The Streetcar Conspiracy

The Streetcar Conspiracy

Removing the streetcar rail lines systems from major US cities was a conspiracy to force American consumers to purchase personal automobiles and local governments to switch to gas-powered buses as public transportation.

The concept of selling vehicles as "personal freedom devices" came about in the 1950s, following the effectiveness of the aforementioned corporate conspiracy.  It was only then that most ("nuclear") American families had cars they would allow their children to drive, as they were older models.

As an aside, I guess "nuclear family" just rolls off the tongue more easily than "Big Oil" family...  Speaking of, why is the logo for British Petroleum, or BP, an image of the sun and not a fucking dinosaur?

ANYwho, it was not until the 1980s that having more than one car per household became an American Standard (ahem) when both nuclear family parents were forced to hold down jobs due to stagnating wages and rising inflation -- caused by yet another fiscal conspiracy:

Nixon's 1971 decision to drop The Gold Standard.  The majority of Americans' Real Wages (wages after adjusting for inflation) have not increased since before 1980.

That's the thing about "conspiracy theories:"

Only Guilty Parties call them that.

© The Weirding, 2019

Are Unidentified Remains Plesiosaur?

Do Plesiosauri Still Exist?

All of these pictures were taken at different times, in different parts of the world. They appear to show a similar creature resembling a plesiosaurus. Plesiosaur are commonly thought to be extinct.

© The Weirding, 2016

New Expedition for Mokele-Mbembe

Mokele-Mbembe is the name of what some eyewitnesses claim is a large sauropod living in the Republic of Congo. The name literally means "thunder lizard" and reports of the creature go back many years. While many established scientists have suggested that Mokele-Mbembe is nothing more than a mistaken elephant or the like, residents of the area believe very strongly in the creature's existence despite no hard evidence of its existence having ever been discovered.

Now, a Missouri man has raised over $25,000USD toward a new expedition in the area. The expedition was funded through Kickstarter and will send Stephen McCullah and several of his colleagues to the region to search for all sorts of new species, including Mokele-Mbembe. McCullah told a reporter that the expedition did not expect to find hard evidence of the thunder lizard, but did expect to be able to say whether or not the creature exists after a few months of observation.

The Kickstarter campaign rose $27,000 for the expedition, set to take place in late June.

© C Harris Lynn, 2012

Woolly Mammoth in Siberia

© C Harris Lynn, 2012

New Dinosaur DIscovered in Vault

A new dinosaur in the Triceratops family was discovered in the vaults of the Natural History Museum by a team of researchers. The bones were previously considered worthless and lay undiscovered since they were excavated in 1916. The research team decided to take a second look. The full article can be found here.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Lake Champlain, 1878

One of the earliest recorded descriptions of the creature in Lake Champlain that would later come to be known as Champ was given in 1878. On August 30^th of that year, six people aboard a yacht on the lake saw the creature. One witness estimated Champ's length at over 50 feet. This same witness described the beast as having "two large folds just back of the head projecting above the water," with "two or more folds at what was apparently the tail."

Lake Champlain is about 100 miles long and connects Vermont, New York, and Canada. Champ has been spotted consistently over the years, well into the last century.  In 1977, Sandra Mansi took a famous photograph of Champ while visiting Lake Champlain.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

'Sea Monster' Spotted off British Coast

Saltern Cove Nessie

On July 27^th, around 5:30pm, Mrs. Gill Pearce saw something in the Saltern Cove waters off the British coast.  It appeared to be stalking a school of fish which beached themselves shortly thereafter.  

Though she saw the creature up close, it had moved farther away by the time she got her camera.  However, Mrs. Pearce managed to get two snapshots that have baffled marine experts.

The pictures appear to show a large, serpentine creature with a long neck.  While some suggest the object in the picture is simply driftwood and a trick of the light, experts disagree.  Other eyewitnesses saw the creature as well, but thought it a turtle.  Saltwater crocodiles, otters, and whales have all been proffered as possibilities, but largely dismissed by authorities at the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

Experts there have dismissed claims of turtles, sea lions, and more -- and presently classify the creature as "unidentified."  One even mentioned Plesiosaur -- a dinosaur once thought to be extinct, but often suggested as the creature living in both Loch Ness and Lake Champlain, and possibly several other large bodies of water across the world.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Quick Bits of Oddity

As I say so often, just because there are no new posts does not mean I am not working. I work everyday -- every day -- whether or not I actually post anything. Usually, this consists of surfing around, reading and researching different subjects and articles.

I realize there haven't been as many in-depth articles lately, and that is because I have simply lacked the time. Much of what I have been bringing you are mere rewrites and coverage of articles that interest me, or that I hope will interest you. Writing a full article is exactly what it is: it is no different from writing a piece for submission, writing an essay for school, writing a report for work, etc. It takes several days, even weeks, and lots of research, editing, rewrites, and so forth. With everything else on my plate right now, I haven't had the time for that. 

Rest assured, more are on the way and several are already up (check the archives) -- but, for now, there are none immediately planned.

