Expert Consultant, Museum Curator, Investigator, UFOlogist
Richard C. Hoagland is a former museum space science Curator; a former NASA Consultant; and, during the historic Apollo Missions to the Moon, was science advisor to Walter Cronkite and CBS News. In the mid-1960’s, at the age of 19 (possibly “the youngest museum curator in the country at the time”), Hoagland created his first elaborate commemorative event — around NASA’s first historic unmanned fly-by of the planet Mars, Mariner 4. A simultaneous all-night, transcontinental radio program the evening of the Encounter (linking the museum in Springfield, Mass., and NASA’s JPL control center, in Pasadena, Ca.), co-produced by Hoagland and WTIC-Radio, in Hartford, Ct., was subsequently nominated for a Peabody Award, one of journalism’s most prestigious.
In the early 1970’s, Hoagland proposed to Carl Sagan (along with Eric Burgess) the placement of a “message to Mankind” aboard Pioneer 10 — humanity’s “first unmanned probe of Jupiter“; subsequent to its 1973 Jovian Encounter, celestial mechanics resulted in Pioneer 10 becoming the first artifact to successfully escape the solar system into the vast Galaxy beyond — carrying “the Plaque” — whose origins were officially acknowledged by Sagan in the prestigious journal, SCIENCE (175 [1972], 881).
In the early 1980’s, based on NASA data from the more sophisticated unmanned Voyager fly-bys of the outer planets, Hoagland became the first to propose (in a widely-quoted series of UPI and AP stories on his startling paper, published in 1980 in Star & Sky magazine) the possible existence of “deep ocean life” under the global ice shield perpetually surrounding the enigmatic moon of Jupiter, Europa. At the time, most (though not all) NASA scientists instantly derided this idea; two outstanding dissenters from the unfortunately then-common NASA view were Director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Dr. Robert Jastrow, and well-known science writer and visionary, Arthur C. Clarke. In the sequel to his outstanding epic “2001” (“2010: Odyssey Two”), built entirely around this extraordinary concept of “eon-old life in the ice-covered oceans of Europa,” Clarke wrote:
“The fascinating idea that there might be life on Europa . . . was first proposed by Richard C. Hoagland [in a 30-page article] in the magazine Star & Sky… This quite brilliant concept has been taken seriously by a number of astronomers (notably NASA’s Institute for Space Studies, Dr. Robert Jastrow), and may provide one of the best motives for the projected GALILEO Mission.”
Remarkably, before recent NASA press conferences and television documentaries, celebrating the successfully GALILEO probe of Jupiter’s atmosphere, December 7, 1995, NASA scientists’ “belated” acceptance of the startling possibility of “life in Europa’s oceans” has been widely presented and discussed. As is GALILEO’s potential acquisition of new data from its upcoming Europa fly-bys which could lead to actual confirmation (!) of the “Hoagland model.” Curiously, despite clearly prior publication and detailed elaboration of the concept, Hoagland’s name is not being mentioned anywhere by NASA, or by current GALILEO scientists, in connection with “Europa”…
In the early 1990’s Mr. Hoagland led a team of volunteers and consultants in the creation of a pioneering “space-age” inner-city educational effort at Dunbar Senior High, just off Capitol Hill, in Washington D.C. The experiment was built around the concept of “student involvement in real time’ mission planning and data acquisition” during various NASA planetary exploration missions, such as “Hubble” and the ill-fated “Mars Observer.” Starting as an after school extracurricular activity, and using donated state-of-the-art computer imaging equipment and enhancement algorithms, “The Enterprise Mission” and “becoming a crew member of the ‘U.S.S. Dunbar'” eventually became an accredited course in the Dunbar school curriculum. Over the years, scores of senior NASA Headquarters and Goddard Space Flight Center personnel have enthusiastically participated in the project, including installation of a student satellite data link direct to NASA and on-site briefing of students on many current NASA projects. Education advocate, then First Lady Barbara Bush, personally came to Dunbar early in the project, for a personal briefing by the students; this — the original “ENTERPRISE Mission” — was ultimately nominated for a White House “Point of Light” award.
