ANIMAL FORTEANA


In the beginning of things men were animals and animals men. ~ Algonquin saying

"For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much — the wheel, New York, wars and so on — whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man — for precisely the same reasons." ~ The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Owls Flying In From the Blogosphere

A couple of my recent posts have been about England's Owl mascot used in an advertising campaign. Nick Redfern sent me this image of an owl painted on Giant Rock. Nick took the photo about three weeks, when he was visiting Giant Rock (along with Andy Colvin, author of the Mothman's Photographer series, Greg Bishop, and Adam Gorightly. Sounds like a fantastic trip!)

Owl painted, Giant Rock Ca by Nick Redfern 2010



At hidden experience, Mike Clelland, who writes frequently about owl encounters and has his own eerie history of owliness, wrote about an owl episode December 20th: Owl an a cold winter's night.  Make sure you read the comments that go with his post.

And from Dan Mitchell's Luminosity: Owls, Aliens, and The Hale-Bopp Comet a beautiful article, as usual, about a spooky encounter. After relating strange encounters involving owls, Dan writes of yet another:
In 2004 this owl issue arose once again. At that time I was living in a second story apartment building with my wife and our newborn son. At night I would hear an owl right outside my sons bedroom window. When he would cry at night, I'd go into his room only to see this enormous owl standing either on the power lines directly outside the building (at eye level) or on the auto garage roof a few yards away from our building. This had become an almost nightly occurrence, which on a very profound level was disturbing to me because around this time I was becoming aware of many abduction stories and was having some communication with people involved in the phenomenon. The simple fact that it would stare directly at me was very disheartening. There was this sense of powerlessness involved in that I was dealing with something supernatural that didn't just go away because I wanted it to.

Dan ends his post with conclusions of his own about the appearance of owls in his experiences -- conclusions I tend to agree with. Something is intentionally using the owl; as image, as go-between from the mundane to the liminal. . .

As Mike Clelland wrote in his post: "I'm not sure what any of this means, but I feel obligated to pay attention." Same here!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

On Boing Boing:Chupacabra poaching in Kentucky - Boing Boing

Boing Boing picked up on the fact that the so-called "chupacabra" killed in Kentucky was an innocent animal, not some mad crazed monster. Several comments were left, many along the lines of what I mentioned in my earlier post about this sad episode, as in "don't know what it is, so's I best kill the damn thing" mentality.

A link left by one commentator is a sad reminder that this penchant for shooting at what one thinks is a "chupacabra" could be a dog, etc.

Chupacabra poaching in Kentucky - Boing Boing

Another "Chupacabra" Story: Kentucky Man Kills "Chupie"

These stories make me sad; they are not the "legendary chupacabra" the spiny backed, blood sucking, high jumping, glowing red eyed creatures originating from Puerto Rico, but clearly some kind of "real" (mundane) animal that has mange, or some sort of mutation or disease. The photos in the following article are similar to several others that we've seen from the U.S. in news items and Monster Quest, etc. -- mostly from the south and south west but elsewhere as well.

The recent episode, from Kentucky, invovles the shooting of one of these so-called chupacabras. I found Mark Cothren's (the Kentucky witness) reason for killing the creature sadly bemusing:
"Mark Cothren shot the animal as it walked into his front yard because he did not recognise it."
Don't know what it is, kill it, goddamnit!


Has the legendary Chupacabra been found? Man shoots dead mysterious gray-skinned creature | Mail Online:

Monday, December 27, 2010

Odor of the Owl

 I posted these at my blog The Orange Orb; combining them here, about a London perfume house and its new image/mascot. 

Yes, that's right, it's odor, not order. Things do get curiouser and curiouser. Thanks to Brownie, who left a comment with a link on my Merry Christmas post about London's scary and creepy owl perfume campaign. Penhaligons, a perfume shop, has created the Olfactory Owl. Lots of links to this story, just Google as usual, here's one: Penhaligon's unleash a scary anthropomorphic owl onto London's streets.
Dressed in Victorian finery, the Olfactory Owl will be journeying across London on foot and by tube and bus, taking in some of London’s iconic landmarks and shopping hotspots.

The Olfactory Owl will be handing out coupons, and you can join the odoriferous owl on Twitter and Facebook. The conspiratorial Fortean mind reels, making connections between England's rash of staged/faux UFO crashes and alien abductions in schools, and this recent episode of a giant owl walking the streets of London. 

Susan/Brownie left the following comment:
Regan,

I noticed on Penhaglion Ltd. Facebook page, there are lots more man-owl pics, even with children in its lap. Some commenters think its charming. (yikes!)


I know that niche fragrance houses use avant-garde commercials to distinguish themselves from the mass market brands, but this owl-man doesn't make sense (as Lesley noted - owls have poor sense of smell anyway).

http://www.facebook.com/fragrances.for.women.men.Penhaligons#!/album.php?aid=266610&id=294708288947

~ Susan
Lesley Gunter, at The Debris Field, commented on the post, and I blogged about that:

The Debris Field: The Odor of the Owl

Lesley comments on the Owl perfume mascot out of London; she points out something I didn't know, that owls don't have a strong sense of smell.

As Lesley mentions, the owl as image is a strong and major one in esoterica:
We all know the owl is the most esoteric creature around, associated with alien abduction, bad omens, Bohemian Grove and so much more.
"They" must know of the owl's powerful impact on the subconscious in this regard. On the surface, one could point to the popularity of the owl in the Harry Potter novels, and the owl in general is a current popular culture motif in fashion. But being of a conspiratorial and Fortean mind, I think this imagery goes deeper than that.

I also agree with Lesley about clowns -- they're creepy and strange and evoke insidious intent -- and mascots, particularly animal ones, aren't any better.
The Facebook page has several photos of the "Olfactory Owl," which appears to have weird ghostly eyes, sans pupils, or maybe that's just the way they appear in the photos due to lighting.

And of course, we can't forget about the Cornwall Owl Man, that classic Fortean event of 1976. I'm citing Kithra's Krystal Kave page about the Cornwall Owl Man:
source: Wikipedia, illus. by Doc Sheils
The first report of the Owlman came on the Easter weekend of 17th April 1976. Two young girls, June and Vicky Melling, aged twelve and nine, saw what they described as a big feathered birdman hovering over the steeple of Old Mawnan Church. In fact the children were so frightened by the experience that their family cut short their holiday and went home.
Three months later, on 3rd July 1976, around 10:00 p.m. but not quite dark, Sally Chapman, age fourteen, and her friend Barbara Perry were camping in woods around the church. They heard a hissing sound and saw what looked like an owl as big as a man, with pointed ears, and red eyes that were glowing. It was standing near the pine trees and flew straight up into the air, which made them scream.
That's just the beginning, much more to this story that remains a mystery to this day. 

Friday, December 24, 2010

 Season's Greetings Everyone!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Online petition against releasing GM mosquitoes

PETALING JAYA: Concerned citizens who are against the proposed release of genetically modified (GM) male mosquitoes in certain parts of the country have started an online petition campaign to get their message across the nation.

The online petition, titled “No to the release of GM mosquitoes in Bentong and Alor Gajah”, was initiated by Cheah Hooi Giam from Penang and has so far garnered 290 signatories.

According to the article, Malaysia will be the only country where the release of GM mosquitoes have been released. The petition's creator Cheah Hooi Giam, says that Malaysia doesn't have the resources to test, control or otherwise deal with the GM'd insects, and questions the relationship between government, citizens and "commercial interests."

