Phillip Hughes have stated that the player was not wearing their advanced model when he suffered a heavy blow on the head by a bouncer during South Australia's Sheffield Shield clash with NSW. New Delhi, Nov.25 (ANI)" A special court here was told by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that it was not allowed to examine Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in connection with the coal block allocation scam case, when the latter had additional charge of the coal portfolio. New Delhi, Nov.25 (ANI): Protesting Trinamool Congress Members of Parliament on Tuesday charged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA Government with having sold itself to capitalists, as it has failed to repatriate black money stashed away in banks abroad. Scientist claims Earth will be nuked just as Martians were by aliens Nov 25, 12:12 pm London, Nov 25 (ANI): A leading scientist has claimed that life on Mars was eradicated by bomb-weilding aliens and Earth should be ready for a similar nuke. London, Nov 25 (ANI): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that men and women cannot be treated equally as it is against "nature". London, Nov 25 (ANI): A terrifying prophecy by some Christian groups has warned that the Earth will be ravaged by floods and earthquakes in the seven years, destroying all lives. 'Unselectable' Finn claims last year's Ashes drubbing spurred him to become 'selectable' again Nov 24, 4:58 pm London, Nov 24 (ANI): England paceman Steven Finn has revealed that the 'unselectable' tag he earned during last winter's Ashes drubbing has spurred him on and motivated him to become selectable again. Sydney, Nov 24 (ANI): Stand-in India cricket team captain Virat Kohli has reportedly warned stereotypical Australian sledging and claimed that they are there to play the brand of cricket that the hosts play. New book claims lazy employees benefit organizations more than diligent counterparts Nov 24, 12:21 pm Melbourne, Nov 24 (ANI): A new book has claimed that lazy employees are actually valuable assets to an organization. London, Nov 24 (ANI): Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has said that the feeling he has now after winning the 2014 championship is way, way past the feeling he had in 2008, which he claims was a great year in his life. London, Nov 23 (ANI): British Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton has told his Mercedes teammate and title rival Nico Rosberg that his mind games would not work on him, ahead of their desert showdown in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Kris Jenner doesn`t believe beau Gamble`s ex`s `stalker` claims Nov 23, 1:53 pm Washington, Nov 23 (ANI): Kris Jenner claims that her boyfriend Corey Gamble is "not" a stalker. London, Nov 23 (ANI): A conservationist group has recently claimed that recent sightings of Loch Ness monster are just "floating logs" and not the cryptid as previously believed. London, Nov 23 (ANI): A UFO researcher has recently claimed that he was given an authentic `Roswell` image of alien body dated to 1947 by an agent from a US intelligence who operated during the Second World War. Court approves Apple's 450 million ebook case settlement Nov 23, 11:59 am Washington, Nov 23 (ANI): A federal judge has approved Apple's 450 million ebook case settlement in a class action lawsuit over claims that the company conspired with publishers and raised the ebook prices. US watching Kashmir election process, no major complaints Nov 22, 5:05 pm Washington, Nov. 22 (ANI): American officials are keenly watching the political drama unfolding in Jammu and Kashmir, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party is running to claim the coveted prize of winning India's only Muslim-majority state. They are aware that if the BJP successfully completes its most ambitious and audacious project or comes close to the prize, the signal that it is the new national party would be unmistakable. US diplomats have learnt a quick lesson after the national elections where their analysis was a little behind the curve. But Kashmir also arouses worry in Washington -- it is seen as a "flash point" between India and Pakistan, an ever-simmering flame that can spark a confrontation. Pakistani visitors never fail to whip up exactly those sentiments among Americans with exaggerated accounts of alleged Indian army excesses and the desire among Kashmiris for "azadi." It so happens that Gen. Raheel Sharif, Pakistan's army chief, is currently on a six-day visit to the US, meeting officials at the Pentagon and the State Department. He has blamed India for the current spate of LOC firings, saying that his attention is being forcibly diverted from fighting terrorists on his eastern border. But blaming India for Pakistan's self-inflicted wounds doesn't sell as well in Washington as it used to. The constant misinformation campaign on Kashmir - best exemplified by the unmasking of ISI-fronted Kashmiri American Council and ISI-funded Ghulam Nabi Fai in 2011 - has taken a heavy toll on the credibility of Pakistani claims. US officials can see that the BJP is looming large on Kashmir this time with an effective strategy of making inroads over the past two years. But they are worried about BJP's stated desire to "debate," if not abolish Article 370, which gives the state a special status. Even though BJP leaders are trying hard to keep the 370 issue away from headlines this campaign season, the pot has been stirred. The first phase of voting for the 87-member State Assembly begins Nov. 25 and political dynamics are fluid to pin down. Only two things are sure: that the BJP won't join the Congress in a coalition and that the two main regional rivals, the National Conference and the PDP won't join each other. All other combinations are possible, especially with smaller parties, many of which were created recently, playing an important. They will be crucial in BJP's attempt to get the magic number of 44 since no matter how hard it tries; its appeal among Muslims in the valley is low. US analysts say that parties like the Kashmir Development Front, which has several former bureaucrats and academics, may be appealing to voters. KDF was created by Farooq Renzu Shah, who left the Congress Party saying he was disillusioned. Renzu, a bureaucrat who helped rebuild damaged shrines and big bridges when he was in government, is popular among the people. US officials say they see no major problems in the execution of the elections and the theme of development in Kashmir is just what the doctor ordered. They don't see the streets erupting if the BJP forms the government. The meeting between Modi and former separatist leader, Sajjad Lone, was seen as an especially interesting development. Vijay Sazawal, a Kashmir expert who is consulted widely by Washington opinion makers, said the mood in the valley and elsewhere has noticeably changed, mostly in favor of the BJP. He cited two factors - the apology by the Indian army for the shooting of a teenager and a young man on Nov. 3 and the sentencing by a military court of five soldiers, including two officers, to life imprisonment for the staged killing of three Kashmiri civilians in the Machil sector in 2010. The rare developments have been welcomed by Kashmiris whose wounds are deep and feelings raw. "It has helped greatly and the apology came after direct orders of the PMO not to fudge the issue. The people are happy that the army has been punished. People tell me that none of Modi's posters has been torn or defaced in the valley," says Sazawal, who regularly talks to people on the ground. He marveled at the strategic insights of BJP managers - Amit Shah and Ram Madhav - in making the right moves and saying the right things. He cited BJP's state unit vice-president, Ramesh Arora's declaration that Sufi Islam would prosper under BJP. This is clever messaging to those Muslims who are tired of terrorism and want the peaceful version of their religion to return home. The US government, struggling to contain the extreme strains of Islam as exemplified by ISIS, can hardly quarrel with promotion of Sufi Islam. Pakistan, the other player in the "dispute" doesn't raise confidence levels when it comes to dealing with or "managing" Wahabism, which it and Saudis have injected into India. 'Underperformer' Dhir was not getting a ticket, claims AAP Nov 21, 4:14 pm New Delhi, Nov. 21 (ANI): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday attempted to downplay M.S. Dhir's decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying there was a very bleak possibility of his winning the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls. Ryan Gosling gets restraining order against 'twin flame' stalker Nov 21, 12:38 pm Washington, Nov 21 (ANI): Ryan Gosling had got a restraining order against a woman named Grace Marie Del Villar, who claims to be his "twin flame". Ramiz Raja claims 'banned' Amir's return will expose Pak squad to 'spot fixing virus' Nov 20, 12:21 pm Wellington, Nov 20 (ANI): Former Pakistan cricket team captain turned commentator Ramiz Raja has slammed the lobbying for the return of paceman Mohammad Amir, who was banned for spot fixing, saying that his return would expose the team to the virus. Meet the boy who claims to have become real-life 'Magneto' after getting electric shock Nov 20, 11:58 am London, Nov 20 (ANI): A schoolboy, who nearly died recently after getting a massive electric shock, has claimed to have developed superpowers like Marvel comics' villain Magneto after the incidence. Sydney, Nov 20 (ANI): West Indies legend Brian Lara has said no one would be able to surpass India batsman Rohit Sharma's world record score of 264 in an ODI. Taylor Swift denies music deal with Google Nov 20, 11:18 am London, Nov 20 (ANI): Taylor Swift has denied the rumors that she has signed a deal with Google in order to make her music available on its new YouTube Music Key service. London, Nov 20 (ANI): FIFA whistleblower Phaedra Al-Majid has said that her accusations of corruption against Qatar's successful 2022 World Cup bid has introduced her to a whole new culture of paranoia, fear and threats. Wellington, Nov 20 (ANI): Former Formula One driver Philippe Streiff has said that motorsport racing legend Michael Schumacher is paralyzed and still has difficulty with his speech and memory almost a year after a horror skiing accident. - Betting on Tendulkar's 100th international century crosses Rs.2 billion mark - 'Gold-obsessed' Aliens using Earth as 'battlefield' - Smartphone app allows watching football matches minutes after game commencement - Oz head cricket coach Arthur confident of win over Kiwis, without star players - Brit women top obesity league in Europe TOP VIDEO STORIES

Posted by: Craig Woolheater on March 3rd, 2006 Is there a snow snake slithering around Michigan? The Daily Press of Escanaba, Michigan published an article today telling of this reptile cryptid. Is it just a folktale? It’s hard to get a good description of a snow snake because few people have seen this endangered creature. Snow snake sightings are about as common as Bigfoot sightings or Loch Ness Monster sightings. A few Yoopers have reported seeing the elusive snow snake. Details are sketchy, but the reptile seems to be nocturnal. It’s more active on the nights of the weekend, and it’s more easily viewed after drinking a few hot toddies. Most people claim that the snow snake is pure white with eyes as transparent as shards of ice. Snow snakes vary in size from the tiny foot-long ones that reportedly bite into and latch onto cross-country skis, causing skiers to lose control. A six-foot long snow snake allegedly toppled over an ice fishing shack on Little Bay de Noc. Living, breathing snakes in the snow are just a myth, but snow snakes did exist. They may be extinct now because the snow snake was a Native American toy. Many tribes of the snow country had a sport of hurling snow snakes. The Indians crafted their snakes from a straight stick of hickory or ash. They carved the snake’s head on one end and the tail on the other. Snow snakes were decorated and painted. An Indian drawing, taken from “The Book of Indian Crafts,” shows Iroquois throwing the snow snake. Then the contest began. The players stooped over and tossed their snakes forward, gliding them across the snow. Points were awarded to the snow snakes that traveled the farthest. So what do you think, is there a snow snake slithering under the snow covering the forests of Michigan? 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.

