Saturday, September 6, 2008

Twins Born 3 Years Apart

Here's an interesting tidbit

Creating medical history of sorts, an embryological twin was born after a gap of three years at a fertility clinic here.

A baby boy was born in the clinic three years after his twin sister was born in 2005.

The doctor said "sperm and ovum were taken from the couple and three embryos were formed in the laboratory of the clinic in January, 2005". 

One of them was separated and placed in Rubai's womb and she gave birth to a female child, Ishani, in October that year, the doctor said.

The other two embryos were preserved in liquid nitrogen in a deep freezer. Three years later, when the couple wanted another child, one of the preserved embryos was taken out of the freezer and inserted in the mother's womb.

It's hard to keep up with medical breakthroughs these days. What's next, they'll tell us they've cloned a sheep




Thursday, September 4, 2008

RE: The Zodiac Story

Good find, Mac.

Here's the video to that story:



Here is a link to the follow-up of the story. This could either be one of the greatest finds in true crime history (the greatest for me) or the most disappointing.

Can't wait to see. More as it comes...

C

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

FBI Investigates New Evidence In The Zodiac Murders

For any of you not familiar with the Zodiac Killer, his murder spree took the lives of five known victims between December 1968 and October 1969. Although  suspects were questioned, no hard evidence has left the mystery unsolved to this day. Perhaps this could be the long needed break in the case.

The FBI confirmed to CBS13 on Thursday that they are now running laboratory tests on some items that may link a suspect to the killer.

The evidence was given to the FBI by a Pollock Pines man who also claims he recently found the disguise worn by the Zodiac Killer during one of his attacks.
"The identity of the Zodiac Killer is Jack Tarrance. He's my stepfather," said Dennis Kaufman.

Eight years of Dennis Kaufman's life has been consumed with attempting to prove the only father he's known since he was five-years-old is none other than the Zodiac Killer.

During the quest to prove his stepfather’s guilt, Kaufman found several pieces of intriguing evidence, including handwriting comparisons, phone taps, a knife, and the famous Zodiac Hood.

Just recently, Kaufman remembered his stepfather asking him several times about an old PA system, which led him to take it apart.

"When I first opened it up that did affect me. My heart skipped a couple of beats when I saw it," he said.

The material folded and tucked inside, Kaufman believes, may unmask the zodiac killer.

"It was a black hood with a zodiac on it," Kaufman said.

It's similar to the hood worn during the vicious 1968 Lake Berryessa attack, which could be key evidence connecting his stepfather to the killings. He also believes there are dozens of additional victims which were never linked to the Zodiac, including Kaufman's own mother, who he claims was suffocated.

"She sat there and told me Jack was trying to kill her and I didn't listen. I can only imagine how she felt. Imagine how scary that would be. That is what kept me going this whole time," he said.

The FBI confirmed they are running DNA tests on items that Kaufman gave them.

One can only hope that this new evidence could bring closure to the mystery. If the evidence pans out and proves in fact that Jack Tarrance is the Zodiac, it would be a bittersweet victory of some sort… Jack Tarrance died in 2006.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s… Ticket Across the Pacific?

Here’s an interesting piece. Who knew that sailing across the Pacific Ocean aboard a trash boat could be so much fun? I guess you can make anything happen with enough ingenuity… And a relentless desire to raise awareness of “ocean debris” - By sailing 2,600 freaking miles across the Pacific Ocean. Am I crazy for thinking that’s absolutely crazy?



I in no way want to belittle these guys' accomplishment, or the importance of ocean junk, but personally, I’d just make a donation to a local charity to assist in raising awareness. But hey… that’s just me. All in all, I have to hand it to these guys. They managed to do something different.


Friday, August 29, 2008

Another Strange Find


Here's another one for you. At first glance, it would appear that someone has just opened one of Cleveland's dresser drawers. It is very similar, but not quite as disturbing and not as covered in jelly. These happen to be Malachite crystals. Nothing mysterious or unexplainable, just thought you guys should know that this kind of stuff is out there. Watch your backs.

Not to change the subject but...Who the hell is Varian? What is Cleveland thinking? Where did he get the money? He still owes me money. Hasn't he seen Hostel?

I love how he blows back into town, posts some crap about having the plague and then flies off to meet some internet chick.

WTF?

Does Cleveland even get what it means to be part of a team? Fine, go, you've stayed your hour. We don't need Cleveland here at team Xoom. If he's gonna blow us off like this, maybe we should start combing the pervert clubs for his replacement. Shouldn't be too hard to find someone else sitting around naked, filming themselves being a jack off in their fruit salad, silk jacket. I hope the ghost of Bruce Lee kicks his ass.

Have fun in Hong Kong you Hong Dong.

Am I wrong? Am I wrong? Donny, you're out of your element!

I Can Go Get My Pliers Now

I posted something the other day about a run in I had with some kind of C.H.U.D. creature. It made me scream like a little girl and almost piss my pants. Some of you might not be familiar with the story, so catch up before reading on.

I sent out an appeal for help, and my cry was heard. A person claiming to be a Mycologist sent me an email explaining it. He said that it was actually two fungus creatures getting it on! The dark clumps in the middle and bottom are one kind of fungus while the spines shooting out are actually parasitizing the clumps. He said he couldn't tell me more without a sample. I said he could take a flying f**k at a rolling donut, with all due respect of course. I'm going in there with bleach water and a couple of cans of Sterno and I'll break up this little mold orgy before it gets out of hand.

I really like those pliers.

He also said that my photosensitive theories about the creature were not only baseless, but quite simply, retarded.

Good call on the Manilow coif MacReady. Did you get that picture from Cleveland's, "Pictures I like to look at while I sit around half naked gulping and throwing wine" file?

