We're All Going to Die (Again)

by Tom Knoblauch, editor-in-chief

You heard it here - should we make it through 2012 and 2020 (which is when Isaac Newton picked), expect significant doomsday predictions for 2040. There's one significant difference in this 2040 prediction, however. There's some scientific possibility of a huge catastrophe at roughly 2040 from a very real threat - an asteroid.

Get this - Nasa itself has reported there is a one in 625 chance that the asteroid will hit Earth. That's hardly small potatoes, even though it's a pretty small chance. The asteroid, known as AG5, is about 450 feet across. To put that in perspective, Earth's diameter is roughly 8,000 miles. That's not to say something huge like this asteroid would not have a devastating effect on Earth.

Don't quit your job to enjoy your last 28 years quite yet, however. There's a little bit more to the story. The reason why this chance exists at all is a result of limited observation. The asteroid has been observed for only half an orbit around the sun, so it's difficult to be certain about the overall orbit the asteroid will have. In fact, Donald Yoemans of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory has suggested that he expects the odds to diminish significantly as the orbit is observed for the next few years. As far as he's concerned, it's completely likely that the odds of impact will reduce to zero.

That being said, a UN Team (pictured right) is on the case thinking of what we can do in the worst possible scenario. They're preparing for the worst and have even brought up the possibility of nuclear warheads being used to deflect and destroy the asteroid, making Michael Bay officially prophetic. This wouldn't work quite like the movie, it seems, though, since it has been suggested that this would change the asteroid from one large piece of rock to millions of smaller ones.

Another option being suggested is putting a probe on the asteroid, which could change the gravitational pull of the rock, and perhaps save the day. Surely they have a large amount of other options that aren't being discussed publicly. Let's hope so, because the two ideas brought up Pakalertpress.com don't really put me at ease. In any case, expect more news on this in the next few years as that asteroid is very closely watched. That's assuming, of course, we make it past 2012.

PICTURE OF THE DAY (2/29/2012)

Would you abduct this man? If you're an extraterrestrial, you allegedly would. This is Whitley Strieber. Strieber was a famous novelist in the 1970s and 1980s. He authored such hits as The Wolfen and The Hunger. Then, in 1985, he reported that he had been abducted by extraterrestrials from his cabin. He's famous for reporting the incident in his book Communion, and has been investigating abductions and the paranormal ever since.

PICTURE OF THE DAY (2/28/2012)

This one's not real, but it's a beautiful shot from Lars von Trier's masterpiece Melancholia, in which a planetary collision threatens to destroy the world. What makes Melancholia so good is not that it's a big sci-fi picture, but that it stays completely on a personal level with people who cannot do anything to help or stop their predicament. The planet serves as a grand metaphor for the state of life these characters find themselves in. It's a great movie, even if it's not scientific whatsoever.

Bigfoot and the Nephilim - This Week on Guilty Pleasures Radio

I feel like that title "Bigfoot and the Nephilim" sounds like some awful Syfy Channel original movie. It's going to be an interesting show, however, the topics do not interconnect as far as I am aware. Guilty Pleasures Radio of course runs from 6-10 Central Time on Monday evenings, and can be listened to on HD radios through 90.7 HD2 or online through the live stream found here http://www.fightstheocean.com/mavradio/player.swf.

We'll be discussing Bigfoot for the first half of the show, with a special interview with a representative of the Bigfoot Field Researches Organization. Expect convincing evidence, firsthand accounts, and a great interview. Check out their site here.

Then, we'll be talking with Scotty Roberts, author of The Rise and Fall of the Nephilim. Scotty also runs Intrepid Magazine, and has a fascinating resume in general. If you aren't familiar with him, acquaint your self. Either look him up or just listen to the show. We'll be discussing the Nephilim and ramifications these myths of fallen angels and their interactions with ancient humans, as well as how this can impact us today. Check out his website here .


Only on Guilty Pleasures.

PICTURE OF THE DAY (2/26/2012)

Is this a giant at Kim Jong-Il's funeral? It's not necessarily paranormal, as North Koreans are hardly known for being strikingly tall, so one who is extremely tall could perhaps come off much larger than he really is. Food for thought, either way.

What do you think?

PICTURE OF THE DAY (2/25/2012)

The Phoenix lights are remarkable for a few reasons. First of all, whatever they may have been, watch the footage, because they certainly aren't flares. Does that mean it was positivley aliens? No, not at all. Let's just say the debunkers didn't do a great job and leave it open to any interpretation you have any reason to believe. Second, what makes this better than the average country UFO sighting is the fact that thousands of witnesses were there to confirm that it was real.

Something happened that day in Phoenix. That much is undeniable.

PICTURE OF THE DAY (2/24/2012)

A disk shaped object shines beams of light down on John the Baptist and Jesus in this painting in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England. It was painted by Flemish artist Aert De Gelder in 1710. The story of the baptism of Christ includes the heavens opening up as God declares Jesus to be His soon, with whom He is pleased. As far as this particular depiction goes, God's never looked more alien.