Some more photos from the Philly Subway. I didn’t really want any people in the shot, but this woman on her cellphone just was not going anywhere… November 30th, 2008 at 01:25pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Photoblogging Some more photos from the Philly Subway. I didn’t really want any people in the shot, but this woman on her cellphone just was not going anywhere… November 30th, 2008 at 01:25pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Photoblogging Under state law, God is Kentucky’s first line of defense against terrorism. The 2006 law organizing the state Office of Homeland Security lists its initial duty as “stressing the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth.” Specifically, Homeland Security is ordered to publicize God’s benevolent protection in its reports, and it must post a plaque at the entrance to the state Emergency Operations Center with an 88-word statement that begins, “The safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God.” State Rep. Tom Riner, a Southern Baptist minister, tucked the God provision into Homeland Security legislation as a floor amendment that lawmakers overwhelmingly approved two years ago. As amended, Homeland Security’s religious duties now come before all else, including its distribution of millions of dollars in federal grants and its analysis of possible threats. The time and energy spent crediting God are appropriate, said Riner, D-Louisville, in an interview this week. “This is recognition that government alone cannot guarantee the perfect safety of the people of Kentucky,” Riner said. “Government itself, apart from God, cannot close the security gap. The job is too big for government.” Nonetheless, it is government that operates the Office of Homeland Security in Frankfort, with a budget this year of about $28 million, mostly federal funds…. I don’t see why they need $28 million if they’ve got God watching out for them, but what do I know. Maybe it’s a backup plan in case God falls asleep on the job. And apparently God’s not just in charge of homeland security: If you’re a school principal in Connecticut, it’s possible a group of moms is praying for you every week. Not because you, specifically, need their prayers (although who among us couldn’t benefit from an extra prayer now and then) but because that’s what these moms do — they get together once a week and pray for their kids’ schools, including the principals, staff and all the students. They pray for safe classrooms. They pray that bullies will be caught. They pray for an end to the illnesses that sweep through schools, and the homework tantrums their kids throw. They even pray for Mastery Test scores. Although there are Moms In Touch groups scattered around Connecticut, Lawrence said there aren’t any in Hartford, which struggles with some of the deepest problems of any school system in the state. That’s a situation she’d like to correct. “I totally believe with all my heart that if every school in Connecticut was prayed for every week it would be totally different,” Lawrence said. See, we don’t even need money for schools! Awesome! Man, it’s a good thing God’s omnipotent, ‘cuz we sure are putting a lot of important stuff on His plate. 8 comments November 29th, 2008 at 07:40pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Education,Religion,Terrorism You know, if I were a Creationist/Intelligent Design nut trying to convince people that God exists, I wouldn’t bother with the axis of Elvis. I wouldn’t blather on about how perfectly designed bananas are, or the fact that life does not spontaneously generate in peanut butter jars (no, seriously, WTF?) as if that somehow proves something. No, if I wanted to argue the case for some kind of blatantly obvious divine intervention, I would choose water. More specifically, the fact that unlike just about everything else, water is denser in liquid form than solid. If it weren’t, oceans and rivers and lakes would freeze from the bottom up, because the ice couldn’t to rise to the top to be warmed and thawed. With a good chunk of their volume frozen, the oceans’ temperature-regulating capabilities would be pretty seriously reduced as well. Earth has a relatively temperate climate and healthy biodiversity largely because of this one simple quirk of fate. I’m not religious, but if I wanted to make a case for the existence of God, water is where I’d start. (Granted, it doesn’t really address evolution one way or the other, but the fundies are calling peanut butter and bananas “The Atheist’s Nightmare,” not “The Evolutionist’s Nightmare.” Or “Elvis’s Nutritionist’s Nightmare.”) November 29th, 2008 at 03:11pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Religion,Science In a surreal twist of fate, Multi Medium is the #1 search result for Sex with built in August. I don’t know how to even begin to parse that. Maybe someone has a very specific fetish for three-month-old sex dolls? Or maybe August was just a really good month for sex dolls? I’m grasping at straws here. November 28th, 2008 at 07:48pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Eli's Obsession With The Google Okay, it’s actually the Philly subway, but it looks like an alien baggage carousel. 2 comments November 28th, 2008 at 06:40pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Photoblogging After four years of sawdust and pain, I’m coming out. And, of course, there’ll be other people’s marmosets: Heh. Johnny Carson is very poised. 1 comment November 28th, 2008 at 11:23am Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Friday Quote & Cat Blogging,Monday Media Blogging We didn’t capture or kill bin Laden. We didn’t destroy al Qaeda. Oh, but at least we liberated the country from the Taliban, established democracy, and ended the oppression of women! Eh, not so much… The collapse of Afghanistan is closer than the world believes. Kandahar is in Taliban hands – all but a square mile at the centre of the city – and the first Taliban checkpoints are scarcely 15 miles from Kabul. Hamid Karzai’s deeply corrupted government is almost as powerless as the Iraqi cabinet in Baghdad’s “Green Zone”; lorry drivers in the country now carry business permits issued by the Taliban which operate their own courts in remote areas of the country. The Red Cross has already warned that humanitarian operations are being drastically curtailed in ever larger areas of Afghanistan; more than 4,000 people, at least a third of them civilians, have been killed in the past 11 months, along with scores of Nato troops and about 30 aid workers. Both the Taliban and Mr Karzai’s government are executing their prisoners in ever greater numbers. The Afghan authorities hanged five men this month for murder, kidnap or rape – one prisoner, a distant relative of Mr Karzai, predictably had his sentence commuted – and more than 100 others are now on Kabul’s death row. This is not the democratic, peaceful, resurgent, “gender-sensitive” Afghanistan that the world promised to create after the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001. Outside the capital and the far north of the country, almost every woman wears the all-enshrouding burkha, while fighters are now joining the Taliban’s ranks from Kashmir, Uzbekistan, Chechnya and even Turkey…. Is it really the overriding ambition of Afghans to have “democracy”? Is a strong federal state possible in Afghanistan? Is the international community ready to take on the warlords and drug barons who are within Mr Karzai’s own government? And – most important of all – is development really about “securing the country”? The tired old American adage that “where the Tarmac ends, the Taliban begins” is untrue. The Taliban are mounting checkpoints on those very same newly-built roads. “We” are not winning in Afghanistan. Talk of crushing the Taliban seems as bleakly unrealistic as it has ever been. Indeed, when the President of Afghanistan tries to talk to Mullah Omar – one of America’s principal targets in this wretched war – you know the writing is on the wall. And even Mullah Omar didn’t want to talk to Mr Karzai. So… after our supposed victory, Karzai was effectively nothing more than the mayor of Kabul. Now, 7 years later… Karzai is effectively nothing more than the mayor of Kabul. I think the biggest change that we’ve effected in Afghanistan is to make its people hate us. Bravo. 3 comments November 28th, 2008 at 07:13am Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Afghanistan,War From an NYT story about how Scandinavians aren’t nearly as oversexed as we supposedly think they are: Suddenly we are very proud of our native prostitutes. If you can’t be proud of your prostitutes, what can you be proud of? November 27th, 2008 at 07:35pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Quotes First there were dancing robots, then house-sitting robots and now a new breed of acting robots is making its big debut on the Japanese stage. The play, which had its premiere at Osaka University, is one of Japan’s first robot-human theatre productions. The machines were specially programmed to speak lines with human actors and move around the stage with them. Playwright Oriza Hirata says the work raises questions about the relationship between humanity and technology. The play, called Hataraku Watashi (I, Worker), is set in the near future. It focuses on a young couple who own two housekeeping robots, one of which loses its motivation to work. In the play, the robot complains that it has been forced into boring and demeaning jobs and enters into a discussion with the humans about its role in their lives. So far, the play is only 20 minutes long but it is hoped to become a full-length production by 2010. This can only end badly. November 27th, 2008 at 05:30pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Art/Architecture,Technology,Weirdness There’s a lot of speculation about who enigmatic NY governor David Paterson will pick to replace Hillary Clinton as New York’s junior senator, with Andrew Cuomo currently leading, as Gail Collins puts it, “in several polls as The Only Person on This List We Have Ever Heard Of.” But what about Nathan Petrelli? Let’s weigh the pros and cons. Pros: Young, charismatic, idealistic, can fly. Cons: Illegitimate daughter, supervillain father; may be pawn in plot to destroy the human race. It’s a toss-up, really. (Yes, I am aware that Heroes sucks now, thank you very much.) November 27th, 2008 at 02:26pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Politics,TV o That America finally and decisively rejected the Republican politics of hate and fear to put an intelligent (albeit not progressive) Democrat back in the White House after eight years of corruption, incompetence, and outright malevolence. (Parenthetical Note: Anyone who describes Obama as The Most Liberal Senator Evar automatically and permanently forfeits their right to be taken seriously. This is not subject to appeal.) o That our intelligent (albeit