MacReady's Top 5 Disappearances: Recap

So there you have it folks, my top 5 disappearances. Although there are many other disappearances out there, these are the ones that I chose. I once again must reiterate for guys like Cleveland "I spilled the Wine" Williams - My list in no way dictates what the best or most mysterious disappearance, just my favorites.  

5. Louis Le Prince

If you have any disappearances that you think should've made the list, let me know. I'll be happy to investigate. 


Thursday, August 28, 2008

MacReady’s Top 5 Disappearances: #1 – Flight 19

The mysteries surrounding Flight 19 have long been a fascination of mine. If you’ve ever heard of the Bermuda Triangle, then you’ve probably heard to Flight 19.

It all began on December 5th, 1945 when Flight 19, a group five TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, was on a routine over water navigation training exercise - It became anything but routine. Forty minutes after completing leg three of the exercise “Naval Air Station, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, navigation problem No. 1,” Flight 19 was lost.

Lieutenant Robert F. Fox in FT-74 was forming up with his group of students for the same mission when he received an unidentified transmission.

A male voice had asked Powers [one of the students] what his compass read, the recorded reply being "I don't know where we are. We must have got lost after that last turn." Fox then transmitted; "This is FT-74, plane or boat calling 'Powers' please identify yourself so someone can help you." The response after a few moments was a request from the others in the flight for suggestions. FT-74 tried again and a man identified as FT-28 (Taylor) came on. "FT-28, this is FT-74, what is your trouble?" "Both of my compasses are out", Taylor replied, "and I am trying to find Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I am over land but it's broken. I am sure I'm in the Keys but I don't know how far down and I don't know how to get to Fort Lauderdale."




Florida Keys? Why would Taylor, Flight 19’s instructor, think they were flying over the Florida Keys? Wouldn’t he remember flying that far off course?

Taylor had been known “fly by the seat of his pants”, which led to him getting lost several times in the past as well as having to ditch at sea.

In the end, Taylor’s attempt of find Fort Lauderdale would inadvertently be the demise of Flight 19. So certain in his location over the Florida keys, Taylor would lead his group northeast in an attempt to find land, in reality he was leading his group deep into the heart of the Atlantic ocean, never to be seen again.

In another strange event, a PBM Mariner flying boat exploded in midair while searching for Flight 19. The Navy would later report this to be a mechanical failure.

The initial 500-page Navy board of investigation report put the blame on Taylor, but was later amending to “Cause Unknown” due to Taylor's mother claims that the Navy was unfairly blaming her son for the loss of five aircraft and 14 men.

So where is Flight 19 now?

In 1991, salvage operator, Graham Hawkes discovered the wreckage of five Avengers off the coast of Florida. This had to be it… but it wasn’t.

The serial numbers did not match. The five Avengers found were indeed lost at sea, but on five separate occasions. Yes you heard right, five Avengers from five different missions on five separate dates - all crashed in the same spot. How is this possible?

As you can imagine, this amazing find did little in providing solid answers, and in return created a number of new questions.

What do you think happened to Flight 19? Did Taylor lead his men aimlessly out to sea? Did the aliens from Close Encounters of the Third Kind abduct them? Did Flight 19 slip into some sort of time warp through the Bermuda Triangle?

Truly, I don’t think there will ever be an answer to the puzzle of Flight 19. For its mysterious nature and my fascination with the Bermuda Triangle, Flight 19 tops my list as the #1 disappearance.



DNC Protestors Fear the Crap Canon

Have you heard the Brown Note?

If so, you or anyone in your vicinity would know… Trust me. For those of you unfamiliar with the famous Brown Note, I’ll be more than happy to explain.

The Brown Note has long been rumored as an ultra low frequency that causes anyone within range to unwillingly let loose a chocolate goose. Allez Cuisine!

So why is the Brown Note making news?

Rumor has it that the Crap Canon is in place and will be used as a deterrent for protesters at the DNC.

Mark Cohen, co-founder of Re-create 68, an alliance of local activists working for the protection of first amendment rights, said he believes this could be deployed at the convention in August to subdue crowds.
“We know this weapon and weapons like it have been used at other large protests before,” he said.

Cohen, who described Brown Note as a “sonic weapon used to disrupt people’s equilibrium,” cited eyewitness accounts of its use during free-trade agreement protests in Miami in 2003.

“I think these weapons were mostly intended for military use and so their use for dealing with innocent protesters seems highly inappropriate,” he said. “The idea that they might be field testing them on people who are doing nothing more than exercising their first amendment rights is disturbing.”

His group is preparing against a possible attack by Brown Note and other crowd-control measures by dispatching street medics at the convention trained in treating injuries in demonstration situations.

“It’s all we can do,” Cohen said.

I must say, I was very tempted to add another “do” at the end of Cohen’s last statement, but I’m way past the cheeky games of toilet humor.

When confronted by the rumors of the Brown Note, Admiral Motti had only this to offer:
Any attack made by the Rebels against the DNC would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they have obtained. This Crap Canon is now the ultimate power in the universe. I suggest we use it.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

RE: OMG - Dick's Creature

Dick, that creature is pathetic. I've seen more intimidating creatures at Barry Manilow concerts. Yes, I said Barry Manilow. What, you can't take a little Barry Manilow. Oh Mandy - Well, you came and you gave without takin'

Wait a second... That creature of yours looks like Mr. Manilow's hair.

I'm just kiddin Dick. I'll give you this much - If I were in your shoes and looked up to see that thing, I'd definitely would have gone pee pee everywhere.

You should have caught the illusive furry creature and kept it as your own. It could have been the Xoom mascot.

MacReady’s Top 5 Disappearances: #2 – Amelia Earhart

If you’ve been following the post of Cleveland “It came out” Williams (which I highly doubt you are), you would know that my #2 pick is going to be Amelia Earhart. Not only does Cleveland specialize in the art of exposing himself (literally), but also the art of exposing the topics of my future post.

What was I talking about again? – Oh yeah… Amelia Earhart.

