ParaPalooza.Com: 2017

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

PREHISTORIC, DINOSAUR-ERA SHARK FOUND SWIMMING OFF COAST OF PORTUGAL

The rare frilled shark is considered a “living fossil,” because evidence of its existence dates back to at least 80 million years ago. This summer, researchers found one alive and thriving off the coast of Portugal, adding yet more clues about the resilience of this ancient sea creature.

The shark was discovered off the Algarve coast by researchers who were working on a European Union project in the area, the BBC reported.

The aim of the project was to "minimize unwanted catches in commercial fishing," the researchers told SIC Noticisas TV, as the BBC noted. but the team unknowingly unearthed one of the rarest and most ancient animals on the planet.

Scientists believe the frilled shark has remained the same, both inside and out, since the Cretaceous Period, when the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops still roamed the planet. The creature, known by scientists as Chlamydoselachus anguineus, is incredibly simple and unevolved, most likely due to the lack of nutrients found in its deep-sea dwellings. A Japanese study of the shark found in Suruga Bay, Japan, revealed that its diet is 61 percent cephalopods—the class to which squids and octopus belong.

The shark also has a unique mouth shape. Its jaw has more than 300 teeth neatly lined in 25 rows, which, according to professor Margarida Castro of the University of the Algarve, are specifically designed to help it “to trap squid, fish and other sharks in sudden lunges,” The Portugal News reported. It’s lined with spines called dermal denticles, which, combined with the teeth, give the mouth an all around frightening look.

It’s unlikely you will ever come face-to-face with a living frilled shark. But if you do, it’s safe to say: Keep as far away as you can, and whatever you do, try to avoid its ferociously awesome jaw.

Article is by Jason Mansfield: Anomalous Environmental Studies Analyst™ found at www.hauntedarkansas.net, Voice Over Artist, Film Maker/ Prop Designer/ Creative Consultant/ Concept Artist at Binary Entertainment www.binaryentertainment.com, Folklorist, Horror Enthusiast, Writer, Squatchologist™, Legend Hunter & Oddity Tripper™ #BlogOfOdd #WhatTheFringe #OddityTrippers

Monday, October 23, 2017

Invasion On Chestnut Ridge - {DVD REVIEW}

If you like the odd, the strange and unexplained then this Documentary is the film for you. Invasion of Chestnut Ridge, the 5^th in the series of films by Seth Breedlove and the Small Town Monster Production team will keep you glued from the opening graphics to the end credits, and if you were a backer on Kickstarter then you get to see your name in the credits as well.

Seth’s storytelling keeps evolving as well as the talents of his crew in cinematography, special effects and animation to the scoring of music, and voice over work. Each film he produces you can see his passion for retelling lost and forgotten stories that are regional at best in their lore.

This film covers UFO’s from Keksburg, to cryptids along the ridge in rural Pennsylvania, with detailed research and eye witness interviews in their own words.

You can’t help but love Small Town Monsters approach to storytelling. And even though I’m a backer of this and the Mothman film, I will be purchasing a physical copy to include into my collection.

I’ve met Seth in Fouke, Arkansas while I was also in the area filming and he is truly a down to earth guy with big dreams that he is chasing down and making happen. Proof that if you love your job, good things will come with hard work….

Kudos on another inspiring film to the entire STM Crew!

Pick up your copy today. https://shop.smalltownmonsters.com/

The Grey's in the Back are giving this film a 5 out of 5 Probes!!

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Dragon corpse or elaborate hoax?

One of the oldest legends around is the majestic dragon. There are many stories that speak of these legendary beasts and how terrifying and powerful they were. From Europe to China, Russian to Greek mythology.

Dragons are usually shown in modern times with a body like a huge lizard, or a snake with two pairs of lizard-type legs, and able to emit fire from their mouths. The European dragon has bat-like wings growing from its back. A dragon-like creature with wings but only a single pair of legs is known as a wyvern.

The terrible creatures are keepers of treasure in Western cultures and often considered evil and fearsome. But in other cultures, dragons are more serpent-like and are considered sacred beasts.

Eastern dragons are divine and considered a good omen. There are people who have reported seeing dragons, and recently the skeletal remains of such beast have been found in China.

A 60ft long dragon skeleton was discovered in Zhangjiakou City, China, and people believe it's the real deal.