Online petition against releasing GM mosquitoes

(reposted on Octopus Confessional.)

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Horse in a Human Body - Shows - Coast to Coast AM

On Coast to Coast tonight, guest Jason aka 'The Horse' discusses his belief that an equine dwells within. . .

Horse in a Human Body - Shows - Coast to Coast AM

Rescue a Drowning deer, pay a fine | Objects in Motion

A sad example of someone in authority who seems to be a sociopath; fortunately there are compassionate people involved who stepped up.

Rescue a Drowning deer, pay a fine | Objects in Motion

Raccoon distemper outbreak suspected on Oregon Coast | KVAL CBS 13 - News, Weather and Sports - Eugene, OR - Eugene, Oregon | Health

Racoons on the Oregon coast are coming down with distemper. Sad all around...
TILLAMOOK, Ore. - Raccoons along the north coast from Seaside to Astoria are coming down with canine distemper, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Officials say over the past two weeks there have been numerous complaints about sick and injured raccoons showing signs consistent with canine distemper, which is a highly contagious viral disease that can infect not only unvaccinated dogs but raccoons, coyotes and skunks.
Raccoon distemper outbreak suspected on Oregon Coast | KVAL CBS 13 - News, Weather and Sports - Eugene, OR - Eugene, Oregon | Health

Friday, December 17, 2010

Experts: Ancient Mexicans crossbred wolf-dogs | World news | guardian.co.uk

Mexican researchers said Wednesday they have identified jaw bones found in the pre-Hispanic ruins of Teotihuacan as those of wolf-dogs that were apparently crossbred as a symbol of the city's warriors.

In oral traditions and old chronicles, dog-like animals appear with symbols of power or divinity," said institute spokesman Francisco De Anda. "But we did not have skeletal evidence ... this is the first time we have proof."
Wolf- or dog-like creatures appear in paintings at Teotihuacan, but had long been thought to be depictions of coyotes, which also inhabit the region. But archaeologists are now re-evaluating that interpretation.



Experts: Ancient Mexicans crossbred wolf-dogs | World news | guardian.co.uk

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Lair of the Beasts: Monsters at the Space Center - Mania.com

Juicy Fortean crazy out there stories (a good thing!) from Nick Redfern about NASA and Mothman. Yes, NASA and Mothman. Who knew?
Actually, the story gives support to the idea that the government had something to do with manipulating energies and opportunities within the Mothman event.

Lair of the Beasts: Monsters at the Space Center - Mania.com

Monday, December 13, 2010

NBC33 See it, Shoot it, Share it: Crazy hunting pic | NBC 33 TV - WVLA

Another story on the creepy game cam image posted here last night, and making the usual internet rounds. My groaning at news anchors -- local they may be -- using phrases like "like," "totally" and overall valley girl speak aside, interesting news item for the bonus of another image with mysterious figure in background. Or, not.
(Thanks to Doc 40 for link.)


NBC33 See it, Shoot it, Share it: Crazy hunting pic | NBC 33 TV - WVLA

Loch Ness monster 'seen twice' - Telegraph

Loch Ness monster 'seen twice' - Telegraph

Simon Dinsdale, son of Tim Dinsdale, who shot the famous 2 min. footage of Nessie just about 50 years ago, has seen Nessie himself.

And now, for something completely different. . .
Well, it has nothing to do with Nessie or even, really, anything Fortean, but I just love Monty Python:

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Update on Bear on Bike Path

A news report of a bear seen on the bike path 2 miles from my house turned out to be incorrect. It was a brown sheep; not a bear.

The bike path in runs along a creek; brambly banks on either side. A nice bit of nature just yards away from the busy streets, commercial areas, etc. One of the businesses that fronts the very busy street has had a few sheep that graze in back of the building. I've seen them there myself many times. Apparently one of the sheep managed to make its way from behind the shop, and up onto the other side, to the bike path. Why or how it was the person mistook the sheep for a bear . . . but, in a way, it makes a bit of sense. You don't expect to see sheep, unless you know they're there, and actually a fixture in that spot. Bear have been seen in the area although certainly not in town like this.

Pretty funny actually. Glad all is okay; no scared bears, or humans, everyone safe. Including the sheep, who made it back and is safe.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Central Oregon Home to Rare White Buffalo Herd

Central Oregon home to rare white buffalo herd (Associated Press | The Register-Guard)
BEND, Ore. (AP) -- Pendleton Woolen Mills is making new Navajo-style blankets using wool and blended hair shed by an unusual herd of white buffalo in central Oregon.
Ranching experts say fewer than 50 white buffalo, or American bison, live in the U.S., The Oregonian reported.
On a sanctuary east of Bend, 11 of them roam acres of isolated juniper forest under the care of Cynthia Hart-Button and her husband, Charles Button. It's one of the larger collections of white buffalos.
Some Native American tribes consider them sacred.
"The significance of the white buffalo has been recognized by all the tribes that are buffalo culture people," Jim Stone, a Yankton-Yanktonai Sioux, told The Oregonian. Stone is executive director of the Intertribal Buffalo Council in Rapid City, S.D., an organization created to restore buffalo to Indian nations.
The white buffalo's presence is a prophesy of spiritual rebirth - "an indicator of better times coming to tribal people," Stone said. "Historically, that has been the view."
For more visit link.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Bear on the Eugene Bike Path: Close to Home, Literally

Wow, if you know this area in Eugene, Oregon, where I live, you'd know that this is very odd: Bear wanders onto west Eugene bike path.
This is literally less than two miles from my house. Right in the middle of town. I have been on this path many times. One more example of signals: of wild animals seeking food, safety, habitat, as well as possible disorientation from... who knows what. Ever encroaching human habitats and construction, pollution and environmental changes, etc.

Not the first time a wild animal has been seen in this town; a few years ago there was a cougar seen on the University of Oregon campus. There are wild turkeys all around the hills, we often see deer just a mile or so from here. It's always amazing to me, the juxtaposition of city life: traffic, buildings, "downtown" (such as that is, given Eugene's crazy-wild ass hat stupid ideas of urban planning, but that's an entirely different subject) and wild animals, such as deer, bear, cougar, etc.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Exotic oarfish makes rare appearance in Malibu - latimes.com

L.A. Times has photo of the oarfish, which washed up on the beach in Malibu. Not much detail. A mystery, but maybe not so much; a sign of our global warming, one more signal of odd animal behavior and aftermaths.




Exotic oarfish makes rare appearance in Malibu - latimes.com

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Japanese whalers to face new enemy in 'Godzilla'

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society battles whaling with Godzilla:
Japanese whalers to face new enemy in 'Godzilla'

Dolly the Sheep 'reborn' as four new clones created - Telegraph

Dolly never left us; she lives on, in scientific Dr. Evil terms, in the "quads" -- four sheep with Dolly genes.

Dolly the Sheep 'reborn' as four new clones created

Saturday, November 27, 2010

A Man And His Hobby


One scientist's hobby: recreating the Ice Age:
CHERSKY, Russia – Wild horses have returned to northern Siberia. So have musk oxen, hairy beasts that once shared this icy land with woolly mammoths and saber-toothed cats. Moose and reindeer are here, and may one day be joined by Canadian bison and deer.

