I would like to plead for my right to investigate natural phenomena without having guns pointed at me. I also ask for the right to be wrong without being hanged for it. — Wilhelm Reich, father of the concept of orgone energy and inventor of the orgone accumulator

Wikipedia

Wilhelm Reich Museum

Reuters is reporting that Russian authorities have assumed custody of a five year old girl who has spent the majority of her life locked in an unheated flat in the Siberian city of Chita with a group of dogs and cats. The child, who authorities assume to be around five years old despite stunted growth that makes her appear to be around two years of age, is non-vocal and exhibits dog-like behavior, such as barking and jumping at doors whenever care takers leave the room. (More at Reuters.com)

The girl, who is being called “Natasha”, is far from the first documented feral child. While the mythic founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus (who legend claims were suckled by a she wolf after being saved from death by having their basket set in the Tiber River and washing ashore Moses style) are among the most famous of the feral children and Rudyard Kipling’s fictional Mowgli, from the Jungle Book, lends his name to the syndrome for children who adopt the characteristics of animals they grow up with; there are several documented cases of actual feral children. These cases include:

Peter, the Wild Boy of Hamelin

The Wild Girl of Champagne

Oxana Malaya, the dog girl of Ukraine

Traian Caldarar, the wild boy of Romania

There are also a number of children who, while not technically “feral” in the sense of being raised by animals, have been abandoned due to mental incapacity and then had the feral child myth constructed around them (such as the famous Indian “wolf girls” Amala and Kamala) or otherwise held in isolation by their parents or care-givers. In addition there are a number of unsubstantiated or poorly documented stories out of African nations , especially those savaged by years of war such as Sierra Leone and Uganda, of children raised by apes or monkeys after losing their parents.

There are also the outright hoaxes, usually of the carnival side-show variety where a physical or mental deficiency was exploited for monetary gain, however there are enough verifiable accounts to make the phenomenon an intriguing study.

As we start winding up (or down) for the weekend, let’s take a moment to indulge in a little monkey business, just because it’s Thursday.

Let’s start with this bit from Dallas, TX where a contractor doing lot work for a Montessori school uncovered an out of place primate skull that bears a bit of a resemblance to the skull of a small baboon.

Out of place monkeys are nothing new to Texas. A troupe of Japanese macaques, brought to the state from around Kyoto to protect them from extermination by angry merchants fed up with their thieving, had some folks concerned about the potential for wild breeding populations establishing themselves in parts of south Texas after they began wandering outside the sanctuary they were relocated to in 1972.

But how this skull came to be buried in a north Dallas suburb remains a mystery.

We’ve also recently heard news about an orangutan (well known escape artists) short circuiting a security fence to escape an Australian zoo, as well as news of female gorillas using hand claps to gain the attention of offspring and mates and of apes using sticks to procure honey (part four in the TBRC’s Great Ape Behavioral Parallel series).

Speaking of the Great Ape Behavioral Parallel, my co-author of part three, and the author of part four that we reference above, Michael C. Mayes, has his own excellent cryptid related blog, Texas Cryptid Hunter, that is worth checking out. Recent articles include an examination of the gorilla clapping, as well as a wonderful vignette describing Teddy Roosevelt’s post-presidency experiences on the Amazonian tributary known as the River of Doubt.

Cryptomundo, or course, is still most folks “go to” source for breaking cryptid news (author included) but another cryptozoologically themed website that might be worth adding to your RSS feed is Cryptoworld. This UK based cryptid site features intriguing, regularly updated links, and is becoming a favorite “quick click” site for my lunch break web surfing.

So there you have it. A little down and dirty monkey business to jump start your weekend. Enjoy the links. Have fun. And try not to throw any feces at the scofftics.

(a “because its Thursday” special)

So, Oprah Winfrey recently ended her “21 day vegan challenge” and decided to cap it all off by buying everyone chicken from KFC.

I’m not even going to point out the obvious “WTF?” factor in this action. I’m not vegan by a long shot. As a dedicated omnivore, I’ve no intention of giving up my cheese or the occasional hamburger. But my girlfriend is a vegan chef, and a very talented one at that (food photos here, NOM NOM), and so eating vegan at most of my meals is not only NOT a big deal, I frankly don’t “miss” anything. And I’m sure someone of Oprah’s resources had the best of ingredients at her disposal as well. Maybe she really was craving chicken after her 3 meat-free weeks (again, for me the biggest challenge would be cheese, as there are very few cheese substitutes that can emulate the taste and mouth feel of real cheese, but I digress.) However her publicity stunt crowded mind has launched a ship that’s sinking fast.