For the last 13 years, since 1983, Hoagland has been leading an outside scientific Team in a critically acclaimed independent analysis of possible intelligently-designed artifacts on NASA (and other) data sets — beginning with the unmanned NASA VIKING mission to Mars in 1976, and its provocative images of a region called “Cydonia.” Hoagland and his Team have been invited at least four times to various NASA Centers since 1988, to brief thousands of NASA scientists and engineers on the results of their on-going “Cydonia investigation.” In 1989, Hoagland and his colleagues briefed then-Chairman of the House Committee on Space Science and Applications, Representative Robert Roe, on the status of their “Mars Investigation.” Chairman Roe, before his sudden and unexplained resignation from the Congress, directed NASA to acquire better images from Mars during its then-upcoming “Mars Observer mission”; Mars Observer’s equally sudden and tragic disappearance in 1993 precluded any new data relating to “Cydonia.” In 1993, Hoagland was awarded the International Angstrom Medal for Excellence in Science by the Angstrom Foundation, in Stockholm, Sweden, for that continuing research. In the last 4 years, he and his Team’s investigations have been quietly extended to include over 30 years of previously hidden data from NASA, Soviet, and Pentagon missions to the Moon — with startling results.
Philip Schneider was born April 23, 1947 and died (many assume murdered) in January 1996. Now Philip Schneider claimed to be an ex-government geologist and structural engineer who was involved in building underground military bases around the United States (possessing a level 3 security clearance, “Rhyolite 38”).
Not only that, but Philip Schneider also claimed he was one of only three people to have survived a deadly battle in which 66 American and NATO “Delta Force” soldiers were killed. This battle allegedly occurred in 1979 between Grey aliens and U.S. military and NATO forces at an underground base at Dulce , New Mexico.
The following is taken from a letter from the ex-wife of Philip Schneider (Cynthia Drayer) after learning of his death.
“Philip’s background was as a Structural Engineer. He was an expert on explosives and their effects on geologic structures. He worked under two social security numbers. Most of his early work in underground mountain bases with Morrison-Knudsen was done using the wrong social security number.
I was later able to prove that he had two numbers through the social security office when I applied for his daughter’s death benefits.
He worked for the Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Navy with the same wrong number. Only after he obtained SSI in 1981 did his “real” number come into play. He always told me that he had a Rhyolitic Clearance and that his father had a Cosmic Clearance from his work with NATO. And that is the second reason why Philip began lecturing.”
For the last two years of his life, Schneider gave over 30 lectures to a variety of audiences across the globe, concerning conspiracy theories in which he claimed to be leaking information exposing them. However, Schneider was never able or willing to prove his allegations (e.g. showing the entrance to Dulce Base). His claims received little mainstream notice, but caused quite a buzz in UFO enthusiast circles.
Schneider was found dead in his Wilsonville, Oregon apartment on January 17, 1996. He had apparently been dead for several days (perhaps up to a week), and reportedly had a rubber hose wrapped three times around his neck. Tim Swartz writes that “Clackamas County Coroner’s office initially attributed Philip Schneider’s death to a stroke or heart attack.” Some suggest Schneider was murdered; supposedly because he was leaking information to the public, unveiling conspiracies. He in fact claimed to have avoided 13 murder attempts taken on his life during the time in which he was lecturing on conspiracy theories. He suffered multiple physical illnesses (osteoporosis, cancer, injuries). Officially, suicide is now stated as the cause of death.
The medical examiner took blood and urine samples at the autopsy but refused to analyze them, saying that the county would not “waste their money on a suicide”. Although samples would be kept for 12 months, when asked for these samples to be sent to an independent lab 11 months later they were “missing” and presumed “destroyed”. Schneider had missing fingers on his left hand, and limited motion in his shoulders. It may have been physically impossible for him to have held the rubber hose in his left hand with missing fingers and then wrap the hose three times with shoulders that had limited motion. In order to end up where his body was, he had to sit on the edge of his bed, wrap the hose around his neck, slowly and painfully strangle to death, and fallen head first into a wheel chair. Philip was an expert in chemicals and his own medical needs. He had multiple pills at hand that could have ended his life quickly and painlessly. He also had a 9mm handgun that he had borrowed to protect himself.
Military Intelligence Officer, ET Contactee, Author, UFOlogist
Bob Dean Robert O. Dean has been engaged in the field of UFO research for the last 40 years. He began this research on active duty in the US ARMY where he served for 27 years. He retired as Command Sergeant Major from the Army in 1976 as a highly decorated combat veteran after having served as an Infantry Unit Commander in combat in Korea and Vietnam. He also served in Intelligence Field Operations in Laos, Cambodia and North Vietnam.
Additionally, from 1963 to 1967 he served at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), NATO as an intelligence analyst with a Cosmic Top Secret clearance. While on this assignment, he helped move the headquarters to the new site in Belgium. Dean worked in the Operations Division and was a member of the inner Command Staff thereby working with and seeing the SACEUR (Supreme Allied Commander Europe) almost every day.