Amelia Mary Earhart was a legend in the world of aviation. Notable achievements include the Distinguished Flying Cross, which she was awarded for her solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

With many accomplishments to her name, and without a doubt more to come, it all came to an end on July 2nd, 1937 during her final approach to Howland Island.

Through a series of misunderstandings or errors (the details of which are still controversial), the final approach to Howland Island using radio navigation wasn't successful. Fred Noonan had earlier written about problems affecting the accuracy of radio direction finding in navigation. Some sources have noted Earhart's apparent lack of understanding of her Bendix direction finding loop antenna, which at the time was very new technology. Another cited cause of possible confusion was that the USCG cutter Itasca and Earhart planned their communication schedule using time systems set a half hour apart (with Earhart using Greenwich Civil Time (GCT) and the Itasca under a Naval time zone designation system).

Motion picture evidence from Lae suggests that an antenna mounted underneath the fuselage may have been torn off from the fuel-heavy Electra during taxi or takeoff from Lae's turf runway, though no antenna was reported found at Lae. Don Dwiggins, in his biography of Paul Mantz (who assisted Earhart and Noonan in their flight planning), noted that the aviators had cut off their long-wire antenna, due to the annoyance of having to crank it back into the aircraft after each use.

Many believe Amelia’s plane crashed on the Japanese-controlled Saipan Island.



Regardless of what happened  that day, Amelia's life achievements and legend will continue to amaze us, and the mystery of her disappearance will continue to puzzle us.

Guess. Where. I'm. Going...

In,

Guys,

This girl, Varian, I've been talking too, turns out I'm gonna get to meet her. Yep. That's right, I'm going to Hong Kong baby! And I asked her, first thing, if she'd take me to BRUCE FRICKIN' LEE'S HOUSE!!!



Maybe you guys can list some other sites to see (especially Mr. Xoom and his Hong Kong Film watching self).

I'm going. That's it. This girl is awesome. I'll keep you updated on any and all arrangements. Maybe I can find out the truth behind this devil mirror while finding love.

C--You know he's out...

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Toss Another ET On The Barbie


Well it looks like the Aussies are becoming very popular with alien tourists. In recent weeks an apparent "armada" has invaded the Northern Territory.

The objects being reported and photographed range from dark colored disks flying in broad daylight to mystery spook lights after dark.

Last month, Roger Perner, 52, of the Hunter Valley in NSW, was taking pictures of eagles at Policeman's Point in Timber Creek on the Victoria River when he noticed a strange object in one of the shots.

In March, Ruth Palmer, 27, of Rosebery, Palmerston, took a picture of her husband Richard Magree in front of the Devils Marbles, near infamous UFO town Wycliffe Well. When she looked at the photograph she noticed a strange object in the sky flying above her husband's shoulder.

Stephen Jones, of Alice Springs, was also baffled when he photographed strange lights in the sky near Banka Banka, while driving from Darwin to Alice Springs in February.

You can read the article here. I may be wrong about this, but I think it warrants another Crocodile Dundee sequel. What's Paul Hogan doing now anyway?

Sunday, August 24, 2008

"Oh My God, What The Hell Is That?!"

So I was doing some plumbing yesterday. I was in the crawlspace of a new house that had been vacant for about a year. I had just finished sweating the last two copper joints for the washing machine when a strange sensation came over me. I had been alone, but I didn't really feel that way anymore. I glanced around, probing the darkness with my handy headlamp, but saw nothing. I went back to the task at hand and started packing up my gear. I got everything packed up except my pliers and couldn't remember where I had set them. I began to look around on the little ledge below the floor joists. As my light rounded the corner, I was suddenly face to whatever with THIS CRAZY LOOKING SON OF A BITCH!!!!


What the hell is this folks? I've been under many many houses over the years, and I've been in some nasty places and seen some nasty shit, but I've never seen anything like this.

I was paralyzed. I tried to call out for help, but no sound would come out. I just stood there, staring. I wouldn't shine the light on it for more than three or four seconds at a time, as it might have been photosensitive and grown to immense proportions. I just made my observations in short intervals.

When the feeling returned to my legs, I slowly backed away. Never breaking eye contact, never faster than a crawl, until I'd finally reached the door and emerged into the sweet salvation of the sunshine. I sprinted to my truck and grabbed my camera, shovel, and a Japanese pull saw.

When I returned to the crawlspace, I was relieved/terrified to see the entity still in place. Sitting there, being alien. I readied the shovel in defense and snapped a few photos because I knew no one would believe me. Fearing the possibility of the flash causing the gigantism issue I mentioned earlier, I limited the amount of pics taken. You may view a slide show of the mystery Cryptid here.

Someone please tell me what this thing is and how I can stop it. I have to get my pliers back.

The Sick One Speaks Again

Look who came out to play... And share his opinion.  

Yes. Amelia Earhart is going to be my number 2. As far as your concerns over my list not being creepy enough – Suck a big one.

MacReady’s Top 5 Disappearances is just that – MacReady’s Top 5 Disappearances.

I figured I’d be catching some flack over this from you. This list represents my favorite disappearances, not the creepiest, and certainly not yours.

Let it be known that early in my selection process, you actually made the short list for my top 5, but in the end… I thought the French guy was way more interesting.

How does it feel to get beat out by a French guy with the last name Prince?

With all that said, it's good to have you back. 

From the 'Uh Oh, Cutman's Auto Insurance Just Went Up Again' Files


What a headline:

Drunk, High, Naked Driver Crashes Into Parked Car While Masturbating...

Sheesh, Cutman:

Canadian James Boppre[Known in the States as "Richard Cutman" - ed.], former owner of a successful landscaping business, was on parole with house arrest on condition of sobriety after drunk driving and weapons convictions. On the evening of July 30th, Boppre fell off the wagon in a serious way. It started out with booze and ended with Boppre crashing into a parked car, speeding, drunk, high on crack, and masturbating naked with a similarly nude hooker, who was also masturbating.


