Spike TV Offers $10 Million for Proof of Bigfoot

Oh, you all know how much I love Bigfoot. As someone who is very (VERY) open to the strange mysteries of the world we live in, Bigfoot has gone from a subject of interest to something I ridicule after my show has gotten multiple fake scoops about the alleged revelation of proof of the Sasquatch race. Not only that, but even some of my friends working at similarly paranormal themed shows/sites have gotten pranked in the same way only to find that, like we all thought, there is no such announcement. This, naturally, means that we'll probably never be interviewing another member of those Bigfoot organizations, though you can listen to one on our Show Archive page. Spike TV is doing something to pique my interest in the subject, as it turns out, however.

The big question here is: how far would you go to prove Bigfoot's existence? If you look over to Animal Planet, they're currently airing season 3 of Finding Bigfoot, which offers more of the same ambiguous, sometimes laughable evidence brought up for the creature. Spike's bringing things to a whole new level with its new series 10 Million Dollar Bigfoot Bounty, which will air as 10 hourlong episodes intending to attract "the best scientists, zoologists, trackers, and Bigfoot hunters in the world in an attempt to prove or disprove its existence." Believe it or not, Spike TV just did something more logical than the Animal Planet.

The show is scheduled to launch next fall, and to bring even more common sense to a fairly nonsensical topic, Spike executives told the Huffington Post that their hope is that the show doesn't last more than its 10 episode first season. If your jaw didn't drop there, you must be an embarrassed BFRO member. Tim Duffy, Senior Vice President of Original Series for Spike even went further to emphasize an interest in bringing legitimate arguments to the table rather than prolonging what has already been disputed for years to come: "Nobody wants to watch another series of 10 or 13 episodes of television where nothing happens."

Take that, Animal Planet. Of course, should Bigfoot get proven real and humans go on to domesticate him, I'll totally sit down for an hour of My Bigfoot from Hell where Jackson Galaxy saves the day. Until then, we have Spike TV giving away the largest cash prize in television. This either means someone really believes in Bigfoot or really doesn't. Either way, hopefully this means there'll be no more false positives and this whole subject can get some much needed clarity.

As to whether there will ever be clarity, I really think this will provide some interesting and legitimate perspectives. Stunts like this would put the driving force behind Guilty Pleasures Radio out of business, but at least they'll be sufficiently informative. I think that's worth it in the end, don't you? I don't know if I'll sit down to watch every episode, but this can't be any worse than every other Bigfoot special, right? Will you be watching?

This is What Happens When You're Smoking, Texting, and Walking Near Cliffs

There are already a number of ads about the dangers of texting and driving. Well, they're not really ads. They're not advertisements, and I doubt they've ever changed the way anyone has ever approached their lives. In fact, the stupidity of these propagandist commercials almost makes me want to text and drive just to show it's possible. Anyway, prepare for a whole new slew of propagandist commercials about not texting, smoking, and walking around cliffs.

That seems awfully specific, doesn't it? Well, there's a reason. In Alaska on September 17, Maria Pestrikoff (pictured right) was doing all of these naughty things at once. As it turns out, she lives near a 60 foot cliff. Of course, you know how it goes when you're comfortable in your neighborhood. Demonstrating what she found to be successful multitasking, Maria popped a cigarette into her mouth, lit it, and began to text while she walked to her house.

A problem showed its ugly head, however, when she wasn't watching where she was going and her natural sense of direction led her astray. Rather than walk directly to her house by the time she was finished with sending her text message, she ended up falling off the 60 foot cliff. She ended up stuck between the rocks and the tide at the bottom of the cliff, injured. Of course, the plus side to perpetually keeping a kung fu grip on your phone is that, when you plummet 60 feet to a rock bed when the tide is coming in, you've got a handy dandy way to communicated with 911.

The tide was just at her toes when the authorities arrived and brought Maria to the hospital, where she is now in a stable condition. So, there's the true story with a big moral. Don't text, smoke, and walk near cliffs at the same time.

It almost sounds like one of those DirecTV commercials, doesn't it? When cable goes out, you start smoking. When you start smoking, you start multitasking more. When you start multitasking more, you text and smoke at the same time. When you smoke and text at the same time, you fall off a cliff. Don't fall off a cliff. Get rid of cable and get DirecTV.

Science Proves Women's Periods Don't Actually Attract Most Bears

Brick Tamland has been debunked by the National Park Service in the very well researched (and hilariously titled) study Bears and Menstruating Women. It turns out that the average menstruating woman does not need to fear bear attacks. This whole business started in 1967 when two women (allegedly on their periods) were attacked by Grizzly Bears in separate incidents. Thus a rumor was  born that science would not test until the 21st century.

The study placed human menstrual blood in front of a variety of bears and tested their reactions. Grizzly Bears and Black Bears were generally uninterested in the tampons offering blood from a variety of stages of menstruation. The Grizzly Bear data is slightly more iffy, but they found no reason to think there is any correlation between the attacks and the periods. So, if you're camping in the usual sense of the word and you're on your period, you really aren't in any more danger than anyone who might not be on their period (or a man).