It was while he was stationed at SHAPE that Robert’s interest in UFOs first started. One night, while on duty, Robert removed a file from SHAPE’s security vault called “The Assessment” – An Evaluation of Possible Military Threat to Allied Forces in Europe”.
This file was given the highest security classification, COSMIC TOP SECRET. It retains that security classification to this day. The contents of this file opened Robert’s eyes to the existence of UFOs and extraterrestrial intelligence. He has, since reading “The Assessment”, dedicated his life to one goal: Bringing to light the true facts surrounding the UFO phenomenon and contact with extraterrestrial intelligence.
To this end, Robert’s current projects are directed toward gaining immunity for ex-military personnel (who may shed some light on the UFO issue), enabling them to testify before a Congressional Hearing without fear of losing their pensions or of prosecution.
Andrew D. Basiago is a Vancouver, Washington lawyer of apparently high repute. As a side project, he runs Project Pegasus, a group dedicated to lobbying the government to release the secrets of teleportation and time travel for the benefit of mankind. Basiago also refers to himself as “the discoverer of life on Mars.” He claims to be one of two “planetary-level whistleblowers” predicted by Web bot. He’s also considered an Indigo Child.Andrew D. Basiago is a Vancouver, Washington lawyer of apparently high repute. As a side project, he runs Project Pegasus, a group dedicated to lobbying the government to release the secrets of teleportation and time travel for the benefit of mankind. Basiago also refers to himself as “the discoverer of life on Mars.” He claims to be one of two “planetary-level whistleblowers” predicted by Web bot. He’s also considered an Indigo Child.Andrew D. Basiago is a Vancouver, Washington lawyer of apparently high repute. As a side project, he runs Project Pegasus, a group dedicated to lobbying the government to release the secrets of teleportation and time travel for the benefit of mankind. Basiago also refers to himself as “the discoverer of life on Mars.” He claims to be one of two “planetary-level whistleblowers” predicted by Web bot. He’s also considered an Indigo Child.
Andrew D. Basiago is a Vancouver, Washington lawyer of apparently high repute. As a side project, he runs Project Pegasus, a group dedicated to lobbying the government to release the secrets of teleportation and time travel for the benefit of mankind. Basiago also refers to himself as “the discoverer of life on Mars.” He claims to be one of two “planetary-level whistleblowers” predicted by Web bot. He’s also considered an Indigo Child.Andrew D. Basiago is a Vancouver, Washington lawyer of apparently high repute. As a side project, he runs Project Pegasus, a group dedicated to lobbying the government to release the secrets of teleportation and time travel for the benefit of mankind. Basiago also refers to himself as “the discoverer of life on Mars.” He claims to be one of two “planetary-level whistleblowers” predicted by Web bot. He’s also considered an Indigo Child.Andrew D. Basiago is a Vancouver, Washington lawyer of apparently high repute. As a side project, he runs Project Pegasus, a group dedicated to lobbying the government to release the secrets of teleportation and time travel for the benefit of mankind. Basiago also refers to himself as “the discoverer of life on Mars.” He claims to be one of two “planetary-level whistleblowers” predicted by Web bot. He’s also considered an Indigo Child.
Stewart Swerdlow A gifted Hyperspace Intuitive, Stewart A. Swerdlow moves his consciousness beyond time and space to determine your foundational mind-pattern upon which all your life experiences are based. His great-uncle, Yakov Sverdlov, was the first president of the Soviet Union, and his grandfather helped form the Communist Party in the United States in the 1930s. To ensure that his loyalties stayed with the US government, he was “recruited” for specific government mind-control experiments, including 13 years at the Montauk Project, which enhanced his natural abilities.
Stewart, a linguist who speaks ten languages, is an expert in deprogramming and determining which Illuminati programs are embedded in the mind-patterns of any individual. His mission is to help others heal themselves in a positive way, thus avoiding the negativity he experienced.
expansions.com
A gifted Hyperspace Intuitive, Stewart A. Swerdlow moves his consciousness beyond time and space to determine your foundational mind-pattern upon which all your life experiences are based. His great-uncle, Yakov Sverdlov, was the first president of the Soviet Union, and his grandfather helped form the Communist Party in the United States in the 1930s. To ensure that his loyalties stayed with the US government, he was “recruited” for specific government mind-control experiments, including 13 years at the Montauk Project, which enhanced his natural abilities.
Stewart, a linguist who speaks ten languages, is an expert in deprogramming and determining which Illuminati programs are embedded in the mind-patterns of any individual. His mission is to help others heal themselves in a positive way, thus avoiding the negativity he experienced.
