In 1837, something dark and quick began hunting women on the streets of London, pouncing upon them from the shadows and going to work on their clothes with razor talons and flaming breath, only to disappear seconds later, leaping silently over impossibly high hedges and rooftops, leaving behind only the shrill, hollow ghost of maniacal laughter and, of course, a panicked victim.

Descriptions of Spring Heeled Jack varied over the 65 years that he laid siege to London’s gas lit back alleys and dark urban bowers, but early witnesses (somewhat) consistently agree that he sported large pointed ears, an equally pointy nose, bulging eyes, sharp claws, the ability to breathe fire and a penchant for agile escapes via inhumanly powerful jumps (hence his media-coined moniker).

John Thomas Haines’ 1840 play, Spring-Heeled Jack, the Terror of London, marked the first official appearance of Jack in a popular entertainment (he had already become a staple of various Punch and Judy street puppet shows), which was followed by a rash of both sightings and corresponding sensationalized fictionalizations throughout the 1840s and ‘50s. In the name of both topicality and word economy, however, we aim to focus on the years prior to Jack’s assimilation into the everyday pop cultural dialogue of Victorian England.

Accepting, as many experts do, that the initial attacks between 1837 and 1838 were perpetrated by a still-anonymous (though one Henry de La Poer Beresford, dubbed “The Mad Marquess,” is a prime suspect) malicious, costumed prankster, and noting that the perpetrator’s image and misdeeds became the stuff of pop culture legend, the question must be posed: What overriding cultural factors contributed the specific physical attributes that the misogynistic hoaxer built into his monster? In short, why was a quick-footed, fire-breathing demon the obvious avatar for blind dread and mass hysteria in 19th century London?

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The Apollo 11 moon landing happened 40 years ago toady, or as 6% of the country believe according to a new survey, one of the greatest hoaxes ever perpetrated hoodwinked the world at large.

Here are five videos that help document the intervening four decades dotted with controversy, analysis, British people and Buzz Aldrin’s devastating right cross.

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After much speculation the bio blob spotting floating off the coast of Alaska has been identified as common marine algae.

Here’s the official wording:

“We got the results back from the lab today,” said Ed Meggert of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation in Fairbanks on Thursday. “It was marine algae.”

Miles of the thick, dark gunk had been spotted floating between Barrow and Wainwright, prompting North Slope Borough officials and the Coast Guard to investigate last week. A sample was sent to a DEC lab in Anchorage, where workers looked at it under a microscope and declared it some kind of simple plant — an algae, Meggert said.

Everyone consult your office pool and notify the winners to collect from the treasurer.

Robots will one day, systematically, dismantle humanity. Our cries for mercy falling on the literal tin ears of our vengeful creations. But until that time, they’ll settle for creeping us the hell out.

Join us and we take a walk through a rogue’s gallery of the creepiest robots on The Internet via this handy YouTube playlist. To toggle through the videos, please utilize the arrows on either side of the picture.

CLICK AFTER THE JUMP for the full tour. Read the rest of this entry »

The one man who could have taken a picture of what really crashed in Roswell, NM in 1947 was bamboozled by a military escort into blowing his only chance to capture intergalactic history. That is the story told by an ailing Allan Grant, a legendary photographer for LIFE magazine dispatched to the desert to document “a meteorite.”

Last year, a dying Allen told blogger Anthony Bragalia, he had since became convinced that his military escort was there to make sure he didn’t got near the real wreckage of what crashed. Grant’s wife crystallized her late husband’s points.

Grant’s widow continues, “You take them someplace near -but not exactly to- the spot. Show the world there’s nothing there- and everybody is happy and relieved, and you can go about your business.” She believes that “perhaps they thought you could keep other media out of there if need be by saying that Life has already been there, and they found nothing.” And she was right- no mainstream media reported on the event after the first wire stories based on military press releases.

Before Allan died, he told Karin that he always believed that he was “used” by the military as a “potential cover” to in some way obfuscate something. He told her that the “something” what he had always thought -even at the time- was much bigger- an unidentified flying object.

Very interesting read.

It’s the bane of any parent. Your school-aged children shoot a rudimentary “UFO sighting” video, it gets uploaded to YouTube, the troublemakers are thrilled when it sparks debate but just as your little darlings have filled themselves to the brim with delight, other YouTubers “pirate” the clip and repackage it for themselves. Or something.

Such is the issue facing Mark Obmascik, a columnist for the Denver Post who chronicled the amusing story behind the video above.

The good news is, as far as we can tell, the original video still dominates any of the knock-offs in terms of views with 80,000+.

We’ve unfortunately lost the email of the reader who sent this in, feel free to identify yourself in the comments and we’ll update the post.