not progressive) Democratic president will have a Democratic Congress to work with for the first time in fourteen years. o My totally awesome girlfriend who loves cheesy horror and action movies. Also ninjas, pirates, robots, monkeys, Vikings, and Omar Sharif. o The Giants won the Superbowl! o The Giants and Jets are both Superbowl contenders, which is not only awesome in itself, but also means they’re on TV a lot more often. o That technology keeps getting smaller, cheaper, and more powerful every year. My cellphone is roughly twice as powerful as my first PC, by almost any measure. o My excellent and intelligent readers here and at FDL. o This commercial: Yes, it still cracks me right up. November 27th, 2008 at 12:20pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Uncategorized I have this theory that Michael Savage’s primary purpose in life is to make Rush Limbaugh look tolerant and sane. Here, let me show you what I mean: Well, socially, we’re far worse — more degenerate than Weimar Germany. At least in Weimar Germany, men couldn’t marry men and women couldn’t marry women. So we’re probably 10 leagues below the degeneracy that brought about Hitler. We’re probably 50 leagues below the degeneracy that brought about Hitler. We are the sickest, most disgusting country on the earth, and we are… psychotic as a nation. It’s a psychotic nation when the attorney general of the state of California, when the senator from the state of California named Dianne Feinstein, when the governor from the state of California who posed as a strongman gets up there and says that homosexuals have a right to marry that’s equal to a man and a woman, they’re insane. They are fundamentally insane. Got that? The fact that there was opposition to Prop 8, that there are actually people who – gasp – believe that gay people should have the same right as everyone else, means that we are the most degenerate country in the world, and that the moral backlash from righteous people like Michael Savage will almost certainly lead to the second coming of Adolf Hitler. Awesome. In fact, gay marriage is so terrible that it’s actually the single biggest problem that America has, and all our other problems are merely a symptom of our horrific amoral gay tolerance: [Y]ou may say, “Why should we care about homosexuals trying to destroy families through the mock marriage that they perform in order to mock God, the church, the family, children, the fetus, the DNA of the human species? Why should we care about it while we have a financial meltdown?” Because the spiritual side of the downturn on Wall Street is directly related to the moral downturn in the United States of America. [T]he government has no right to force people to accept homosexual marriage. It is why the West is dying. It is why we’re melting down as a nation. So that’s the root cause! And all this time I thought it was the Bush administration and its enablers’ total disrespect for human decency and the rule of law! I am so glad there are superior intellects like Michael Savage around to set me straight and remind me what’s really important. 3 comments November 26th, 2008 at 05:51pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Media,Republicans,Teh Gay,Wankers November 26th, 2008 at 11:19am Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Photoblogging Ashley Dupre, eat your heart out: For her special this Friday, Diane Sawyer interviewed several unique stories in the sex industry, including a Sasquatch who turned to prostitution to survive. It started while she was crossing an intersection one night, lost and trying to find her way back to the wilderness. A limousine approached the bewildered Sasquatch, and an unnamed elected official propositioned her. How this unnamed official discreetly bartered for sex with a creature that doesn’t speak English remains unclear. But it worked and she has been in the business ever since. Standing at 7’2”, 550 pounds and covered in body hair, she tends to attract a certain kind of man. Footage shows she is mostly hired by upper class men who want to be pushed around or risk their lives mid-coitus. If her Prada shoes and matching bag are any indication, she has become quite popular among the well-to-do. When Diane asked if she was ever scared for her safety at work, the Sasquatch beat on her chest and grunted loudly. Through a series of gestures she indicated that one customer who tried to get rough had his arm ripped off and was beaten with it until she got tired. Provided the interview does well, Diane Sawyer has indicated she may turn this into a serial expose on cryptid call girls. The very flexible Lizard Woman is believed to be the obvious next choice. So, um, has anyone noticed any Republican congressmen mysteriously missing an arm lately? November 26th, 2008 at 07:19am Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Weekly World News Despite growing pressure from colleagues to mount an internal challenge for the Oversight Committee gavel, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) has reiterated to House Democratic leaders his decision to avoid running against his elder on the committee, Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.). Leadership sources said Cummings made his views known — and final — in brief discussions with senior House Democrats on Tuesday morning. In not bowing to suggestions from within Democratic circles that he should run, Cummings’s decision essentially paves the way for Towns to receive the unanimous recommendation of the Steering and Policy Committee when it meets — presumably in December — to consider the vacant top post on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Everything I hear about Towns is that he’s kind of a lightweight who didn’t show up a whole lot when Waxman was running the show. And it’s not like we can count on his Senate counterpart to pick up the slack. Only question in my mind is whether Towns and Lieberman will simply be ineffectual do-nothings in their oversight chairs, or if they’ll actively witch-hunt Obama; Towns because he gets rolled by Ranking Member Darrell Issa, and Lieberman because he just hates Democrats. November 25th, 2008 at 10:42pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Corruption/Cronyism,Democrats,Obama It’s just barely a theme, and I kinda had to stretch it a bit, but here are some vaguely building-related things. From Philly. (The shadowy & mysterious Codename V. thinks JUSTICE looks a bit like Donald Sutherland, and she may have a point.) Freaky lightglobe in the entranceway to… a building! And here I believe we have… William Penn’s butt. 1 comment November 25th, 2008 at 07:14pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Photoblogging This oughta cut you down a peg or two: Hah! Take THAT! (From Married To The Sea) 2 comments November 25th, 2008 at 11:28am Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Comics Mr. Klaus, the 67-year-old president of the Czech Republic — an iconoclast with a perfectly clipped mustache — continues to provoke strong reactions. He has blamed what he calls the misguided fight against global warming for contributing to the international financial crisis, branded Al Gore an “apostle of arrogance” for his role in that fight, and accused the European Union of acting like a Communist state. Now the Czech Republic is about to assume the rotating presidency of the European Union and there is palpable fear that Mr. Klaus will embarrass the world’s biggest trading bloc and complicate its efforts to address the economic crisis and expand its powers. His role in the Czech Republic is largely ceremonial, but he remains a powerful force here, has devotees throughout Europe and delights in basking in the spotlight. An economist by training and a free marketeer by ideology, Mr. Klaus has criticized the course set by the union’s departing leader, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France. The ambitious Mr. Sarkozy has used France’s European Union presidency to push an agenda that includes broader and more coordinated regulation by the largest economies to tame the worst of the market’s excesses. Even those who worry about Mr. Klaus’s potential role as a spoiler concede that his influence over policy in the European Union will be circumscribed, given his largely symbolic functions as president in the Czech Republic. But Mr. Klaus’s sheer will and inflammatory talk — the eminent British historian Timothy Garton Ash once called him “one of the rudest men I have ever met” — are likely to have some impact. “Klaus is a provocateur who will twist his arguments to get attention,” said Jiri Pehe, a former adviser to Vaclav Havel, Mr. Klaus’s rival and predecessor as president. A fervent critic of the environmental movement, he has called global warming a dangerous “myth,” arguing that the fight against climate change threatens economic growth. Perhaps his greatest ire has been reserved for the European Union. In 2005, he called for it to be “scrapped.” Now, he is a vocal opponent of the Lisbon Treaty, which aims to help Europe become more of an international player, but which he argues will strip countries of sovereignty. Born in 1941, he obtained an economics degree in 1963 and was deeply influenced by free market economists like Milton Friedman. Mr. Havel recalled in his memoirs that Mr. Klaus had an aversion “to the rest of us, whom he had clearly consigned to the same Dumpster, with a sign on it saying ‘left-wing intellectuals.’ ” I really do hope that his powers are as limited as the story says – this guy sounds like seriously bad news. Still, good thing Klaus wasn’t EU prez sooner – he and Dubya would have been like soulmates. November 25th, 2008 at 06:46am Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Environment,Foreign Policy,Politics I don’t think I’ve ever seen it put quite this way before: As Obama takes over the wreckage this country is in, one can’t help but feel like something alien to America has been controlling it these past eight years. The wave of emotion that has erupted with the election of Barack Obama reminds me of the Allied victory in France in WWII. After a long foreign occupation in which foreign German interests occupied the agenda of France, French governance would once again be representing the concerns of it’s populace. That hope seems to pervade America after it’s long neocons occupation. This is what happens when a country is controlled by people who have hatred or contempt for at least 90% of its citizens, and who are more interested in looting and consolidating power than actual governance or the country’s wellbeing. On second thought, a foreign occupier probably would have done a whole lot better than these bastards. November 24th, 2008 at 07:50pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Bush,Constitution,Corruption/Cronyism,Politics,Republicans More Philly photos: To be honest, I can’t remember what this was from… Some kind of governmenty-looking building. Governmenty-looking building reflected in an officey-looking building. Yes, those are actual architectural terms. 