Steve Busti – Page 5 – Museum of the Weird

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Steve Busti

GIANT SQUID FOUND IN FLORIDA

MOTW-070611-Squid — A 25-foot-long giant squid is splayed out on a tarp after it was picked up by a fishing crew over the weekend.

By Nidhi Subbaraman

Florida fishermen snared a real-life sea monster over the weekend: a giant squid measuring 25 feet in length.

“It’s really, really, really rare to get giant squids because they’re so huge, and live so deep,” John Slapcinsky, a collection manager at the Florida Museum of Natural History, told me. For museum workers and scientists who specialize in giant squids, this specimen is quite the catch.

MOTW-070611-Squid2 — University of Florida researcher Roger Portell injects preservative into the giant squid.

The animal was bobbing in the water when the fisherman chanced upon it on Sunday. They hauled it onto their boat, put it on ice, and brought it to shore. There, they alerted the Florida Fish and Wildlife conservation commission, who called in the Florida Museum of Natural History.

“I thought we definitely need to bring it in, because no one’s going to believe us if we don’t,” Robert Benz, one of the original squid finders, said in a press release. “I didn’t want to leave it out there and just let the sharks eat it.”

Somewhere along the way, the squid died.

It’s now been relocated to the Florida Museum of Natural History, where Slapcinsky and his colleagues are preserving the massive invertebrate. “Soft bodied squids spoil easily,” Slapcinsky told me.

The squid will be put through quite the regimen over the next month, and will be injected with and bathed in a cocktail of preservatives. These will kill the bacteria in the body of the squid and firm up the soft tissue of the animal, Slapcinsky explained.

MOTW-070611-Squid3 — A tentacle coils out from the dead squid's body. Studying the creature and sequencing its DNA should help scientists determine how various breeds of deep-sea squid are related.

Because they’re so rarely observed in the wild, or found dead (they get eaten pretty quickly), there’s a lot that scientists don’t know about the behavior of the enormous animals, like how they reproduce or what they eat. Also, a debate continues about whether giant squids make up a single species, or several, and Slapcisnky hopes that DNA analysis of this new squid will have some answers.

It’s not yet clear if the squid will make it into a museum exhibit, Slapcinsky says — the museum may not have the right equipment or the space to show off the spineless specimen. But it will be available for squid researchers to visit, to take a closer look.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/06/29/6976926-fishermen-pick-up-dying-giant-squid

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Steve Busti

SCIENTIST SAYS THE CURE TO AGING JUST YEARS AWAY

(Reuters) – If Aubrey de Grey’s predictions are right, the first person who will live to see their 150th birthday has already been born. And the first person to live for 1,000 years could be less than 20 years younger.

A biomedical gerontologist and chief scientist of a foundation dedicated to longevity research, de Grey reckons that within his own lifetime doctors could have all the tools they need to “cure” aging — banishing diseases that come with it and extending life indefinitely.

“I’d say we have a 50/50 chance of bringing aging under what I’d call a decisive level of medical control within the next 25 years or so,” de Grey said in an interview before delivering a lecture at Britain’s Royal Institution academy of science.

“And what I mean by decisive is the same sort of medical control that we have over most infectious diseases today.”

De Grey sees a time when people will go to their doctors for regular “maintenance,” which by then will include gene therapies, stem cell therapies, immune stimulation and a range of other advanced medical techniques to keep them in good shape.

De Grey lives near Cambridge University where he won his doctorate in 2000 and is chief scientific officer of the non-profit California-based SENS (Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence) Foundation, which he co-founded in 2009.

He describes aging as the lifelong accumulation of various types of molecular and cellular damage throughout the body.

“The idea is to engage in what you might call preventative geriatrics, where you go in to periodically repair that molecular and cellular damage before it gets to the level of abundance that is pathogenic,” he explained.

CHALLENGE

Exactly how far and how fast life expectancy will increase in the future is a subject of some debate, but the trend is clear. An average of three months is being added to life expectancy every year at the moment and experts estimate there could be a million centenarians across the world by 2030.