Kerry Cassidy In 2006 Kerry ran across Bill Ryan, a dude with a nice line in broad-brimmed hats, and they shacked up for a while at the Camelot Castle Hotel in Tintagel. Project Camelot grew out of their post-coital conversations, conceived as an open-ended series of video interviews with woo-doctors and whistleblowers.
In 2006 Kerry ran across Bill Ryan, a dude with a nice line in broad-brimmed hats, and they shacked up for a while at the Camelot Castle Hotel in Tintagel. Project Camelot grew out of their post-coital conversations, conceived as an open-ended series of video interviews with woo-doctors and whistleblowers.
In 2006 Kerry ran across Bill Ryan, a dude with a nice line in broad-brimmed hats, and they shacked up for a while at the Camelot Castle Hotel in Tintagel. Project Camelot grew out of their post-coital conversations, conceived as an open-ended series of video interviews with woo-doctors and whistleblowers.
Kerry Cassidy In 2006 Kerry ran across Bill Ryan, a dude with a nice line in broad-brimmed hats, and they shacked up for a while at the Camelot Castle Hotel in Tintagel. Project Camelot grew out of their post-coital conversations, conceived as an open-ended series of video interviews with woo-doctors and whistleblowers.
In 2006 Kerry ran across Bill Ryan, a dude with a nice line in broad-brimmed hats, and they shacked up for a while at the Camelot Castle Hotel in Tintagel. Project Camelot grew out of their post-coital conversations, conceived as an open-ended series of video interviews with woo-doctors and whistleblowers.
In 2006 Kerry ran across Bill Ryan, a dude with a nice line in broad-brimmed hats, and they shacked up for a while at the Camelot Castle Hotel in Tintagel. Project Camelot grew out of their post-coital conversations, conceived as an open-ended series of video interviews with woo-doctors and whistleblowers.
Gary McKinnon (born 10 February 1966) is a Scottish systems administrator and hacker who was accused in 2002 of perpetrating the “biggest military computer hack of all time,”[2] although McKinnon himself – who has a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome – states that he was merely looking for evidence of free energy suppression and a cover-up of UFO activity and other technologies potentially useful to the publi Scottish systems administrator and hacker who was accused in 2002 of perpetrating the “biggest military computer hack of all time,”[2] although McKinnon himself – who has a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome – states that he was merely looking for evidence of free energy suppression and a cover-up of UFO activity and other technologies potentially useful to the publi Scottish systems administrator and hacker who was accused in 2002 of perpetrating the “biggest military computer hack of all time,”[2] although McKinnon himself – who has a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome – states that he was merely looking for evidence of free energy suppression and a cover-up of UFO activity and other technologies potentially useful to the public.Gary McKinnon (born 10 February 1966) is a Scottish systems administrator and hacker who was accused in 2002 of perpetrating the “biggest military computer hack of all time,”[2] although McKinnon himself – who has a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome – states that he was merely looking for evidence of free energy suppression and a cover-up of UFO activity and other technologies potentially useful to the publi Scottish systems administrator and hacker who was accused in 2002 of perpetrating the “biggest military computer hack of all time,”[2] although McKinnon himself – who has a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome – states that he was merely looking for evidence of free energy suppression and a cover-up of UFO activity and other technologies potentially useful to the publi Scottish systems administrator and hacker who was accused in 2002 of perpetrating the “biggest military computer hack of all time,”[2] although McKinnon himself – who has a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome – states that he was merely looking for evidence of free energy suppression and a cover-up of UFO activity and other technologies potentially useful to the public.
Alfred Lambremont Webre is an American author, lawyer, futurist, peace activist, environmental activist, and a space activist who promotes the ban of space weapons.
Ben Rich, the “Father of the Stealth Fighter-Bomber” and former head of Lockheed Skunk Works,had once let out information about Extraterrestrial UFO Visitors Are Real. He states “we’ve” been to the stars” and “have the technology to go to the stars”, however, put in context–as many insiders believe–we’ve been taken to other planets by means of extraterrestrial ships due to radiation belt, so while we have the technology to go, we have to be “taken due to radiation belt and our bodies would not handle it–i.e.–why some have proposed we ride along [?] … are taken [?]
In films that present humans alongside alien counterparts, we inevitably learn more about our own humanity than of the alien creature’s new perceptions. When we visit a new country far from home, we make just as many (if not more) discoveries about ourselves as we do about our host nation – as any traveler can attest, looking at our own culture from a distance allows for a better understanding of both its strengths and frailties, and opens it up to a greater dialogue about the world at large.