The skull has horns; the long spine has a pair of arms and legs.

Could this be the remains of a real dragon?

Probably just a large collection of bones linked together for the appearance of it being a 60ft Dragon.

But still cool!

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Fish rain from sky in northern Mexico

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Civil defense officials in northeast Mexico say a light rain was accompanied by small fish that fell from the sky.

Tamaulipas civil defense says in a brief statement that rain Tuesday in the coastal city of Tampico included fish. Photos posted on the agency's Facebook page show four small fish in a bag and another on a sidewalk.

According the U.S. Library of Congress, it's a phenomenon that has been reported since ancient times. Scientists believe that tornadoes over water - known as waterspouts - could be responsible for sucking fish into the air where they are blown around until being released to the ground.

Source: Associated Press

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Hurricane Harvey washes a Fanged creature on to Texas beaches

A mysterious fanged sea creature that washed up on a beach in Texas following Hurricane Harvey has been identified.

Preeti Desai found the decaying fish on a beach in Texas City, and asked Twitter for help.

She posted several photos with the caption: "Okay, biology twitter, what the heck is this?"

Her request was passed to biologist and eel specialist Dr Kenneth Tighe, who believes it is a fangtooth snake-eel.

He said it may also be a garden or conger eel, because "all three of these species occur off Texas and have large fang-like teeth".

It is thought that Hurricane Harvey, which brought strong winds and flooding to Texas, could explain why the creature was washed up.

The fangtooth snake-eel, also known as a "tusky" eel, is usually found in waters between 30 and 90 metres deep in the western Atlantic ocean.

Ms Desai, who was at the beach assessing the damage from the hurricane, told the BBC: "It was completely unexpected, it's not something that you'd typically see on a beach. I thought it could be something from the deep sea that might have washed on to shore."

"My main reaction was curiosity, to figure out what the heck it was," she added.

Ms Desai said she posted the images on Twitter because she knows a lot of scientists use it, and a friend soon responded and contacted Dr Tighe.

"I follow a lot of scientists and researchers. There's such a great community of these folks that are very helpful, especially when it comes to answering questions about the world or identifying animals and plants," she said.

She said she left the eel on the beach "to let nature take its course".

Original Source :BBC

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

New Trinkets from Cryptid Coins.

We know the struggles of everyday life. The family, ball games, gymnastics practice, and working ones tail off to get by. We also know everyone needs an outlet like a Cryptid Themed Conference or Paranormal Convention.

Some of these are costly to get into, not to mention the travel, possible hotel stays. It can hurt ones budget.

Well the guys at Cryptid Coins get this. Nothing worse than going to a convention and not having enough money to get the latest book or DVD, and they are friends with most of that circle.

Cryptid Coins formed to help everyone get a little something in their pockets from an event.

An affordable way to not break the bank.

They recently revealed the 50th Anniversary Patterson/ Gimlin film inspired Sasquatch Dollar, weighing in at a hefty 2 ounces. With mention of a few more new designs by the end of the year.

The coin runs are VERY limited, as in 500 coins per design world wide will be produced then the dies will be destroyed. How much are these awesome gems you ask. Online they are $12 for the basic coin, and $18 for ones in graded cases "and who doesn't want one in a quality display case?"

At conventions and conferences the folks at Cryptid Coin offer reduced rate (even if paying with a credit/debit card). On average $10 for the basic and $15 for the one in case.

BUT HOLD THE PRESSES!!

New this week is a new series of more affordable designs for when you, or one of the kids wants to take home a trinket. Anyone remember Wooden Nickels?? Well they are back in a whole new series for Cryptids, Ghosts and Haunting's and...... yes UFO genre's.

So how much you ask...... Online because of fees its $3........ yeah THREE BUCKS And if you catch them in person at an Event..........ITS ONLY $2.....TWO BUCKS!!!!

And a surprise is coming for folks who subscribe to Cryptid Crate the Cryptid themed box subscription service in the coming months as Cryptid Coins has teamed up with them as well.

Not to mention the International Cryptozoological Museum run by Loren Coleman.

All proceeds from coins sales are funding multiple huge film projects that will be revealed this fall.

NC woman creates spray to attract a Bigfoot. {Bigfoot Juice}

The endless search for proof of Bigfoot's existence may soon come to an end.

