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TOP TEN STORIES OF UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA AROUND THE WORLD

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The folks over at the online news  source, huffingtonpost.com,  have pulled together a neat little top ten list of their best and favorite ufo and unexplained phenomena headlines of the year!  Take a look at some of the stories they mention, many of which were reported on right here at museumoftheweird.com, and you’ll see just how fascinating this year really was!

The Huffington post writes:

The world didn’t end in 2012, nor did our fascination with UFOs.

Did a UFO hover over the summer Olympic games? Can we believe an ex-CIA agent who claimed that extraterrestrials caused the 1947 Roswell incident? Will DNA tests prove the existence of Bigfoot?

Those questions were at the heart of 2012’s list of the top 10 UFO and unexplained phenomena news stories. Scroll through the list to see them all.

One hint about our number one story of the year: it had nothing to do with UFOs, but captured the attention of people all over the world.

To read more and check out the full slideshow of stories, head to huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/28

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TONIGHT: AN EVENING OF CHRISTMAS GHOST STORIES WITH RICHARD WHITTAKER!

An Evening of Christmas Ghost Stories lo-res-1

Friday, December 21th, 2012 @8:00pm

The Museum of the Weird presents its 2nd Annual:

An Evening of Christmas Ghost Stories
with your host Richard Whittaker

Come warm your bones with some hot chocolate as we gather for an age-old Christmas tradition– listening to spooky tales of days of yore! Featuring two terrifying tales by British master of the macabre, M.R. James, as read by resident Englishman Richard Whittaker.

The event is $5 and hot cocoa will be served.  Seating is extremely limited, so we recommend buying your tickets now!

You can order your tickets online now at LuckyLizard.net or, call the Lucky Lizard Curios & Gifts shop @ (512) 476-5493 to reserve your seats early.

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FOUND IN MEXICO: HUMAN SKULLS ELONGATED TO LOOK ALIEN

The skeletons were found in a cemetery near Onavas, South Sonora.
The skeletons were found in a cemetery near Onavas, South Sonora.

Now these things look crazy! This is absolutely fascinating!

Full bodied skeletons were found in a cemetery of southern Mexico with severely elongated skulls.

The ultimate question of course, is why? What prompted them to do this?

Did they do it of their own accord or, were they possibly emulating someone, or something, else?

The Huffington Post writes:

Excavation of an ancient burial site in South Sonora, Mexico, has revealed a series of skeletons with intentionally deformed skulls.

Of the 25 sets of human remains found close to the Mexican village of Onavas, 13 had deformed craniums and five had evidence of dental mutilation.

According to Past Horizons, misshapen skulls have not been recorded before in the Sonora cultural groups, although they are documented among Mesoamerican peoples.

Some of the skeletons, believed to be 1,000 years old, wore nose rings, bangles, earrings,  by Savings Sidekick” href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/12/19/alien-skulls-deformed-craniums-mexican-cemetery-_n_2328404.html?utm_hp_ref=uk#”>necklaces and pendants made from shells found in the Gulf of California.

One was found with a turtle shell laid over its abdomen.

Archaeologist Cristina Garcia Moreno said: “This unique find shows a mix of traditions from different groups of northern Mexico.

“The use of ornaments made from sea shells from the Gulf of California had never been found before in Sonoran territory and this discovery extends the limit of influence of Mesoamerican peoples farther north than has been previously recorded.”

Moreno is director of the research project, which is being carried out on behalf ofArizona State University , with the approval of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

She added: “Cranial deformation in Mesoamerican cultures was used to differentiate one social group from another and for ritual purposes, while the dental mutilation in cultures such as the Nayarit was seen as a rite of passage into adolescence.”

Elongated skulls have previously been misinterpreted as being of extra-terrestrial origin.

The process of elongating a skull usually begins in childhood with a process called “cradle-boarding”.

Ryan Matthews of Science Channel series Oddities told HuffPost Weird: “They would put two boards around the head and wrap it very securely.

“Because the head of a child is very soft, it can be manipulated forward, but the process would take several months.”

Read more at huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012

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CONSTRUCTION CREW FRIGHTENED BY APPARITION OF HEADLESS MONK

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Most construction sites don’t end up on top of a ancient burial ground, but this one did.

While building a new water side addition to the Thorpe Park in Chertsey, Surrey, England, construction crews were haunted by a rather frightening apparition of a headless monk. When inspectors came to see what all the fuss was about, they realized the new water slide was possibly being built on an old burial ground. After some consideration and discussing whether or not a headless monk ghost was something they wanted as part of their theme park, they decided against scaring the heck out of people and rather, letting them slide to the pool in peace.

Daily Mail Online writes:

A headless monk, a sudden chill, objects moving of own accord.

A new ride at an amusement park? No, the strange, seemingly paranormal, behaviour was experienced by workmen building a water ride at Thorpe Park, one of the country’s biggest theme parks.

