Romania’s Witches Unleash Dog Poop Spells on Leaders
January 6, 2011
(ChattahBox World News)— It’s always the season of the witch in Romania. And if you know what’s good for you, don’t piss them off and subject yourself to their curses and spells made from dead animals and excrement. It’s already too late for the president of Romania, Traian Basescu, who unleashed a witch uprising after declaring that self-employed witches now have to pay taxes. The nation’s witches, and there are quite a few in this superstitious country, have scheduled a protest along the Danube River on Thursday. The covens of angry witches plan to cast spells and curses on President Basescu and other leaders. But Basescu is one step ahead of these cackling witches with their warts and mandrake root. He has invoked the protection of the “Violet Flame” by dressing in purple attire, which acts as a Teflon shield against evil curses. Good to know. Read more
Vulture Arrested Under Suspicion of Being Israeli Spy
January 5, 2011
Saudi Arabia (ChattahBox World News)—Saudi Arabian investigators have determined that Israeli intelligence will stop at nothing when training spies to go undercover—and arrested a vulture last week that they accuse of being a Mossad spy trained by Israel, the UK Telegraph reports.
The bird was discovered in rural Saudi Arabia wearing a GPS transmitter and a tag with an identification code on it from Tel Aviv University, the Telegraph notes. Locals accused the bird of being linked to a “Zionist plot” and told security forces, who subsequently arrested the vulture.
Following the arrest, hundreds of posts appeared on Arabic-language Web sites accusing “Zionists” of training birds for espionage. This follows reports from 2010 in which an Egyptian official apparently accused a shark that attacked humans of being an Israeli spy, the Telegraph reports.
Goat-Sucking Chupacabra or Hairless Raccoon Terrorizing Kentucky (Video)
December 28, 2010
(ChattahBox US News)—The mysterious legend of the goat-sucking creature El Chupacabra is alive and well in the wilds of Kentucky. A hideous hairless animal resembling the mythical Chupacabra beast had the misfortune of wandering into the front yard of a Kentuckian earlier in the month, who promptly shot the creature for the crime of being bald in the winter. Mark Cothren of Lebanon Junction, Kentucky is now famous for either bagging a blood-sucking Chupacabra monster the size of a large house cat or possibly a raccoon with a bad case of mange. Read more
New Zealand’s UFO Files: Flying Saucers, Helmeted Aliens
December 23, 2010
(ChattahBox World News)–The truth is indeed out there, at least as it exists in thousands of pages of eyewitness accounts of UFO sightings. The government of New Zealand has released its so-called X-files in response to a freedom of information request, and the documents are predictably amusing. But the “aliens among us” crowd will be honing in on the files covering the 1978 “flying saucer” sighting over the town of Kaikoura, a mystery, which to this day has never been solved. Read more
Japanese researchers hail ‘singing’ mouse
December 22, 2010
[ChattahBox] – In one of the more unusual cases of scientific inquiry, researchers at the University of Osaka have created a mouse that can tweet like a bird. And they believe this rare mutation could help them uncover the origins of all human language.
Based at Osaka University’s Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, the team created the new hybrid in their “Evolved Mouse Project,” where they breed genetically modified mice. Such mice are prone to miscopying DNA and thus to mutations, and the tweeting mouse was one result. Read more
Monday’s Lunar Eclipse set to thrill countless fans
December 20, 2010
[ChattahBox] – Among those who appreciate astronomy today is a special event. The first total lunar eclipse since 2008 is set for the same night as this year’s Winter solstice; And that combination has not occurred in almost 500 years.
Unlike a solar eclipse, which requires special precautions to avoid eye damage and can only be seen by those in direct line of the totality a lunar eclipse is not just one of nature’s most magical spectacles, but can be safely witnessed by any who might care to observe.
This particular eclipse will be easily visible across the entire American continent and Hawaii, the more northerly parts of Europe, some of northeast Asia, including Korea and most of Japan, and even from the North Island of New Zealand — giving it a potential audience of around 1.5-billion people.
And following its development should be equally easy – The show will begin as the Moon enters the faint outer rim of the Earth’s shadow, the ‘Penumbra,’ at around 1.15am EST. It will then begin to encroach on the inner realm [the 'Umbra'] at around 1.33am EST, creating the most visually rewarding part of the scene.
But even at the totality the moon will not vanish; Experts tell Fox it’s expected to radiate a copper-red hue, caused by the Earth’s atmosphere spilling or refracting sunlight into those areas enveloped by shadow.
And the view offered at that point to those in rural locations where street lighting adds less pollution should be sublime; The exceptionally dark sky will allow the Milky Way to appear, nestled in star-speckled velvet.
The entire journey through the Umbra is expected to last three hours and twenty-eight minutes. Totality begins at around 2.41am, EST and should peak at roughly 3.17am EST, before the moon finally sheds this Earthly tincture and the whole show concludes at around 5.01am.
And should tonight’s spectacle leave you keen for a sequel, you’re in luck – 2011 will include two further eclipses; The first on June 15 will be mostly visible to those in the Eastern Hemisphere and could last for an hour and 40 minutes. The second is slated for December 10th and should be easily visible across the western half of North America.
The next total eclipse that could be enjoyed by the whole continent is not due until April 14th, 2014…
Photo: Javichu
A Pardon for Notorious Outlaw and Folk Hero Billy the Kid?
December 18, 2010
(ChattahBox US News)–Billy the Kid may be finally receiving the pardon that was thought to have been promised to him over a hundred years ago by Territorial Governor Lew Wallace. Outgoing Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson is seriously considering issuing an official pardon, before he leaves office at the end of this year. A trial lawyer from Albuquerque submitted an official petition accompanied with evidence supporting Billy the Kid’s claim that he was promised a pardon in exchange for his testimony against a number of outlaws on trial for murder. Read more
US Military denies any record of mystery missile
November 9, 2010
[ChattahBox US News] – Residents of Southern California were treated to an unexpected, and so far unexplained light show last night when an apparent military warhead was launched just north of Catalina Island.
The unmistakable trail of a rocket was captured on video by a KCBS news helicopter as it hovered over Los Angeles at around 5pm local time. Read more
Mohammed tops list of UK baby names
October 29, 2010
[ChattahBox News] – Baby names are a clear indicator of the vibrant palette of humanity that is western Europe, and this year’s list of the most popular names includes a surprise; The number one name in Britain is now Mohammed.
Based in London, the Office of National Statistics announced yesterday that ‘Oliver’ was the most popular name for boys born in 2009. But research conducted by CNN of the top 4,500 names shows that when its various spellings are combined Mohammed becomes #1. Read more
Chupacabras monster is just a stricken Coyote?
October 22, 2010
Credit: Dan Pence
(ChattahBox Curiosity News) – As Halloween approaches, tales of monsters and creepy crawlies abound. Among the most fearsome is the legendary beast known as the chupacabras.
But the real fiend is not the hairless, fanged animal purported to attack and drink the blood of livestock; it’s a tiny, eight-legged creature that turns a healthy, wild animal into a chupacabras, says University of Michigan biologist Barry OConnor.
The existence of the chupacabras, also known as the goatsucker, was first surmised from livestock attacks in Puerto Rico, where dead sheep were discovered with puncture wounds, completely drained of blood. Similar reports began accumulating from other locations in Latin America and the U.S. Then came sightings of evil-looking animals, variously described as dog-like, rodent-like or reptile-like, with long snouts, large fangs, leathery or scaly greenish-gray skin and a nasty odor. Locals put two and two together and assumed the ugly varmints were responsible for the killings. Read more