1 comment November 24th, 2008 at 11:46am Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Photoblogging Japanese animated video for “Forward” by DJ Missill, “which features a giant guitar-playing robo-rabbit that frees the oppressed minds of jackbooted soldiers.” (h/t Pink Tentacle) November 24th, 2008 at 06:46am Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Monday Media Blogging Yeah. It’s a lot like that. (From Married To The Sea) November 23rd, 2008 at 08:51pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Comics Nope, still no theme. But I might have some subway photos later – Woohoo! The reflection of the blue sky is much more visible in color, but I still think it looks crisper in B&W. As usual. If you click to see the larger version, you can see the spiderweb underneath the sign on the left. I don’t think I even noticed it when I took the shot, so… bonus! See? I can still do color on occasion. Look how nice and red that button is! November 23rd, 2008 at 02:59pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Photoblogging I was going to save this for Monday, but watertiger has forced my hand. This is quite possibly the funniest commercial I have ever seen. November 23rd, 2008 at 11:07am Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Favorites,Monday Media Blogging Today only is your opportunity to request a free Dr Pepper coupon, in honor of the release of Guns ‘N’ Roses long-awaited new album, Chinese Democracy. You don’t have to buy it, or listen to it, or even like Guns ‘N’ Roses. All you have to do is go here. What are you waiting for? November 23rd, 2008 at 12:09am Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Music One of the most hilarious and bizarre obsessions to come out of Talkradioland since The Rise of Obama has been the idea that Obama and the Democrats want to reinstate The Fairness Doctrine to take our Rush Limbaughs away. Needless to say, as with most of the emissions from the right-wing fever swamp, the truth content is roughly zero parts per million. The thing is, as much as I personally find the talk radio screamers offensive and repulsive, they’re doing far more damage to their own cause than they are to ours. McCain and the GOP ran the most talk radio-y election campaign in American history, accusing Obama and other Democratic opponents of socialism, atheism, terrorism, Islamism, being-black-ism, and every other ism they could think of, and it blew up in their faces. Tom Schaller, Tod Lindberg, Ron Brownstein, and others have all documented how Democrats have gained ground in Republican territory while Republicans have been all but evicted from Democratic territory. Obama dominated the youth and Hispanic votes 2 to 1, both groups that will only grow larger and more influential. The future looks promising for the left, and bleak for the right. The GOP desperately needs to reckon with America’s inexorable demographic march towards tolerance, and right-wing talk radio makes that difficult, if not impossible. Not only do virulent creatures like Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage make the Republican Party look like red-faced, intolerant bigots, but they also exert pressure on the Republican Party to pander to red-faced, intolerant bigots, making it ever more toxic to the growing majority of Americans who are reasonably sane and well-adjusted. As with any other pollutant, I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing Limbaugh and company go away, but it’s not Democrats that they’re poisoning. 2 comments November 22nd, 2008 at 05:05pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Media,Politics,Republicans I’m talking about those big outdoor restaurant umbrellas, of course. These were a lovely shade of red, but as usual I liked the B&W shadows better. Plus the blown-out sky looks less crap. I think this one was beige, so B&W was a no-brainer. You make the call: …Or black & white? November 22nd, 2008 at 12:59pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Photoblogging This week’s quote is from the very bizarre and very quotable low-budget film, The Item: I’m completely convinced that in our culture, having a lot of cash is the most avant-garde thing a person can do. And, of course, there’ll be other people’s tiny kittens: Those are some seriously tiny kittens. November 21st, 2008 at 08:59pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Cuteness,Friday Quote & Cat Blogging #1 search result for zen guitar island trolls. That’s gotta count for something, right? November 21st, 2008 at 07:55pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Eli's Obsession With The Google Perhaps “creepy” is a little strong. How about “vaguely unsettling”? I usually try to avoid over-processing, but I liked the way it brought out the contrast of the smoothed-over bumps. Flute Wizard looks more than a little… manic, no? Cherub. ‘Nuff said. November 21st, 2008 at 01:12pm Posted by EliEntry Filed under: Photoblogging |« Oct||Dec »|

My question is are there relatively unexamined bodies of water, or tributaries where this creature could be making a living. places we don't really pay attention to or wade through or dredge up. I imagine a decent dredge job would scoop up one of these. maybe they are what steals your entire bait but leave nothing on the hook? never know. You're right, cephalopods haven't taken over the freshwater world, unfortunately. In fact, there are no freshwater cephs at all! The reason for this must be physiological - how their bodies deal with their environment, in this case, how they could adapt to low-salt conditions. Some experts think it might have something to do with their kidneys (actually, 'metanephridia' if you want to use the proper term) and how they function in freshwater. Also, cephalopods are very active animals, with high oxygen needs. The molecule they use in their blood to transport oxygen (hemocyanin) doesn't work too well in freshwater. So, take your pick! If you want to know more about squids and the like, try these websites: Hope this helped! Oklahoma, known to many as the Sooner State, is known for being an average type of state. It has an average population, it is an average size, it has average sized mountains and average sized lakes. It is these average sized bodies of water that interests me today though. According to various reports on the internet Oklahoma lakes have a unique and deadly inhabitant - The Oklahoma Octopus. The Oklahoma Octopus is believed to live in 3 of Oklahoma's lakes; Lake Thunderbird, Lake Oolagah and Lake Tenkiller. The Oklahoma lake dwelling monster, described as Octopus like, it believed to grow as big as a horse, have leathery, reddish brown skin. Although no recent reports have come in of a man eating Octopus in the Oklahoma lakes, natives have long suspected the killer beasts are inhabiting their lakes. Is it possible that the Oklahoma Octopus is just a myth? Is it possible that an ocean dwelling creature such as an Octopus could live in a fresh water lake in Oklahoma? Well it is possible, though highly unlikely. The Bull Shark is a ocean dwelling creature that can be found in freshwater and not too far from us either. Lake Nicaragua has it's own collection of Bull Sharks that happily swim in their fresh water lake. These sharks are potentially dangerous and have been known to attack people. However, though an octopus can grow to the size of a horse and often had leathery, reddish brown skin, no reports have ever been confirmed of a freshwater dwelling octopus. “Lakes in Oklahoma rate high in instances of drowning. Some believe that drowning victims actually fall prey to the giant octopi living in the lakes.” reads the entry, written by the book’s author, Scott Francis, “Several of Oklahoma’s lakes, including Lake Thunderbird, Lake Oolagah and Lake Tenkiller, are said to be home to these monstrous creatures that are thought to be responsible for dragging swimmers and fishermen to their watery deaths.” Originally posted by NRA4ever333 The Scientific Possibility of the Oklahoma Octopus I recently saw the animal planet show “lost tapes” where they give a dramatization of what it would be like to encounter a cryptid. In the past I loved cryptozoology but have not given the field much thought until I saw this. After doing some poking around on the internet I found that information regarding this creature was scarce and seems to be more of a localized story. I was wondering why this story has failed to be more popular, as the idea of a fresh water octopus is one of the most likely cryptids I have heard of for the following reasons: 1. Stories about fresh water octopuses are not new, fishermen all over the country claim to catch octopuses in fresh water lakes. (Even though they are much smaller that the Oklahoma octopus is believed to be.) 2. It is not unlikely to imagine a species of octopus that survived after the oceans receded from North America. Other ocean invertebrates like the freshwater jellyfish found all over N.A. as well as the fresh water lobster are examples of this ability to adapt. 3. Octopuses are the ultimate camouflage artist of the natural world. New species are discovered right under our noses all the time because of how well they are able to disguise themselves. Add that to the murky, nutrient rich waters of North America, combined by the fact that nobody is really looking for them and you have an animal that could very plausibly have escaped our notice and remained hidden all this time. 4. Most octopuses are very territorial and don’t like to share their niche with others of their kind. Meaning that in an average sized lake there may only be one or two breeding pairs that stay far away from each other most of the time. This would of course help account for their elusive nature. 5. Octopuses are truly indiscriminate eaters. The numerous mysterious disappearances attributed to this creature are no big surprise. Octopuses are willing and able to take down prey many times their size, and unlike shark attacks (who bite and let go) most cephalopods are not so picky about their meals. Even the unexplained drowning may simply be these creatures above mentioned territorial tendencies. Lashing out at something in its territory without any intent on eating it. So in short I was wondering if there is anyone on ATS from the area that may have more detailed information. Such as: Have there been well documented sightings? Are any strange markings found on the legs or lower torsos of the drowning victims? Are there any local stories about it that may not be in the main stream? Like I mentioned above, I think this to be a very plausible cryptid. It really should get more attention in my opinion, and the lack of information is frustrating. So any new opinions, facts, stories, or speculations are desperately wanted. Thanks for reading.