There were reports of workers feeling like someone was watching over their shoulder and sudden cold feelings being experienced.

As a result of the ghostly sightings, and fears that an ancient burial ground has been disturbed, the project was moved to another site.

A paranormal detection agency was then called in to the park in Chertsey, Surrey, to carry out tests and found that a burial ground or settlement could have been disturbed.

Managers at the park decided to relocate the ride to another area of the park and also called in a forensic team to carry out further investigations.

The 64ft-tall water ride, Storm Surge, was originally planned for an area known as Monk’s Walk, an old footpath that has linked the ruins of nearby Chertsey Abbey to Thorpe Church since AD666.

The ride’s foundations would have been over an area of the park where stone coffins have previously been excavated.

Mike Vallis, divisional director of Thorpe Park, said: ‘It became apparent that something strange was going on when teams started clearing Storm Surge’s initial site.

‘Staff reports of eerie goings-on shot up and the only physical change in the park, at that time, was the beginning of ground preparation work for the new ride.

‘As employees were getting freaked out, we decided to call on an expert to see whether there was anything to report but had no idea of the dramatic effects.’

Jim Arnold, of South West London Paranormal, said: ‘We carry out these kinds of investigations quite regularly, with medium to weak results being reported on a weekly basis.

‘Thorpe Park, however, was more striking as results were picked up immediately, with orbs, ghostly images in photography and ouija reaction results being strongest around the site where they were proposing to build Storm Surge.

‘The results were so strong, we felt the only explanation could be that an ancient burial ground or settlement was being disturbed, prompting the extra paranormal activity.’

Read more and check out some pictures at dailymail.co.uk/news

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THE FALCON PROJECTS ASKS YOU TO FUND ITS SEARCH FOR BIGFOOT

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Have you always wanted to find Bigfoot? Well, now you can get as close to searching for the big guy as possible without actually leaving your own home!

With as little a a $1 donation you can fund “The Falcon Project” that plans on sending a blimp to the most remote areas of the world to find Bigfoot and capture him on film. Check out their Kickstarter Project and watch the video below for more information.

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HAS BIGFOOT BEEN PROVEN REAL?

Has recent DNA evidence proven the existence of the Bigfoot?

We recently posted a fantastic story about Dr. Ketchum in Texas, actually claiming to have gotten and examined DNA evidence of a human-primate hybrid, what we would call a Bigfoot, and has confirmed it as real as can be! More information is slowly coming out and as it does, we’ll keep you posted on anything new so, check back here often and let us know what you think!

The Huffington Post writes:

Bigfoot is real. At least that’s what veterinarian Melba S. Ketchum claims after a five-year study of more than 100 DNA samples that she believes comes from the elusive hairy beast.

Under Ketchum’s direction at DNA Diagnostics in Nacogdoches, Texas, a team of researchers has concluded that the creature may be a human relative that somehow developed around 15,000 years ago as a result of a hybrid cross between Homo sapiens with an unknown primate.

Ketchum’s research has yet to stand the scrutiny of independent researchers. While many people have claimed to have seen the creature, its existence has never been confirmed, despite a plethora of photos and footprints. The ongoing search is the subject of Animal Planet’s “Finding Bigfoot” television series.

“Well, it came to me, I didn’t go after it, that’s for sure,” Ketchum said of the evidence of Bigfoot’s existence in an exclusive interview with The Huffington Post. “I did not believe in these creatures. But my lab did a lot of animal testing, and we did species identification. We didn’t have any hits on anything interesting until five years ago.”

Ketchum’s professional work includes nearly 30 years in genetics research and forensics. After her team attempted DNA sequencing of hair samples from an alleged Bigfoot encounter, they found some unusual things in the hair. But there wasn’t enough DNA to conclusively verify what they were seeing.

DNA Diagnostics received more samples to investigate — including hair, blood, saliva and urine, all reportedly from various Bigfoot sightings.

Ketchum’s team consists of experts in genetics, forensics, imaging and pathology. The researcher said she believes that over the past five years, the team has successfully found three Sasquatch nuclear genomes — an organism’s hereditary code — leading them to suggest that the animal is real and a human hybrid.

Ketchum’s study showed that part of the DNA her team sequenced revealed an unknown primate species, she said, which suggests that Bigfoot is a real creature that resulted from this primate “crossing with female Homo sapiens.”

“They’re not any of the large apes — they branch off as a separate lineage,” Ketchum said. “My personal theory is that it probably branched off and evolved in parallel with the rest of the primate lineage.”

The overall results of Ketchum’s study will soon be revealed, she said, after a peer-reviewed journal is published. But skeptic Benjamin Radford is dubious about the outcome of this latest attempt to give credibility to the existence of Bigfoot.