Later, the predators will come — Siberian tigers, wolves and maybe leopards.
Russian scientist Sergey Zimov is reintroducing these animals to the land where they once roamed in millions to demonstrate his theory that filling the vast emptiness of Siberia with grass-eating animals can slow global warming.

"Some people have a small garden. I have an ice age park. It's my hobby," says Zimov, smiling through his graying beard. His true profession is quantum physics.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Brown Pelicans on the Oregon Coast

This is a sort of update to my previous post on the pelican sighting in Yachats. According to this site, brown pelicans migrate from California to the NW then leave the NW before the storms hit. But very recently, some pelicans have decided to stay in the PNW and not migrate:
Until recently, it seemed safe to say that the pelicans arrived in June and left in September. That was before the summers of 2008 and 2009, when they flew in massive flocks and roosted by the hundreds, even thousands, in the rocks and bays of the Oregon coast. One observer, in July 2009, counted 22,000 pelicans on East Sand Island, in the Columbia River.

Then, in the winter of 2009-10, some pelicans chose not to migrate at all. An estimated 1,000 pelicans stayed on the Oregon Coast until the early spring, when they began to sport their breeding plumage. Some biologists wondered if they might establish a new breeding colony here in Oregon, 1,000 miles north of their usual rocks in sunny southern California.
Brown pelicans hanging around the Oregon coast concern some biologists. The following is from a January, 2010 article; Pelicans Lingering on Oregon Coast:
The flocks of about 20,000 brown pelicans that live on the Oregon coast in summer usually fly south before winter. But during the past three years, they've lingered -- perhaps another sign of climate change.

"I think it does have to do with big picture eco-change," said Deborah Jaques, a wildlife biologist in Astoria who contracts with the state and federal government. "They're a good indicator of that, but we don't have enough data yet."
And from March of this year; Brown Pelicans won't fly south from Oregon coast and that worries scientists:

Biologists are worried. Birds have starved to death and been pummeled by storms. Scientists are also perplexed about why they've altered their habits. Climate change could be a factor -- no one really knows for sure.

But last week, birders counted dozens on the coast. Lowe said there have been sightings of 60 in Newport, 25 at Charleston and seven in Depoe Bay.

"Maybe some of them will survive the spring," he said. "I haven't heard of any moralities. They haven't looked good for a long time, but they continue to hang in there."

Image: public domain

Omens on the Coast

Of dead birds, pink starfish, and Stonefield Beach . . .

We had a wonderful time on the coast over Thanksgiving. We stayed in Yachats, and took a lovely, if a bit spooky, walk on the beach. This particular beach is one in front of the motel (The Silver Surf) where we stayed, and very different from the surrounding beaches. That's one of the things I enjoy about the Oregon coast: it's diversity within a small area.

There isn't much area between ocean and where property sits. You really have to be aware of when the tides come in or you're in trouble. We saw several of these little niches or "cave-lets" as Jim called them; little grottoes within the sandstone. Hide aways for Bigfoot? :) But as always, when exploring the coastal area, my thoughts turn to Bigfoot!

A pink sea-star washed up on the shore, which is not necessarily unusual, but it reminded me of the odd story back in October back about the hundreds of pink sea-stars washing up in the area. It's been a few years since I'd seen sea stars washed up on the beach, this was my first one in a long time.

It's not unusual to see dead birds on the beach either; I often come across a dead gull or some other type of bird while walking on the beach. But this time, I found four dead birds: three gulls and one crow, in a sort of curved row. Very odd to see so many birds in the same spot like that; in a long line, about five feet from each other. The next day, about a quarter mile from the motel, we saw a gull standing in the middle of the highway. Birds always fly off when you get close, but this gull just stood there, and Jim had to swerve to avoid hitting it. The gull was standing over -- and eating -- a gull carcass. About an hour later, as we were driving back, we saw what we assumed was the same bird, dead on the road, near the cannibalized gull.

I also had the joy of watching a pelican hover, swoop and hunt above the sea, among all the gulls. At first we didn't know what we were looking at; one very large dark bird among all the whitish gray gulls. Was it a large gull, an osprey? We couldn't tell at first, then realized it was a pelican. I'd seen pelicans before of course, but usually, they're just sitting around. I'd never seen one fly about and "fish" before. I don't know, but it seems like it was unusual to see it by itself; I've always seen pelicans in flocks.

I had wanted to explore Stonefield Beach; but when we turned onto the drive we found a sign announcing  that the park was closed. Very interesting; locals, according to this article, are annoyed at tourists in the area but I find that a strange response. The whole coast is a tourist area, particularly around there; plenty of areas to hike, hunt, fish, explore. I didn't notice other beaches in the area that were closed. It's possible Stonefield was closed for other reasons having to do with safety; I can't see authorities giving in to locals who might complain about peole on the beach. If that were true, the whole coast would be closed down. My interest in the checking out that area has to do wtih local lore about UFOs, aliens, and other high strangeness.


We have a great time, and the motel we stayed at was very nice but we had some odd moments of electrical high strangeness. (Not a complaint at all, just observation.)  The phone in the room kept beeping; we finally had to disconnect it. My camera did something it had never done before; I went to turn it off, and all this static happened; lots of weird bands and a kind of strobing effect. WiFi was out, but that's not unusual on the coast; I did get it fine the next day, to my surprise, because it was much stormier this morning than it had been the last two nights.  A light wouldn't come on at all, we gave up, but the next day, it was fine and  came on with no trouble. Topping things off, I found the strangest message on my answering machine when I got home; electronic buzzings and beepings, a computerized voice telling me I was being sent a text message on my land line, a string of numbers, and it wasn't from anyone I know, yet did have something to do with an interest of mine, though no one I know who's aware of that interest  has my land line number... very odd.

Related posts
Stonefield Beach on Oregon L.O.W.F.I.
On Orange Orb: Oregon Coast: Bird Omens, Sky Weirdness

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Korean Cryptids

Loren Coleman at Cryptomundo has a post on Korean cryptids.

High Desert Musings: World's Largest Owl and More Inspire, Amaze

A neat entry on the Eurasian eagle owl on High Desert Musings:

High Desert Musings: World's Largest Owl and More Inspire, Amaze: "Aurora, the world's largest owl, is making her debut this week at our new Owl Legends show and visitors are raving. Meeting this Eurasian e..."

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Nick Redfern on Crypto-Rats at Roswell; Areas of Animal Weirdness

Strange connections; for example, on the heels of the recent radioactive mouse found at the Hanford nuclear site,  Nick Redfern has a fantastically juicy Fortean crypto article about "crypto rats" at Roswell.  This is just a great read; something so bizarre it even "flummoxed" Nick, and I would guess he's not easily flummoxed. As he writes:
... the following, which is beyond any shadow of doubt one of the strangest stories I've ever heard - and, I can say for certain, I've heard some very strange ones!
The story concerns "crypto-rats" at Roswell:
... a pack of large, rat-like animals, that appeared to be very intelligent, moved and acted in group-fashion, and that were highly vicious and very weird. And that was about it: a fragmentary story of truly weird proportions.
This reminds me of a Dean Koontz short story; I don't recall the name of the story, I think it appeared in his collection of short stories, Strange Highways, about highly intelligent rats (or mice, forget which) with great strength and almost supernatural abilities who escape from the lab (military, I want to say, but it's been awhile since I read the story) and invade a nearby farmhouse.