How's September working out for you? It's been a pretty good month for professional golfer Billy Horschel: at the start of the month, he finished second in the PGA Tour's Deutsche Bank Championship, followed it up a week later with a win in the BMW Championship, and the following week (this weekend just past), he won the Tour Championship, pocketing a bonus $10 million on top of his other multi-million dollar prize winnings. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, two days later he became a dad for the first time! Not a bad 16 day stretch by anyone's standards... But why is this getting posted on the Grail, I hear you ask? Well, though I'm a keen golfer, the main reason is that, in perusing Billy's PGA Tour profile page, I was surprised to see that he lists being "a believer in Bigfoot and UFOs". We're a bit more partial here to an interested agnosticism rather than belief (and let's not mention the Twilight book series part of the profile), but I think we can safely claim PGA Tour champion Billy Horschel as a member of the tribe of the weird. Hell, the guy even has precognitive dreams: When Billy Horschel was 10 years old he had a dream that he was going to get hit in the eye playing baseball. It came true. When he was in college, he dreamt that he would marry his then-girlfriend Brittany and later did. Sunday at East Lake, he lived out another premonition. After dreaming earlier this year that he would hoist the FedExCup trophy, Horschel shot a 2-under 68 to win the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola by three strokes over Rory McIlroy and Jim Furyk and claim the FedExCup and its $10 million bonus. ...“There's certain things throughout my life that have come true, and I've sort of seen it beforehand,” Horschel said. “I woke up and I wasn't sure if it was real or not because it was very faint, but I remember holding up the FedExCup trophy, and as the season went along, I never thought about it, but I just said, 'Well, maybe it was just a dream that wasn't real.'” Billy, consider this an honorary Grail membership (because it felt like your month so far was lacking something, right?!). The Origin of 'A Glitch in the Matrix': Philip K. Dick Discusses Déjà Vu and Living in a Simulation, in 1977Posted by Greg at 07:08, 03 Sep 2014 The 1999 blockbuster The Matrix has provided plenty of great lines to popular culture, from "buckle your seatbelt Dorothy" to "dodge this". But perhaps one of the most enduring has been "a glitch in the Matrix", referring to the scene in which Neo (Keanu Reeves) experiences déjà vu with a black cat. His companions, more experienced in the computer-simulated reality of the Matrix, are put on edge by this, explaining to him that "déjà vu is usually a glitch in the Matrix, it happens when they change something". The terms "a glitch in the Matrix" is now used often when people experience something distinctly weird - so much so, that it's even the official name of a subreddit devoted to Fortean weirdness. The Matrix draws from a deep well of influences, starting with the 17th century philosopher René Descartes and ending with a melting pot of popular modern culture, including Grant Morrison's The Invisibles, William Gibson's Neuromancer, Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell and the collected works of Philip K. Dick. And it is the latter who seems to have been the origin of the idea that "déjà vu is usually a glitch in the Matrix". At a 1977 appearance at the Metz Science Fiction Convention in France, Dick told of his own strange experiences, including recovered memories and déjà vu - and the personal revelation that these experiences were evidence of alternative universes: We are living in a computer-programmed reality, and the only clue we have to it is when some variable is changed, and some alteration in our reality occurs. We would have the overwhelming impression that we were re-living the present - déjà vu - perhaps in precisely the same way: hearing the same words, saying the same words. I submit that these impressions are valid and significant, and I will even say this: such an impression is a clue, that in some past time-point, a variable was changed - re-programmed as it were - and that because of this, an alternative world branched off. Were the Wachowski siblings, who wrote the movie, aware of Dick's comments? Or is the similarity between these ideas just one more example of a 'glitch in the Matrix'...? A long-standing Fortean mystery has been the 'wandering stones' of Racetrack Playa in Death Valley, California. It might be time to cross this one off the list though: Ending a half-century of geological speculation, scientists have finally seen the process that causes rocks to move atop Racetrack Playa, a desert lake bed in the mountains above Death Valley, California. Researchers watched a pond freeze atop the playa, then break apart into sheets of ice that — blown by wind — shoved rocks across the lake bed. ...The researchers began studying the region in 2011, setting up a weather station and time-lapse cameras and dropping off rocks loaded with Global Positioning System (GPS) trackers. The rocks were designed to start recording their position and speed as soon as something made them move. ...When the researchers travelled to the playa in December 2013 to check instruments and change batteries, they found a huge ice-encrusted pond covering about one-third of the 4.5-kilometre-long playa. After several days of camping, they decided to sit above the southern end of the playa on the morning of 20 December. “It was a beautiful sunny day, and there began to be rippled melt pools in front of us,” Richard Norris says. “At 11:37 a.m., very abruptly, there was a pop-pop-crackle all over the place in front of us — and I said to my cousin, ‘This is it.’ ” They watched as the ice began moving past the rocks, mostly breaking apart but also shoving them gently...when the ice melted away that afternoon, they saw freshly formed trails left behind by more than 60 moving rocks. The following month, the research team even managed to capture video of the phenomenon occurring: Whether this is the complete explanation of the wandering stones phenomenon is still unknown - there have been reports of the stones moving during summer months as well, when it's unlikely that ice could form on the playa, leading previous researchers to note that ice "is not a required component or precondition for sliding rock activity". So while the mystery seems to have largely been solved, there's still a few loose ends that might need cleaning up. Alien stalker, inter-dimensional cryptid, herald of Doom, Tibetan Garuda or just a big-ass owl. Everybody has their pet theory about the true nature of the Mothman; but the only thing that's certain, is that 46 years after the collapse of the Silver Bridge in December of 1967, the mystery immortalized by John Keel and Gray Barker remains as captivating as ever. Our good friends at Who Forted?, Greg and Dana Newkirk, have just shared a video about their very own personal pilgrimage to the Mothman Mecca - made as part of their Planet Weird series - and it seems the trip had a long-lasting impression on the young Forteans: In the late 60s, a mysterious creature known as Mothman terrorized Point Pleasant, WV. In this clip, shot exclusively to field test new video equipment used in Planet Weird, Greg and Dana take a midnight adventure to the secluded TNT bunkers where the monster is alleged to have made its home. I tweeted the thrill-seeking couple, asking about their personal impressions of visiting the infamous TNT area, which for a while was ground zero of most of the Mothman sightings between 1966 and 1967. This was their response: — Greg Newkirk (@nuekerk) August 4, 2014 — Dana Matthews (@Weird_Dana) August 4, 2014 — Greg Newkirk (@nuekerk) August 4, 2014 I found the acoustic quality of the former World War II munitions plant to be interesting, and perhaps in some way connected to the high strangeness experienced by the inhabitants of the small West Virginia town, which will no doubt continue to lure Fortean aficionados for many years to come... like moths to the flame. Whatever you think of the crop circle phenomenon —alien symbols, messages from Gaia, vandalic graffiti or magick sigils— I think we all can agree at least on one thing: Many of them are gorgeous to look at. Which begs the question: Why hasn't there ever been a proper museum exhibit showcasing these fascinating works of art? Fortunately, the fine folk working at the Witlshire museum have corrected this unforgivable omission. From June 21st to August 31st of 2014, the exhibit "Exploring the Mystery and Beauty of Crop Circles" will be showcased; the first ever exhibition of its kind, right at the heart of the crop circle capital of the world. The exhibit is being curated by Dutch and German crop circle researchers Monique Klinkenbergh and Andreas Müller, and along with large-size prints of the most prominent crop circle photographs taken since the phenomenon started —or since the circles gathered public attention, whichever you prefer— it also seeks to offer some background information in the history of the phenomenon, and the research conducted so far in trying to explain it. "The concept of our exhibition is based on the idea that there is a genuine, not man-made phenomenon", adds Monique Klinkenbergh. "For this view, we present evidence and background facts. Over the last three decades printed and aired media presented the phenomenon mostly as the result 'Dough and Dave', the two elderly tricksters who suddenly appeared on the scene in 1991, followed by students and hoaxers. With our exhibition in the Wiltshire Museum we also want to set some records straight from a research point of view. But what of the possibility of visiting an actual circle, instead of just looking at an aerial photograph? The Wiltshire museum also hosts the Crop Circle Access Centre, which is a mobile app informing on the latest formations & which ones are open to the public; it also