The opening of the heavens is depicted through a classic, hovering, saucer shaped UFO. What could have inspired any artist to combine these two subjects?

The Mystery of the Montauk Monster

by Chris Fago, cryptozoology correspondent

Walking along the beach usually brings to mind peaceful imagery, the calming sound of the waves rolling in, some birds in the background, maybe even a nice sunset just to top things off.   Walking on the beaches of Montauk, New York is just like walking on any other beach except your chances of running into blubbery, decomposed monster exponentially increases.       

On July 13, 2008, Jenna Hewit and a few friends had such an experience when they found and photographed a corpse of a strange animal that has since been dubbed "The Montauk Monster." The monster came equipped with off colored skin, elongated claws, what appeared to be a beak, and was clearly male. But what exactly is The Montauk Monster? Skeptics say it's just a decomposed animal such as a dog or raccoon, some cryptozoologists say say some kind of undiscovered sea creature, and more elaborate theories point to genetic modification at the nearby Plum Island Animal Disease Center.

Unfortunately, the evidence for the genetic modification/Plum Island conspiracy is limited to just two points. First, it is weird looking. Second, it was discovered close to a research center. But that doesn't rule out any kind of undiscovered animals, and cryptozoologists had a field day with this one for sure, and with good reason. By far the most interesting feature is the beak, giving it  face reminiscent of a gargoyle. According to the cryptology website Cryptomundo.com, other people had actually seen the hairless, beaked creature near the sand dunes. One such witness described it as such, "It looked about the size of an average fox, gray in color, eyes like a mole, hairless and was breathing quite heavily." The witness has no other evidence besides his words to justify his claims. 

When it comes to cryptozoology, skeptics can be just as passionate as the believers and the case of the Montauk Monster is no different. Their biggest argument goes right for the beak. As can be seen in most of the monster pictures, the skin has been removed from the "beak," making it look significantly less like a beak, and more like a skinless snout. Looking at pictures from Darren Naish's article on Scienceblogs.com, comparing the "beak to a raccoon's skull makes it fairly clear that this is a snout. Skeptics also have an explanation for the gray color and bald condition of the skin: Taphonomy. For those of you are much like I was and have no clue what that word means, it's the same thing that happens when you chill in the bathtub for too long and your skin turns pale and wrinkly, except this time it's for multiple days or weeks, coupled with natural decomposition. 

As for me, I can't help but agree with skeptics on this one. Naish's article shut the door here. Really, the only argument for the believers was the beak, which was easily explainable once you check out the comparisons between the skull and the creature. Also, the images of the Montauk Monster are incredibly misleading, at least in my book. They all suffer from the same error as the infamous Camel Spider images of recent years; there are no other objects in frame to offer any kind of size comparison. When I first saw the images of the Montauk Monster, I thought it was huge! It looks the size of a pig!

Then I read the reports from the supposed witnesses and those in possession of the remains, all claiming it's the size of a small mammal, about two and a half to three feet in length. Oh yeah, don't forget the fact that the people who took the original pictures still have the corpse but won't let anyone see it because they want to have an expert look at it. Luckily, an expert by the name of Jeff Corwin (who is no Steve Irwin, but the best we have right now) got in on the action and looked at the pictures. His verdict? A dead raccoon. 

Honestly, part of me wishes there was more evidence for it being a new species. Unfortunately, there's just too much evidence suggesting it is simply the aforementioned raccoon. It's a shame no one will be able to claim Venom's bounty of energy drinks for life if one is ever captured alive!

PICTURE OF THE DAY (2/23/2012)

Welcome to the very first Picture of the Day. It is of the infamous Montauk Monster. Real? Fake? Tell us what you think.

Major Bigfoot News on the Way? (UPDATED)

by Tom Knoblauch, editor-in-chief

If nothing else, this is a precursor to what could potentially be a huge story in the world of the (once) unexplained. A few weeks ago, I received a tip off that there was going to be an announcement from very respectable sources regarding the existence of Bigfoot that would confirm what so many already believe. My source wasn't much more descriptive in regards to what exactly this was, but it sounded to me like it had to do with DNA samples such as hair.

In preparation for this big story (no pun intended), I've been Googling "Bigfoot News" every few days only to find nothing has been released yet. I have, however, seen others making mention of the same scoop I got. The same ambiguous scoop, that is. If we look over to Robert Linsday's Blog article from February 11, he posted that someone "in the know" told him that by the end of the month, "A shockwave is going to be sent through the Bigfoot community. . .Things are happening now that are gonna change everything."

Now, as a logical person, or even a skeptic, you're probably wondering how there could really be a Bigfoot. How could they possibly prove it now? Well, things are looking like this breakthrough will have something to do with a certain Dr. Jeff Meldrum and Dr. Melba Ketchum. All of this comes from what sounded like shady evidence given by some hunters at Sierra Kills. Unfamiliar with that? Let me loop you in.