To date, the world’s longest-living person on record lived to 122 and in Japan alone there were more than 44,000 centenarians in 2010.

Some researchers say, however, that the trend toward longer lifespan may falter due to an epidemic of obesity now spilling over from rich nations into the developing world.

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Steve Busti

Tonight on THE SHADOW HOUR:

10:00 PM CST, TONIGHT: Have you ever had a psychic event? Been a witness to a UFO encounter, or maybe even been abducted? Ever seen a strange creature you couldn’t explain? Do you have a ghost story you’d like to share?

Tonight, join host Chris Walden of the weekly live radio program “The Shadow Hour” for a special open-line call-in show. Chris will review this week’s “Shadow News” while callers share their stories. That call in number is (347) 826-9662 or call toll-free at (877) 867-0829.

Now you can listen right here with our blogtalkradio widget! You can listen to past broadcasts at any time, or tune in tonight (Wednesday, June 29th) at 10pm Central for the live broadcast. See you in the shadows…

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Steve Busti

LOCH NESS MONSTER RETURNS! NEW SIGHTING REPORTED

Move over, Bigfoot — Nessie’s back! Glad to see our old friend is making headlines again. It was starting to seem like Sasquatch had been hogging all the spotlight lately.

FOYERS shop and cafe owner Jan Hargreaves and her husband Simon believe they caught a glimpse of Loch Ness’s most elusive resident — Nessie.

It was while taking a break on the store’s front decking — looking out to the loch — when Mrs Hargreaves and kitchen worker Graham Baine spotted an unusual figure cutting a strange shape through the water.

“We were standing looking out and saw something that looked bizarre,” said Mrs Hargreaves.

“I said to my husband to come and have a look.

“We stand here all the time and look out and we see boats and kayaks but it didn’t look like anything we have seen here before.”

Despite the unidentified creature being quite a distance from their vantage point, 51-year-old Mrs Hargreaves said it had a long neck which was too long to be that of a seal and it was black in appearance.

“It went under the water and disappeared for probably 30 to 40 seconds and then came back up again,” said Mrs Hargreaves.

“It was around for a good four to five minutes. It was just so strange.”

Keen to stress she is not seeking publicity, Mrs Hargreaves does firmly believe what she saw was the Loch Ness Monster.

“It was so exciting,” she declared.

Since August last year, The Waterfall Cafe and Foyers Stores with post office, opposite the village’s famous Falls of Foyers, has been run by Mr and Mrs Hargreaves.

Nessie hunter Steve Feltham, who lives in a former mobile library turned research centre on Dores beach, said he heard about the possible sighting when he popped into the store last week and believes because it was from residents rather than tourists, it is more credible.

“I’m excited by the fact it was locals who had seen it,” said Mr Feltham.

“It’s quite a distance from the shop to the water and they watch everything that goes on there.

“For them to be impressed then there is a possibility it could have been Nessie.”

What particularly excited Mr Feltham was that it was from the exact same vantage point where Tim Binsdale shot the best footage of the legendary creature back in 1960.

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Steve Busti

MAN BUILDS HIS OWN ‘IRON MAN’ SUIT

We’ve seen our fair share of Iron Man suits in the past, but this is the first time that we see the “pre” Iron Man suit from the Iron Man series (the one tony stark made on the cave)

The suit was made by 25 year old Wang Xiao kang, he became a huge fan of the series after the movie came out in 2008. He works at ZTE the huge Multi National Telecommunications company out of China. He spent nearly 3,000 yuan (about $460) and spent 3 months in construction time until he finally finished the realistic Iron man Suit.

Wang Xiao, claims that he’s not very good with DIY equipment, and he started to learn how to do just about everything from Google searches, he found forums that talked about props, and he began to search for behind the scenes of the iron man movies to learn how they did the parts.

Read more: http://tek-bull.com/2011/06/chinese-man-builds-ultra-realistic-iron-man-suit.html

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Steve Busti

GHOSTLY GUEST CRASHES WEDDING PARTY PHOTO

MOTW-0602511-Ghost_Wedding_Photo — Something isn't quite right with this picture. What's that floating above the soundboard? (Courtesy Karen Hanlon)

People at a wedding reception at the Newman Wine Vaults in St. John’s believe they caught an image of an uninvited and otherworldly guest.

