Archive for the ‘strange’ category

Hellhounds…

June 27, 2013

Hellhounds– – Hellhounds as profiled on Syfy’s “Haunted Highway” show in a 2012 episode are supposedly the spirits of vicious dogs that were once abused by miners in the El Dorado Canyon in Nevada; attributed to be horse-high and razor-fanged,  they were sought by investigators Jack Osbourne and Dana Workman in the vicinity of the abandoned Knob Hill mine. 

A remote control car with a camera attachment was originally sent into the mine, but it malfunctioned, necessitating that the researchers enter the mine personally.  One supposedly summons such hellhounds by rattling a chain, and darned if they didn’t do just that, and to no effect; a lamp set upon a boulder to light their way back had been upset, however, by an unknown force.   A heat signature image of some kind of canine was earlier captured, which a consulted biologist upon reviewing the thermal footage contended could easily have been a coyote…others say it was a trained German Shepherd!  An EVP recording of a strange growling sound was also obtained, but overall the study was inconclusive.

I like the idea of terrifying spectral demon dogs, and we remember that hellhounds were among the monsters most feared by “Supernatural’s” Sam and Dean Winchester..

Mermaid Mania!

June 1, 2013

mermaids– – Even in the rarified world of cryptozoology, consideration of mermaids has fallen into the realm of the really far out there stuff, to be greeted perhaps with rolling of the eyes and snide remarks.  Most likely this is because treatment of the very topic of mermaids/mermen has been tainted by embodiment in fairy tales and the Disney treatment in popular culture; we are inclined to think of mermaids as merchandised items, as plastic toys carried about and loved by small girls.  If we think of mermaids and mermen as being less like My Little Pony collectables, we’re finally at a stage where we can give the topic more serious consideration.  

Specials on the Animal Planet network have sparked new treatments of the mermaid topic, complete with the ambiguous videos and reported missing body parts, allegations that we’ve come to associate with Bigfoot investigations.  There’s even a linkage of sorts in that mermaids and mermen are speculated to be a kind of “water ape” that has evolved back to an aquatic existence from a previous incarnation on dry land.

First there was Mermaids:  The Body Found airing in May 2012, a docu-fiction including the tantalizing tale of inexplicable body parts brought forth from the stomach of a Great White shark on the South African shore that matched no other known species, body parts that represented perhaps 30% of a complete individual possessing mermaid characteristics, including morphological adaptations such as hands rather than fins, and an upright hip bone posture. While little of the skull of the specimen remained, reconstruction from what was present suggested the capacity for echolocation as is seen in aquatic mammals such as dolphins.  Researchers working with the remains had them as well as their research confiscated as they were about to return to the United States, or so alleges a reputed former NOAA scientist.

Remaining, however, are recordings of mysterious underwater noises coming from an unknown source which resembles a 1997 sound recording called the “bloop.”   This transmission contains known whale and dolphin sounds together with more sophisticated sounds of an unknown creature speculated to be communicating with the cetaceans.  There are also a number of disputed videos, including one reportedly taken by a boy on a cell phone camera following a mass whale beaching in 2007.  The images show in addition to whale carcasses and debris a still living humanoid-like creature that the boy maintains to have been a mermaid or merman…

For the record, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a statement denying the existence of mermaids or other aquatic humanoids.  Animal Planet has stated that the mermaid shows are not factual, and should be considered entertainment only; the shows are essentially science fiction, with some real events and speculative scientific theory incorporated.  While mermaids may be all wet, the ratings amassed by Mermaids:  The New Evidence are quite real, with 3.6 million viewers drawn, making the show the most viewed telecast on Animal Planet ever…

“Liquid Fence” Animal Repellent Commercial

May 20, 2013

liquid fence– – We who have gardens know that unwanted animals can invade your territory, and lay waste to the fruits of your labors.  For that reason, animal repellents are commonly used, both of the home variety and those commercially made.  In a commercial aired by Liquid Fence, they take a rather idyllic-looking yard and divide it neatly in two, protecting part of it with bars of soap, scarecrows, shiny things, an ugly fence, ninjas, and “a Pomeranian (dog) who only works the day shift.”  The other half of the yard is protected by Liquid Fence.- – Guess which half of the yard most effectively repels the unwanted wildlife?- -You guessed it!