seeks to compensate farmers whose field has had the 'fortune' of being chosen by the crop circle makers, paying them a portion of the money raised through the passes —field owners in other countries would wish to be so lucky… Over the years my personal opinion on the matter of crop circles has changed substantially. Back in the late 80's & early 90's I was convinced these 'agro-glyphs' represented tangible evidence of some sort of communication with a non-human intelligence; now I side with the notion that the great majority of the circles are created by clandestine artists, who prefer to remain anonymous as much to avoid legal repercussions, as to infuse their creations with the necessary amount of mystique. And yet that doesn't make those circles 'hoaxes' in my mind, nor does it mean some subtle interaction with an external influence is not occurring; a lot of the makers admit to sometimes feel 'compelled' to choose a particular design or location for reasons beyond their understanding, or sometimes report odd happenings while they are flattening the wheat using the infamous 'planking method' popularized by (the equally infamous) 'Doug & Dave.' Whichever the case, if you happen to have the chance to visit Wiltshire this summer, you might want to stop by at the museum, and perhaps write for us a review. [Hat tip to Andreas Müller] When we hear the word 'mummy' we immediately think of Egypt, pyramids & ancient pharaohs seeking to preserve their mortal remains for all eternity. But the truth of the matter is that, either by pure chance or on purpose, corpses showing an incredible state of preservation can be found all around the world. Such is the case of the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily, where Rosalía Lombardo, a little girl who died of pneumonia in 1920, was interred for her final rest after being embalmed at the request of her heart-stricken father. When researchers found the little body, they were so amazed by the incredibly life-like appearance of the mummy that Rosalía received the name of 'Sleeping Beauty.' According to the Peruvian journal El Comercio, scientists interested in learning more about the embalming techniques employed in Rosalía's body put a camera inside her sarcophagus, capable of taking pictures every 60 seconds. But the researchers were not prepared for what happened next: The images taken by the camera seemed to show the little mummy's eyes opening and closing. A phenomenon that repeats itself several times a day. A trick of the light? A miracle perhaps? Subsequent studies have come to the conclusion that Rosalia's 'blinking', is due to the natural humidity in the crypt where she's kept - that, or perhaps the little sleeping girl is just waiting for her dad to tell her a a good-night story... Original Link: Rosalía, la niña momificada que parece abrir los ojos Read more: Lost "Sleeping Beauty" Mummy Formula Found There tends to be a fair amount of overlap between those who love science fiction and those of a Fortean leaning - for example, William Gibson, author of the proto-Matrix novel Neuromancer, is known to be a subscriber to Fortean Times. But it seems the legendary science fiction author H.G. Wells can't be counted among that group. When the influential American novelist Theodore Dreiser sent Wells copies of Charles Fort's seminal publications The Book of the Damned and Lo! (Dreiser was one of Fort's biggest fans and supporters - he originally got his publisher to release The Book of the Damned in 1919 by threatening to take his own books elsewhere), Wells responded with a letter that left little doubt about his thoughts on Fort's writing style, topic of choice, and both Dreiser and Fort's penchant for attacking "orthodox science". I'm having Fort's Book of the Damned sent back to you. Fort seems to be one of the most damnable bores who ever cut scraps from out of the way newspapers. I thought they were facts. And he writes like a drunkard. Lo! has been sent to me but has gone into my wastepaper basket. And what do you mean by forcing "orthodox science" to do this or that? Science is a continuing exploration and how in the devil can it have an orthodoxy? The next you'll be writing is the "dogmas of science" like some blasted Roman Catholic priest on the defensive. When you tell a Christian you don't believe some yarn he can't prove, he always call you "dogmatic". Scientific workers are first rate stuff and very ill paid and it isn't for the likes of you and me to heave Forts at them. God dissolve (and forgive) your Fortean Society. Yours, Dreiser responded to Wells with a defence of his friend Fort, expressing his surprise that "You, the author of The War of the Worlds" could be "so sniffish and snotty over The Book of the Damned!", and pointed out to the great science fiction writer that Fort's strange anecdotes were not just cut from newspapers, but that also "a respectable body of his data seems to come from scientific papers, reports and letters written to the Royal Society in England and the American Academy of Science here". For more fascinating facts about the early years of Fortean studies, see Jim Steinmeyer's biography of the "mad genius of the Bronx", Charles Fort: The Man Who Invented the Supernatural (Amazon US and UK). My brain hurt like a warehouse it had no room to spare I had to cram so many things to store everything in there And all the fat-skinny people, and all the tall-short people And all the nobody people, and all the somebody people I never thought I'd need so many people... -David Bowie, Five Years If you had asked me as recently as two weeks ago if I thought the fifth anniversary of Slenderman's birth - today - was worth noting, I would have probably have said, "not so much". Other than the news that a feature length adaptation of the first (and still best) Slenderman video blog Marble Hornets had been announced, there was a feeling that the world's first open-source monster was fading into the background. Sites were shutting, Tumblr blogs such as Ask Slenderman were posting less and less often and shedding staff. And, though I still find the mythos that has appeared around him fascinating, I would have thought few others would still be interested. That was before last week. Before Wisconsin. The tragic events in the town of Waukesha, Wisconsin - in which two 12 year old girls attacked a third as an alleged sacrifice to Slenderman - horrified the world. Suddenly, every news agency was asking "what is Slenderman?" - the monster, it seemed, had finally found its wider audience. The suggestion of a possible second incident in Hamilton County, Ohio, and the fact that recent Las Vegas cop-killer Jerad Miller cosplayed as Slenderman (and The Joker) only emphasises this. As readers of Darklore will know, I’ve been watching the Slenderman phenomenon for over half of his lifespan (looking both at Slenderman’s origins and the possibility of killing at least local manifestations of it). One of the most significant aspects of the entire Slenderman mythos has been the way that Slenderman has slipped across the permeable membrane between fiction and reality - occupying a very old definition of the concept of myth, while simultaneously being a child of the most modern aspects of communication. Right from the very start, Slenderman crossed that line again and again - within the mythos, he has always been shown as a creature capable of crossing supposedly rigid boundaries of space and time effortlessly, and it is apt that this nature is reflected in the wider expression of the myth. In the videos purporting to be found footage of those unfortunates to have crossed his path, for the participants in the many Alternate Reality Games that appeared to further tell his tale, or simply those who, for a second, when playing the Slender game felt his faceless gaze upon them and shivered in terror... his presence is becoming more and more palpable. Whether you call it by the anthropological term ostension, see it as a manifestation of the hyper-real nature of how we perceive and are altered by symbols in times saturated them, or even believe that Slenderman is truly a new form of deity... there is no question that those entities whose birthplaces were in known fictional works are becoming more and more influential. Slenderman may simply be the first. Learning what to to do about that may become an important question for our times. It may even offer the possibility of understanding how all our beliefs sway us, can drive us to both atrocity and gnosis. However it plays out, the next five years of Slenderman will certainly be worth watching closely. You no longer have to go into the woods to have a terrifying encounter with some strange Fortean being...you can now do it in the comfort of your lounge via the Internet. As part of the marketing for the indie movie Lord of Tears (created on the back of a successful Kickstarter campaign), the 'Owlman' from the story made some surprise appearances on unsuspecting users of Chat Roulette (an online chat system which pairs random people from across the globe in webcam-based conversations). The results are at times hilarious, but also give some fun insights into the different ways people react when seeing something from beyond the outer limits. (Warning: some strong language) Okay, who cut a square chunk out of our sun? This recent footage from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) feels like something out of an episode of Doctor Who, given the 'artificial' feel of a rectangular coronal hole and the strange visual of seeing the Sun in the ultraviolet range: A coronal hole is an area where high-speed solar wind streams into space. It appears dark in extreme ultraviolet light as there is less material to emit in these wavelengths. Inside the coronal hole you can see bright loops where the hot plasma outlines little pieces of the solar magnetic field sticking above the surface. Because it is positioned so far south on the Sun, there is less chance that the solar wind stream will impact us here on Earth.