Oh, nevermind. Can't be Cutman. It was a female hooker...

Sorry for the mix-up, Dick.



Hat Tip: Jalopnik.com

MacCready and His Disappearances...


MacNugget,



After ragging on me about my "Tank Man" not being creepy, you go and try to post the same type of stuff. Your Top 5 Disappearances? What are you, Letterman of Xoom?

I know, I know. Amelia Earhart will be on here. Hoffa is cliche. You'd better bring something unpredictable, man. I mean, I've been sick, but now I'm just depressed.



"Tank Man" baby.

"Tank Man."

Out.

MacReady’s Top 5 Disappearances: #3 – A Man Named Hoffa

On July 30, 1975, James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa disappeared – Never to be seen again.

His life story was fascinating to say the least, but would ultimately be overshadowed by the mysterious circumstances surrounding his disappearance. When mapping out the timeline of Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance, it’s hard to distinguish fact from fiction.

Since Hoffa’s disappearance, every wise guy from Sicily to The Bronx has claimed his or her involvement - A Dago fairytale grandfathers could tell their grandchildren. “Did I ever tell you that I shook hands with Hoffa?” Did I ever tell you I know where Hoffa’s body is?” Did I ever tell you... and so on and so on.

Hoffa once said, “To the best of my recollection, I must recall on my memory, I cannot remember.”

One thing can be certain, the people who truly know what happened to Hoffa on that day have done a great job of following his quote, cause they sure aren’t talking.

To view a full timeline of Hoffa events, click here.

Five Hoaxes That Fooled The Entire World


Great article up over at Neatorama on five of the great hoaxes in world history. Here's a blurb on the mechanical chess playing "Turk":

This might not seem so impressive in the day and age of computers, but at the time, a mechanical man who could beat anyone at chess was quite the novelty.

Wolfgang von Kempelen constructed just that. It baffled people from 1770 until 1854. It was a life-sized man from the waist up, dressed in robes and a turban (to emphasize the mystic quality, I suppose). It sat with a cabinet which opened to reveal all kinds of cogs and gears and complicated-looking machinery, which were designed to hide a person sitting on a sliding seat. The person could maneuver around in the cabinet to conceal himself as the presenter opened various cabinet doors to prove that nothing was inside but machinery. The person inside would then use various levers to make the Turk move, pick up chess pieces and even shake his head disapprovingly at opponents trying to cheat. The Turk defeated the likes of Benjamin Franklin and Napoleon Bonaparte. Edgar Allan Poe wrote an essay on it, guessing how the tricks were done, but was largely incorrect.

Go check out the rest at the link.

Somehow, I don't think Tom Biscardi and the Georgia Bigfoot hoaxers will make a similar list in the future...

Saturday, August 23, 2008

MacReady’s Top 5 Disappearances: #4 – An Aviation Legend is Gone

On Monday, September 3, 2007, at 8:45 am, Steve Fossett took off in a single-engine Bellanca Super Decathlon airplane from a private airstrip near Carson City – Never to be seen again.

According to Civil Air Patrol, Fossett took off with enough fuel for a four to five area flight. No flight plans were filed. Fossett’s disappearance set into motion the largest search-and-rescue effort ever conducted for a person within the U.S., costing 1.6 million dollars. On September 7, 2007, Google Inc. even stepped in and offered its satellite connections in efforts to help find Fossett.

After only two weeks of search efforts, the rescue was called off. This has led to many conspiracies among skeptics. From alien abductions to an elaborate pseudocide, nothing has been off limits to the theorist.

Many believe Fossett may have accidentally, or willingly, flied into military controlled airspace and subsequently shot down. This may be a stretch to many, and I stand neutral on the debate, but if he did in fact fly over military air space, I have no doubts that he could have and probably would have been shot down.

Remote viewer Ed Dames claims that Fossett was in fact not in Nevada when his plane crashed, but was instead miles away in the Sierra Nevada region of California. If true, this would mean all search efforts were conducted in the wrong place. It is also worth noting that Ed Dames was trained in remote viewing by the United States Government's "Stargate Project".

 




Without a shadow of doubt, Steve Fossett was a fascinating person with a story destine for the silver screen – That’s why Steve Fossett is #4 on my Top 5 Disappearances.


The Michigan Dog Man


I'd never heard of the Michigan Dog Man. I'd never really heard of anything supernatural coming out of Michigan except 8 Mile. It sounds like your basic local folklore kind of stuff.

On April Fools Day, 1987, a Traverse City DJ, named Steve Cook played a song he'd written. The song was called The Legend. It sounds a lot like C.W. McCall's Convoy. It was supposed to be a joke based on all the tales he had collected over the years. His listeners didn't see it as a joke. Call after call came in with people reporting their Dog Man sightings, or their friend of a friend Dog Man stories. Almost overnight, a freaky ass monster was thrust from the dark forest it haunted, and into the limelight.

There are tons of stories, creepy pictures of it's eye and teeth caught by a motion activated camera. There's even a bizarre, Blair Witchy video of this thing, morphing from a man into the Dog Man.




I think this is a steaming pile of Dog Man crap, but I can, and do appreciate a good hoax every now and again. I also can't figure out why he's a Dog Man and not a Werewolf or a Wolf Man. Maybe he humped somebody's leg or pissed on someones furniture.

By the way MacReady, I liked your Mysterious Hum posts. I heard a mysterious hum coming from that room you and Cleveland were in. Weird stuff to be sure, but you know, I was actually afraid to investigate.

Welcome Back Cleveland!

Hope you're feeling better, man. We've missed ya. And glad to see the three Heroes of Xoom, united again...

Friday, August 22, 2008

K-9 Injustice

Typically, I keep my post limited to the supernatural or unexplained phenomenon, but as a dog owner, I felt this story needed to be told.