So if you don’t want the dwatted wabbits getting at your tender vegetation, you now know what to do.  I’ll be in the yard portion infested by the wabbits, mesmerized by the shiny things…

Buick vs. Dinos

May 16, 2013

Buick dino– – You’ve probably heard certain types of vehicles referred to as “dinosaurs,” or perhaps as “big boats” or “land yachts“- -Well, in a commercial for the 2013 Buick Encore, the crossover vehicle has to navigate around a variety of dinosaurs including a stegosaurus, triceratops, and possibly an apatosaurus as they go plodding along city streets and even trying to park.  The message is that the time of “big luxury” cars has passed, and the next big thing in luxury vehicles is small and nimble.  This is somewhat ironic in that Buick in its day has made some of the biggest and softest luxury cars around; we also continue to burn fossil fuels aplenty, so perhaps the dinos shouldn’t be mocked.  The commercial’s voiceover is by Kevin Bacon, and the music in the spot is “The Guitar” by They Might Be Giants

Perhaps Jurassic Park was having a clearance sale…and kids of all ages seeing this commercial are likely to want to have a dinosaur rather than a Buick…

Thunderbirds, Skinwalkers, and More!

May 2, 2013

skinwalker– – The season finale of Monsters and Mysteries in America went off with a bang in their “Desert Wasteland” episode, treating us to tales (and tails) of thunderbirds, skinwalkers, nightstalkers, and not to be forgotten, aliens!  The American Southwest may be a desert wasteland, but it’s rich in really cool folklore!  Of course, I was hooked, and wouldn’t have been disturbed unless there was an earthquake or I was on fire.

Now since at least the 1960’s, cattle mutilations have been reported in this domain, and it ain’t Ronald McDonald or the Burger King that’s doing it!- – Now who could be mutilating the cattle, excising pieces and organs of them with bloodless, surgical precision?  This question served as the springboard for an introduction to things supposedly possessing the capability for such mayhem, namely thunderbirds or skinwalkers.

Now Thunderbirds here do not refer to the legendary Ford sportscar, but rather to pterodactyl-like flying creatures with wingspans of perhaps thirty feet or so, long referred to in Native American folklore.  Skinwalkers are my personal favorite of the things covered, a kind of demonic assassin created by magic to harass and harm.  A type of male witch, the skinwalker can change form at will, often taking the shape of wolves or coyotes although owls or other bird forms are also known, and any shape is possible!  Skinwalkers execute curses at the behest of someone else, and in human form could be anyone, even a neighbor.

Nightstalkers as presented are an enigmatic bipedal creature that can come in different shapes.  Their form is indistinct, although red eyes are commonly noted.  As their name suggests, they tend to come at night, and can haunt dreams.  Claw-like scratches on flesh and metal are reported by those who contend that they have encountered them.

Aliens are commonly considered as potential cattle mutilators, presumably possessing the technology capable of bloodless organ excision.  In the southwest, alien grays have been reported to abduct and “harvest” humans, in one case supposedly removing a fetus from a pregnant woman.  The biological father of this child reported being again abducted years later, and introduced to the product of that pregnancy.  Presumably the kid would get some pretty advanced schooling!

All in all, the episode had great, captivating stuff, but did I  believe all of it?  I see the purpose of such shows as being to entertain and inspire wonder, and to cause us to consider alternative explanations of phenomena.  I love such shows dearly…but I’m not quite ready for the tinfoil hat brigade yet!

Bad Little Children’s Books…

April 27, 2013

cyclops– – From the 1940’s through the 1960’s, bright and cheerful books featuring caucasian children, middle-class families, and wholesome animals were sold by Little Golden Books and related publishers with titles such as, The Pokey Little Puppy or Baby’s Toys.  They were often the first reading material that kids of that time experienced, or the first books that they owned.  Prices were unbelievable by today’s standards; perhaps 25 cents gradually creeping higher.

Well, artist Bob Staake has created a series of books inspired by such classic kiddie reading material, but with a darker satirical twist that makes these books distinctly not for the young and innocent; these are titles such as, Mommy Needs To Go To Detox, or If You Give A Cyclops A Kitten.  The cover art is dead-on.- –Why didn’t they have books like this when I was a kid?!

Also recommended:  Bedtime Stories for Children You Hate by Antoinette Bergin, with stories such as, Your Upstairs Neighbor Kills People…pleasant screams, kiddies, ahahahaha!

