Guest Blogger – Page 2 – Museum of the Weird

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Guest Blogger

BLOOD-RED RAIN FALLS IN INDIA

Poor residents of Kannur, India… for Thursday must have been one creepy day.

This small Indian village took a page right out of the classic horror movies when the streets literally ran red, not with blood mind you, but with blood-red water from a crimson colored summer shower!

That’s right, it wasn’t some freak accident or farmer taking care of some animals that stained the ground such a sad shade, turns out that with the right combination of pollutants, rain water that collects as clouds in the sky may actually undergo a chemical process and change from the usual clear we are used to, to a deep, deep red.

The Time of India writes:

Though not for first time in the state, red rain in parts of Kannur on Thursday did create some panic and curiosity among the residents in the district. The strange phenomenon happened around 6:50am and lasted for 15 minutes. People in the 1km area in and around Edachery in Puzhati panchayat panicked as their courtyards turned blood red after rain.

Kannur block panchayat president Shaija M, who collected the sample of the rainwater, said the water was as dark as black coffee and had the smell of raw beetroot. “I thought someone killed some animal and its blood got mixed with water on the courtyard,” she said.

Read more at timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Guest Blogger

‘SPACING OUT’ TALKS UFO’S AND SPACE EXPLORATION IN NEW WEB SERIES

'Spacing Out' explores UFOs, space, the search for extraterrestrial life, etc.

Thanks to a new web series from the great folks over at Openminds.tv, you now have an amazing, nightly news-esque way to get your fix of all things UFO and space exploration related!

Maureen Elsberry and Jason McClellan take a different approach to presenting the sci-fi happenings from around the world that usually get dismissed or pushed aside for more something more ‘entertaining’ . They’ve stayed in the format of your favorite local news station just giving you the facts they have, letting you take a look at the evidence and, allowing you to make up your own mind, just the way it should be.

The Huffington Post writes:

If you’re tired of the nightly local “eyewitness news” and would like to see more stories about UFOs and the search for aliens, try “Spacing Out.”

No, it’s not a state of mind. Rather, it’s a weekly webseries that presents the latest otherworldly news on UFOs and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence in a format similar to a traditional news broadcast. But instad of 30 minutes of news, sports highlights and the weather, “Spacing Out” is all about the general mysteries of the universe.

Produced by OpenMinds.tv, “Spacing Out” debuted on May 4 and is co-hosted by Jason McClellan and Maureen Elsberry, who offer a fresh take on how UFOs and related topics are presented to the public.

The hook of the show features interviews with top researchers, journalists, media personalities and scientists — whether it’s photographic and video analysts in the UFO field or people who are scientifically searching for ET.

“We structure it in an eyewitness news format to give more of an objective view of all the subjects,” Elsberry told The Huffington Post. “This keeps it more easily digestible for both the general public and not just hard-core enthusiasts. In a news format, you’re able to objectively present facts and then let viewers formulate their own opinions.”

Read more at huffingtonpost.com or watch episode of 9 of spacing out right here, featuring some awesome UFO footage:

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Guest Blogger

MAN HAS 5-INCH WORM REMOVED FROM HIS EYE!

PK Krishnamurthy, an Indian man from a small section of north-eastern Mumbai known as Mulund, had the unfortunate experience of becoming one of India’s rarest medical oddites.

Mr. Krishnamurthy, at 75, thought he had seen it all, but it turns out the one things he hadn’t seen yet was, quite literally, right in his own eye the whole time!

The vile assailant and wounded victim post-surgery, PK Krishnamurthy.

And, if that wasn’t all good and fun as it is, the worm that turned up in this man’s eyeball is actually a sign of a bigger problem, due to the little fact it had come all the way from his intestines!

Yup, it managed to wiggle from one end of this man to the other!

The Mumbai Mirror writes:

For two weeks, Mulund resident P K Krishnamurthy, 75, felt his right eye twitching and even hurting at times. On Wednesday, doctors pulled out a 13-cm live worm from his eye, in one of the city’s rarest medical instances. While we have all dealt with worms – both within our bodies and outside – Krishnamurthy’s case is a medical nightmare come true.

The parasite – which had taken residence under conjunctiva (the transparent layer that covers the front of the eye) – had travelled all the way from Krishnamurthy’s intestine, through the blood stream, to reach the eye. Its journey stunned doctors, who said that they had not heard of a precedent. “We haven’t come across such long worms travelling so far,” said eye surgeon Dr V Seetharaman, who operated upon Krishnamurthy at Fortis Hospital, Mulund.