A wife and mother from North Carolina, has a home brewed a spray that she says can attract any Bigfoot within a mile and a half.

Sold at $7 bottled spray, the “environmentally friendly” Bigfoot Juice also doubles as a bug spray, said creator Allie Megan Webb, who runs Happy Body Care out of Marion.

“How do you know it works?” Webb asked, laughing. “That’s a tough question. I guess I could ask how do you know it doesn’t work?”

There is anecdotal proof her spray does, in fact, attract a Bigfoot.

Field tests have been done, she said, and they include a recent outing by the research group Bigfoot 911, in which a Bigfoot sighting was reported. It happened the first week of August, in the woods of McDowell County. The report made national news.

“I think that’s enough to say it can attract a Bigfoot,” says Webb. “To attract a Bigfoot, you need a smell that is woodsy enough to keep from scaring him off. But slightly different enough to make him curious, and come to investigate.”

Market reaction to the spray, has been mixed.

Webb — who also created a dog deodorant called Stinky Dog Spray — understands people may doubt the product. She won’t swear there is a Bigfoot herself.

“But I do believe there is something out there in the woods,” she says. “I’m definitely not trying to make fun of people who believe. A lot of people are more serious about this (juice) than I thought. There are people around the world inclined to believe Bigfoot is real.”

That includes her husband, Corey, a member of Bigfoot 911 since 2014. He was out the night of Aug. 4 when Bigfoot 911 reported spotting “a large bipedal animal covered in hair.” Corey didn’t see it himself, but he’s a believer.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Multiple new species of crustaceans found in Arkansas national park

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) - Interns at a national park in Arkansas have discovered species of a crustacean that hadn't before been documented in the park's waters.

The Sentinel Record reports that Hot Springs National Park interns Paul Solis and Meg O'Connor found new species of Ostracod in the park's thermal waters. The seed shrimps are a class that thrives in extreme conditions.

The interns discovered at least five species that hadn't previously been seen in the park and rediscovered two species.

They spent months locating, sampling and documenting the waters. Solis says most of the samples are from thermal water pools near drainage gates in the park.

O'Connor will continue the research project for another two months. The project is now focusing on more specific identification from Ostracod experts.

Article is by Jason Mansfield: Anomalous Environmental Studies Analyst™ found at www.hauntedarkansas.net, Voice Over Artist, Film Maker/ Prop Designer/ Creative Consultant/ Concept Artist at Binary Entertainment www.binaryentertainment.com, Folklorist, Horror Enthusiast, Writer, Squatchologist™, Legend Hunter & Oddity Tripper™ #BlogOfOdd #WhatTheFringe #OddityTrippers

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Rob Lowe encounters Wood Ape in Ozark Mountains of Arkansas while filming.

Hollywood actor Rob Lowe has claimed that an encounter with legendary beast Bigfoot almost cost him his life.

According to the 53-year-old star, he came face-to-face with the Sasquatch while filming his new paranormal reality series The Lowe Files.

We had an incredible encounter with what locals call the wood ape [Sasquatch]," he said of his alleged brush with the mythical animal, whose existence is yet to be confirmed despite countless supposed sightings.

The Lowe Files docu-series will see the star and his two sons investigate paranormal occurrences, with the encounter with Bigfoot the most disturbing.

"We're 100 miles from the nearest town. We spent 45 minutes on the most rugged, brutal mountain trails. It's one in the morning. There are a lot of serious former military men with loaded weapons, then something starts approaching our camps that is defying their orders to stop and their warnings that [they were] armed."

The Parks and Recreation actor said he was "genuinely terrified" by the run-in with the mythical animal: "I was lying on the ground thinking I was going to be killed."

Lowe admitted that he sounded "like a crazy, Hollywood kook" but refused to say whether viewers will actually get to see the creature on screen.

Sightings of the creature have been reported across America, including in national parks such as Yellowstone and at the American Fork Canyon in Utah.

"I don't want to oversell as a results-oriented show, although we have incredible results," he teased. Although he remained coy about the Bigfoot run-in he insisted that "nothing is staged, nothing is trick-cut — no B.S."

The Lowe Files premieres on Wednesday, 2 August on A&E.