Anyway, I was going through the bookmarks and noticed a ton of stories I never got around to. Many of them are several days, or even weeks, old -- so you may already have heard about them. It occurred to me that, with everything else going on, it might be best to link to them and let you check them out on your own. An OddBlog Rundown, if you will. 

And so, without further ado:

• Pope condemns frog statue - because with all the other shit going on, that's what most concerns God.
• Intact mammoth skull uncovered - an actual mammoth's skull, not a giant skull... well, I mean it is giant, but... just read it.
• Buddha statue found in Bamiyan - hey, the demolitions crew missed one!
• The white priestess of black magic - too many double-entendres here.
• New species of insect found on eBay - and you thought there were just a bunch of rats and asses!
• Hearing visions

Obviously, I usually go into more detail on my own, tying them to other discussions and subjects we cover, but I am so far behind by this point, I figured I would just share these with you and let you do as you will. Enjoy!

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Pterodactyl in Wenatchee, Washington?

A 29-year old man from Wenatchee, Washington, wrecked his car on a lightpole in December of last year.  When police investigating the crash asked him what happened, he said, "Pterodactyl."

Witnesses claim the man veered into oncoming traffic before plowing into the lightpole and police found "a minimal amount of alcohol" in his system.  None of the crash witnesses reported any airborne objects, whether or not any were present.

While most likely a drunken incident, this is far from the first time the prehistoric pterodactyl has been reported in modern times.  In particular, reports persist in the Southwestern United States (notably Arizona and Texas) to this day.  Some cryptozoologists and phenomenalists have even suggested that the infamous Mothman sightings of the 1960s may have been related to a pterodactyl(s).

Most recently, the Sci-Fi Channel hit series, Destination Truth, caught something on camera in Rio Branco where the local populace has been complaining of a "winged monster."  Whatever it was had bright, red eyes, just as reported.

As noted, Washington is quite a ways out of the pterodactyl's normal stamping grounds, but the center of Batsquatch activity.

Source: Olyblog

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Michigan Teen Finds Megalodon Tooth in St. Clair River

Megalodon

16-year old David Wentz was snorkeling in Michigan's St. Clair River last August when he spied an unusual rock on the bed.

While he wasn't sure what he had discovered, thanks to the Discovery Channel, his father was: It was a fossilized shark tooth! Researchers say the tooth is most likely that of a Carcharodon megalodon, a species now extinct for some 2 million years. 

Most likely, the tooth was brought in and dropped by human settlers, as the shark was obviously not indigenous to the region. However, there have been reports of sightings in freshwaters. In fact, there was a series of freshwater shark attacks in the early 20^th-Century that, while believed to be related (at least two sharks somehow made their way into a river from the sea), prove that sharks can survive in freshwater for some time. The Carcharodon megalodon was most likely a saltwater-based species, but whether or not it could survive (and thus may have hunted) in freshwater is unknown.

But, as researchers are quick to point-out, there are no sharks with 3" teeth in the St. Clair River today... hopefully.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Frog From Hell

Last month, scientists unearthed the fossilized remains of Beelzebufo, or "the frog from hell."

The 9-lb., 16" toad was among the largest of its kind ever discovered to-date.  Related to today's horned toads, this one had short legs and a giant mouth.  It most likely preyed on small animals using the ambush techniques of its modern-day relatives.

Researchers added the the discovery bolstered the notion that the Madagascar island and South American landmasses could have been joined at some point in history, as the frog is strikingly different from those indigenous to the island, but closely-related to those found in South America.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Gigantic Fossil Rat Discovered

The largest known rodent to-date has been described by researchers for the first time. Discovered in Uruguay three years ago by an amateur paleontologist, the skull measures about 1/2-meter and laid in a museum since it was found until recently. Scientists believe the animal to be a new species (Josephoartigasia monesi) based on the size of its incisors, which they theorize may have been used as a beaver's (to cut wood) and/or for fighting off predators.

The rodent was as large as a bull, or around 3 meters in length, and populated the forests. It was 15x heavier than the largest living rodent today, approximately one ton. Its closest relative is believed to be the pakarana, similar to a guinea pig.

Other finds in South America include car-sized armadillos, giant ground sloths, and hook-beaked terror birds - the latter of which would most certainly have been one of the predators this rodent would have fought for survival.

Ancient Reptilian Evidence Changes History

Researchers believe the oldest evidence for reptiles was found this past October in Canada. The 315 million-year-old tracks were found in the sea cliffs at New Brunswick by UK scientist, Dr. Howard Falcon-Lang, who called the discovery "pure luck."

The fossils suggest that reptiles first left the water and walked on land at least one to three million years earlier than previously thought. If this is true, the implications are staggering across all fields of science and philosophy.

While they cannot be sure, there were only a handful of reptiles around the time that could have left the footprints, and they think it was the Hylonomus lyelli.

Before the discovery, the oldest evidence for reptiles was thought to be skeletal fossils of the Hylonomus lyelli, found in the 19^th-Century.