See, Oprah didn’t just want you to participate in her self-imposed vegan flogging (that is totally what I see her short flirtation with veganism as), she also wanted you to revel in your inner cave-man right along with her… haunch of flesh gripped between your greasy mitts while teeth tear through gristle and tendon. So, she decided to buy everyone in America a piece of chicken. (But grilled skinless chicken, because grilled fast-food chicken is somehow healthier than fried chicken maybe?)

The stunt, I’m sure something both Oprah and Kentucky Fried Chicken parent company Yum Brands thought was genius, has turned into a fiasco of epic proportions with customer’s rioting at understocked stores, and even staging sit-ins.  That is, its been a fiasco for those customers who could get the coupon for free chicken to print.

Remember that back in 1928, during the run up to that other economic crisis Herbert Hoover promised a “chicken in every pot”, and we all know how well that worked for him.

Maybe the next volume Oprah reads for her book club should be some kind of a history book?

I’m going to try and start a new tradition around here. Every Thursday we’re going to post random links to strange tid-bits in the news that you may have missed, may have seen elsewhere, or may know more about than any of us could begin to.

I’ll need your help to keep on task.

Sometimes there will be a theme. If I can’t come up with a cohesive theme, it’ll just be random. The point is, here are some weird things that I don’t have the time or inclination to write a full article about, but they’re interesting.

Hope you enjoy:

We’ll start with a little news of feng-shui impeding international relations in Hong Kong. These sorts of beliefs, straddling a line between sciences and superstitions, have always fascinated me. Asian traditional medicine is full of this. The Doctrine of Signatures, for instance, that says because a food is kidney shaped it is good for the kidneys, colon shaped it is good for the colon, etc. These ideas were abandoned in the west long ago, and while we may at times scoff at macrobiotic classification of foods as yin and yang, the healing aspects of such diets are well-documented, as are the effects of ayurvedic remedies, acupuncture, etc.  It’s also interesting to note that “pseudo-sciences”, such as dowsing, are considered legitimate means of scientific investigation in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (see Jacques Vallée’s Ufo Chronicles of the Soviet Union : A Cosmic Samidzat for examples).

In the same vein of superstition, but on the more primitive end of the spectrum, we have this report of a witch/goat accused of armed robbery in Nigeria. Naturally, culture dictating norms, the goat is being held in custody until the story can be confirmed.

Jumping back to the former Soviet Union, we have this story, one some western scientist are sure to raise an eyebrow at, of a man with a tree found growing inside his lung.

And finally, just because I thought it was adorably hillarious (and because I have a weak spot for facial hair) we have this story of a finely mustachioed horse from Gloucestershire in the UK.

Enjoy!

While the word Bigfoot usually conjures images of the deep forests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest, there is also a rich tradition of southern hominid sightings. Often known by various local names, the southern Bigfoot doesn’t get as much attention (or respect) as his northwestern cousins, but his impact on the local people and their lore has been just as profound. Southern Fried Bigfoot, premiering tonight on the Documentary Channel, takes a look at some of the more notable southern sighting reports, including the Fouke Monster of Fouke, Arkansas; Louisiana’s Honey Island Swamp Monster; the Lake Worth Monster of Lake Worth, Texas; and Florida’s Myakka Ape or Skunk Ape. Southern Fried Bigfoot also talks with the various authors and field researchers involved in the study of southern Bigfoot phenomenon about the historical record and continuing efforts to document the species.

The subtle emphasis throughout the film, intentional or accidental, seems to be the impact of these creatures on the local culture. Interview subjects, for instance, emphasize the legacy of local names and legends, many linking southern “wild man” stories to reports that pre-date the first use of the term “Bigfoot” by hundreds of years. Even the use of cheesy, Bigfoot themed clip art imagery and sports mascot logos throughout the documentary, while seeming amateur at first, helps emphasize the impact these stories have had on the human experience.

The documentary is a worthwhile watch for anyone with even a passing interest in the subject. While the documentary does not contain any major revelations or new info for the dedicated students of Bigfoot and cryptozoology, it is engaging and entertaining. What will probably be of most interest to those already familiar with the creatures profiled will be the ideas expressed by the various personalities involved in the search for Bigfoot in the south. DVD extras providing additional information related to various reports, info on hoaxes, the difference between reports in the North and the South, the sounds associated with Bigfoot reports, etc., will also appeal to those with a deeper interest in the history of reported sightings and the personalities involved in researching the creature.