In 1977, the Voyager 2 probe was sent into space with a recorded message of peace (in 55 different languages) along with an eclectic collection of music and 116 images of life on this planet. John Carpenter, in his 1984 film Starman, explores what might have happened if an alien ship were to encounter this Earthling greeting. Alongside a sweet romance between the two lead characters, there is the story of how American government officials react to the appearance of the “Starman.” A socially-conscious piece of sci-fi, the naive and otherworldly Starman reveals both the government’s uneasiness with extraterrestrials (despite spending trillions on defense yearly) and the public’s split perspectives concerning the existence of real alien beings.
Many UFOlogical scenarios begin with a cataclysmic encounter that destroys the planet. Aliens are often depicted as a race evolutionarily superior to our own, with apocalyptic powers that can be used to levitate objects, save lives, start cars – different remarkable skills for different alien life forms. For years, comics, books, television shows and films have drawn people to the world of UFOs and extraterrestrial activities. In the 1940s and 50s, freakish events – the end of the Second World War, the unforgettable image of the atom bomb’s mushroom cloud and a pervasive storm of anticommunist sentiment – inspired the creation of a slew of sci-fi masterpieces. The Roswell Crash happened in 1947, only two years after the atomic bomb was dropped on Japanese citizens. These early B-movies put the nation’s fears of invasion and destruction on film. The reality of an alien invasion, after the paranoia and chaos of the era, did not seem so outside the realm of possibility.
The “mysterious” nature of aliens, and their continued unconfirmed legitimacy by the U.S. government only adds to their appeal. While many prominent scientists have attested to the likelihood of their existence, the proof of alien abductions and landings has been largely discredited. Carl Sagan, in one of his last interviews, said that extraterrestrial intelligence is a “wonderful prospect, but requires the most severe and rigorous standards of evidence.”
For most UFO enthusiasts, theories about advanced civilizations on other planets are a matter of sheer speculation, with little consideration for standards of scientific conjecture. That said, it is difficult to consider extraterrestrial life in terms of our own. Different types of thinking are needed to properly consider a race of beings capable of journeying among the stars – we need to be mentally flexible, as these beings are truly alien and, in all likelihood, of an appearance that our eyes will be completely untrained to see.
What reasons could there be to hide evidence of aliens? Since the Roswell, New Mexico incident, many believe that there are sweeping security measures and secrecy in place to keep the subject under wraps. But the public is not convinced. According to two National Geographic polls held in 2012, 36 percent of Americans believe UFO’s exist, and 79 percent believe a government coverup is responsible for withholding detailed alien information.
This past summer, microbiologists in California discovered bacteria that survive, not by eating “food” as we commonly think of it, but by feeding on electricity. NASA has theorized that beings in the “dark energy biosphere”, beneath deep sea beds, consume so little energy that their “means of living could theoretically be used by extraterrestrial life living in other areas of the solar system, or universe.” Both of these findings prove that limiting space exploration to “Earth-like” planets will limit our discovery of other living beings. If we are modeling our assumptions as to what an alien life needs on our own, isn’t that missing the entire point? Who knows what kind of conditions another life form needs to thrive? Astronomers from the government-backed SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) have recently conceded that the chance of discovering life on other planets is inevitable and will likely occur within the next 20 years.
If there are beings capable of harnessing pure energy, they may take the form of these electron-feasting bacteria. Certain species are also capable of producing electrons while metabolizing chemicals, leading scientists to believe that they may be an eventual source of natural energy.
Today, with energy prices skyrocketing, the environment in crisis mode, and no clear solution in sight, it could make sense toinvest in projects towards this end. While we haven’t yet been visited by other forms of life, by harnessing pure energy we may edge closer to a new kind of sustainability. Canadian science fiction writer Karl Schroeder has posited that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from nature” (borrowing from Arthur C. Clarke’s original, “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”). Aliens may blend seamlessly into the galaxy, their artificial systems no different from our natural ones. In Carpenter’s film, after finding the welcome messages from Voyager, the Starman heads to Earth – only to discover the hostility of American military men when he is shot down by the U.S. Air Force. But when Starman was released, we were living in a different time. There are hundreds of millions of galaxies in space, and within them millions and millions of stars. If even 1/100 of them contain “life” in any definition, that is still billions of planets with extraterrestrial beings. It’s time we found comfort, rather than fear, in the fact that we are not alone. And even if there aren’t others out there in space, the principle of coexisting peacefully can be applied equally back here on Earth
Beast 1333 is a well known underground Hip Hop rapper of Puerto Rican descent with a huge global cult like following, born in Brooklyn NY (Jan.13,1982). Anti-NWO Storyteller leaves no conspiracy stone un-turned. UFO’s, Aliens, Cover-Up, Genetic Engineering, Space Travel, Time-Travel, you name it. Friend of Anonymous.