The Sierra Kills adventure goes as follows: some bear hunters were driving around in November 2010 on the boarder of Nevada and California in an area that Bigfoots allegedly frequent. They weren't looking for fame nor paranormal creatures. In fact, while they were driving and saw something in the road ahead, they figured it was just a bear. Being the big, testosterone based gentlemen they are, one of them decided to just go ahead and open fire. As this happened, two smaller furry creatures came down from the larger one.

They approached the scene to see that they had shot not just one, but two strange creatures that were certainly not bears. They got to witness the death of a young Bigfoot according to their testimony. Their vehicle was apparently not big enough to carry the dead creature, but they were not going to let this opportunity slide, so they cut themselves some samples of the creature. Some were for personal souvenirs (the first man to shoot a Bigfoot?), and then some of the sample was given to Dr. Melba Ketchum for DNA analysis.

The scoop myself and other involved paranormal reporters have received suggested that this has been a multiple year study involving DNA research and now proof. Is this the case that finally proves Bigfoot? We'll supposedly know by the end of the month.

In fact, not only will we know by the end of the month, but Guilty Pleasures Radio will be speaking with a representative from the BFRO (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization) this coming Monday (the 27th), so we could very well have an exclusive announcement. Or, if it's announced otherwise, we'll still have an expert there to explain things to you. If it's all a hoax, forgive me for tooting my own horn, but things appear to be going on that only a few are aware of.

UPDATE:

Okay, this could still be a hoax for all I know, but I found even more evidence to back up my claim on the scoop. Here's a quote from Ketchum herself: "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. This is what we are doing. When we started this, I thought we would be finished in a few weeks, but instead as Sasquatch are known to do, they threw us curve balls even with their DNA which can be as elusive as they are. Thank goodness we are past that! As a result, we have assembled a renowned team, each of us with our own specialties to make this project 'extraordinary.' If everyone will hang in there, I promise it will be worth the wait. We have the proof, now just give us the opportunity to present it in a form that will even convince skeptics."

Zetas, Nostradamus, and the Men in Black - All this Week on Guilty Pleasures Radio

By Tom Knoblauch, editor-in-chief

Don't forget to tune into your favorite Monday night radio show tomorrow from 6-10PM Central Time. It's going to be a great show, and I only always say that because it's always true. This is no exception. In fact, this may just be the best episode yet, so please tune in.

As always, listen at KVNO 90.7HD2 or listen to the live stream at http://www.fightstheocean.com/mavradio/player.swf.


For the first hour, we'll be talking to Nancy Lieder. Nancy has been the emissary for the Zetas, an extraterrestrial race from the Zeta Reticuli star system.

The Zetas have quite a lot to say, and Nancy has devoted her life to getting their message out, especially regarding a possible future collision with the infamous Planet X.

Nancy's website is zetatalk.com.


 Next, Victor Baines, President of the Nostradamus Society of America, will be discussing the prophet Nostradamus.

What prophecies did Nostradamus get right? What did he say about the future? Tune in to find out.

The Nostradamus Society of America's website is nostradamususa.com.



Finally, we get bestselling author Nick Redfern on the show for the last half. Nick's the author of such bestsellers as The Real Men in Black, There's Something in the Woods, and The Nasa Conspiracies.

He has been interviewed on programs such as History Channel's Monsterquest and Ancient Aliens, as well as National Geographic's Paranormal. He'll be discussing a myriad of topics, including the truth behind the Men in Black, as well as various other conspiracies his work has led him to.

Read his blog at monsterusa.com.

Only on Guilty Pleasures.

Has Proof of Time Travel Been Around Since 1928?

by Tom Knoblauch, editor-in-chief

During our interview last Monday, Larry Flaxman referenced this remarkable clip from a 1928 Charlie Chaplin film in which an extra walks by in the background seemingly talking on a cell phone.

It's not possible to make out what the character is holding exactly, but whatever it is is being held like a cell phone and seemingly talked into. It's worthy of a look no matter how likely it is a time traveler somehow made it into a vintage Hollywood film. 

What do you think?

Revelation Trumpets Sounding?

By Tom Knoblauch, editor-in-chief

In cities all over the world, strange sounds are being reported. These sounds are being described as a “hum” or a “roar.” In some cases, the sound has been described as sounding “trumpet-like.” Perhaps this is an indication that the sounds are all different and unrelated, but maybe it’s something more complicated than that.
Let’s look at some of the reports. In Seattle, the sound was reported as being a hum. There, it has been described as lasting for ten minutes at a time and going on repeatedly every day. "It's all encompassing, you go outside and try to isolate it directionally and you just can't do it," said citizen Jeff Hoyt. It is reportedly heard in the city, the woods, and even on the beach.

In Woodland, England, a humming sound has been reported by Newser.com as driving the village mad. It lasts from midnight, and goes on until 4AM. This was first reported June of last year, and has since subsided after many months. This link has videos of rumbling and sucking sounds heard in Costa Rica and Columbia: https://ascendingstarseed.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/sound-of-apocalypse-mysterious-earth-rumblings-sucking-grinding-and-clanging-more-amazing-sounds-heralded-as-trumpeting-of-the-angels/. The sheer number of videos makes it hard to simply write off.