Another comment Redfern made in his post I found interesting:
...interesting stories about large, exotic cats seen around Texas, a tale of a giant-catfish, and several more accounts of out-of-place or over-sized animals in the Lone Star State.

And, as Nick points out in his story of the Roswell crypto-rats, the rats were sent to Carswell, Texas. Other animal weirdness as well; I just posted here about the high number of black deer seen in Texas.  

As Nick writes, Texas is home to a lot of animal weirdness!

(hat tip to Boing Boing for the cover art image)

Friday, November 19, 2010

Black Deer in Texas

thanks to Lesley at The Debris Field for this item.

I would never know about this if it weren't for Forteans, like Lesley, who posted this link on her The Debris Field blog, for it appeared on the Buck Manager Deer Hunting and Management site, a site I would never visit. But it's interesting news, about black deer (melanistic deer) being seen in Texas. Black deer aren't unheard of, but according to the site are rare. The number of these black deer are increasing however, and why is a mystery. I can't help but see a connection between the increase in black deer and the "blue dogs" also called "chupacabras" in Texas (as well as other parts of the U.S.) There has to be, one would think, an environmental cause for these animals. A signal, that something is wrong, a signal us humans need to pay attention to.

It turns out Texas has more black deer in the area than other places:
Dr. John Baccus, director of the wildlife ecology program at Texas State University, has been studying melanistic deer for over 13 years now. And as it turns out, Texas is a good place to study the dark colored deer. That’s because there just happens to be more black deer in eight Texas counties than in the rest of the world combined!

Very interesting...

Radioactive Mouse Found at Hanford

A couple of weeks ago, a radioactive rabbit found on the Hanford nuclear reservation; now they've found a radioactive mouse. Radioactive mouse hunt at Hanford, from the Tri-City Herald:
RICHLAND, Wash. -- After catching a radioactive rabbit just north of Richland, Hanford workers now are on the hunt for a radioactive mouse.
Radioactive mouse droppings have been found in the same area where radioactive rabbit droppings were found earlier this month. About 60 mouse traps have been set, but the two mice caught so far have not been contaminated.

Both articles stress that there's no danger; from the first article from the Tri-City Herald on the radioactive rabbit:
but there is no sign any people were exposed to the animal . . . 
and:
. . . workers with the Office of Radiation Protection have been searching for contaminated rabbit droppings. None have been found in areas accessible to the public, regional director Earl Fordham said Thursday.  
From today's item on the radioactive mouse:
The Washington State Department of Health is monitoring the situation, but does not believe there is a danger to the public...
(Doesn't "believe" there's danger? Reassuring.)

Fox urine used by Hanford workers to discourage animals from entering the contaminated area, along with
"steel plates to cover identified potential areas of contamination."
(Love that: "potential" bits of land containing dangerously toxic materials.)





Monday, November 15, 2010

November Brings Plethora of Window Crashing Deer

Plethora of Window Crashing Deer Stories
November has been quite the month for news items from around North America of deer crashing through windows and doors, causing a lot of damage and chaos, as well as fright and confusion for both human and deer.

On November 10th, a deer crashed through a window in a Winnipeg school: Deer crashes through school window in Winnipeg:
Staff managed to contain a male deer after it crashed through a window beside the school's front entrance, said Terry Borys, the school district's superintendent.

"There are a lot of trees in the vicinity, and what we're thinking is this deer might have been in the trees overnight and with the increased activity around the start of school, it panicked and jumped through the window," Borys said.
Another crashing through the window deer episode from November 10th, in Ohio. See the video, with article, here.

A day later, November 11th, a deer “smased through a business window” in a showroom in Nebraska. Sadly, this deer was shot and killed by police, as it was “wedged between a wall and a bed.” Story here.

Earlier in November another deer was killed, after it crashed through a glass window on the DeSales University campus.

Another story, of a deer crashing through the windshield of a car:

A deer crashed through the car windshiled of a car in Minnesota:
ncredibly, Chris Blake of New Ulm, his wife and their 17-year-old daughter survived to tell the tale.

The State Patrol said the Blakes were blasted by the deer Saturday evening after it was first smacked by a Ford Taurus coming at them on Highway 68 west of Mankato.

The deer careened off the Taurus into the windshield of their Pontiac Vibe, went through the glass and then crashed through the back window.



There are many more items like this, from November and going back ... increased population of both deer and humans, human habitats ever growing and invading wildlife habitat, as well as signals that us humans aren't always noticing.

  • Related Animal Forteana posts:
    Deer Are Stealing Xmas

    Increase in Wild Animal Attacks

    Elk in the City

    Aggressive Deer Attacking Oregon Residents

    Lola’s Deer: Deers and the Anomalous


  • Saturday, November 13, 2010

    Forget Pink Plastic Piggy Banks: Get the Real (Dead) Thing

    Animal activists, as well as just, well, sane people, are creeped out by TheCheeky.com's offering of a piggy bank. (See Animal Activists Aflutter Over Real-Piglet Piggy Bank.) New take on a classic and iconic "toy" -- this one is a real pig. A dead pig, er, piglet, one that's been properly taxidermied. And they cost only $4,000.00 apiece. 

    The company insists they find piglets that have died of "natural causes," and that's partly why the price tag is so high. Takes time to find a pristine piglet newly dead from natural causes.


    The Winnipeg Humane Society commented that the bank is "a particularly callous and demeaning exploitation of a baby animal's dead body."

    Again, the company insists no piglets are killed or abused, and the company seems baffled by the outcry, misunderstanding the general aura of Dr. Evil Gratuitous creepiness about the whole thing:

    For some reason, people think we're breeding pigs with slots in their backs," he said. "Either these people are kids, or they're really, really special adults."
    Hart, one of the founders of the company, is not for animal cruelty and agrees with animal welfare activists:
    "It's important for people to back up animals, who can't speak," he agreed, "but we're not killing any animals."
     

    But back to that creepy vibe; it seems Hart and his partner Ryan McCormick don't get it, or, maybe are just misunderstood in their twisted sense of humor view of the world, for another one of their products are "Glory Hole stickers." These tasteful items can be used thusly:
    The stickers can be slapped on the walls of bathroom stalls to give the impression that the occupant is being watched.
    At least they don't cost $4,000.00. I don't think. Unless they're made from pigskin maybe.



    Friday, November 12, 2010

    Frankenfish: Animal Drug


    Frankenfish may be a pop culture catch phrase that elicits images of a Simpson's episode, but it's a serious area of concern for all of us. This artificially manipulated super salmon speaks to our consumerism, our greed, our insatiable appetites -- literally and figuratively. Global control of our food supply and quality, profits, and control of us. The latter may be entering the paranoid conspiracy realm, but so be it. Private corporations having major say in what goes in our bodies (swallow a chip lately, anyone?) without our input, and without our knowledge.