We partnered with “Weird Al” to create this music video for his new album, “Mandatory Fun.” Also featuring Patton Oswalt, Tom Lennon, and Robert Ben Garant.
“Weird Al” Yankovic’s new album Mandatory Fun out now: http://smarturl.it/MandatoryFun
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Cast
Cooking Show Host “Weird Al” Yankovic
Stage Manager Patton Oswalt
CIA Agent Thomas Lennon
CIA Agent Ben Garant
Cameraman 1 Will McLaughlin
Cameraman 2 Mike Still
Backup Singer Kathryn Burns
Backup Singer Elaine Carroll
Backup Singer Andree Vermuelen
Waiter Jose Perales
Stand In (Patton Oswalt) John Medrano
Boom Op Nick Mundy
Clapper David Futernick
Restaurant Patron David Chernavsky
Restaurant Patron Nicole Cleaveland
Restaurant Patron Ify Nwadiwe
Restaurant Patron Greg Stees
Restaurant Patron Kenny Sharman
Restaurant Patron Ray Timmons
Restaurant Patron Yanick Thomassaint
Crew
Position Name
Director Al Yankovic
Writer Al Yankovic
Producer Jon Wolf
Cinematography Clyde Smith
Editor Al Yankovic
Big Breakfast President of Original Content Sam Reich
Big Breakfast VP of Production/ Executive Producer Spencer Griffin
Director of Production Sam Sparks
Director of Post Production Michael Schaubach
Production Manager Sam Kirkpatrick
Casting Director Chrissy Fiorilli-Ellington
Production Designer Dan Butts
Costume Designer Leah Piehl
Lead Hair and Makeup Sean James
HMU Asst Diana Barton
HMU Asst Kaho Chan
HMU Asst Cassie Lyons-Marquez
Script Supervisor Carly Romberg
Production Coordinator Michele Santoro
1st Assistant Director Matt McKinnon
2nd Assistant Director Harrison Woliner
Art Department Coordinator Pamela Barba
Set Decorator Laura Harper
On Set Jon Boyday
Leadman Christopher Yager
Construction Matthew Berry
Art PA Jonathan Carnevale
Playback Operator JP Robelot for BoTown Sound
Visual Effects Gloo Studios
Motion Graphics Artist Bill Bergen
Assistant Motion Graphics Artist Pedro Mendoza
1st Assistant Camera Ian Jay
2nd Assistant Camera / DiT Brittany Barber
Gaffer Zack Savitz
Key Grip Chris Rauch
Best Boy Electric Tim Davis
Best Boy Grip Matt Rodgers
Electric Blake Engel
Grip Chris Rojas
Wardrobe PA Sara Kannberg
Seamstress Rosie Alvarez
Choreographer Kathryn Burns
Post Production Supervisor Evan Watkins
Post Production Coordinator Andrew Mallonee
Head Assistant Editor Phil Fox
Post Production Sound Mix Michael McAlister
Production Legal Karen Segall
Production Accountant Christine Rodriguez
1st Assistant Production Accountant Shay Parsons
2nd Assistant Production Accountant Rebecca Call
Set Photographer Robyn Von Swank
Set PA Devin Hassan
Intern Scott Gallopo
Intern Sara Reihani
Nick Redfern takes us on a dark journey with his new book ‘The World’s Weirdest Places’. Make sure you bring your camping gear and you might wanna consider an automatic rifle. And of course don’t forget your paranormal what nots for this expedition of the weird. The book is filled with great stories just in time for Halloween. A pleasure to get to sit down with Nick Redfern again on Examiner and get him as our personal guide for this walk about of the weird. I hope you enjoy it.
1. So Nick we meet again, telepathic high five! What was your motivation behind writing your new book The World’s Weirdest Places?
NR: Actually, it was the idea of the publisher, New Page Books. They had done two previous books of a similar nature: The World’s Creepiest Places and The Worlds Most Haunted Places. And they asked me if I’d be interested in doing the next one. I said “sure,” and it went from there. The book is basically a study of my favorite, 25 weird places in the world, including Mt. Shasta, California; Reykjavik, Iceland; Halifax, Canada; and the Berwyn Mountains, Wales. UFOs, strange beasts, ghosts, paranormal phenomena and much more appear in most of the places. 2. Okay lets get to the vampires and the weird place that they live. What location are some vampires hiding out at lore wise?