“If the data are good and the science is sound, any reputable science journal would jump at the chance to be the first to publish this groundbreaking information,” Radford, the deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer magazine, wrote in LiveScience.com.

Radford suggests that if the mitochondrial DNA is identical to Homo sapiens (modern humans), it could mean one of two things.

“The first, endorsed by Ketchum, is that Bigfoot ancestors had sex with women about 15,000 years ago and created a half-human hybrid species currently hiding across North America.

“There is, however, another, simpler interpretation of such results: The samples were contaminated. Whatever the sample originally was — Bigfoot, bear, human or something else — it’s possible that the people who collected and handled the specimens accidentally introduced their DNA into the sample, which can easily occur with something as innocent as a spit, sneeze or cough,” Radford wrote.

Not so, counters Ketchum.

“Early on, we started getting human results on the mitochondrial DNA — that’s maternally inherited and it can show where you’re from,” Ketchum said. “Different labs had already tested alleged Sasquatch samples, and all of these labs were getting human results, so they just threw it out.

“We split the samples with another forensic lab — one worked on it manually while the other did it robotically, extracting the DNA — and we ran several tests to confirm there was no contamination. And we ended up getting human sequences on many samples.”

Read a whole lot more and watch video over at huffingtonpost.com/2012

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‘ALIEN MUMMIES’ COMING TO A TV NEAR YOU

An ‘Alien Mummies’ tv show is set to begin airing on Nov. 30, on the Science Channel, and promises to use all of the best technology available  to determine once and for all whether certain ‘Alien Mummies’ that have been claimed to be found, are real or not. Of course, you don’t get an entire series on tv by solving the problem in the first episode,  so keep an eye out for the show and come back here to discuss any ideas and thoughts you may have.

The Huffington Post writes:

Metepec, Mexico, is a rural community in Central Mexico that is home to cows, chickens and other farm animals.

But one night in May, 2007, one resident discovered a bizarre creature about 19 inches tall that didn’t resemble any known animal in the world: A pink, mostly hairless creature with large luminous eyes.

Although a picture of the creature exists, many believe it’s all just an elaborate hoax, while others are sure this is proof of alien life.

A new Science Channel special, “Alien Mummies,” debuting Nov. 30 at 10 p.m. EST, purports to solve the mystery of this creature using cutting edge science, advanced scanning technology and DNA testing, finally seeks to resolve this five year old mystery, and other E.T. anomalies as well.

The advance clip shows off the Metepec monster, but, you’ve been warned, it’s cute and cuddly like E.T.

Read more and watch the commercial for the show at huffingtonpost.com

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UFO CLOAKED AS MOUNTAIN IN WASHINGTON?

Does Mt. Adams have an unwelcomed guest?

One of our favorite site, ghosttheroy.com, has posted a pretty interesting story this evening. A member of the UFO SIghtings Daily team has bposted a youtube video of what he thinks is a pretty poor job of an alien space craft attempting to blend in with it’s surroundings of Mt. Adams in Washington state. Take a look at his video here and decided for yourself.

Watch the video of his explanation here.

Ghost Theroy writes:

Scott Waring from UFO Sightings Daily has posted to You Tube what his analysis determines to be a cloaked alien UFO base on the slopes of Mt Adams, Washington.

“I had read about and researched the UFO Sightings at the ECETI ranch for many years and finally found a satellite map that would allow me to fully view the top of the ranch. The mass amounts of military officers and DOD people as well as news agencies who record these UFO have been baffled by what they saw. Glowing UFO orbs are seen nightly by visitors and people in the community. The thing that sticks out the most is that they often say, “it was coming from the side of the mountain,” or “it went into the side of the mountain.” This made me search for some kind of distortion in the photos, a glitch in their cloaking that would prove to be an entrance to a base. You see I work with infrared and night vision so I understand that certain light waves are not visible to the human eye, but the digital eye is a different story. Here is a video I made of the results of this search. The entrance is real…now…how do we open it?

-Scott C. Waring”

For reference here is the progression of zooms that leads to the site Scott claims to have discovered

Now I have checked FlashEarth myself and the distortion shown here is present there.

However to cite only one source for information is just asking for trouble, as Mr. Waring has done here. Waring has used Flash Earth to image the eastern slopes of Mt Adams, so I decided to check his findings on Google Earth. If indeed aliens are cloaking a hidden base on Adams, and that process causes a distortion of focus then it should be visible from any satellite image. Yes?

For reference I have included the rather distinctive deep valley in the lower half of this picture, and the ridge in the upper half, both visible in Waring’s image

And then zoomed between to the location of Waring’s “Base” and find no distortion.

 

Now I will be the first to admit my images are not taken at the same time of year as Waring’s. So we are left with a few options:

There was a hidden alien aircraft base within Mt Adams at the time of Waring’s photo but it was either not built yet or removed when my photos were taken.