Few people have found the elusive Giant Palouse Earthworm (GPE for short), a mythical dirt worm allegedly slipping through the soil of Northwestern Idaho and Washington State. Documented collections of the species have only occurred in 1978, 1988, 1990 and 2005.

Some local farmers even compare reported glimpses of the GPE to Elvis sightings.

But that hasn’t stopped a small, vocal contingent from doing anything they can to find more examples of the chubby, 3-foot-long worm. A new expedition is under way which hopes to entice the GPE out of the ground with chemicals and electric shock. Meanwhile, there is a renewed optimism that the GPE can be listed as an endangered species.

Conservation groups quickly petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the worm as an endangered species, citing as proof the lack of sightings. But the agency said there simply was not enough scientific information to merit a listing.

Conservationists recently filed a second request, saying they had more information. They are also hoping the Obama administration will be more friendly than the Bush administration. The GPE would be the only worm protected as an endangered species.

Doug Zimmer of the Fish and Wildlife Service in Seattle said the agency isn’t ready to comment on the petition.

“It’s always good to see new information and good science on any species,” Zimmer said.

Also, the picture with this story is nowhere near what the GPE really looks like, here is a picture of the only known example of it, it does however look really cool.

Previously, this week, on Weird Things.

• A few tips for the novice Bigfoot hunter.

• Could the Son of Sam, a UFO investigating Air Force base and the birth of popular science fiction have helped create the Dover Demon?

• Michael Jackson may be dead, but his ghost is on a world tour.

• What happens, when myriad ghosts, have chosen to haunt a house, stop beings polite and start getting real? They say some really kooky stuff, that’s what.

• Rhode Island has never had a Bigfoot sighting, but that might be about to change.

Enjoy the weekend, as always, send weird photos, stories, sounds and happenings to JustinRobertYoung@Gmail.

In this classic clip, funnyman Tom Green investigates the Ottawa Sewer system in search of a CHUD, and comes to a frightening revelation!

It was one of the greatest hoaxes of the early 20th century, ensnaring even famous author and spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle. Here is the original. Funny at how silly it looks now in the world of modern photography.

Pic is credited to the UK’s National Media Museum who staged it to promote a production of A Midsummer’s Night Dream.

Here is the trailer for a new documentary entitled I Know What I Saw, which attempts to gather the most decorated, credible panel of people who claim to have seen UFOs. Among those interviewed are military men and government officials from the US and abroad.

Thanks to John Houdi for the tip.

In this column, we look at two pop-cultural interpretations of ubiquitous Weird legends as portrayed by two narrative television programs… like how Sam Malone on Cheers and Al Swearengen on Deadwood both manipulated the politics of an entire town from behind the counter of a bar. But with monsters. Enjoy.

This week:
“Bigfoot is blurry.”

South Park, Episode 1×03, “Volcano”

The Six Million Dollar Man, Episodes 3×16 and 3×17, “The Secret of Bigfoot”

Bigfoot has always occupied a unique place in the pantheon of American cryptids. And I use “American” very deliberately here to suggest that, while sasquatches and yetis and abominable snowmen are found (and feared) the world over, Bigfoot is a specifically American cultural institution. Even the name “Bigfoot,” a simple, almost cute, descriptive moniker, suggests what ultimately seems to be the larger mystery that Americans wrestle with when they ponder the elusive, hirsute giant. It isn’t “Is he fact or fiction?,” but rather “Is he friend or foe?”

Both South Park and The Six Million Dollar man mused upon this question. One employed the query in revealing larger truths about pop culture’s grip on folklore. The other simply provided an answer… a weird, ridiculous answer.

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Bart Cutino works with the Bigfoot Field Researcher Organization as well as the Alliance of Independent Bigfoot Researchers. He made headlines with his claim that he came face to face with the creature during one hunt.

He offers you, the amateur hunter, a few hints on how to make your Bigfoot observation expeditions more fruitful.

• Know The Land Bart suggests learning the topography of the area you want to stake out in the light, before darkness falls. This not is not only a safety precaution but also allows you to mark the most likely traffic areas so you can focus your attention better.

• Don’t Chase Sightings Find the spots where a predator of Bigfoot’s size would feed instead of place where it may have been spotted.

• Tummy Rumbling It’s probably a good idea to eat a big meal before you leave so hunger doesn’t distract you. Just in case, Bart likes to bring along protein bars from Trader Joe’s and Muscle Milk.

• Call Of The Wild No matter what anyone tells you, Bart reinforces, there is no recorded sound file of a Bigfoot call. However, there are clips of unidentified animals that many researches use to provoke a response. Among them, the 1994 “Ohio Howl,” and the “Tahoe Scream.” Even regular deer and doe grunts have gotten responses for Bart.