Now that I’m done using Xoom as my personal soapbox, tune in over the next few days to see the remaining stories on my Top 5 Disappearances. Some of the stories listed on my top 5 may be shockers to you the viewer, but I had to take many things into consideration, including personal interest.

MacReady’s Top 5 Disappearances: #5 – The Forgotten Inventor of Motion Picture

Does the name “Louis Le Prince” ring a bell? Most likely not, but his invention of the 1888 Single Lens Camera Projector MKI is now held as the first Motion Picture Camera.

What’s that, you thought Thomas Edison invented the Motion Picture Camera? Au contraire my friend - Louis Le Prince applied for a patent on his camera well before Edison, but was denied due to an interfering patent. Edison, who later applied, was granted his patent with no opposition.

Louis Le Prince, who later became a US citizen, continued to research and develop his camera. In September of 1890, his plan to perform a public exhibition of his camera at Jumel Mansion, New York was cut short due to his disappearance.

In September 1890, Le Prince boarded a train on a Friday, promising friends he would rejoin them in Paris on the following Monday for the return journey to England, to be followed by a trip to the US to promote his new camera. However, Le Prince did not arrive at the appointed time and he was never seen again by his family or friends. All that could be established about his last whereabouts was that he was seen on 16 September 1890 boarding the 2:42 train at Dijon for his return to Paris.

The French police, Scotland Yard and the family undertook exhaustive searches but never found his body or luggage. This mysterious disappearance case was never solved.

Many theories have been suggested, varying from suicide to an elaborately planned self-disappearing act ordered by his family. All these theories could be plausible, but my favorite theory deploys much more sinister implications.

Patent Wars assassination, "Equity 6928" (1900):

Christopher Rawlence pursues the assassination theory, along with other theories, and discusses the Le Prince family's suspicions of Thomas Edison over patents (the Equity 6928) in his 1990 book and documentary The Missing Reel. At the time that he vanished, Le Prince was about to patent his 1889 projector in England and then leave Europe for his scheduled New York official exhibition. His widow assumed foul play though no concrete evidence has ever emerged and Rawlence prefers the suicide theory. In 1898, Le Prince's elder son Adolphe, who had assisted his father in many of his experiments, was called as a witness for the American Mutoscope Company in their litigation with Edison [Equity 6928]. By citing Le Prince's achievements Mutuscope hoped to annul Edison's subsequent claims to have invented the moving picture camera. Le Prince's widow Lizzie and Adolphe hoped that this would gain recognition for Le Prince's achievement but when the case went against Mutoscope their hopes were dashed. Two years later Adolphe Le Prince was found dead while out duck shooting on Fire Island near New York. Suicide was presumed.


Like any good conspiracy, this theory can in no way be proved. Although many would argue that Edison was a mean old bastard capable of ordering the assassination, there is no hard-core evidence to prove his evolvement.

In 2003, while doing research in the Paris Police Archives, the photo of a drowning victim was found – believed to be Louis Le Prince.

Le Prince had indeed succeeded making pictures move at least seven years before the Lumière brothers and Thomas Edison, and so suggests a re-writing of the history of early cinema." Richard Howells (Screen vol.47 #2, p.179~200, Oxford University Press, 2006 


Back On The Field

Guys,

Sorry I haven't been posting the last couple of days. I think I've been sicker than I've ever been in my life and haven't been able to do anything (some tears please). I'm feeling a little better (I think) and though I'm on one leg, I'm ready to fight.

In regards to the Bigfoot hoax, I chewed on this for a while, and I think we should try to contact the guys involved, and here's why: at first I was pissed that this type of thing would get any kind of publicity. But, if you think about, it's more bizarre for anyone to try to put together a hoax than actually finding the damn thing. I guarantee you, if we ever see a Sasquatch, there's no doubt we're gonna be disappointed. Example, the Chupacabra thing running down the road (whatever it is). Not too exciting. But the mystery makes it great. And these guys (and the guys on the Patterson footage if indeed it's not real) are a part of the legend of Bigfoot. They'll go down in history as a piece (real or not) of the puzzle that is the Sasquatch. All because they thought it would be cool.

That's strange.

I'll be posting more now, as I've got the strength to keep something down while looking at the computer.

Out (but not out of it).

The Bigfoot Hoaxers Resurface, Blame Biscardi


Here's the latest on the Bigfoot Hoax Saga:

Bigfoot hoaxers Rick Dyer and Matthew Whitton are back in the limelight — and they're blaming Tom Biscardi, the California promoter who trotted them out for a nationally televised press conference last Friday.

Back home in Georgia after their brief moment in the big time, Dyer and Whitton told two Atlanta TV stations Wednesday that the entire affair was a "joke" that got out of hand.

"I just wanted to put out some good news," Dyer told Joanna Massee of WGCL-TV. "People are upset with the war and stuff — what's so bad about Bigfoot? Nobody got hurt."


Biscardi is claiming these guys took some money and tricked him into doing the press conference, and says he's planning to sue. However, that story just doesn't square at all with the stuff Biscardi was telling reporters before the press conference - things like he "prodded the corpse" and it was completely real, etc. Now he's saying he had no idea the thing was fake? Does this guy think we don't have Youtube or DVRs and can't just go and look up the stupid things he was saying before the press conference versus his story now?

It's just bizarre.

Encounters of the Spooky Kind - About as Good as Movies Get...


Just saw this fantastic film again last night. It's about as perfect a genre film as you'll ever see. Encounters of the Spooky Kind, AKA Spooky Encounters, is a groundbreaking 1981 Sammo Hung film which was the first successful meld of kung fu, comedy and the supernatural. The movie was a big influence for Sam Raimi's Evil Dead II, and also was a great precursor to the also classic Hong Kong film Mr. Vampire.