Doctors at JJ Hospital, one of the city’s largest medical facilities, said that they had encountered only one such instance in the past 20 years, but the crawly culprit in the case was only 2 to 3 cm long. Krishnamurthy started feeling irritation in his left eye two weeks ago. He consulted an ophthalmologist, who prescribed him eye drops. The twitching and pain, however, didn’t subside. On Wednesday morning, the 75-year-old consulted Dr Seetharaman. “I was shocked when the doctor told me that there was a live worm in my left eye and that I needed to undergo a surgery,” Krishnamurthy told Mumbai Mirror just hours after the surgery.

Dr Seetharaman said that the worm was not only alive, but moving, and was visible by naked eye. “It was coiled up underneath the conjunctiva, below the superficial layer of the eye,” he said. “There have been cases, though very rare, of intestinal worms travelling to the eye. But never a worm as long as this one.”

CROCODILE CAUGHT IN THE PHILIPPINES WAS LONGEST IN THE WORLD

This crocodile, caught in the phillipines some months ago, weighed over a ton.

Using steel traps and lots of courage, hunters if the town of Bunawan of the Southern Philippines were able to capture the longest crocodile in the world, and quite possibly the largest with it weighing well over a ton, according to Guinness World Records.

Sky News writes:

A seven metre-long crocodile has been confirmed as the largest in captivity.

Lolong weighs more than a ton, and has taken the top spot from an Australian crocodile which measured more than five metres, a Guinness World Records spokesman said.

The giant reptile has been blamed for a number of deadly attacks in a remote area in the southern Philippines and was eventually caught in the remote town of Bunawan.

It has become the star attraction of a new ecotourism park and research centre on the outskirts of the town and has drawn thousands of tourists since news of its capture spread.

Bunawan has earned £45,000 from the modest entrance fees at the park, with most of the money being used to feed and care for the crocodile.

The town’s mayor Edwin Cox Elorde said news of the record sparked celebrations, but said there are also concerns that more giant crocodiles might be lurking in a nearby marshland and creek where villagers fish.

“We’re really proud because it proves the rich biodiversity of our place but at the same time, there are fears that Lolong may not be alone,” he said.

THE NEW KING OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS …IS A ROBOT?

My secret of always going 'scissors first' is useless against this guy.

Now, you would hope that the world’s scientists are spending their time trying to solve problems that have plagued humanity forever. Again, you would hope. But, it seems the researchers over at the Ishikawa Oku Laboratory in Tokyo, Japan are spending their time wisely by making a robotic hand that never loses at Rock-Paper-Scissors.

Because, that needed to happen.

Just kidding, this thing is actually pretty awesome! Just watch it in action in the video below:

MSNBC writes:

When someone claims they’re good at rock-paper-scissors, they’re usually just trying to psyche you out so they can predict your next move. But this robot, created by the Ishikawa Oku Laboratory in Japan, doesn’t need to psyche you out, because it knows it will beat you every single time.

How can it do it? One thing it certainly doesn’t do is any kind of high-level analysis of the game. It doesn’t put your last sequence of moves through a complex semantic analysis and try to predict the move. It doesn’t use anti-random tactics like “five scissors in a row” to throw you off. All it needs is a high-speed camera and quick reflexes.

Yes, the robot cheats. By watching the image from a camera that can determine the position of your hand every millisecond, it is aware of your move the very moment you make it. And as soon as your hand starts to form that rock, the robot is giving you some paper to wrap it up. At the very end of the video, you can see the tiny delay between the human making a move and the robot reacting — but it happens so fast that you wouldn’t notice except when shown in slow-motion.

THE YOLKS ON THESE EGG-CITING COMPETITORS

Here's one situation where it's not such a bad thing to have 'egg on your face'.

Here’s an event we’re sad to say we missed!

The world famous 7th Annual World Egg Throwing Championships in Swaton, Lincolnshire, England, where competitors ran the gamut of egg influenced games, from egg catching to the finale of Russian Roulette with, you guessed it, eggs!

Here's one competitor smashing what he hoped was a hard-boiled egg into his face, as you can see, he wasn't so lucky.

The Huffington Post writes:

Jerry Cullen may come from a part of Great Britain known as Swineshead, but his own noggin is better suited for eggs — literally.

Cullen just became the world champion in the little known sport of “Egg Russian Roulette.” It’s game where two competitors pick eggs from a box of six. Five of have been hard boiled, and one is left raw, according to ITN.co.uk. The players smash the eggs against their faces and the first shell to crack loses the game.

The “egg-citing” sport is just one of the many “eggs-tra-ordinary” events at the 7th Annual World Egg Throwing Championships which took place this past weekend in Swaton, Lincolnshire, England.

Other events include egg throwing events for two-player and 11-player teams and a tossing event using trebuchets, a Medieval weapon similar to a catapult.

However, organizer Andy Dunlop has a soft spot in his heart for the hard-boiled sport of Egg Russian Roulette and hopes Cullen’s victory scrambles preconceived notions that it is a joke.

“They said there’s no skill involved,” Dunlop told ITN. “We’re here today to prove that there is skill.”