Black-Eyed Kids…

April 19, 2013

black-eyed-kids– – The Discovery Channel has a rather interesting show called, Monsters and Mysteries in America. – –Well, I prefer a monster to a mystery any day, but I’ll take a mystery if no good monsters or even laughable cheesy ones are available. A number of mysteries or unexplained phenomena fall into the category of urban myths, one of which as given a segment on the show was that of the black eyed kids, who should not be confused with the Black Eyed Peas, an American hip hop group…

…well, black-eyed kids or BEKs for short are creepy children in the pre-teen to teen age range with a disconcerting habit of appearing to motorists, homeowners, or even campers, often in the middle of the night, and who engage in the act of seeking admission to whatever the person approached occupies. As their name suggests, such children have no white in their eyes, the entire surface of which appears as black as “slices of night,” as one observer has described it. Often the BEKs appear in groups of two, although sometimes there are more, and at other times there is only one. Their appearance is additionally described as pale, and their speech rather non-inflected; they have an otherworldly quality, leading to wild speculations that these are perhaps aliens, time travelers, vampires, ghosts, or demons. More mundane explanations are that these are cultists, goths, pranksters, or people who’ve injected tattoo ink into their eyes (which is done). The black-eyed kids must be invited in, a characteristic traditionally associated with vampires, and if denied admission they supposedly become more hostile and insistent.

People who have reported a BEK encounter describe feeling filled with panic, fear, and anxiety. One who invited a pair of BEKs into her house said they told her they had come to “collect” her; after barricading herself in a room for a time, she fled the house. Typically, when the approached subject tries to view the creepy little visitors after departing the site, they are nowhere to be seen.

Black-eyed kid encounters date back to about 1988, and while likely just an urban myth, I wouldn’t invite then into your house should some come knocking in the middle of the night. They’re probably not selling cub scout candy…pleasant screams, ahahahaha!

 

 

Fishy Business…

April 4, 2013

merman – – Many of us yearn for a furry transformation, but there are those who wish for a more uncommon conversion.  Among these rare and exotic types are those who are into mermaids, or their male counterparts, mermen.  Both according to legend are alluring and seductive sea creatures who possess the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish.  They tend to make themselves visible to ships during storms, using their siren-like singing to lure the opposite sex into the water.

Now interest in mermaids and mermen was spurred by Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and interest can translate into obsession.  Some people enjoy the fantasy to the extent that they relish role-playing it by means of acquiring mermaid fins.  Mermaid swimsuits are available, and may be visible as a beach fad this summer.  The fantasy doesn’t come cheap, however, with  mermaid tail suits starting at about $169, and deluxe silicon versions running close  to $3,000.  There are mermaid/mermen lifestylers who are into their interest as much as those who don fursuits and attend conventions. 

Strange?- -It’s all relative, and almost everyone is someone else’s idea of a freak…or so I think, very much at home in my fox mask.  Thus endeth our tail for today…Ahahahaha!

Odd Folks Home…

March 16, 2013

Edgar

– – The aptly-named reality show Odd Folks Home is a spin-off of the Science Channel show, Oddities.  It tends to feature the most eccentric clients of the Obscura Antiques and Oddities store showcased in the parent show, and viewers are taken into the homes of these people to see their private collections and practices.  Many of these individuals would be at home residing with the Addams Family; there are sword swallowers and fire eaters, and artists who work in such mediums as skulls, animal parts, and human blood.  These people would be fun dates, and indeed one lady screens her men by taking them home to see how they handle such tasks as articulating a cat skeleton.

The show has the perfect host in Edgar Oliver (pictured), a real-life playwright and actor who takes creepiness to an art form.  On the Oddities show, we see him in a state of near ecstasy over the discovery of a straightjacket.  “Are you sitting…comfortably?,”  inquires Edgar of the listening audience on some episodes of Odd Folks, with the perfect facial expressions and hand gestures.- -This guy is a treasure!

You can learn much about the morbid and macabre from this show, and for that reason it’s probably not suitable for young children or the squeamish.  As for me, however, I’m right at home in the Odd Folks Home

The Petrified Cat Market…

February 15, 2013

Oddities– – It’s hard to find a good petrified cat; most are dried out and decayed, and don’t smell very good.  There are aesthetics to be considered when buying a petrified cat, or for that matter, a mummified squirrel; not just any one will do!

Enter the bizarre world of macabre memorabilia as presented through the Science Channel and the Discovery Channel documentary/reality show Oddities, which details the operations of Obscura Antiques & Oddities as they go about procuring oddball items like deformed skeletons, skulls, child-sized straitjackets, and archaic medical items for eager clients.  –Remember that one man’s trash is another’s treasure, and that there’s a market for almost everything in this world! 

The show debuted in 2010, and is now in it’s fourth season.  Operating out of the East Village in New York City (–where else?), the business has been overwhelmed by people trying to sell petrified cats and mummified squirrels that they found in their attics, and as a result is no longer in the market for them.  It’s hardly your grandmother’s antique shop…this is far more interesting!