If you haven't checked this film out, and are a fan of kung fu, comedy, and/or the paranormal, do yourself a favor and give it a look. Yes, it's an old school film with some cheesy makeup and old school effects, but that's part of this flick's charm. The movie is funny, highly creative, and has some great action set pieces - far better kung fu than you'll see in any modern day flick. Great to watch with a crowd.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

UPDATE: The Mysterious Hum

MacReady here with some more updates to "The Mysterious Hum" post. In my previous post, I included some reports from the Department of Energy regarding the military's low frequency communications system, ELF. 

Here's a later report describing the effects of the ELF system on primates.


Publication Date: 1983 Apr 01

Description/Abstract:

In a study initiated to determine the biological effects of ELF electric and magnetic fields associated with a submarine communications system ELF- exposed male rhesus monkeys gained weight at a slightly faster rate than control males. In order to obtain sufficient data on the physiological effects of electromagnetic fields, a second ELF study was initiated. Whereas the first study was initiated with wild-caught young adult animals, the second study utilized colony-bred animals beginning at 30 days of age. The emphasis of the second study was to substantiate previous findings and determine the underlying mechanisms involved. As in the first study, 30 primates (male and female) were exposed to the ELF electric and magnetic fields, and 30 control animals received the same care and treatment, but were not exposed. This report deals with the development of the permanent teeth relative to ELF exposure and sex. A consistent trend noted was that the teeth of female animals erupted at a slightly earlier age than males. However, no significant differences due to ELF exposure or sex were detected.

Oh that's great – Although the ELF system causes "a physiological perturbation" we can all rest assure that the hum itself is non-discriminatorily affecting us all?

I would put this one to rest and blame it on the ELF communications system. Which if true, would leave a bunch of people frustrated… You try getting the government to shut down the communications system for its submarine fleets.


Let's Go To Oak Island (part 2)


(continued from part 1)

The next attempt at securing the treasure was made in 1861 by the Oak Island Association. First they cleared out the Money Pit down to 88 feet. Then they ran a new hole to the east of the pit hoping to intercept the channel from the sea. The new shaft was dug out to120 feet without hitting the channel and then abandoned.

A second shaft was run, this one to the west, down to 118 feet. They then attempted to tunnel over to the Money Pit. Again the water started to enter this pit as well as the Money Pit. Bailing was attempted and appeared to work. Then...

CRASH!

The bottom fell out. Water rushed into the shafts and the bottom of the Money Pit dropped over 15 feet. Everything in the Money Pit had fallen farther down the hole. The big questions were why and how far?

Over the next several years different companies tried to crack the mystery unsuccessfully. They dug more shafts, tried to fill in the drain on the beach, built a new dam (which was destroyed by a storm), and drilled for more core samples. They met with little success.

In 1893 a man named Fred Blair along with a group called The Oak Island Treasure Company began their search. Their first task was to investigate the "Cave-in Pit". Discovered in 1878 about 350 feet east of the Money Pit, the cave-in pit appears to have been a shaft dug out by the designers of the Money Pit perhaps as a ventilation shaft for the digging of the flood tunnel. It apparently intersected or closely passed the flood tunnel. While it was being cleared by the Treasure Company it started to flood at a depth of 55 feet and was abandoned.

Over the next several years The Oak Island Treasure Company would dig more shafts, pump more water, and still get nowhere. In 1897 they did manage to clear out the Money Pit down to 111 feet where they actually saw the entrance of the flood tunnel temporarily stopped up with rocks. However, the water worked its way through again and filled the pit.

The treasure company then decided that they would attempt to seal off the flow of water from Smith's Cove by dynamiting the flood tunnel. Five charges were set off in holes drilled near the flood tunnel. They didn't work. The water flowed into the Money Pit as rapidly as ever.

At the same time a new set of core samples were drilled at the pit itself. The results were surprising.

At 126 feet, wood was struck and then iron. This material is probably part of the material that fell during the crash of the Pit. On other drillings the wood was encountered at 122 feet and the iron was missed completely indicating that the material may be laying in a haphazard way due to the fall.

Between 130 and 151 feet and also between 160 and 171 feet a blue clay was found which consisted of clay, sand, and water. This clay can be used to form a watertight seal and is probably the same "putty"; that was found at the 50 foot level of the Pit.

The major find was in the gap between the putty layers. A cement vault was discovered. The vault itself was 7 feet high with 7 inch thick walls. Inside the vault the drill first struck wood, then a void several inches high and an unknown substance. Next a layer of soft metal was reached, then almost 3 feet of metal pieces, and then more soft metal.

When the drill was brought back up another twist was added to the whole mystery. Attached to the auger was a small piece of sheepskin parchment with the letters "vi"; "ui"; or "wi"; What the parchment is a part of is still in question.

More convinced than ever that a great treasure was beneath the island, The Treasure Company began sinking more shafts in the attempts to get to the cement vault. They all met with failure due to flooding.

In May of 1899, yet another startling discovery was made. There was a second flood tunnel! This one was located in the South Shore Cove. The designers had been more ingenious and had done more work than previously thought. Though this find certainly strengthened the case that something valuable was buried below it didn't bring anyone closer to actually finding the treasure.

Blair and The Oak Island Treasure Company continued to sink new shafts and drill more core samples, but no progress was made and no new information obtained.

Between 1900 and 1936 several attempts were made to obtain the treasure. All met with no success.

In 1936 Gilbert Hadden, in conjunction with Fred Blair, began a new investigation of the island. Hadden cleared some of the earlier shafts near the Pit and made plans for exploratory drilling the next summer. However, he made two discoveries away from the Pit.

The first was a fragment of a stone bearing inscriptions similar to those found on the inscribed stone discovered at the 90 foot level of the Money Pit. The second discovery was of several old timbers in Smith's Cove. These timbers seem to have been from the original designers due to the fact that they were joined using wooden pins rather than metal. As will be seen later these timbers were only a small part of a much larger construction.