Pacific War Mysteries – Part 1 of 2 War has been an unfortunate and unavoidable feature of human nature since time unremembered. The Pacific Theater of World War II was one of the most ferocious displays of our propensity for war, and while we remember and record the major events of the war, there remain forgotten mysteries lurking in the background. Here among the stories of heroes and battles there can be found other, stranger accounts from the far flung corners of the Pacific. Within the historical cracks during the course of these tumultuous, violent clashes, we can find mysteries hiding in the shadows. In this first part of a two part series of articles, let us take a tour of some of these lesser known mysteries from one of the greatest wars in human history. Solomon Island Giants The Solomon Islands experienced some of the fiercest fighting in World War II, and are most famous for the bloody Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942 and 1943. Japanese forces had more to contend with than allied soldiers on the Solomon Islands. While traversing the islands’ numerous remote, thick rain forests, the soldiers often reported coming across giant, hairy hominids ranging from 10 to 15 feet in height, and covered in long, brown to reddish brown hair, with prominent brows, flat noses, and wide mouths. The creatures had immense arms and were known on occasion to even brandish crude weapons such as clubs. It was reported that the giants were known to be quite aggressive and even attack on occasion. Several units described these terrifying beasts crashing through foliage to ravage squads of soldiers, or snapping apart trees and branches in threatening displays of power. Bullets were said to have little effect on them and soldiers would on many occasions be kept awake by inhuman wailing from the dark as the strange behemoths wandered the night. Indeed, the Solomon Islands have a long history of mysterious giants, and the local people are well aware of them. There is a rich tradition of folklore, as well as sightings and footprint evidence of giant hairy hominids on the islands that continue right up to the present day. Bukit Timah Monkey Man The Bukit Timah Monkey Man is a hairy hominid or some sort of primate said to inhabit Singapore, primarily the Bukit Timah rainforest region. This cryptid is largely known through accounts from Japanese soldiers in World War II, who often encountered the creatures during the Japanese occupation of Singapore. This cryptid is said to be a bipedal, ape-like creature, around 3 to 6 feet tall, and covered with grayish hair. It is a typical example of what are often referred to as proto pygmies, or miniature hairy hominids, allegedly seen in many parts of the world. Although most accounts date from World War II, occasional sightings of these creatures persist into the present day. All sightings have occurred within the confines of the The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, which is a pristine protected area established in 1883 and is the only remaining primary forest in Singapore. The area has remained largely undisturbed and unspoiled for hundreds of years. The reserve only has an area of 1.64 square kilometers, yet has amazing biodiversity. It is said that 40% of Singapore’s flora and fauna is found here. Tigers were even found here until the end of the 19th century. It seems odd that a cryptid as large as the Monkey Man could remain undiscovered in such a small land area, regardless of how pristine or heavily forested it is. In addition, the reserve sits just 12 kilometers from the city center, and in modern times is surrounded on all sides by urban development. It could be that these hairy hominid reports are the result of misidentifications of crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis), which are common to the area. However, the soldiers would likely have been familiar with such macaques considering their resemblance to the Japanese macaques native to their homeland, and therefore perhaps not as likely to be mistaken for something more bizarre. Whatever they were seeing out there in the forests remains a mystery. Giant Land Crabs Soldiers stationed on remote islands of the Japanese archipelago, particularly in the Ryukyu island chain, were occasionally startled by giant crabs roaming around on beaches and in coastal forests. The crabs were described as being like large spiders, with long, spindly legs and small bodies. One horrifying account allegedly occurred in the aftermath of The Battle of Okinawa, a battle that was fought over 82 days in 1945 and is considered to be the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War. A Japanese unit came across a large number of what they described as huge, spider-like crabs feeding on the dead bodies of fallen soldiers on the beach. The crabs in this case were said to have leg spans ranging from 2 to 4 meters. It is generally thought that these accounts are the result of sighting giant Japanese spider crabs that had somehow wandered up onto land. Japanese spider crabs inhabit the waters of Japan and have the longest leg spans of any arthropod, up to 3.8 meters (12 feet). As their name suggests, they look very much like large, long legged spiders. The problem with this explanation lies in the fact that although spider crabs have been known to come into shallower waters from time to time, adult crabs are usually found at depths of 50 to 600 meters (160 to 2,000 feet). They are not known to leave their aquatic habitat and it doesn’t even appear to be biologically feasible for this species. Although it seems unlikely that these crabs would be able to emerge from the deep, cold waters they call home, they would certainly be a chilling and surprising sight on land. Giant crabs, giant spiders, or figments of the imagination? What were those soldiers seeing? It remains an enigma. Sea Monster Attack The sea had its own share of mysteries during the Pacific War. In addition to numerous sightings of sea serpents throughout the war, there is at least one instance of a ship actually being attacked by some kind of sea monster. The crew aboard one Japanese scout ship were surprised during one night time mission by something they could not readily explain. One crewman described how a surge of water erupted near the vessel, after which the boat was jolted by something ramming the hull. Other crewmen arrived and saw what appeared to a large grey shape in the water at least 50 feet long with a white underbelly, leathery skin, prominent dorsal fin, and what was described as “the head of an alligator.” The creature would ram the vessel, circle back, then ram it again. It got to the point where the bone jarring impacts caused the boat to list to starboard, upon which the shocked and panicked crew opened fire, finally sending whatever it was that had attacked them back into the depths from which it came. There was so much damage to their ship that they were forced to abandon their mission and go back for repairs. We will continue our tour of these wartime oddities in the upcoming second installment of this series.

Posted by: Loren Coleman on June 29th, 2008 Famed natural history artist Alexis Rockman painted the cover of the 2001 edition of Mysterious America depicting a real encounter he and his cryptozoology expedition associates had with a giant catfish in the Amazon. The new edition of Mysterious America contains a chapter on “Giant Catfish” sightings, which continue throughout North America and elsewhere in the world. These tales overlap with swamp monster encounters, lake monster ponderings, and weird animal happenings. Giant catfish do exist, which is a fact not in dispute. The question is how “giant” does “giant” get and where are they living today. In an article today on the giant cryptid catfish accounts, news reporter Mike Bolton picks it up where I temporarily left the quest in my book: You’ve no doubt heard the ages-old story. Scuba divers inspecting a nearby dam emerge from the water terrified. In the dark waters below, they had spotted catfish as large as a Volkswagen. They refused to go back into the water for fear they might get swallowed whole. That urban legend dates back to the 1950s. More than half-a-century later, fishery biologists in Alabama say they still hear the giant-catfish-below-a-dam story dozens of times a year. It’s not just an Alabama story. A search on the Internet finds the same story told about dams all across the United States. The question, though, is could there really be a catfish in Alabama big enough to eat a human? Fishery biologists concede a catfish might actually try to swallow a human if it were big enough. There are plenty of confirmed stories of catfish eating unusual objects and taking on a meal so large that the fish or other objects became lodged in the catfish’s throat. “Of anything predatory, you can find confirmed stories where a fish or animal attacked something too large for it to handle,” said Joe Addison, a Department of Conservation and Natural Resources fisheries biologist said. “On occasion they’ll even attack something so large it will become lodged in their throat and it will kill them.” Still, Addison and other fisheries biologists say the stories of giant catfish capable of eating a human just aren’t true. Neither Alabama, nor anywhere else in the United States for that matter, has catfish that large, they say. Catfish such as the 646-pound, 8-foot-long Mekong catfish caught recently in Thailand aren’t found in Alabama. Neither are the giant wels catfish found in Europe. In fact, the largest catfish ever recorded in Alabama weighed 111 pounds. The largest catfish ever recorded in the United States is the 121-pound blue catfish caught from the Texas side of Lake Texoma in 2004. Even a 121-pound catfish isn’t going to try to inhale a human being, Addison said. “I have personally spawned 50-pound catfish at the hatchery in Marion and I can tell you that a catfish twice that size or even three times that size cannot eat a human,” he said. Big one in Walker Co.: Sumiton’s John Beal probably would have agreed with Addison prior to last Sunday. What he saw at Walker County Lake in Jasper changed his mind. Beal was fishing at daylight Sunday when he spotted what he first thought was a log. It turned out to be an unusually large flathead catfish with a smaller blue catfish lodged in its mouth. Beal, fishing by himself, snagged the struggling catfish with a hook as it slowly swam by. He then wrestled with the fish and dragged it ashore. The fish was reported to the department of conservation on Monday and biologists were told that the flathead catfish likely weighed 150 pounds. A fisheries biologist was dispatched to Walker County Lake. The fish was weighed on certified scales and came in at 55 pounds. The fish taken from its mouth weighed 12 pounds. The big catfish is still alive in a tank at Walker County Lake. “I say definitely this fish could have gotten a child’s head in its mouth and possibly a grown man’s head,” Beal said. “We measured, and it had the other fish 14 inches down its throat. “It was an incredible sight.” Addison believes there is no way that even a child’s head could fit inside the mouth of a fish that size. Stories of catfish biting off more they can handle are common. Noodlers, the fishermen who run their arms up in underwater holes to feel for catfish, often report having their arms sucked into a catfish’s throat up to the elbow, even on 30-pound fish. At Sandalwood Lake in Wichita, Kan., in 2004, a flathead catfish made national news for its appetite. Lakeside residents there discovered the catfish, estimated at 50 pounds, had inhaled a child’s basketball and it was stuck in the fish’s mouth. The fish was alive and trying to dive to the bottom, but the basketball kept bringing it to the surface. Lake resident Bill Driver caught the fish with a net and tried unsuccessfully to pry the basketball from the flathead catfish’s mouth. The ball was finally removed after it was punctured with a knife. The fish swam away unharmed. Phony fish tales: A catfish getting a less-than-regulation basketball in its mouth and getting a whole human in its mouth are two different things, state fisheries biologist Jack Turner says. “Everybody has heard the old story about the giant catfish below dams,” Turner said. “There’s no reason to believe there are any catfish anywhere in Alabama capable of eating even a small child. “There are historical reports that can’t be verified from the 1800s and early 1900s of catfish weighing over 200 pounds in Alabama. Those may or may not be true. Still, a 200-pound catfish would not come close to being able to eat even a small child.” The Internet has done wonders for the rebirth of stories of man-eating catfish. The investigative Web site www.snopes.com has refuted them all. The story of the 187-pound catfish caught in Texas that has circulated around the Internet in recent years turned out to be a wels catfish caught in Italy. The monstrous catfish caught in a lake in China that reportedly had a whole human inside turned out to be a whale shark that was caught from the ocean and it had no human inside. “There are some big catfish out there in other countries but I have never seen it documented that they have ever eaten a human,” Turner said. “The Mekong catfish in Asia grow to be 500 pounds or more and the wels catfish in Europe can grow to be several hundred pounds, I believe. “But there’s nothing like that in Alabama.” “Just another wild (cat)fish story,” by Mike Bolton, Sunday, June 29, 2008, Birmingham News, Alabama. Thanks to Helen McGinnis for sending along this article. Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading. 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.