Newlyweds Matt White and Danielle Hann said one of their friends was shocked by the digital image she took at the June 18 event.

“Karen [Hanlon] was staring at this camera and she came running out with the camera saying, ‘Look what I just took! Look what I just took! There’s somebody in the picture,” said White.

On the right-hand side of the photograph, some see a figure that seems to be wearing a white top and floating in the air.

“Somehow it’s not as creepy in the daylight,” said White.

But it still makes Hann uneasy.

“I don’t know, it’s still creepy,” she said.

St. John’s folklorist Dale Jarvis said it might be explained away as a reflection or a light flare, but he added that the Newman Wine Vaults does have a haunting history.

“It is one of those places that continually generates new ghost stories. So, this is part of that tradition for the space,” said Jarvis, who has collected many St. John’s ghost stories.

Jarvis is the organizer of the city’s “haunted hike” – a tour of the downtown area that recounts many of the stories he has been told.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage website said the history of the wine vault is unclear.

It’s believed to have been built in the early 19th century, and was used by the English mercantile firm Newman and Company to age port wine from Portugal in St. John’s – a tradition that began in the late 17th century and continued until the late 19th century.

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Steve Busti

REAL LIFE C-3PO IS WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED ROBOT

Pictured: robot complete with muscle and tendons — World first: Ecci's creators say it is the most advanced robot ever created with tendons, muscles, bones, a brain and the visual capability of a human

It looks like a stripped-down version of Star Wars character C-3PO.

But this robot is science fact not fiction – and one of the most advanced in the world.

Ecci, as it has been named, is the first ever robot to have ‘muscles’ and ‘tendons’, as well as the ‘bones’ they help move. All made of a specially developed plastic.

And most advanced of all, it also has a brain with the ability to correct its mistakes – a trait previously only seen in humans.

Developed by a team of scientists at the University of Zurich, Ecci, is short for Eccerobot. Ecce in Latin means Lo or Behold.

The robot uses a series of electric motors to move the joints the tendons are connected to.

And a computer built into the brain of Ecci allows him to learn from his mistakes.

If, for example, a movement is causing him to stumble or drop something – the information is studied and analysed to avoid making the same mistake next time.

The creation also has the same vision capacity of humans too, despite only having one cyclops style eye.

The scientists now hope their creation will usher in a whole new generation for robots – and could aid development of artificial limbs.

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Steve Busti

BIGFOOT ‘FACE PRINT’ PRESS CONFERENCE

Well, I just finished watching the live broadcast of the press conference today revealing the supposed Bigfoot evidence found by Sanger Paranormal, and I’ve got to say I was less than impressed.

Here are the photos they released today. They are said to show the face and hand/knuckle prints of a Bigfoot that supposedly was peering into the windows of one of the investigators’ vehicles.

What do you think? Bigfoot? Or bear?

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Steve Busti

Tonight on THE SHADOW HOUR: To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

Posted by Chris Walden

10:00 PM CST, TONIGHT: Once again, it is that time of the week… time to ease into your favorite chair, sit back and relax as we explore the sublime world of the strange, the odd, and the unusual. It’s time once again for… The Shadow Hour.

Tonight we’ll be joined by Diane Pascual, an expert on dream interpretation, to talk about how our dreams speak to us.

As always, the lines will be open and we encourage you to call in with your questions. The call in number for tonight’s show is (347) 826-9662 or call toll-free at (877) 867-0829.

Listen right here with our blogtalkradio widget in the sidebar. You can listen to past broadcasts at any time, or tune in every Wednesday at 10pm Central for the live broadcast.