The next treasure hunter was Erwin Hamilton. He began his search in 1938 by clearing out previous shafts and doing some exploratory drilling. In 1939 during drilling two more discoveries were made. The first was the finding of rocks and gravel at 190 feet. According to Hamilton they were foreign and therefore placed there by someone. The second finding came after clearing out an earlier shaft down to 176 feet. At this point a layer of limestone was encountered and drilled through. The drilling brought up oak splinters. Apparently there was wood BELOW the natural limestone.

In 1959 Bob Restall and his family began their attack on the island which ultimately proved tragic.

His one discovery was made on the Smith's Cove beach while attempting to stop the drain system. He found a rock with "1704" inscribed on it. Though others believed it was prank left by a previous search team, Restall believed it was from the time of the original construction.

In 1965 tragedy struck. While excavating a shaft Bob passed out and fell into the water at the bottom. His son, Bobbie, attempted to rescue him as did two of the workers. All four apparently were overcome by some sort of gas, perhaps carbon monoxide from a generator, passed out and drowned.

Bob Dunfield was the next to take on the island. In 1965 he attempted to solve the problem with heavy machinery - bulldozers and cranes. He attempted to block the inflow of water at Smith's Cove, and may have succeeded. Then on the south side of the island a trench was dug in the hope of intercepting the other water tunnel and blocking it off. The flood tunnel wasn't found, but an unknown refilled shaft was found, possibly one dug by the designers of the Pit. The shaft apparently went down to 45 and stopped, its purpose is unknown.

Dunfield's other findings were based on drilling. It was determined that at 140 feet there was a 2 foot thick layer of limestone and then a forty foot void. At the bottom of the void was bedrock. This information matched with a drilling done back in 1955. There seemed to be a large, natural underground cavern, something apparently common with limestone around the world.

Daniel Blankenship, the current searcher, began his quest in 1965. In 1966 he dug out more of the original shaft found by Bob Dunfield in 1965. It turned out that the shaft did go beyond 45 feet. Blankenship found a hand-wrought nail and a washer at 60 feet. At 90 feet he met a layer of rocks in stagnant water. He assumed this was part of the south water tunnel but couldn't explore further because the shaft could not be stopped from caving in.

A pair of wrought-iron scissors were discovered in 1967 buried below the drains at Smith's Cove. It was determined that the scissors were Spanish-American, probably made in Mexico, and they were up to 300 years old. Also found was a heart shaped stone.

Smith's Cove revealed some more secrets in 1970 to Triton Alliance, a group formed by Blankenship to continue the search. While Triton was building a new cofferdam they discovered the remains of what appeared to be the original builders' cofferdam. The findings included several logs 2 feet thick and up to 65 feet long. They were marked every four feet with Roman numerals carved in them and some contained wooden pins or nails. The wood has been carbon dated to 250 years ago.

The western end of the island has also revealed several items. Two wooden structures, along with wrought-iron nails and metal straps were found at the western beach. Nine feet below the beach a pair of leather shoes were unearthed.

The next major discoveries came in 1976 when Triton dug what is known as Borehole 10-X, a 237 foot tube of steel sunk 180 feet northeast of the Money Pit. During the digging several apparently artificial cavities were found down to 230 feet.

A camera lowered down to a bedrock cavity at 230 feet returned some amazing images. At first a severed hand could be seen floating in the water. Later three chests (of the treasure type I would presume) and various tools could be made out. Finally a human body was detected.

After seeing the images, the decision was made to send divers down for a look. Several attempts were made but strong current and poor visibility made it impossible to see anything. Soon after, the hole itself collapsed and has not been reopened.

Blankenship and Triton still continue the quest.

Please guys, let's go. I've already packed my stuff.

Top 10 Disappearances

I came upon this list over at listverse.com

I’ll be the first to admit, many of these disappearances have slipped me by unnoticed, but that in no way makes them less interesting – In fact, they’re all quite interesting.

10. The disappearance of Oliver Larch
9. The Flannan Isles lighthouse keepers
8. The Bennington Triangle
7. The Vanished Cripple
6. The Disappearing Diplomat
5. Time Tunnel
4. The Norfolk Regiment
3. The Legend of David Lang
2. The Stonehenge Disappearance
1. The Village That Disappeared

As noted previously, these disappearances are all quite interesting. With that said, I’ll add a second note: There are several notable disappearances missing from this list.

Over the next week or so, I’ll bring you my top 5 disappearances, full of fantastic details.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

I'm All Ears!!!


Here's one I hadn't seen before. This is not photo shopped or George Lucasized. This is a cat with four ears! No shit!

Stop me if you've heard this one. This Chicago couple walks into a bar and the bartender has this four eared cat. No joke. That's how Valerie and Ted Rock acquired Yoda.

"We were at a pub on the south side of Chicago with a group of friends when we noticed a small cage sitting on the bar and people passing around a kitten. He had been part of a large litter and the owners were looking to find a home for him. Ted and I had just lost a cat that was our pet for over 20 years, and we were sure we were done with cats. When he was passed around he reached for Ted, crawled up into the crook of his neck and fell asleep - Ted was a goner. It was a done deal when the kitten made himself at home on Ted's shoulder. We decided to name him Yoda.I understand the Star Wars character was based on George Lucas' cat."

Ted was a goner?

Anyway, they took the cat to the local vet who got a veterinary boner over the anomaly. He scoured the globe trying to find a similar case. He finally located another cat with four ears in Germany. The German four eared people and the American four eared people chatted on the phone and decided that they had very rare and valuable cats. The Rocks have even had a tracking chip implanted...in Yoda's ear.

Hilarious "Engrish" Translation

The Chinese government has lately become very sensitive about their "Engrish" errors, and have started a campaign to stamp out bad English translations in the country. They obviously missed this establishment, which I believe is a restaurant. This restaurant obviously used an Internet-based translator to turn their Chinese name into English, and they faithfully reproduced the results that the translator spit back at them:



I think they should've run the translator's results by an actual English speaker before they went out and had a sign made, eh?