    In June of this year I posted on my blog Octopus Confessional,   about "Frankenfish" in 'Dr. Evils Mess With Fish':
    While many no doubt see this as a good thing, I find it chilling. Maybe I'm just too paranoid in my old age. I love salmon, so who wouldn't want bigger and more? Not me, I don't trust it, and it is so wrong on many levels. The following New York Times article Genetically Altered Salmon Get Closer to the Table, gives us the happy news about genetically messed with salmon, still to be approved by the FDA.
    The developer of the salmon has been trying to get approval for a decade. But the company now seems to have submitted most or all of the data the F.D.A. needs to analyze whether the salmon are safe to eat, nutritionally equivalent to other salmon and safe for the environment, according to government and biotechnology industry officials. A public meeting to discuss the salmon may be held as early as this fall.
    This Giant Salmon was developed by the happy sounding titled "AquaBounty Technologies" which raises the Giant Salmon (a mix of the Atlantic, Chinook and pout salmon) in fish farms.
    If approved and the Giant Salmon clears various environmental and other hurdles, other genetically modified animals will be offered to us, such as the "enviropig."
    The FDA isn't treating the Giant Salmon like food, exactly:
    Under a policy announced in 2008, the F.D.A. is regulating genetically engineered animals as if they were veterinary drugs and using the rules for those drugs. And applications for approval of new drugs must be kept confidential by the agency.
    Critics say the drug evaluation process does not allow full assessment of the possible environmental impacts of genetically altered animals and also blocks public input.
    “There is no opportunity for anyone from the outside to see the data or criticize it,” said Margaret Mellon, director of the food and environment program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. When consumer groups were invited to discuss biotechnology policy with top F.D.A. officials last month, Ms. Mellon said she warned the officials that approval of the salmon would generate “a firestorm of negative response.”
    Some within the infra-structure are well aware of the politics and implications involved. In an understatement to be sure, an individual who wants to remain anonymous said:
    Government officials and industry executives say the F.D.A. is moving cautiously on the salmon. “It’s going to be a P. R. issue,” said one government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the issue.
    Genetically modified foods do not have to be labeled; consumers apparently don't have the right to know.
    Foods must be labeled, it says, only if they are different in their nutritional properties or other characteristics.
     Ignoring, among other things, that altering and modifying foods, splicing them with say, glowing fish or spider webs, affects the "nutritional properties."

    In a display of spin and topsy turvy thinking, AquaBounty representative Mr. Stotish says he's not against "voluntary labeling" but gee, it's not up to him:
    but the matter was not in its hands because it would only be selling fish eggs to fish farms, not grown salmon to the supermarket.
    He said the company had submitted data to the F.D.A. showing that its salmon was indistinguishable from nonengineered Atlantic salmon in terms of taste, color, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, proteins and other nutrients.
    “Our fish is identical in every measurable way to the traditional food Atlantic salmon,” Mr. Stotish said. “If there’s no material difference, then it would be misleading to require labeling.”
    And finally, no need to fear the impact of  Giant Salmon on the environment, because all the fish are:
    female and sterile, making it impossible for them to mate.


    Today's news brings us the following: From 10 Freakiest Things About Frankenfish
    Obama's FDA is regulating genetically engineered salmon, a genetically modified organism (GMO) that is the first of its kind, not as an animal, but as an animal drug. Normally, a veterinary drug would be used for health purposes, but there's no therapeutic benefit associated with jacking up an Atlantic salmon with the genes of a Chinook salmon and the eel-like ocean pout to make it grow twice as fast. On the contrary, genetic engineering increases the salmon's mortality, disease and deformity. So, why would the FDA treat a the first genetically engineered animal for human consumption like a drug? The idea came from the biotech industry. They knew that the FDA's animal drug process would keep companies' "proprietary" information secret, while limiting public participation and downplaying food safety concerns. Genius.
    The above is from a slideshow of Frakenfish related facts and links about the FDA, genetically modified foods, engineered DNA, and the surreal reasoning behind laws governing such.

    From slide 3; Frankenfish DNA Could Change the Bacteria in Your Gut:
    A human study conducted by the UK's Food Standards Agency found that consuming genetically engineered soy can result in "horizontal gene transfer," where the bacteria of the gut takes up the soy's modified DNA. With GMO salmon, the bacteria of our digestive tracks could take up the engineered salmon genes, but the FDA isn't looking into whether this would happen or how it might effect our health.

    And the afore mentioned surreal realm of regulations and laws: slide 7: If It Swims Like a Salmon, FDA Says its Safe to Eat. Slide 6 informs us that AquaBounty, the company hoping to control sales of altered salmon, is the place where the FDA has gathered its data on the safety of Frankenfish salmon:
    The FDA's food safety review of GMO salmon consists of collecting data produced by AquaBounty, the company that wants to sell it. Not surprisingly, that data is seriously flawed. * AquaBounty did not always segregate, or even collect, data specific to their AquAdvantage GMO Salmon. And, FDA did not require AquaBounty to produce data in the actual conditions under which the salmon will be commercially produced, so we don't have food safety data on the Panama-raised, triploid, monosex AquAdvantage Salmon that people will be actually be eating if the FDA grants approval. * FDA did not require AquaBounty to show that AquAdvantage and normal salmon were similar when raised under the same conditions. AquaBounty's food safety data for genetically engineered salmon did not have to match data for its control salmon. [For the rest go here.]

    Besides the overall bizarro world, surreal nature of all this, along with the greed, is the sheer arrogance of the FDA and others promoting shoving Frakenfish upon us:
    The FDA notes evidence of "increased frequency of skeletal malformations, and increased prevalence of jaw erosions and multisystemic, focal inflammation" in the tissues of GMO salmon. Most people wouldn't be too surprised to learn that genetic engineering can mess a fish up. What might shock you is that the FDA dismisses these findings as "within the range observed in rapid growth phenotypes of non-genetically engineered Atlantic salmon." [ Slide 9]

    At the risk of sounding like a paranoid Tea Party-Bagging Illuminati wacknut, there is a lot to ponder when it comes to greed, arrogance, -- sheer hubris -- and control. Would Dr. Evils and mad politicians go so far as to destroy natural habitats to gain power and profit?:
    Two months ago, a copper mine failure in China's TingRiver killed millions of fish. A similar disaster at Pebble Mine could mean the destruction of a quarter of a billion pounds of salmon, curiously, about the same amount of GMO salmon Aqua Bounty hopes to produce. The EPA could stop Pebble Mine through the Clean Water Act but has failed to act. Greenberg writes, "More transgenic fish, less wild fish. You have to scratch your head at a government that's planning that kind of seafood menu for its citizens. Instead of endorsing a risky experiment in genetic salmon modification wouldn't it be better if our leaders protected wild salmon habitat? In the end we'd have just as much fish on our plates and a safer environment to boot." [Full item here.]

    You can sign a petition here urging Obama to stop the creation and sale of altered salmon.

    Nick Redfern on KOKH FOX 25 :: Special Reports - Chupacabra sighting in Oklahoma

    Nick Redfern on a segment of Oklahoma Fox news about the "chupacabra" -- canine variety. As Redfern points out, while this version of the so--called Chupacabra are probably mange infected canines, there are still anomalies that need to be addressed. As is the way of things Fortean, it isn't so simple!
    KOKH FOX 25 :: Special Reports - Chupacabra sighting in Oklahoma

    Thursday, November 11, 2010

    Lizard as Food, Lizard as Self-Cloing Discovery

    Round Up of Eerie Events on Oregon Coast: New TR Column at BoA

    Yachats, Oregon, photo by Regan Lee 2010
    My latest Trickster's Realm column is up at Tim Binnall's BoA: Round Up of Eerie Events on Oregon Coast. Some of those eerie events include animals:


    Tillamook
    A November 6th item in local news: Oregon crabbers in the Tillamook area are facing a dangerous season, more so than the usual: Dangerous crab season puts rescuers on alert  . . .  the crabbers in the Tillamook area, fishermen know of the dangers and that's not news, but the danger has been escalating:
    We've lost a lot of boats," said Mike Saindon, master chief petty officer in Garibaldi. "It is a very dangerous place and it has been for awhile. Conditions are bad and they have been getting worse over the years. No one knows why that's happening."
    Pink Sea Stars 

    Hundreds of star fish -- "sea stars," more correctly -- have washed up on an Oregon beaches and scientists don't know why. Heceta Beach, well known to myself, since I live roughly fifty miles from there and visit that area frequently, witnessed the mysterious die off of sea stars this past Thursday. So far, no other Oregon beaches have reported mass beachings of sea stars; just Heceta Beach:

    "We found it very curious," said Justin Ainsworth, shellfish biologist with the wildlife agency. "We haven't had any calls like this in my time here. We contacted past biologists from this office and they couldn't recall anything like it in the past 30 years."