ZOMBIE THEMED RESTAURANT BASED ON RESIDENT EVIL

Zombie themed restaruant? Now, that takes braaains!

Well, if the zombie craze wasn’t taking over as it is, this new restaurant may have just taken things to a whole other level.

Capcom, creators of the most famous zombie game and movies of them all, the Resident Evil series, have decided to open an eatery in Japan based on the post-apocalyptic world they’ve created that’s inhabited by zombies, lots and lots of zombies.

The Huffington Post writes:

Zombies aren’t known for enjoying sit-down meals; most prefer to eat on the run (or shamble).

However, Japanese zombies who want a taste of fine dining will soon get their chance in the form of a zombie-themed restaurant that is opening in Tokyo on July 13.

It’s called the Biohazard Cafe and Grill S.T.A.R.S restaurant, and is based on the Japanese version of “Resident Evil” videogames, known as “Biohazard,”according to ZoKnowsGaming.com.

TheVerge.com reports that Capcom, the company that makes the ‘Resident Evil’ games, plans to sell limited-edition items at the undead diner and entertain customers hungry for zombie-themed entertainment with dance performances by game characters.

Unlike actual zombies, which never really die, the zombie restaurant is scheduled to only last a year, according to Kotaku.com.

THE BALTIC ANOMALY IS NOW KILLING ELECTRONICS

A new update comes from the team that is down in the Baltic Sea just north of Germany and Poland investigating the ‘anomaly’ at the bottom.

They’re now saying the object is shutting off electronic devices while they are directly above the object, but turn right back on as soon as they move out from over it!

RT writes:

A strangely-shaped object at the bottom of the Baltic Sea has been interfering with the electrical devices of the Swedish diving team that is trying to film it. But critics are growing more skeptical about the long-running mystery.

The Swedish Ocean X treasure-hunting team first discovered a mystery object reminiscent of the Star Wars spaceship Millennium Falcon last year.

But they didn’t have the resources to investigate. Now, they have returned with top-of-the-range 3D seabed scanners and a submersible – all funded by a secret sponsor.

They are trying to film it but as soon as they get close, they are foiled.

“Anything electric out there – and the satellite phone as well – stopped working when we were above the object,”Stefan Hogerborn, the expedition’s lead diver, told Swedish channel NDTV.

“And then we got away about 200 meters and it turned on again, and when we got back over the object it didn’t work.”

SNAKE ATTACK AT 175 MPH!

There’s not much of a scarier situation that unexpectedly running into a snake. Well, how about when one comes at you while you’re flying down the road at 175mph?!

A biker in Brazil was out for a ride with some of his buddies on a highway, having a good ol’ time playing around and enjoying the sun, when all of a sudden, SNAKE!

Apparently, just before taking his bike out, a sneaky snake crawled into the chassis of the motorcycle and decided it wasn’t gonna come out until the most absolutely disastrous time for this Brazillian rider.

Luckily he kept his wits about him and slowed the 2-wheeled vehicle down to a stop on the shoulder of the road to show the snake to his friends. I, on the other hand, would have most likely freaked out, closed my eyes and let go of the handlebars to fall off and go tumbling down the road at 175mph on a very busy 2 lane highway, which is much more preferable than snake-death.

Watch the video and see for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBnVs6ch4EQ

UPDATE: Unfortunately, the video has been taken down for the time being. We’ll have it up as soon as it’s back!

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Guest Blogger

FAREWELL, LONESOME GEORGE

The last of his kind, 'Lonesome' George the very last Pinta Giant Tortoise, has died.

Sad news comes from the animal kingdom today, ‘Lonesome’ George, the very last Pinta Giant Tortoise from the Galapagos Islands, has passed away at the ripe young age of 100 years old.

In 1972, at the string of Galapagos islands that helped make Charles Darwin famous by giving him beautiful examples of evolution, George was observed by a Hungarian scientist who thought, along with the rest of the scientific world, that his species of tortoise was already extinct. He was quickly added to the Galapagos National Park and their breeding program to preserve the lineage but, was unsuccessful throughout the 40 years he was with them.

BBC News writes:

Staff at the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador say Lonesome George, a giant tortoise believed to be the last of its subspecies, has died.

Scientists estimate he was about 100 years old.

Park officials said they would carry out a post-mortem to determine the cause of his death. With no offspring and no known individuals from his subspecies left, Lonesome George became known as the rarest creature in the world.

For decades, environmentalists unsuccessfully tried to get the Pinta Island tortoise to reproduce with females from a similar subspecies on the Galapagos Islands. Park officials said the tortoise was found dead in his corral by his keeper of 40 years, Fausto Llerena. While his exact age was not known, Lonesome George was estimated to be about 100, which made him a young adult as the subspecies can live up to an age of 200.