The Jinn Made Me Do It! (no, not the GIN!)

Here's a story from the Arab Emirates detailing the case and investigation surrounding a judge accused of corruption. It seems the judge played the Jinn card, claiming that he was under the influence of one-o-these entities. And it seems he's being taken quite seriously, complete with a court appointed Jinn-talker and an exorcist.
Can't help but wonder if this case will set a legal precedent for future cases. Will the Jinn defense actually work? And more importantly, would it fly in US courts??

Slip SLIding Away

I'm sure at one time or another, maybe even quite frequently, we've all experienced this phenomenon: you or your group are walking along the sidewalk at night. You notice that whenever you or y'all pass a streetlight, it turns off (or occasionally on). Maybe a lightbulb near you decides to "shoot" at the precise moment of an angry outburst, or maybe you have difficulty with wristwatches, or cellphones, or tv's and stereos go haywire when you approach.
I've experienced these a few times in my life, and some of them are explained (or explainable) as nothing more than the electronic device's response to our bodies' electromagnetic field, or chemical makeup,
What I never knew is that this phenomenon is pretty common, and it even has a name. It's called Street Light Interference (SLI) and persons who cause or experience it are referred to as SLIders. Here's an article describing it.
It has also been pointed out by sceptics that the phenomenon may be nothing more than a trick of human perception. We just don't notice it when things work as they should. We don't remember all the times we've passed by streetlights with no result, but when one goes out or turns on, it sticks in our minds. We naturally tend to assign a pattern to random events.
So, how about it? Do you or anyone you know SLIde??

Phantom Cougher???

You've heard of "the Mad Gasser of Matoon", maybe the "Phantom Clowns", well, how about a "Phantom Cougher"?
I've talked about doppelgangers before, but something happened this week that got 'em on my mind again. Turns out, this particular phenomenon is more accurately classified as a vardoger.
A spirit or manifestation of a person that "goes before".
Earlier this week, my wife approached me and informed me that there have been numerous occassions when I've been away at work, and nobody but my wife and our five-yr-old daughter have been at home, and they both have heard me cough. Since I smoke, I must confess that I DO indeed cough a few times a day. Mostly in the morning. One of the strongest motivations to quit is my morning habit of coughing up a golfball-sized loogie. (yeah, yuck with a capital "Y", I know, I know...)
My wife said that at first she thought it was just her imagination, but one day our daughter jumped up to run into the living saying "Daddy's home! I heard him cough!"
My wife, whose capacity for paranoia rivals my own, went so far as to inform me that she's convinced I've got "something" planted in our home in some kind of attempt to "drive her crazy". I assured her that this isn't the case, and I told her about the folklore regarding such events. I also shared with her that in the past, both my mother and my aunt with whom I lived for a while both had similar experiences. They both told me about times they've heard me come home, close the door, jingle my keys, go into the kitchen, and even respond to questions. All before I actually arrived.
I told my wife to make a note of the date and time of any future occurrances. Maybe it's while I'm at work and thinking about going home, or when I'm thinking about my family.
Maybe we'll be able to find some kind of pattern. If I'm doing it, it certainly isn't consciously. (and no, I haven't "planted" anything!)

You Think This Is Easy?

Do you people have any idea what I put myselfthrough in order tosecure my position as the "World's Hottest Monster Hunter"?
I missed a facial last week and got a zit on my nose! It just never ends!

Mr. Bigelow Comes To Town

If you're a long-time reader of this blog, you may recall my Open Letter To Robert Bigwlow in which I basically begged the billionaire real estate tycoon/aerospace pioneer, NIDS & MUFON SIP founder,Skinwalker Ranch owner and part-time patron of paranormal pet projects for money. Just a simple contract deal offering my services as a Monster Hunter/researcher of Heavy Weirdness in exchange for a modestly exhorbitant fee. Sadlyto say, much to the detriment of the advancement of the field, no reply or response issued forth.
What's funny is that, according to this article, Mr. Bigelow was in my town yesterday. It seems he was workingon a deal with ULA (Boeing) to supply rockets for his proposed space staion project. He was literally right down the road from me. Too bad I didn't know in advance, maybe I could have at least slipped him a business card! The ULA plant is the site of one of my graveyard pics in the "Sunday Drive" post. There was another picture in the paper of Mister B with the mayor of a nearby city, said Mayor happens to be my little town's former Postmaster.
Oh well, maybe if Mister Bigelow strikes the deal, there's a chance we may eventually cross paths. Til then, well, I've grown quite accustomed to poverty anyway. :)

Beating the Blahs and the Boredom

I'm sure you've all seen those cop shows with the long, boring "stakeout" scenes, right? Y'know, where the two guys are sitting in the car (or the team is in the van) for hours upon hours, waiting and watching for something that never happens. One of my coworkers told me that she felt "Monster Hunting" was, in her opinion, "a waste of time". (but hey, she bowls, so take that for what it's worth!) I admit I got a bit defensive and began to name some of the great scientific and zoological discoveries that were the result of this "waste of time". The mountain gorilla, the platypus, the pygmy hippo, the okapi... But then I thought of all thoses hours out there in the woods, in the dark, seeing, hearing, and experiencing nothing out of the ordinary. Yeah, it'd be nice if "fruitful" hunts outnumbered the exciting ones. The thrill of finding something new, or undiscovered, or just getting a glimpse of something spooky is what keeps investigators and researchers going.
So, how does one exercise patience and observation without succombing to overwhelming boredom? Some become "antsy" or overeager. Every snapping twig is a Bigfoot, every ripple on the water must be from some lake monster breaking the surface. That feeling you're being watched? Werewolf. Ofcourse it's easy to let one's imagination and genuine eagerness run wild when, well, in the wild, but jumpinf to quick conclusions (and presenting them as evidence!) doesn't contribute to the field and only provides fodder for the sceptics.
I recently sat out for a few hours in the chilly night air. I wasn't hunting a Chupacabra, or lying in wait for a black panther, rather, I was hoping to get a shot off at a pesky armadillo that's been digging up the yard and garden. The armadillo never made an appearance, but I don't consider my time wasted. I got to gaze into the skies looking for UFOs, witness a shooting star, and watch the lights of planes soaring overhead. I shone my megapowered spotlight up and wondered if the passengers and crew could see it. I speculated on who they were, where they were going. I listened to the sounds of the neighborhood and the nearby factories and plants.
While on monster hunts I've seen buzzards circling lazily, yet gracefully in the sky (buzzards follow me wherever I go, it's weird, and I most assuredly do NOT reek of death, and if I did, buzzards hunt by sight anyway, did y'all know that?) I've enjoyed boat trips on rivers, creeks, and the Gulf Coast. I've seen all manner of strange, interesting, and remarkable (yet most assuredly identified) animals from deer to alligator snapping turtles. I've heard the warning SLAP of a beaver smacking the water with its tail to alert his fellows of my approach. I've seen rednecks on ATVs and babes in bikinis.
Boring? Dull? A waste of time? I think not!