    Even more curious was the fact that, after they made calls to the coastal wildlife offices in Astoria and Coos Bay, they realized that Heceta Beach seemed to be the only place where the phenomenon occurred.
    Infected Sea Lions
    Sick, dying and dead sea lions are coming ashore along the Oregon coast. Rise in sea lion deaths traced to disease. The sea lions are thought to have leptospirosis. There are warnings to avoid wet sand, and to not touch the sea lions, dead or alive (which is a given anyway, one would think) as leptospirosis can be transmitted to humans.
    You can read the entire article on Binnall of America. 

    Wednesday, November 10, 2010

    Baby Boar PIglet Adopted by Cattle

    A wild boar piglet is adopted by a herd of cattle, and the baby boar has learned to moo:

    http://www.thelocal.de/society/20101105-30983.html

    Sunday, November 7, 2010

    Mothman Flutterings: New Look

    Finally, a look I can live with over on my WordPress blog Mothman Flutterings. Check it out. Now that I have a new look I like and that says "Mothman" I feel inspired to bring more Mothy goodness to the blog.

    Owl Haiku

    the owls

    owls are plentiful
    these days, appearing where you'd
    least expect them to

    "UFO Pets" New Website out of Florida

    Saw this link for a new website called UFO Pets on UFO Updates: a new website focusing on Fortean creatures, including of course Chupacabras, in Florida. I don't know much about the site, but from skimming it, it seems to be a collection of encounters and cases of cryptids in Florida, including Bigfoot sightings.

    Saturday, November 6, 2010

    Frame 352: "Going to kill it in 3 mths"

    In September I blogged about an email I received from someone calling himself Brian, who said he was going to kill himself a Bigfoot on Mt. Hood, on my paranormal Bigfoot blog Frame 352:

    Frame 352: "Going to kill it in 3 mths"

    Today, "Bigfootareus" stopped by to leave a comment on that post, who seems bored by Brian's intent to kill himself a BF, but isn't too worried, for BF is "invisible in the higher dimensions."

    Octopus Confessional: Sick and Dead Sea Lions Washing Up on Oregon Coast

    Octopus Confessional: Sick and Dead Sea Lions Washing Up on Oregon Coast

    Deer are Stealing Xmas

    Here's another example of deer and human colliding: A Rogue Valley (Oregon) Christmas tree farmer says deer are causing damage to his crop. Other xmas tree farmers are having the same problem.
    Larry Ryerson with the U-Cut Christmas Tree Farm in Medford estimates that deer have gotten to about 1,000 of their 10,000 trees. They say bucks can even ruin some trees beyond repair.
    It seems there's been a "deer meme" what with reports of aggressive deer -- termed so because they're attacking humans on our own turf -- crashing through windows, chasing after dogs, etc. Despite commenting that xmas tree farmers still expect a good crop this year, even with the deer damage, the idea of deer causing trouble for humans seemed noteworthy enough to write an article about it, no matter how short.


    My point here isn't that I'm not sympathetic to those losing their livelihood. I'mjust struck by the Fortean irony and juxtapositions of Christmas trees and deer as iconic symbols on the one hand, and a would be battle between human and deer on the other, as one tries to earn a living by ensuring the availability of one product (xmas tree) while fighting against another (deer) who has been invited, even though unintentionally, by the plethora of trees in its habitat.

    More here.

    Birds Attack

    Starlings are responsible for an outage in a Portland area substation.

    Friday, November 5, 2010

    Did He Find a Tasmanian Tiger Pelt?

    Bill Warren buys a pelt for $5.00 at a garage sale; thinks it possible it's the pelt of a Tasmanian Tiger. Hassles with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and negoiations with an auction house ensue. Adding to Fortean goodness: Warren is a singer, knew Sinatra, is a treasure hunter, and ran for Congress.

    Radioactive Rabbit

    Highly radioactive rabbit trapped at Hanford.
    TRI-CITIES, Wash. (AP) - A radioactive rabbit was trapped on the Hanford nuclear reservation, but there is no sign any people were exposed to the animal.

    Washington state Health Department workers with the Office of Radiation Protection have been searching for contaminated rabbit droppings. None have been found in areas accessible to the public, regional director Earl Fordham said Thursday.

    Radioactive animals in the area are not uncommon. Radioactive wasps and nests have been found through the years, along with other animals:
    Hanford has an extensive program to check for contaminated animals. In 2009, 33 contaminated animals or animal materials such as droppings were found on the site, the Tri-City Herald reported.

    In Hanford's earlier years, contaminated animals were more common.

    Liquid waste with radioactive salts was discharged into the ground near central Hanford during the Cold War. Rabbits and other animals were attracted to the salts and spread radioactive droppings across as much as 13.7 square miles of sage-covered land before the waste sites were sealed to keep out animals in 1969.

    As the article mentions, there is on-going testing to this day to find radioactive animals in the area.

    Friday, October 22, 2010

    Increase in Wild Animal Attacks

     "There are strange things lost and forgotten in obscure corners of the newspaper." ~ Arthur Machen
    It seems we've been hearing about a lot of strange animal behavior the past few years; increases in some animal populations, like bear, wild hogs and deer for example, and an increase in attacks on humans by these animals.

    As we know, as we humans expand our habitats, we are also intruding on animal habitats. Combined with a plethora of events: climate changes/global warming, decrease in food supplies, mange and other diseases are just some of the reasons for this. Animals become more aggressive, more used to, and unafraid of, humans, more aggressive due to hunger, disease, loss of habitat, etc.

    Two recent events (one fatal) from the Pacific Northwest illustrate this almost apocalyptic aggressive animal behavior.

    In Washington state, Robert H. Boardman was on a hike in Olympic National Park. He was killed by a mountain goat as he tried to get the goat off the trail as his companions had walked on ahead: [Mountain goat kills man in Olympic National Park]
    Other acquaintances — Jessica and Bill Baccus and their three children — were hiking the same trail. When they reached the saddle at the top of the trail, they found Willits, frantic and cellphone in hand. Willits told them a mountain goat had attacked Boardman and that the goat wouldn't let people get near him.
    Boardman was lying motionless farther up the trail, about 100 feet away, while the animal stood over him, Jessica Baccus said.
    "The mountain goat was terribly aggressive," she said. "It wouldn't move. It stared us down."
    Bill Baccus, a park scientist, had his park radio and immediately called a dispatcher. Because Baccus has spent a lot of time around mountain goats, he led the effort to try to lure the goat away from Boardman.
    Three people spread out along a slope, shouting and pelting the animal with rocks, Jessica Baccus said. The goat, distracted by the reflective light of a hiker's silver space blanket, finally backed away after about 15 minutes.
    Today, in Umatilla, Oregon, a bird watcher was attacked by a buck mule deer. Quentin Hinds was bird watching near McNary Dam. He began to take photographs of the deer, who attacked him. Hinds was taken to the hospital and treated and released.