The Monkeyhouse production, Southern Fried Bigfoot, premieres tonight at 9:00 PM EST/8:00 PM CST on the Documentary Channel (encore at Midnight EST, 11 CST).

Additional showtimes are scheduled for Saturday, April 18 (5 PM Eastern, 4 PM Central), Wednesday April 29 (8 and 11 PM Eastern, 7 and 10 PM Central), Wednesday, May 6 (5 PM Eeastern, 4 PM Central), and Saturday, May 16 (9 PM and Midnight Eastern, 8 and 11 PM Central).

New Books from Jacques Vallee!

The other day while browsing The Anomalist dot com headlines I noticed in the right sidebar a new book by Jacques Vallee - its the sequel to his fantastic memoirs, Forbidden Science. The original volume led right up to the dawn of the 70’s UFO Scene. There was so much in that original volume yet the prospect of more decades of revelations of the behind the scenes activities of the world’s leading UFOlogist has had me wanting for more ever since. One of the more important bits in the original Forbidden Science was Jacques’ revelations about the infamous Pentacle Memorandum addressed to Miles E. Coll from H. C. Cross; from my April 2005 Anomaly Archives eNewsletter:

One of the probable reasons for ufo researcher Jacques Vallee’s suspicions about the potential use of UFOs as a form of Disinfo and “Double Cross” was his 1967 discovery of what has become known as the “Pentacle Memo.” This document led Vallee to the discovery of secret dealings between Battelle Memorial Institute and the United States Military / Intelligence complex and plans to simulate large waves of UFOs. All of this information was kept secret from the famous scientific Robertson Panel that was tasked by the United States government to assess UFOs. From Vallee’s correspondance on the importance of the memo, we read…

“… the Pentacle proposal goes far beyond anything mentioned before. It daringly states that “many different types of aerial activity should be secretly and purposefully scheduled within the area.” It is difficult to be more clear. We are not talking simply about setting up observing stations and cameras. We are talking about large-scale, covert simulation of UFO waves under military control.

The greatest implication, which is perhaps not obvious on first reading but which amounts to a scandal of major proportion in the eyes of any scientist, has to do with the outright manipulation of the Robertson panel. Here is a special meeting of the five most eminent scientists in the land, assembled by the government to discuss a matter of national security. Not only are they not made aware of all the data, but another group has already decided “what can and cannot be discussed (Pentacle’s own words!)” when they meet. Dr. Hynek categorically stated to me that the panel was not briefed about the Pentacle proposals.

Revelation of this document may seem irrelevant to Just Cause, but its explosive nature wasn’t lost on Battelle. As I noted in Forbidden Science, and as Fred Beckman vividly recalls to this day, the Project Stork team reacted with fury when Hynek went back to Battelle in 1967, demanding to know the truth. The man I have called Pentacle snatched his notes away and told him in no uncertain terms that the contents of the memo were not to be discussed, under any circumstances.

I find it odd that a group that claims to be interested in the historical study of our field, as Just Cause does, should fail to see the significance of the Pentacle Memo, which is an authentic document, when so much time, money and ink have been devoted over the last several years to an in-depth analysis of the MJ-12 papers, which were faked. Perhaps the Pentacle memo only proves that scientific studies of UFOs (and even their classified components) have been manipulated since the fifties. But it also suggests several avenues of research which are vital to the future of this field: why were Pentacle’s proposals kept from the panel? Were his plans for a secret simulation of UFO waves implemented? If so, when, where and how?  What was discovered as a result? Are these simulations still going on?

[From ... The "Pentacle Memo": CUFON enters the "Pentacle Memo" controversy. File contains 2 letters from Jacques Vallee and text of the Pentacle Memo.] <www.cufon.org/cufon/pentacle.htm>

Looking at the Amazon.com entry for Vallee’s latest addition to his memoir series I noticed that, lo and behold, he also has a new fiction book out as well. It is called Strategem which immediately evokes memories of his thesis in his seminal 1979 book (recently re-published by Daily Grail Publishing) as well as the themes in his only other science fiction story published in English, Fastwalker (co-written by Tracy Tormé). There is only this brief description of his new book at Amazon:

Two high-tech executives from Silicon Valley witness unexplained phenomena while on vacation in Brazil. They become the targets of a classified project ready to kill them to capture their data.