This One Time, the World Had Huge Crabs

Now this is what The OddBlog is all about... kinda.

European scientists claim to have found the claw of a prehistoric 8' sea crab!  The claw is nearly 400 million years old and was found in a Prum, German quarry.  It has been named Jaekelopterus rhenaniae.  The size tells scientists arachnids and insects (and similar creatures) were larger than even they once thought.  The largest modern scorpion is only 30cm.; the claw measures 46 cm!

Researchers theorize higher oxygen levels in the atmosphere may have led to the gigantic size of these and similar invertebrates, such as cockroaches.  The larger specimen would likely have been killed-off first by predators, as they are easier to spot.  While many would have lived entirely on land, others, like this one, would have led an aquatic or semi-aquatic life.

Scientists think Jaekelopterus rhenaniae lived in swamps, ponds, and similar environs.

Sci-Fi Channel's Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth

Well, tonight was full of premieres on the Sci-Fi Channel -- with the season premiere of Ghost Hunters as well as the debut of a new series, Destination Truth.

I don't figure I need to say much about Ghost Hunters.  It's been proven a good, fun show -- and truly educational to anyone who has never been on a ghost hunt (a real, "professional" one).   It followed its tried-and-true formula (which isn't to say it's formulaic):

They went overseas, went dark, chatted and hunted, then did The Reveal.  Brian felt things no one else did.  But, the cool thing was that they found some evidence at both locations -- of course, this being the season premiere, that may be why this episode was shown first.  Hopefully the rest of the season will be as eventful, but like I said in an earlier post, one of the best things about this show is that they don't always find stuff.

Destination Truth was a welcome and very interesting surprise.  The host, Josh someone, really makes the show what it is: He's very passionate about what he does and he's very funny, too.  His narration is filled with pop-culture references and outright silliness, but never at the expense of the subject matter or the people with whom he is dealing.

Tonight, they traveled to New Guinea to seek proof of two uncatalogued creatures locals claim to have seen: A mermaid-like beast and what is possibly a living Iguanodon.   The most interesting thing is that they actually did uncover some evidence in the latter case!   One of the local tribes showed them bones from what is most definitely a huge animal, though it was not clear exactly what kind of animal it was.

At the end of the program, a zoologist who has been studying the local fauna and flora for decades suggested the bones might possibly belong to a saltwater crocodile, but that couldn't explain some of the other evidence they found in conjunction with the case. It also reminded me of another, possible modern-day dinosaur, which I'll get to here soon enough.

Destination Truth was a really interesting, good show, and I can't wait to see more of it!

They Done Gone and Spotted Nessie... Again!

I grew up reading about this stuff.

One night when I was very young, my father showed me the newspaper, the front of which bore a picture of (allegedly) Nessie.

"Nessie" is the nickname for the Loch Ness Monster, and reports about a monster in the lake have been recorded for more than 400 years.  In fact, the first recorded sighting of the Loch Ness Monster comes from a Saint who was said to have driven the creature away from two swimmers who were in a race across the loch.  Of course, no one knows how much of these things are legend and how much is truth.

But, my position on the matter is that, if stories persist, and photographic evidence backs it up, it's a no-brainer.  [Link was outdated and removed, page no longer exists - 2020]

As the story goes, the Monster attacked one of the racers and the Saint then damned the beast to never eat flesh, or living people, again -- or something to that effect.  I don't figure Nessie ever did.

As recently as a year ago, a "new" creature's bones were found: It had the head of a horse and the body of an eel.  Photographs of such a beast have existed for over 100 years and eyewitness accounts of such a thing come from as far back as 400+ years ago.  This is not the first time this "creature" has been reported or recorded -- this "thing" has been caught by fishermen and photographed!

Of course, reports conflict: One eyewitness report -- a highly-regarded one, by most accounts -- holds that Nessie crossed the road before her car.  This report is among those that led a confirmed Loch Ness expert to conclude that Nessie is a Pleisiosaur, a dinosaur thought to be extinct for millions of years.

A Coelocanth was caught in 1938; the Coelocanth was thought to be extinct for millions of years before it turned up on the end of a fisherman's rod.  Several have been caught since then.

So, what do I think?

I think you have an actual pool out of time.  Not like some dimensional time-warp or anything, but an actual, ancient loch: A lake which bears creatures either previously unknown or
uncatalogued.  I think Loch Ness has its own ecology of which we know very little and many refuse to acknowledge.

This is why I always go on about the absurdity of keeping the rest of us in the dark about new findings regarding cryptozoology.  I understand it, on the one hand -- acknowledging their existence is an open invitation to unscrupulous poachers and trophy-hunters -- but I'm completely against it for one, specific reason:

It seems to me that, if the people who don't want us to know about it are so damned concerned with these animals, then they've already secured those shores, and they're just looking to somehow profit from it.

They just want some reimbursement for their work and effort.  And, although I agree that they deserve to earn a living from their work, an endless parade of tax dollars and grants that provide nothing new or important to the world of science is just a grift.