    It is mating season, as the article points out; [Deer attack sends Oregon bird watcher to hospital] people are urged to be aware of this and be respectful and wary of their surroundings.


    There are so many odd stories, often downright strange and tragic ones, of animals behaving very unusually indeed. Sign of the times -- yet another signal from the earth, our environment, consciousness, that things are dreadfully wrong?


    These stories remind me of the classic Arthur Machen story The Terror,[1917] where animals commit acts of murder upon humans. The story was a metaphor but regardless, it also stands on its own as an eerie portent.


    Responding to aggressive wildlife, authorities and citizens also become aggressive. Again in Oregon, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in Ashland encourage bow hunters to go hunting for deer. Some residents agree it's a good idea and something needs to be done to combat deer attacks; Ashland has had deer attacking humans and/or their pets as they walk their dogs, deer crashing through glass doors and windows, deer conflicting with humans on the street. . . (and I know it's in bad taste but I can't help but think of Monty Python here.)

    Other Ashland residents are not welcoming of the bow hunting idea:
    A handful of residents at the meeting said they didn't think Ashland had a deer problem and they were strongly against killing the animals.
    "I have never had a problem with any of the deer," said Sallie Rose Sandler. "Is there no animal that can live without fear of humans, or do we have to kill them all?"
    Cougars are another animal that are a problem for many areas in the country, including Oregon. Once unusual to see cougar in human populated areas, cougars are becoming more visible in urban areas. Just today an item appeared in the Register Guard about a cougar seen twice during the afternoon -- unusual time of day for a cougar sighting -- in a residential area. While this particular neighborhood is  "wild and isolated," it's still habitated by humans and, as the article points out, residents are worried because school buses pick up and drop off students in the area. We've also had recent reports of cougars seen in local parks, and, a few years ago, the Register Guard published a photograph of a cougar sleeping in a tree -- on the University of Oregon campus.










    Friday, October 8, 2010

    The Orange Orb: Owl Says: Not So Fast...

    Just when I thought my episodes with owl synchronicities were over, I get an interesting email from Tim Binnall; read about it on my blog Orange Orb:

    The Orange Orb: Owl Says: Not So Fast...

    Sunday, September 26, 2010

    The 'C' Influence: SP-8: Random Responses to Water Monsters, Clowns,C...

    I've added my thoughts to the discussion at the C Influence blog on water monsters, and crypto research:

    The 'C' Influence: SP-8: Random Responses to Water Monsters, Clowns,C...: "Clowns and Cannibals Bruce begins his post with the question:'What makes a creature monstrous to us?'

    Friday, September 24, 2010

    Lake Monsters on "The C-Influence"

    The esoteric minded C-Influence blog, which addresses all kinds of philosophical, occult (in the true sense of the word), metaphysical type topics, -- and of which I'm a contributor to, along with others such as Bruce Duensing and Lon Strickler, has new posts up about lake monsters. Check it out here.

    Sunday, September 19, 2010

    Odd Beams and Objects Caught on Trial Cams

    Lon Strickler at Phantoms and Monsters has a good post on some weirdness caught by trail cams. Red glowing lights, strange objects, beams of light . . . and the unusual reaction of deer to those things. For Lon's post and images visit Phantoms and Monsters: Trial Cam Strangeness

    The above reminded me of the strange beam of light that appeared to stop just above the ground caught on camera by Margie Alvarez in Stephenville, Texas, during the Stephenville UFO flap. (Other events came to mind, like the Skinwalker ranch, etc.)


    In these cases; the ones Lon refers to, Stephenville, there is a lot of property available for "them" whoever "they" may be, to do their thing. Private property, rural, hard to get to, at night -- all good conditions for conducting covert activities.

    I'm always interested in the reaction of animals to the anomalous; the animals responses are excellent clues -- and data -- in working towards figuring out what is going on.

    Saturday, September 18, 2010

    Frame 352: Bigfoot Lunch Club's "A Man Who Would Kill Bigfoot"

    The Bigfoot Lunch Club blog has a post about "Dave," who wants to shoot himself a bigfoot. I left a comment over there, and expanded a bit on Frame 352. (Link to Bigfoot Lunch Club can be found there.)

    Frame 352: Bigfoot Lunch Club's "A Man Who Would Kill Bigfoot"

    Wednesday, September 15, 2010

    Yeti/Wild Thing Synchronicity

    I had a very disturbing dream last night. I think it was because I was coming down with something and my body/subconscious was reacting to that, because after I was awake for about an hour, I suddenly felt clammy, chilled, sore throat -- fall crud. The dream sounds almost funny in some ways but it was very scary, just your basic all around nightmare. Something about the Yeti, with giant claws, ripping people apart. And smaller sized Yetis -- in the dream, they were called "Yet-its" -- who looked more like stuffed toys than real creatures. They were watching the big monster Yeti dismembering people, their bodies (or, pieces of their bodies) slowly slip down the outside of the glass on the windows of the second floor room where I was watching all this, and damn glad of course I wasn't one of the victims. Blood, guts, human body parts, all sliding down the glass. The "Yet -its" were shocked, and sad, at this, because the big monster Yeti wasn't supposed to be a murderous monster, but something went wrong.

    I was telling someone at work about this dream and described the "Yet-its" as looking like the characters from Where the Wild Things Are. And a minute later, someone walks into the room with a T-shirt with a large monster character from the book, with the title, in large letters: Where the Wild Things Are.

    So, owls and Yetis and Wild Things; a message, synchronicity? Maybe the "message" is simply the appearance of the synchronicities themselves, appearing in animal form, since that's where I like to be -- in the animal realm.

    As to the nature of the yucky dream; had another violent dream the night before that, though not involving animals. Sadly, a person I know. Some personal issues in my life right now. Not surprising, given that and my run down state, that my dream mind conjures up attacking Yetis!

    Tuesday, September 14, 2010

    Owls Today

    In the movie Encounters of the Fourth Kind, the owl figures prominently, which isn't surprising, since the movie is about alien abductions.  I saw the movie for the first time Saturday night, which inspired me to write the post below on owls, posted Sunday.

    Today, I see in the morning paper that the owl appears in the cartoon jumble. At work, someone wearing an over sized T-shirt with a giant owl on it walks by me. I go to my desk to find owl stickers. Later, class divides into teams and decide on team names: one group chooses "the owls."

    Love that owl synchronicity!

    Sunday, September 12, 2010

    The OWL

    The owl, as Forteans know, makes its appearance in various ways within UFO-alien abduction-high strangeness events and occult, para-political conspiracy themes.  Sometimes the owl appears to a witness of the anomalous as what it is: a bird, but. . . is it? Behind the owl there seems to be something else; an alien, an entity. Is the alien pretending to be an owl, appearing as an owl, or using the owl as familiar? Is the image of the owl projected; beamed to the human, as a tool to lull the human into a hypnotic state?

    The owl, as a symbol, appears in conspiracies. The owl is on the dollar bill, and it figures strongly within the Bohemian Grove's rites; in these contexts, the owl represents hidden knowledge available to the few -- and privileged.