NR: As I note in the book, the ancient Romans and Greeks lived in deathly terror of the vampire-like Striges, and Norse mythology tells of the horrific Draugr. Madagascar is home to the rampaging Ramanga. And the Tagalog haunts the jungles of the Philippines. While certain characteristics and traits may change according to region and century, all of the above entities have one thing in common: they are supernatural creatures, sometimes – but not exclusively – the dead returned from the grave, and all driven by a voracious and violent need to feed on copious amounts of human blood. I also talk about the Morana of the Caucasus Mountains – which also happens to be the very same title applied to a blood-sucking monstrosity that haunts the Dalmatian area of Croatia. For the people of the little towns of the mountains, the Morana exclusively appears in the guise of a beautiful maiden. She is not an example of the dead returned, however. No: the she is actually an it; nothing less than a supernatural shape-shifter whose real form is definitively devilish.
3. Werewolves oh my! How about the werewolves what vacation spot are they inhabiting these days in our weird world?
NR: I have a particular interest in werewolf stories, and in 2007 there was a spate of sightings at a cemetery in the woods of England’s Cannock Chase, situated only about a 15-minute drive from where I grew up. It all began in April 2007, when a local, well respected group of paranormal investigators – the West Midlands Ghost Club – traveled out to the area to investigate newly-surfaced reports of what witnesses described as a large, hairy creature very much resembling a wolf. But, there was something extremely weird about this particular wolf: as well as walking like any normal wolf might, this one had the amazing and uncanny ability to rear up onto its hind limbs, which it invariably did when anyone had the distinct misfortune to cross its malevolent path. One of those whose encounter caught the attention of the club was a mailman who was riding past the cemetery on a motorbike when he became spellbound by the sight of what, at first, he assumed was a large, wild wolf on the loose. This would be extraordinary enough in itself, as the wild wolf is generally acknowledged as having become extinct in the British Isles centuries ago. That the creature was no mere normal wolf, however, became very obvious to the shocked man when it caught his eye, raised itself upwards on its back legs, and bounded away into the countless trees that envelop the cemetery.
4. Which weird place in our world gave you the creeps the most when you were writing this book?
NR: To be honest, I don’t get the creeps. I find all these spooky and weird places very fascinating, but they don’t scare me or intimidate me. I just find it all very interesting. But, aside from a few investigations in my life, I’ve never really felt creeped out at all. Full of adrenalin, yes! But not scared.
5. What can you share with us about Devil’s Gate Dam in California and Jack Parsons?
NR: Stroll along the top of the dam – which is situated in Pasadena, California – for a couple of hundred yards and you will come to a steep, circling and dusty pathway. It is a pathway that, if you dare to follow it, will take you down deep into the heart of mysterious woods, thick and mighty old trees, and winding streams, all of which are overlooked by large, brooding hills. Both dark shadows and deep malignancy dominate this near-hidden area, which is part-natural wildness and part-secluded oasis. Jack Parsons was both an occultist and brilliant rocket-scientist who was a devotee of Aleister Crowley who operated out of that area and, without who, it’s unlikely NASA would exist in the way it does today. But, there have also been a great deal of suicides in the area, murders, and sightings of weird beasts, including a gargoyle-like creature a few years ago.
6. I recently had a winged creature sighting that was strange while riding in the back of a truck in Florida with a witness. Large black wings and then it vanished right before our eyes. What are some winged beasties out there in particular locations you could tell us about? This had been my first paranormal experience in over a year as well and has given me the freaks ever since.
NR: One of the strangest of all is a case from the Vietnam War. It was a calm and muggy summer’s night, only four months before the dawning of the 1970s, and Earl Morrison, who was a private attached to the U.S. Marine Corps at the time in question, was stationed in Vietnam, sitting and chatting with two friends and colleagues atop a bunker situated near to Da Nang, a port city which can be found on the coast of the South China Sea, at the mouth of the Han River. For reasons that Morrison and his friends were never really able to make clear sense of, they all turned their attentions skywards, near-simultaneously, and, to their total astonishment and unmitigated horror, saw a strange and terrifying figure crossing the vast expanse of the evening sky. And, worse still, it was slowly coming right towards them: “We saw what looked like wings, like a bat’s; only it was gigantic compared to what a regular bat would be. After it got close enough so we could see what it was, it looked like a woman, a naked woman.” That has to be one of the strangest of all! But, all around the world there are tales and legends of winged monsters: The United States’ Mothman, the Owlman of England, gargoyles, harpies, etc.