I immediately ordered both books and am anxiously awaiting their delivery. We’ll report back once we’ve got them and devoured their contents.

In the meantime, check out these reviews already online by Austin’s own former military remote viewer Paul Smith, plus commentary from Milton Hourcade and Brett Robinson.

And don’t forget that you can now pick up all 3 books of Jacques’ Alien Contact Trilogy series thanks to their being republished by Anomalist Books:

Now Available: Dimensions, Confrontations, and Revelations

• Forbidden Science - Volume Two: Jacques Vallee
• Stratagem: Jacques Vallee

Because it can’t all be about ghost and goblins all the time.

And because, frankly, as far as I’m concerned there isn’t anything more anomalous than a sytem that gives wads of cash to the uber-wealthy as a reward for inefficiently running a business that exploits the most desperate and needy members of the workforce.

Somehow this has flown under my radar for a couple of months, but Dan Akroyd is marketing his own brand of boutique vodka sold in a skull shaped bottle. What does this have to do with anomalous phenomenon you ask?

Everything!

In his online video explaining the liquor, an oddly sweaty Akroyd almost seems to be parodying himself in some Twilight Zone episode of SNL as he talks about everything from ghosts, UFOs, and the “invisible world”,  to ectoplasm (a running gag of his Ghost Busters movies) and the latest Indiana Jones movie. That’s right. The latest Indie movie and this vodka have something in common other than actors who made their best movies two decades ago. The bottle shape was chosen as a tribute to the infamous crystal skulls.

So that the packaging matched the spiritual potential of the contents, naturally.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any stranger, Akroyd reveals the secret filtration process that makes his vodka the purest in the world. I won’t reveal it here. The video just has to be seen for itself.

And in spite of the sheer ridiculousness of it all, I can’t help myself. I really want a bottle of this vodka! Or thirteen. After all, as the website for Crystal Head Vodka notes:

Brought together, the Crystal Heads are said to contain vast knowledge and enlightenment capable of unlocking our most enigmatic ancient mysteries. Alone, each is believed to house radiant psychic energy, which has magical powers and healing properties.

Spirits indeed.

www.CrystalHeadVodka.com

Next Thursday, February 12, marks the 200^th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth. Few figures (if any) have had a greater impact on the course of scientific discourse and understanding, religious dialogue, and continuing public controversy.

This includes the controversy surrounding cryptids.

For some people, Darwinian theories are “proof” that certain cryptids are “impossible”. Ignoring (or misrepresenting) available evidence, they argue that certain animals simply can not exist because the design described by eye-witnesses doesn’t seem, in their mind, adapted to the environment where it was sighted. Ironically, some on the other end of the spectrum balk at the idea of cryptids because they are unwilling to confront their insecurities about where these creatures may have come from, or how they might have evolved to fill certain ecological niches.

It’s curious to me how people with conflicting ideas about a fundamental world-view can come to the exact same conclusion, from those different perspectives, based on nothing more than sheer stubborn insistence that their pre-conceived notions have explained everything there is to be explained.

It’s curious to the TBRC’s Alton Higgins too, who has given us permission to run his essay, “Bird Beaks, Bible Belt Biology, and Bigfoot” here at AnomalyMagazine.com.

I’m sure, were he still alive, Mr. Darwin would find it curious as well.

Bird Beaks, Bible Belt Biology, and Bigfoot

On February 12, 2009, the world observes the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth. By any accounting, Darwin must be included with the most influential thinkers in the history of science. The young naturalist’s five-year voyage on HMS Beagle gave him an extraordinary opportunity to examine rich fossil beds and explore the diversity of life on many distant shores. Upon his return to England, Darwin spent the next forty-plus years contemplating his observations and writing books on a variety of subjects, including a four-volume set based on his eight-year study of the natural history and classification of barnacles, sessile marine crustaceans living in shallow water. In 1859 he published his landmark work, often abbreviated as “On the Origin of Species.” Contrary to popular opinion, the seminal premise presented in his book was not the concept or theory of evolution; the idea of descent with modification had been discussed for centuries. Darwin proposed a process, natural selection, by which populations might change. It continues to represent a central tenet of biology.

As almost any schoolchild can relate, variation in the beaks of Darwin’s finches, birds living on the Galápagos Islands, is one of the most prominently portrayed examples illustrating the influence of natural selection. Interestingly, at the time of his visit to the islands, Darwin was not overly concerned with the birds

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