• The Scent Of Fear Masking your scent is crucial. Elevating yourself helps, so do sprays or if you want to give yourself a natural musk simply forgo showering for a few days before heading out.

• Don’t Stop The Party Bigfoot are curious creatures, so part of your expetition wants to set up camp and light a fire, let them. Seperate yourself from the group and “be in the range of where the most likely curious entry would be.”

• Find The Highway Most apex predators hunt on the ridge lines and walk the same paths over and over again. If you can find these trails, you are getting closer.

photo credit: Josh Lowe | Thrash Magazine

Along with the islands of Hawaii, Rhode Island is the only American state to never officially recorded a Bigfoot sighting. Ever.

Ken DeCosta , founder and director of Rhode Island Society for the Examination of Unusual Phenomena, chalks it up to geography. Non-existant are the dense forests of Pennsylvania or Oregon that seem to breed sightings. If you’re looking for the King of Cryptids in the Biggest Little State in the Union, you might want to get comfortable.

“Catch up on some of your reading,” adds DeCosta.

But past experiences don’t alway portend future results, which is why Ken is excited about a new lead. A story from a middle-aged housewife that could very well break Rhode Island’s streak of futility. DeCosta recalls speaking with the woman, who was reluctant to tell her tale to even her husband for fear she’d look crazy.

In September of 2003, the then 44-year-old mother of two drove up Tower Hill Road when a bipedal, hairy, 6-foot beast walked in front of her car. After locking eyes with the creature and getting a good look at it’s ape-like facial features, the massive beast slammed it’s hands into the hood of her vehicle, leaving a few dents.

So this summer, DeCosta and his gang are going to head out to Tower Hill Road and stake out the scene. It most likely will be fruitless so RISE UP also plans to investigate a few other Tower Hill phenomenon including phantom hitchhikers and an intensely creepy specter of a dead little boy’s bicycle reported by passing motorists.

But maybe, just maybe, that woman was right. And maybe, just maybe, Ken and his team can catch a glimpse.

Hear that Hawaii?

Recordings reportedly capturing the voices of the dead are nothing new, but we couldn’t help but wonder what some of the oddest things ever uttered via EVP were. We contacted Chris Page, the founder of Ohio Researchers of Banded Spirits to find out:

Most Common: TIED between “Help!” (including derivations ‘help me’ and ‘help us’) and “Get out!”

Chris Says: At times they’ve even gotten mixed messages from a single spot that is particularly packed with paranormal activity. For example it happened once while investigating an insane asylum. “There’s going to be more than one spirit running around,” Chris added. He stopped short of speculating that it might have just been one schizophrenic specter.

Whoops From Beyond The Grave: When asking one spirit how it shuffled this mortal coil, Mike’s team was answered with “accident.”

At Least They Used The Magic Word: Two or three ghosts have requested that the paranormal investigators “please check” into the circumstances of their demise.

Sassiest: While recording in an abondoned Victorian home, investigators asked a spirit if they were one of the maids who worked the residence. The response, “Hell No!”

Chris Says: “It was angry, like ‘how dare you!'”

Trust Me, I’m An Expert: During an investigation of a sprawling home built on an indian burial ground, investigators made their way to library where they recorded the words, “you’ll die.”

Chris Says: A family abandoned this house after hauntings (including visions of floating severed heads and being thrown out of bed by unseen forces) reportedly became too intense to ignore. Mike aded it was the scariest single quote they’ve captured.

Dead Language: Again, at the indian burial ground house, while trolling the grounds recorded a voice saying “Tuebor.” After much researching, the team discovered it meant “I will defend” in Latin.

Blue State: The team has recorded spirits mentioning Presidents Clinton and Roosevelt.

Double Talk: Once asked a group of spirits, “Can you see us?” only to receive the answer “Can you see us?”

Child’s Play: Often while the ghost of child is being investigated, researchers will record “mommy.”

Chris Says: Nothing is creepier than the child spirit recordings.

Thanks to Chris and the Ohio Researchers of Banded Spirits for help with this.

King of Pop Michael Jackson may not have opened up his 50-show run in London’s O2 Arena, but the good news is he’s currently appearing in the homes of heart-broken fans nightly. Or at least that’s the word from folks who claim that MJ’s apparition has been ambling into their bedrooms since the icon passed.

Such sightings have been reported on every continent. From Japan to the Philippines, Sweden to Spain, South Africa to Nigeria and Brazil to the US devastated fans are claiming that Michael Jackson has paid them a post-mortem visit.

This according to AllNewsWeb.com. They also alert us to a piece of CNN footage that some people believe is irrefutable proof Jackson’s ghost is haunting Neverland. The spectral vision seemingly passes by the frame at 8:22. You can see a screen grab at right.