The Van Buren Bears

Of course, there was one interesting correlation that does appear to exist. . . It turns out Polar Bears were offered seal blood, regular human blood, and human menstrual blood and they reacted most strongly to the menstrual blood. The Polar Bears were significantly more attracted to the menstrual blood than the other offers, even ignoring the regular human blood and unused tampons. So, maybe there is some reason to fear if you're going to be around Polar Bears. I guess Brick won that point, though I think we can all agree that's not what he was yelling about.

The study concluded that humans with food are (generally) the biggest risk, not women on their periods. This was what attracted the average bears the most. If you run into a bear, the National Parks Service offers five nuggets of wisdom:

You can reduce the risks by: 1) hiking in groups of 3 or more people, 2) staying alert, 3) making noise in areas of poor visibility, 4) carrying bear spray, and 5) not running during encounters with bears.

And, though they supply ample evidence that you need not fear bears while menstruating, there are some precautions women ought to take anyway:

1. Use pre-moistened, unscented cleaning towelettes.

2. Use internal tampons instead of external pads.

3. Do not bury tampons or pads (pack it in - pack it out). A bear may smell buried tampons or pads and dig them up. By providing bears a small food "reward", this action may attract bears to other menstruating women.

4. Place all used tampons, pads, and towelettes in double zip-loc baggies and store them unavailable to bears, just as you would store food. This means hung at least 10 feet above the ground and 4 feet from the tree trunk.

5. Tampons can be burned in a campfire, but remember that it takes a very hot fire and considerable time to completely burn them. Any charred remains must be removed from the fire pit and stored with your other garbage. Also, burning of any garbage is odorous and may attract bears to your campsite.

6. Many feminine products are heavily scented. Use only unscented or lightly scented items. Cosmetics, perfumes, and deodorants are unnecessary and may act as an attractant to bears.

Did that quell your fears?
 

Legitimate Rape Can't Get You Pregnant, Says Republican Senate Nominee

Politicians are like doctors, right? I mean, they have to be smart to get elected into office, you'd think. And once a smart person is, say, one of the major candidates running for Senate in Missouri, he or she probably has a pretty good idea of how the world works. In fact, in some cases, maybe he or she is even privy to secret information that no one else in the whole world knows!

That's what we've got here with Republican Senate nominee Todd Akin, who dropped some shocking revelations about rape on the 19th. In an attempt to further his position on abortion on KTVI TV, he dropped the big bombs with scientific facts that were shocking to everyone:

"First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut the whole thing down."

Now, if only he'd given a definition to his coined phrase "legitimate rape," then we'd have a better idea of what he's actually talking about. Apparently only fake rape gets you really pregnant, as far as the rape category goes. The American Journal of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published a study in 1996 stating rape-related pregnancy occurs with significant frequency, up to 32,101 pregnancies a year. So, those were illegitimate rapes then?

When asked for clarification, he referred to his "off the cuff remarks" only by saying that he "misspoke." So I guess we just misunderstood what he was trying to convey from these doctors he apparently speaks to about rape. Or maybe legitimate rape was what he said wrong? I couldn't tell you. It sounds like he was pretty sure to me, because he went on about it for more than that quote above.

Akin is currently ahead of his opponent Senator Claire McCaskill in the polls.

Do You Want to Hear About a Sailor Who Saw the Loch Ness Monster?

Aint you just as cute as the dickens?

Look, I'm not one of those big proponents of the Loch Ness Monster, but it's not like I have any scientific evidence to say there isn't a large creature out there. I'm just skeptical when it comes to photographs of any kinds, basically because I've done some photoshop and I know how easy it is. Even with old ghost photos, there's usually some way that it could be fake, whether that's something you can prove or not. A new picture has come to the media, being touted as "proof" of Nessie.

We go to the story of George Edwards, a sailor whose boat is even called NESSIE HUNTER, who claims he was just out on the lake one day when something moved out of the corner of his eye. Lo and behold, it was that Loch Ness Monster. He got out his camera and took a quick shot of what he says is the back of the head of the creature.

Edwards contends that the creature mildly resembles a manatee and that he believes there are likely a plethora of them out there. When talking to ABC News about it, he had this to say:

"When people see three humps, they're probably just seeing three separate monsters. . .It was first seen in 565 AD. Nothing can live that long. It's more likely that there's a number of monsters, offspring of the original."

That's not speaking on a whim, clearly, so the man has done some homework. Finding Nessie has been a lifelong dream of his, and has been his full time hobby for years now. He says there is indeed a network of monster hunters at Loch Ness, though it's mostly under the radar to improve public images. That's not to say he's embarrassed, especially now that he has a picture. He contends that various Ness experts have examined his photo and think it might just be the best one in circulation.