7. Ok the New York City subway story interests me most assuredly what kinda critters are running around down there?
NR: A late-night trip on the New York City Subway, which opened its doors to the world in 1904 and is now home to 842 miles of track and 468 stations, might not be the safest of excursions at the very best of times. But, we’re not talking here about muggers and murderers. No, there are far more dangerous things said to be lurking in those old tunnels, sewer-systems, and platforms that wind and coil their collective way deep beneath the Big Apple. One of the most persistent stories concerning the New York City Subway System is that it is home to a largely hidden population of giant alligators that feast on the hobos, the homeless, the late-night travelers, and just about anyone else that has the misfortune to get in their monstrous and marauding way. Yes, just above everyone knows, and loves, the engaging stories, but most are content to write off such tales as simply friend of a friend yarns and modern day folklore. But, maybe they shouldn’t! There’s also a story of the ghost of a Confederate, Civil War-era soldier being seen on the subway in the 1930s. No idea why though!
8. Taushida, Guyana is said to be a real life Jurassic Park of sorts filled with all sorts of weird beings like lake monsters and hairy ape men. Sounds pre historic with the recent discussion about dinosaurs from scientists living on other planets who may not have ever gone extinct and evolved into possibly advanced beings all this dinosaur stuff interests me more and more lately because it makes sense to me. What can you share?
NR: Guyana is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America and borders a large percentage of the Caribbean Sea. And for adventurers and thrill seekers in search of a solid amount of undeniable mystery and mayhem, look no further than this captivating and enigma-filled land. The mountainous areas that surround the little village of Taushida, Guyana are defined by their beauty, dense jungles, waterfalls, deep caves, luscious foliage and widely varied wildlife. But, they are also defined by their profound strangeness and menace, too. And for such a small place, the sheer level of downright bizarreness attached to Taushida is extraordinary. An ancient tiger-like animal that is said to have the uncanny ability to live in, and even under, the water of the many rivers of the area is spoken of in whispered, worried tones. The locals claim that their very own equivalent of Bigfoot – the Didi, as it is known – inhabits the nearby hills. And giant snakes – anacondas, many say – of an incredible forty to fifty feet in length, and with bodies the widths of oil-drums, coil and slither their terrible way around the land in search of a tasty human or several to satisfy their voracious appetites.
9. My next phase of life is writing a book about my paranormal experiences and perspectives and I also love the horror genre of fiction. I write my butt off but I just need to get into the book frame of mind. So I am trying to balance out Examiner and all my radio show content site work with this new project. Any advice for upcoming writers and what is next on ye ole plate of doom and glee book wise if you can share anything? Thanks Nick always a dark pleasure!
NR: My advice for writers is to treat what you do as a job. Yes, you have to be passionate about it all, as I certainly am. But, if you want to be a successful writer you have to be diligent and focused. Like any self-employed job, you have to plan ahead, keep getting work, pitch ideas to publishers, magazines, newspapers, get the word out, get on the lecture-circuit, radio, TV etc. Get to know the players on the scene. It’s no good sitting around like some idiot waiting for the phone to ring. You have to constantly push and promote yourself, come up with new ideas and themes for articles and books, and keep investigating. Also like any self-employed job, the effort you put in will have an effect on the end result.
So, any upcoming writer – if their heart is really in it, and for the right reasons – should be prepared to put in a lot of effort, 24/7, but the results will be worth it. And self-belief and self-confidence are vital, too. Also, be true to yourself. Write what you want to write about, but don’t ever kiss-ass to try and get “in” with the right people. No-one will respect a writer for that. I certainly wouldn’t. I might give them a good kicking though, to knock some sense into them. As for what I’m up to: a couple more cryptozoology books on the horizon, and maybe a UFO book. As long as I have that enthusiasm and can keep putting out new material that I hope the fans will like, then I’ll keep on doing it. The day it feels like a rock band just playing its old hits just for the sake of it, is the day I’ll do something else. But, I don’t think that will happen if I’m careful about the projects I take on and make sure I keep adding something new, new insights, new data, new theories etc.
Nick Redfern is an author, lecturer, and journalist who writes about a wide range of unsolved mysteries, including Bigfoot, UFOs, the Loch Ness monster, alien encounters, and government conspiracies. His previous books include The Pyramids and the Pentagon; Keep Out!; The Real Men in Black; The NASA Conspiracies; Contactees; and Memoirs of a Monster Hunter, all published by New Page Books. He writes for many publications, including UFO Magazine, Fate, and Fortean Times, and has appeared on numerous television shows, including the History Channel’s Ancient Aliens,Monster Quest, and UFO Hunters; National Geographic Channel’s The Truth about UFOs, and Paranatural; and SyFy Channel’s Proof Positive. He can be contacted at nickredfernsbooks.blogspot.com
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