RE: The Mysterious Hum

Mr. Xoom posted a few weeks back about a Wisconsin couple that’s been plagued by a mysterious low-pitched humming s
ound.

I recently stumbled upon other reported cases of this phenomenon, providing proof that this Wisconsin couple isn’t crazy.



Citizens in Britain and portions of the Southwestern U.S. have been complaining about a maddening hum that just won't go away. And researchers have been unable to pinpoint its source. Not everyone can hear the low-pitched hum, and those who do say that it seems artificial in nature - and is driving them crazy. In 1977, a British newspaper received nearly 800 letters from people complaining of loss of sleep, irritability, deteriorating health, inability to read or study because of the incessant hum.

Most famous in the U.S. is the Taos Hum. There the annoyance was so acute for the "hearers" in Taos, New Mexico that they banded together in 1993 and petitioned Congress to investigate and help them find the source of the noise. No conclusive causes were discovered. One prevailing theory holds that the hum is created by a military communications system used to contact submarines.

After looking into the possibility of low frequency military communications systems (ELF), I found a few interesting reports that would suggest this is the cause of the maddening hum.


Publication Date: 1980 Jan 01

Description/Abstract:

The U.S. Navy has proposed a submarine communications system that operates at extremely low frequencies (ELF), using a land-based transmitting antenna. Research evaluating the environmental impact of this system has been reviewed by two committees: an Ad Hoc Committee formed by the Navy in 1973 to study research from 1968-73; and a committee formed in 1976 by NAS to review all existing data.
The results of these committee reviews are summarized, with emphasis on the work of the NAS committee. Research with primates to determine the effects of chronic ELF radiation exposure is reviewed. NAS recognized the possibility of a physiological perturbation but could find no experimental or theoretical basis to assume that exposure to a magnetic field of 0.02 mT and an electrical field of 0.07 v/m would be potentially hazardous.

I love the last sentence - "NAS recognized the possibility of a physiological perturbation" 

Basically the government agencies said they recognize the possibility of the ELF radiation causing disruption and annoyance to living things and the way they function. This report can be viewed here.

I know that's no smoking gun, but does lend evidence to the theory. 













Let's Go To Oak Island! (part 1)



I heard about this a few years ago. As far as I know, it's true. Mr. Xoom and the others will certainly cane or umbrella me if it isn't, but I think it's a great story.

In the summer of 1793, a teenager named Daniel McGinnis, was taking a stroll on Oak Island, Nova Scotia. He stumbled upon a circular depression in the ground below an oak tree. The branches of the tree looked as if they been cut in order to use a pulley. Local pirate tales ran rampart, so Daniel returned later with some friends. Over the next several days, the boys would begin to unearth one of the most intriguing mysteries in history.

Two feet below the surface the boys uncovered a layer of flagstones. At ten feet down, they ran into a layer of oak logs and again at twenty and thirty feet. At this point they knew they couldn't go any further alone. They departed but agreed to return.

It took eight years, but the explorers finally returned, this time with the help of the Onslow Company, formed exclusively for the expedition. They resumed where they had left off and continued to ninety feet, finding a layer of logs at every ten foot interval. Besides the logs, at forty feet a layer of charcoal was uncovered, at fifty feet a layer of putty, and at sixty, a layer of coconut fiber.

At ninety feet a mysterious stone with some kind of strange glyphs was hauled up. No one has ever actually deciphered it. After a layer of logs was removed at ninety feet, water began to fill the pit. Pumping didn't help, so another pit was dug parallel to the original. At ninety feet, it too filled with water. The search was abandoned and the pit didn't get another visitor for forty five years.

In 1849, the Truro Company was formed to continue the search. It was discovered that the first crew had activated an ingenious booby trap. A tunnel dug from nearby Smith's Cove, would fill the pit with water just as fast as it could be pumped out. The Truro company decided to drill core samples to determine what was down there.

At 98 feet the drill went through a spruce platform. Then it encountered 4 inches of oak and then 22 inches of what was characterized as "metal in pieces""; Next 8 inches of oak, another 22 inches of metal, 4 inches of oak and another layer of spruce. The conclusion was that they had drilled through 2 casks or chests filled will coins. Upon pulling out the drill they found splinters of oak and strands of what looked like coconut husk.

The Truro Company returned in 1850 with plans to dig another parallel hole and then tunnel over to the Money Pit. Just like before, as they tunneled over, water began to rush in. They brought in pumps to try to get rid of the water but it was impossible to keep the water out. During the pumping someone noticed that at Smith's Cove during low tide there was water coming OUT of the beach.

It turns out that the pit designers had created a drain system, spread over a 145 foot length of beach, which resembled the fingers of a hand. Each finger was a channel dug into the clay under the beach and lined by rocks. The channels were then filled with beach rocks, covered with several inches of eel grass, and then covered by several more inches of coconut fiber. The effect of this filtering system was that the channels remained clear of silt and sand while water was still allowed to flow along them. The fingers met at a point inland where they fed sea water into a sloping channel which eventually joined the Money Pit some 500 feet away. Later investigations showed this underground channel to have been 4 feet wide, 2 1/2 feet high, lined with stone, and meeting the Money Pit between the depths of 95 to 110 feet.

To the Truro Company, the answer was now simple - just block off the water flow from the beach and dig out the treasure. Their first attempt was to build a dam just off the beach at Smith's Cove, drain the water, and then dismantle the drain channels. Unfortunately a storm blew up and destroyed the dam before they could finish.

An interesting note: the remains of an older dam were found when building the new one.

The next plan was to dig a pit 100 feet or so inland in the hopes of meeting with the water channel underground at which point they could plug the channel. This scheme too failed. And this was the last attempt by the Truro company to uncover the secrets of Oak Island.


To Be Continued...