As one of Waring’s commentors suggests, what was cloaked was a mothership not a base, and it departed or had not arrived yet between the time of Waring’s photo and mine.

Waring’s photo is a by product of a camera or processing flaw, or an atmospheric anomaly at the time of the picture.

Or one of the photos is simply faked by some human hand.

There do not seem to be a lot of other options. But there does arise a question.

Why would an advanced alien race, with the capacity to cloak a base or mothership proceed to launch brightly glowing objects that clearly identify its location?

If you are able to find something different let me know

Henry@GhostTheory.com

Read more at ghosttheroy.com

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NEW BOOK DELVES INTO THE SCIENCE OF MONSTERS

The Monsters of Universal Studios

We all know, love, and have our favorite of the classic monsters from our childhood but, what was the original inspiration for these creepy creatures of the shadows? A new book being published called “Medusa’s Gaze and Vampire’s Bite: The Science of Monsters” delves into what fears and real dangers the people of the time were living with that would have created them. From disease to war, times have most certainly been tough in the past and everyone had plenty to worry about.

Reuters reports:

Nov 8 (Reuters) – The suave and sensitive Edward Cullen of “Twilight” may be the norm for vampires these days, but fictional monsters such as Dracula originally sprang from the fear of inexplicable diseases and the mysteries of death in the natural world.

So argues science journalist Matt Kaplan in “Medusa’s Gaze and Vampire’s Bite: The Science of Monsters,” an examination of monsters around the world and throughout history – the science behind their origins, and why they matter to us even now.

“When our kids ask for monster stories around the campfire, they are behaving in a way that is not dissimilar to lion cubs,” Kaplan said in an email.

“Lion cubs play fight so they can test out their skills in a safe place where nobody is going to get maimed or killed. Monster stories serve a similar purpose, they allow us to face our worst fears without the risks that are normally associated with them.”

Some are simple. The Kraken tales of mammoth monster squid, along with the Leviathan of the Bible, are most likely based upon the existence of real creatures such as whales.

The terrifying Medusa of Greek myths, with her hair made of snakes and a gaze that could turn things to stone, may have been distantly connected to the idea of fossils for ancient people, with the snakes in her hair an example of pure fear.

Though mentions of vampire-like creatures exist as early as ancient Greece, it took hundreds of years for tales of the creatures to gradually evolve into the haunting undead of more recent history.

Accounts of people found in their graves with blood on their lips and their stomachs seemingly full, as if they had just eaten, may be explained by simple decay, with gas buildup throughout the body sometimes pushing blood up from the lungs. Elongated canine teeth and fingernails was due to skin shrinking after death and pulling away, making both more prominent.

Later, greater awareness of contagious diseases such as influenza and tuberculosis – which could cause people who came in contact with the ill person to also sicken and die – further contributed to the myth. This was especially true due to incubation periods that weren’t understood at the time, making it unclear how the diseases were being spread.

“One death would follow another in a dominolike progression,” writes Kaplan. “In a morbid sense, these patients were literally killing their friends and relatives, but from their deathbeds rather than the hereafter.”

But vampires have now undergone a radical transformation, a process that began with the publication of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” but has speeded up in recent years.

“If tuberculosis, influenza, rabies and bloated bodies are the human experiences from which Dracula came, how have we now ended up with the kind, honorable and handsome Edward Cullen?” Kaplan said.

Read more at reuters.com/article

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SCIENTIST STUDY HAIR FROM A “YETI” AND CONFIRM IT AS REAL!

Photo credit to Animal Planet

Has the Yeti’s existence been confirmed?

News.com.au writes:

DNA tests on hair found supposedly found in a Siberian may actually prove the existence of the Abominable Snowman.

Three separate DNA tests of the hair reported it “came from a human-like creature which is not a Homosapien yet is more closely related to man than a monkey”.

Yeti hunters claim Yeti DNA is less than one per cent different to that of a human. But no-one has confirmed that “fact” to date, because no Yeti has ever been found or tested for DNA.

Until now. The DNA tests were carried out at universities in Moscow, St Petersburg at Idaho in the US. It is understood a fourth DNA test is also being carried out in the UK.

“We had ten samples of hair to study, and have concluded that they belong to mammal, but not a human, and not the animals known to the area where they were found, like a bear, or wolf, or goat, or any other animal,” Professor Valentin Sapunov of the Russian State Hydrometeorological Institute said.

“It was a branch of our university in St Petersburg that carried out a DNA test, and the Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences. The tests were performed by laboratory of electronic microscopy and laboratory of molecular genealogical classification.”

The “Yeti hair” was allegedly found in Siberia’s Azasskaya Cave by Dr Igor Birtsev, Russia’s leading advocate of the existence of the abominable snowman.

Read more at http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/so-the-yeti-does-exist-scientists-say-so/story-e6frfq80-1226507133971#ixzz2AzKP5VDI