What do you think?

If you want to go check things out for yourself, Edwards was even kind enough to give you a few nuggets of wisdom from his years of experience.

 "You have to be out there every day, with a camera and binoculars, and you have to be at the right place at the right time."

So, if any of you readers go out and follow the example set by George Edwards, do take a picture, and I'd appreciate if you'd send it my way. Thank you and good luck.

UFO at the Olympics?

Did you know aliens like the Olympics, too? That's what this video would have you believe - something our conspiracy friends all over the internet are posting about. Watch this compilation of shots from the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics where something appears to be flying (floating?) over the fireworks.

Speculation goes from extraterrestrial visitation to blimps, neither of which really seem all that realistic, do they? Why would a blimp be hanging out above the fireworks at the Olympics? That is, why would an anonymous blimp be there at all? On the flipside, do aliens enjoy the Olympics like we do? I'm skeptical after viewing this - it looks like a stereotypical blob to me. It looks fake.

But hey, maybe I'm so desensitized from seeing thousands of these videos that I would judge the real deal simply because it looked to stereotypical. I don't know anything more than you do about what these things would actually look like or where they enjoy loitering.

As an interesting side note that does shed an interesting light on the subject from a credible source, former Ministry of Defense UFO desk officer Nick Pope had mentioned this very possibility a month ago when talking to Press TV. On the subject he had this to say:

"If aliens have studied our psychology, they may choose to appear in our skies on a significant date - the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games is one date being widely circulated by conspiracy groups."

So, maybe we're in for something even more exciting in the closing ceremony. Or maybe it was a renegade blimp or even something sinister and terrestrial. Who knows?

Hollywood Nephilim? I Bet You Didn't See This Coming

Giants have been recorded in ancient texts all over the world. A wide variety of modern books call our attention to this very fact - a great many of them dealing with the existence of an ancient race of human angel hybrids known as the Nephilim. This sounds absolutely crazy to many before they realize one of the most famous stories of all time exists because of this race of ancient giants. Ever heard of Noah's Ark? Did you know God flooded the earth (according to the Bible itself) because a race of giants had corrupted all the bloodlines? Even if you're not looking specifically at the Judeo-Christian traditions about the pure man shoving animals into a big boat to protect life from a massive tempest, stories of a flood can be found in just about every ancient tradition. Not only that, but a lot of them have giants in them as well. Look it up.

Guilty Pleasures Radio has covered this topic frequently - interviewing authors like Scotty Roberts (author of The Rise and Fall of the Nephilim), Frank Joseph (Lost Worlds of Ancient America), and Patrick Heron (The Nephilim and the Pyramid of the Apocalypse). That's not the subject of this article, however, because the recurring role of giants throughout history is not new news. Shocking at first, but you get used to those kind of grand historical shocks as you look further and further down the rabbit hole of ancient history. No, the story that's really shocking here is that a major link to the strange tale of the Nephilim. That link is coming from Hollywood.

A certain visionary filmmaker named Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, The Fountain, Pi) is currently working on a massive $150 million project titled Noah. It's something he's dreamed about making since he was a young boy. It's the epic tale of Noah and the flood. While that sounds like a simple story everyone's seen before in movies, he has been slowly assembling a massive ensemble that no doubt has piqued interests beyond the religious crowd. We're looking a a film starring Russel Crowe, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, and Logan Lerman. It's been clear that there will be a much larger cast of characters for this rendition than we generally hear about when the tale is told.

Today, however, it was announced that characters have been cast that aren't quite what the average person expects from a Noah tale. These are the giants. The press release says these characters are being called the Watchers, a race of giants that existed in the time period. Many members of the press are releasing this information with a bit of shock and confusion. In some places, you'll find reporters even suggesting this news is evidence that Aronofsky will be deviating from the biblical texts. Luckily, it seems there are some who frequent film sites that have the same taste for the strange as I do, pointing to Genesis 6:4 which reads:

"There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came to the daughters of man and bore children to them. These were the mighty men of old, the men of renown." 

So, what does this tell us? Well, quite simply, we are about to see an epic Hollywood film that tells the tale of Noah that is actually in the Bible, not the watered down version taught in Sunday school.  A tale of giants and fallen angels along with an angry God. This story that is somehow universal and controversially unknown can stand to shed light on this subject to the general public who may not feel compelled to tune into KVNO HD2 every Monday (wink wink). Will the Nephilim become an acknowledge bit of religious mythology as people open their bibles and look up why there are giants in this movie? I can't say, but I'm excited to see what a visionary director like Aronofsky will do with the material.

After all, if there's anyone I want interpreting biblical imagery for the big screen in a smart and engaging way, it's Darren Aronofsky. He's proven himself over and over again to be one of the best working artists in the world of cinema and I expect this to be something to keep an eye out for. If nothing else, it should raise enough eyebrows that need raising about a subject that gets ignored by so many Judeo-Christians.

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.

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.