    In a reversal mode, the owl is also a symbol of high skepticism to the point of ridiculous debunkery. Uber skeptic Joe Nickell has used the owl to "prove" that Mothman, the Kelly Hopkinville entities, and the Flatwoods Monster were simply owls. At least three seperate articles have been written by Nickell, where he details his anyalises of these very different (as to content, time and location) events, yet offers up the same solution: owls.

    The television Twin Peaks (created by David Lynch)  acknowledged the esoteric imagery of the owl in what is now a cult classic line: "The owls are not what they seem."



    Currently, AMC is airing its new series Rubicon, which is about a spy type think tank. Not exactly CIA, NSA, etc. but a department housed in a funky, run down old building that analyzes and reports on global political doings and individuals. Recent accidental deaths and suicides of Rubicon department heads and power mongers are how the main character, brilliant but naive in many ways, ends up as the new boss of his team. He's suspicious of the death of his boss, and begins looking into things. Soon, he's also being messed with. A small figure of an owl, found among the deceased belongings, appeals to and he puts it on his desk. There it sits, as a symbol of the conspiracy ("Who do we work for?" he asks his boss, who is either a mentor, or an enemy -- time will tell) swirling around him. Beyond the metaphoric meaning of the owl, this owl also serves a utilitarian purpose: within its base, someone has placed a bug in order to listen in to our hero in his office. The bug is discovered but is left within, later, he checks on it to find it's gone during a FBI lock down, only to discover the bug has been put back when they leave.

    Saturday, September 11, 2010

    Herd of Aggressive Raccoons

    Raccoons are among the animal forms aliens/trickster/fairy/entities use to guide us to liminal states, to flying saucer interiors, to other realms, or just appearing as  iconic animal figures in general high strangeness stuff.  Take Dr. Cary Mullis famous encounter several years of his meeting with a glowing, talking raccoon he met by his cabin in the woods. I wrote about a slightly odd raccoon sighting in the house where we saw our orange orb UFO and had our missing time -- though not in direct connection with those events on my blog The Orange Orb.

    Here's a photo of a herd of raccoons on the C2C site, seen in the daytime in Florida, with a short description of the sighting and their behavior, which was termed "aggressive" (many rushing the photographer's car)  by the writer.

    It's been my observation that stories of usually non-aggressive animals (though raccoons can be aggressive of course) have been increasing for a few years now, since around 2000, and really, as my files show, over the last fifteen years or so. It's the context and frequency of these kinds of stories that makes them so odd, so Fortean.

    Tuesday, August 31, 2010

    Wood Eating Catfish

    Wood eating catfish. An armored wood eating catfish. Really. Read about it on Cryptomundo.

    Monday, August 30, 2010

    Lon Strickler on The Bigfoot Paradox

    I'm a contributor to The C-Influence blog, along with Bruce Duensing, Lon Strickler of Phantoms and Monsters, Bruceleeeowe, Eric Ouellet, J.S. Flower,John Carlson, Lesley Gunter, and Rick Phillips. The idea of the blog is to have "seed posts," -- an article by a contributor --  about esoteric subjects that generates discussion and responses by other blog members. Pretty neat, and different, idea!

    Currently, Lon has a great post about paranormal Bigfoot: Visit the blog, read Lon's excellent post, and the equally interesting responses by blog contributors, including me :)

    Sunday, August 22, 2010

    Octopus Confessional: Horrific "Corkscrew" Deaths of Seals

    Octopus Confessional: Horrific "Corkscrew" Deaths of Seals: "This is a tragic mystery; unsolved 'corkscrew' deaths of seals in the waters off Canada and Scotland. Scientists are working hard to discove..."

    Friday, August 20, 2010

    Two Foot Long Rats Found

    Two 'giant rats' found in East Midlands factory' I assume that's counting the tail within the two foot measurement. Funnily enough, I was thinking about giant mutant rats for some reason today. That's how my mind works: random, geeky and esoteric.

    Tuesday, August 17, 2010

    Toad Invasion in Washington

    "Millions" of toads are making their way across roads and other hazards in Washington state:
    CHIMACUM, Wash. - Anderson Lake was known, at least until now, for its trout and for the toxic blue-green algae that spurred public health officials to close the lake but leave the state park around it open.

    For the next several days, however, the lake near Chimacum will be noticed instead for its streams of dime-sized Western toads, first noticed last week.

    They're newly metamorphosed ex-tadpoles, doing their amphibious thing and scrambling across the land around the lake - in impressive numbers.
    "I was just out there yesterday, and saw a million of them heading toward the woods," state park ranger Mike Zimmerman said Friday afternoon. "There are no more polliwogs," he added.

    Go here for rest of story.

    Wednesday, August 11, 2010

    Tuesday, August 10, 2010

    Elk in the City

    And I was just over there in that area earlier today! Missed it; more odd animal tales.
    "Randy Pape Beltline" (recently changed the name from I-5 for one of Eugene's rich citizens. . .) is the freeway!  Fortunately, sounds like the elk is all right.

    Elk runs through north Eugene neighborhood before crossing Beltline

    By Jack Moran

    The Register-Guard

    Posted to Web: Tuesday, Aug 10, 2010 02:48PM

    A bull elk ran through a Santa Clara neighborhood and ran across Randy Pape Beltline this afternoon, prompting a police search for the animal.

    The elk reportedly swam to an island on the Willamette River, but later left it. Police at the scene said the animal was last seen in thick vegetation north of the river.

    Read more in Wednesday’s Register-Guard.

    Sunday, August 8, 2010

    Animal Planet's The Uprising: Animals and Humans

    Just discovered Animal Planet's The Uprising, narrated by Richard Belzer, about animals becoming aggressive and more prevelant in human habitats. Interesting that this realm of animal behavior -- aggressiveness, increased presence, odd behaviors, etc. -- in "human terrority" has become the focus for a two hour program. It's not surprising Belzer would be the host; he's been a long time fan of the esoteric, as his book UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have to be Crazy to Believe shows. (Specifically, I'm watching the segment on coyotes in Chicago.)


    Related to this theme of animals "going mad," becoming more aggressive, plentiful, and behaving in anomalous ways is Arthur Machen's story The Terror, George Orwell's Animal Farm; and many more examples can be found. Those were written long ago; before stories of anomalous animal behavior became part of the daily news stream of course, but we can see once again an example of art as a predictor, or mirror, reflecting realities.

    I've been fascinated by stories of strange animal behavior for fifteen years or so, collecting newspaper articles, etc. not sure why I was doing so, just sensing that it was important.





    Wednesday, July 28, 2010

    Mysterious Creature May Lurk In Appalachian Mountains - State Journal - STATEJOURNAL.com

    Mothman, ghost, Bigfoot, or . . . ?

    Is it a wolf, an owl or the second coming of the Mothman, no one knows for sure.

    "I don't know. I don't have any idea so I don't wether to be worried or not," said Joyce Harrison.

    "It doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard," said her husband James Harrison.

    A loud screeching noise has been periodically heard in the mountains near Goldtown in Kanawha County.

    "I called the sheriff's department and the secretary told me she thought it was a ghost...but no one knows....its one of those deals where one opinion gives into another one," said James.




    Mysterious Creature May Lurk In Appalachian Mountains - State Journal - STATEJOURNAL.com