See you in the shadows, if you dare…

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Steve Busti

CRYPTOMUNDO RELEASES ‘FACE PRINT OF BIGFOOT’ PHOTO

A couple of days ago Jeffrey Gonzalez, founder of Sanger Paranormal, put out the following press release :

For Immediate Release

*********** MEDIA ADVISORY**********

Potentially the Most Convincing Evidence of Bigfoot Since the Patterson Film of 1967

We have an full upper body impression including half of its face On the passenger side window of a pickup truck

And on the drivers side window, the Nostrils, Nose and Lips of a Bigfoot

Who: World Media – Please RSVP to SangerParanormal@aol.com
We will contact you to confirm your attendance

What: No, it’s not a Bigfoot in a Freezer and we are not affiliated with those guys in any way. This evidence was captured during an expedition in the High
Sierra’s of California during the Memorial Day weekend of 2011. There were a total of 5 people in attendance who made the discovery. Three of those people
are………….

1. Is an award winning High School Principal with a Masters Degree, Formerly a Science Teacher and a former investigator for www.BFRO.com.

2. Correctional Officer for 19 years and is Employed at a prison in California. Was featured on a Episode of Monster Quest titled” the Sierra Sasquatch”.

3. Is a Employe at AT&T Telephone. Associates Degree in Electronics. Founder of the www.SangerParanormalSociety.com

Also, a 14 year Forensic Specialist who is friends with 2 of the people mentioned above was called out to come and take photos and swab For DNA……

This location where the evidence was captured is known for heavy Bigfoot activity And has been regularly visited by the investigators mentioned above.

When: June 23, 2011 at 4:00 pm (Pacific)

Where: Piccadilly Inn, Banquet Hall
5115 E. McKinley Ave
Fresno, Calif. 93727
559-251-6000 fax-559-251-6956
Directly across from Fresno Yosemite International Airport

Today Loren Coleman of cryptomundo.com posted the alleged photo on the site (Coleman received the image from one of his readers, Rick Sheen, who had saved the photo from Sanger’s own website, where it appeared briefly before being removed from the site). Here it is:

Now apparently the main stream media has picked up on the story as well. Responding to Loren Coleman’s lead on the story, here’s what Lee Spiegel of AOL News reported:

California Bigfoot investigators were shocked over Memorial Day weekend when they found strange markings and hair on their pickup truck windows.

Now, they’re hoping DNA tests will prove once and for all the existence of the legendary man-beast.

“On the passenger side window, when I first saw it, I almost threw up,” said Jeffrey Gonzalez, an AT&T electronics technician and founder of the Sanger Paranormal Society.

Gonzalez and several others were in California’s Sierra National Forest searching for evidence to confirm the reality of the creature. When it started to snow at their campsite, they were forced to leave two of their vehicles behind.

“Two days later, we came back to pick up our vehicles and that’s when we found the impressions,” Gonzalez told AOL Weird News, recalling what he and his companions noticed on the passenger window.

“Apparently, the creature was looking in the window and left behind dirt and oil on it, leaving such an awesome picture, you can see the nose, the eye, the hair all over the face and the shoulders — it’s creepy, and it’s not a bear.”

Gonzalez and his friends — including a former science teacher and a correctional officer — also found a 12-inch footprint at the site. They concluded their hairy intruder wasn’t a bear because none of the four ice chests that were filled with food on the back of Gonzalez’s truck had been touched.

But it wasn’t just the passenger side window that presented a surprise — the driver’s side of the truck showed the imprint of a much larger creature, strongly suggesting there were two unexplained visitors to the campsite.

“An impression was left of a nose, eyes and lips, but they were extremely large,” Gonzalez said. “The lips measured about 6 inches long. You can see that the whole face was full of hair, so when it leaned up against the window, you can see the depth of the eye socket in the glass.

“I’ve shown people — non-believers — this photograph and this totally freaked them out.”

After Gonzalez returned home that day, he called a forensic expert to take DNA samples of the fur or hair that was left around the window impressions.

Read more: http://weirdnews.aol.com/2011/06/16/bigfoot-dna-evidence-face-impression-body-hair_n_877718.html#s271012

So what do our readers think? Is the the first decent look the world has of the face of Bigfoot? Please feel free to share your opinions below.