Nice hype build up for a new show........ I'm in the heart of the Ozark Mountains... 100 miles from
the nearest town............seriously dude.... your Production needs to work on viable story lines.

Should be entertaining regardless and in the end............. isn't that what TV shows are for?

Article is by Jason Mansfield: Anomalous Environmental Studies Analyst™ found at www.hauntedarkansas.net, Voice Over Artist, Film Maker/ Prop Designer/ Creative Consultant/ Concept Artist at Binary Entertainment www.binaryentertainment.com, Folklorist, Horror Enthusiast, Writer, Squatchologist™, Legend Hunter & Oddity Tripper™ #BlogOfOdd #WhatTheFringe #OddityTrippers

Friday, February 17, 2017

Washington State Legislators propose a Cryptid Bill

Washington’s Legislature has adopted more than 20 state symbols, from a state tree to a state folk song and, most recently, a state oyster and a state waterfall. But the state doesn’t have a designated “cryptid,” or cryptozoological creature — meaning an animal not proven to exist, such as Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster.

Nor does state law make a single mention of Sasquatch, also commonly referred to as Bigfoot and sometimes Forest Yeti, even though an organization of bigfoot researchers rank Washington as the national leader in sightings of the legendary being.

Winston Churchill essay reveals his thoughts on aliens

A recently discovered essay by Winston Churchill reveals the former prime minster's thoughts on alien life.

Nearly everyone who has looked up at the night sky has pondered life on other planets, even the British Bulldog Winston Churchill.
The no nonsense British statesman was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the empire's most perilous years, rallying his bombed-out country in a fight against Hitler.
But a long-lost essay acquired by Israeli astrophysicist Mario Livio shows the stubborn leader may have had a soft spot for thinking about the cosmos and its potential inhabitants.

In an interview with the BBC, Livio talks about Churchill's essay, the title of which asks a question scientists are still posing today: "Are We Alone in the Universe?"
According to Livio, Churchill delivered some stunningly accurate predictions about humanities search for life.
"One day, possibly even in the not very distant future, it may be possible to travel to the Moon, or even to Venus and Mars," wrote Churchill.
The prime minister also talked about the necessity of water for life and the "Goldilocks zone," a sweet spot in distance from a star where life can flourish without it being too hot or too cold.

Churchill originally wrote the essay for a newspaper in 1939, months before World War II sent Europe into a frenzy.
The buildup to the bloody war seemed to stifle Churchill's faith in humanity and may have actually reinforced his thoughts about not being alone in the universe:
"I for one, am not so immensely impressed by the success we are making of our civilization here that I am prepared to think we are the only spot in this immense universe which contains living, thinking creatures, or that we are the highest type of mental and physical development which has ever appeared in the vast compass of space and time."

Sadly, the 11-page draft was never published, and instead sat in a museum for decades before being discovered last year.

Friday, February 3, 2017

Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids Exhbit

The Science Museum of Minnesota has released the Kraken and opened a new traveling exhibit, “Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids.”

The exhibit, originally developed by the American Museum of Natural History in New York, features statues, large-scale models and cultural objects of lore and myth including unicorns, blood-sucking Chupacabras, griffins, mermaids and sea Kraken.

“‘Mythic Creatures’ illustrates how humans gravitate toward the mythical for spiritual and creative expression. The exhibit also reveals how science and cultural understanding evolve,” according to a Science Museum news release.

Science Museum president Alison Rempel Brown said mythic creatures are symbolically important because they show how humans have tried to make sense of the natural world throughout history.

“‘Mythic Creatures’ will give us a chance to see creatures from around the world,” according to Brown. “Their roots in legend and history are fascinating to discover. Ultimately they teach us how scientific discovery changes over time in a very memorable way and shows us what is real.”

The exhibit will feature a 17-foot-long dragon sculpture, a 12-foot-tall kraken with its head and tentacles rising from the floor, models of a unicorn and a griffin, an 11-foot model of a mythic bird called a Roc, a jade dragon with carvings of Inuit spirits and a Gigantopithecus, a real, now-extinct ape whose fossils inspired stories of ape-men in Asia.

The exhibit was created in collaboration with The Field Museum in Chicago, the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau-Ottawa, the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta.