As Daniel Loxton and I worked on our magnum opus about cryptozoology (due out in mid-July at TAM), we wrestled with the issues of book length, since our exhaustive research on cryptids like Bigfoot, Nessie, and the Yeti were much longer and more comprehensive than even we imagined at first. We ended up leaving out a few cryptids (like the other lake monsters, and the Chupacabra) that have received excellent book-length debunkings by Ben Radford, Joe Nickell, and others. But even in our wildest imaginations, we never thought we needed to put in a chapter (or even a sentence) about mermaids! Yet mermaids have just become the hottest new cryptid in the media and cryptozoology community. A year ago, the Animal Planet channel ran a hokey “documentary” on mermaids called “Mermaids: The Body Found”, and got a lot of coverage (and outrage) at the obviously faked “documentary” that was not promoted as fiction. Brian Switek gave it the best assessment: it “embodied the rotting carcass of science TV.” Clearly, however, ratings speak louder than the outrage of skeptics and experts, because last week they did another “documentary” on the same topic. Entitled “Mermaids: The New Evidence,” it wasted a perfectly good 2 hours of airtime on Animal Planet on Sunday night, May 26. It was just like the first program: a lot of moody, dark, poorly lit shots of vague forms and backgrounds, a lot of CG reconstructions of “mermaids”, “re-enactments” shot like the “Blair Witch Project” and presented as real events, but no actual physical or photographic evidence of any kind. The “video footage” was all so poor and blurry that it proved nothing except the incompetence of the videographer. The “money shot” is a distant telephoto image of something on a Greenland ice floe that could just as easily be a seal (and probably was). The entire two hours was filled with this fluff and fakery. Just as in the first program, they had lots of speculation about cave drawings or images from ancient cultures that might represent mermaids. Since when did we start taking ancient mythologies as evidence of biological reality? Do we believe that Osiris and Isis and Ra and Nut are real because the Egyptians drew them on their tombs and temples? There is a bit about the cultural mythology about mermaids over the centuries, but it is extremely superficial and keeps implying that if people believed these myths, then they must be based on some truth. Again, they mentioned P.T. Barnum and his famous faked “FeeJee mermaid” (which they admit was a hoax made by combining several specimens using taxidermy), but claimed that Barnum had a real mermaid that he could never show anyone. Really? Barnum had no qualms about making a buck off of any hoax or fake, no matter how ridiculous. Given Barnum’s track record, why would we believe ANY evidence he produced? Of course, the fact that Barnum never showed his “specimen” is all chalked up to conspiracies and outside forces which are trying to suppress the truth, a theme which runs throughout both shows. In short, nearly everything about the show follows the same old tired formula of the crappy shows about Bigfoot and other cryptids, or UFOs, that have proliferated on many of these formerly “scientific” cable channels. All of these shows peddle pure nonsense, and they know that it’s garbage. Just like P.T. Barnum, however, they don’t care as long as people watch. As P.T. himself said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” The bulk of the program’s overlong presentation was padded (as was the first show) by the ridiculous “aquatic ape” hypothesis made famous by Elaine Morgan, which is pop anthropology at its worst. First making the best-seller list back in the 1970s, it was completely debunked back then, and virtually forgotten as a footnote from the archives of long-debunked ridiculous ideas that crop up in anthropology off and on. But that was almost 50 years ago, and no one remembers that we beat this horse to death the first time—so it pops back into the public consciousness again, ready to dupe a whole new generation of credulous people who are too young to recall why it was abandoned the first time around. For those who don’t know the story, the “aquatic ape” hypothesis argues that our hairlessness and a few other anatomical features are due to our past history of being aquatic creatures, so we lost our long body hair as have dolphins and whales. (Not explained is how our entire lower bodies evolved into a fish-like tail in just a few million years). It’s a classic “just-so” story—cherry-pick a few features that seem to suggest one idea, then ignore the vast majority of data that doesn’t—and then peddle it to the masses with a best-selling book to cash in before the scientific community catches up. The list of problems with the idea are summarized here and here, so I won’t belabor the point further. The fakery goes even deeper than just the blurry footage and conspiracy-mongering. Just as in the first show, they have several “experts” on camera such as “Dr. Paul Robertson of NOAA”, who is actually an actor named Andre Weidemann, with no affiliation with NOAA. There’s even an IMDB page for the show which gives the complete cast of actors who pretended being “scientists” and “experts” and “witnesses”. Meanwhile, NOAA was deluged with mail and emails demanding that they release this evidence that they have been suppressing, and reinforcing the conspiratorial thinking of the show’s audience. NOAA was obliged to waste their time with a statement that affirmed that indeed, mermaids don’t exist—not that it will convince the type of viewer that believes this bunk in the first place. Unlike many of the shows on Bigfoot, UFOs, and other fakes, this one actually admits that the entire program is fictional—but only in the end, in a disclaimer in the fine print in the closing credits! How many people will stick around long enough even watch the closing credits, let alone read the tiny boilerplate text at the end that admits the entire work is fiction? The press release for both shows admits the work is fiction, but who reads press releases? Anyone who does the simplest search will find out that it is all a fraud. But most people who watch such shows are not warned during the bulk of the two hours that it’s all fiction. Typically, they’re not the kind of people who tend to doubt what they see on TV, or check to see if it’s real. As Jim Vorel commented on his review of the original show: Aside from “certain events in this film are fictional,” (which means “as much of it as we want”) that sounds like standard legal boilerplate. But in this case, the line about “actual persons” is even more significant, because get this—the two main characters appearing on screen to give “their story” throughout the entire program? They don’t exist. As in, they’re not real human beings. The person presented as “Dr. Paul Robertson” is an actor named Andre Weideman, and at no point does the program make any admission of this. He says he was a researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration? Lies. He says his team’s data was confiscated by the government? Lies. And how do they get away with saying all of this? By small-print, tacit admissions to anyone in actual authority that “Look, we’re just making something for entertainment, nobody is going to take it seriously.” The problem is of course that the general public can’t be bothered to verify any of this information, and plenty simply take it at face value. They do take it seriously. If you go on Google and go searching around for discussion of the program, the stuff you find will blow your mind, as people find reasons to believe a two-hour television special on the secret existence of mermaids. Look a little longer and you’ll run across all sorts of cryptozoological believers. My favorites are the ones who shoot down each other’s theories as ridiculous and then offer even crazier opinions. “You’re a fool for believing the aquatic ape theory! Anyone with half a brain knows that mermaids are the direct descendents of ‘nephilim,’ the gigantic early ancestors of man that existed before the flood of Noah!” The statement to the left is an actual opinion that I read last night. I am not making this up—unlike the filmmakers. One of the best touches is the website for “Dr. Paul Robertson,” which bears a realistic-looking message saying that it was “seized by Homeland Security.” Good evidence of a cover-up, right? The government doesn’t want you to know the truth! Or at least this would be good evidence, if it hadn’t been put together by the film’s creators themselves to make their case look legitimate. You need look no further than the vagueness claiming that a warrant was issued by “a United States District Court.” In an actual web seizure like this one at a sports streaming website, the specific court is always listed. See the additional detail? Unfortunately, this simply distraction is all a conspiracy theorist needs to leap into action. It’s classic confirmation bias. This is a disgusting amount of effort for a group of filmmakers to go to, just in order to make a quick buck by sensationalizing their film and trying to cause a stir by portraying it as “banned” or suppressed by the government. A web-savvy community in 2012 shouldn’t be able to be taken in by something so stupid. We’re supposed to be smarter than this. And shame on a network like The Discovery Channel for airing “documentaries” that are entirely fictional accounts of nonexistent creatures. Shows like “A Haunting,” “Ghost Lab” and their faked reality series “The Colony” are bad enough. But mermaids? Vorel makes the larger point that cleverly produced fakes like this have an even worse effect: they are damaging to the overall public perception of reality, imbuing those with no desire to question the “evidence” they are given with a false sense of being “in the know,” which is of course one of the major appeals of any conspiracy. It doesn’t even matter that immediately after airing, all the claims of the show are debunked, because many of the people who watch these programs will spend the next decade of their life walking around, telling other people they meet that mermaids are “totally real, it was on the Discovery Channel, man.” Don’t believe that people are that foolish? There are still people debating an 11-year-old moon landing hoax special that aired on FOX, even though it was complete malarkey. There are human beings walking the face of the Earth right now who believe that this planet is flat. That’s the nature of rumors about secret knowledge—we really want to believe them, because they confirm our biases and make us feel informed. Marine biologist David Schiffman commented on another pernicious effect of such programming: it gives people a completely misleading notion about the oceans. The seas are dying off due to global warming, the coral reefs of the world are vanishing due to bleaching caused by heat and too much carbon dioxide, and fish populations around the world are crashing due to overexploitation. Even sharks are being hunted to extinction due to irrational fears caused by sensationalist shows on cable TV and the huge appetite for shark-fin soup in Chinese culture. Even more importantly, the sea is full of wonders that are real, and could make great entertaining programming—if only the TV producers cared about reality more than ratings. Instead, as deep-sea ecologist Andrew David Thaler (in the Schiffman article) said: the ocean is a vast, unexplored frontier. The deep sea is Earth’s last great wilderness. When we do venture into the abyss, we find creatures more diverse and incredible that our relatively limited imaginations can conceive. Don’t insult that wonder with something as utterly mundane as ‘human with fish tail.’ ” But do the TV producers care? Not likely. This latest piece of pseudoscientific garbage garnered record ratings of 3.6 million viewers for Animal Planet, and a huge buzz in Twitter and elsewhere of people who were taken in and are now true believers. Are the producers at all concerned that they just peddled one of the worst frauds on the public in TV history? I doubt it. Just like Liberace (whose own sordid biography was exploited in the same week on a different channel) famously said, they probably “cried all the way to the bank.”