It will be on display through April 16. Admission is included in the regular exhibit gallery admission price, $18.95 for adults; $12.95 for seniors and kids ages 4 to 12. The Science Museum of Minnesota is at 120 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul.

Mothman Documentary - Small Town Monsters KICKSTARTER

The guys at Small Town Monsters are at it again, and they need your Help.

They are tackling 2 Documentaries at once. The awesome legend of The Mothman, followed by film #5 the Invasion on Chestnut Ridge the story about the Kecksburg UFO crash of 1965.

And here I thought they couldn't top the Boggy Creek Monster Documentary.

So here's where you come in. They need $9500 to get the Mothman Documentary into Post Production and cover all the costs of production for Invasion film.

They are already breaking records in funding. But you can still be apart of it.

Pop over to Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/minervamonster/the-mothman-of-point-pleasant-and-invasion-on-ches?ref=nav_search and help support Seth and the Small Town Monster Crew.

Boggy Creek Monster Documentary - REVIEW

This film, hits home with me. I met the filmmaker Seth Breedlove as he was in the area of Boggy Creek ie. Fouke, Arkansas. We were both scouting the area during a festival for filming purposes.

Seth and his Small Town Monster crew have been tackling some really cool stories, some I am filming about (i'm not done ...stupid OCD).

While our styles are different, I absolutely love his method.

The movie "The Legend of Boggy Creek" has inspired many Legend Hunters such as Lyle Blackburn and his book "Beast of Boggy Creek" and film makers such as myself and Seth and his Small Town Monsters Crew.

This one hit home because I've been in these swamps, I've also interviewed some of the same folks that this film introduces to the world. And with the phenomenal Kickstarter campaign that funded this film all I can say is WOW!.

They upgraded their equipment and lens, and it really translates the storytelling even more so. Great camera work and eyewitness storytelling with even more great Artwork. This one here I'm not sure they can top.

By far my favorite film from them so far. I'll add the trailer here but I will not tell anymore about the contents of the film other than while filming............. they too captured a Unique sound that can't be identified...."happened to us too"

Grab your copy today. http://shop.smalltownmonsters.com/

Beast of Whitehall Documentary - REVIEW

Seth Breedlove and Small Town Monsters are at it again. After crossing paths with Seth and his crew and checking out his Minerva Monster Documentary I knew bigger things were coming down the line.

With upgraded equipment, more staff, and a tad bit larger budget than the previous production. The crew headed out to reveal the Beast of WhiteHall in New York to the world.

And they nailed it again. With their signature style of letting those involved tell their stories in their own words, letting you the viewer connect, pulling you into the story.

Just like sitting and listening to an old friend tell you what had happened to them.

With the larger budget and connections made from the previous Documentary the Artwork has become collectors items. And Advertising a story or product starts with great Artwork, and becomes a classic in itself with the storytelling.

The trailer tells you what you need to know as I do not want to give any information away to detract from this great film. Sure to win some awards, and is just film #2 of many more to come. I highly recommend watching this if you are into Cryptid stories.

Grab your copy today. http://shop.smalltownmonsters.com/

Minerva Monster Documentary - REVIEW

Awhile back while out filming we crossed paths with a Gentleman and his crew after they had just introduced the world to a legend.

Seth Breedlove and his father were scouting around Fouke, Arkansas for an upcoming documentary at the Boggy Creek Festival in Fouke. We talked shop as we were also in the area for some B roll filming.

I grabbed a copy of the first film from his Company Small Town Monsters at his booth and hurried home with it.

And for someone's first film......I was thoroughly impressed.

The entire story is told from the perspective of people who were there and who witnessed the events or their aftermath.

You the viewer will feel as though you are
simply sitting in a room with the person on camera, hearing their story.

The story telling is incredibly well done, especially considering the fact that it is completely narrated by eyewitness and/or persons involved testimony. Never once did I feel something was “missing” from the story without dedicated narration. And as someone who is currently filming, I understand the interview process and how tedious it can be and the amount of time to get certain sections of the story in such a way that it could be placed together as seamlessly as the resulting finished product.

Overall, Minerva Monster is a great examination of a small town and its claim to cryptozoological fame. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in cryptozoology.

More exciting things coming from these guys... keep watching out for Small Town Monsters.

Grab your copy today http://shop.smalltownmonsters.com/

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