Bil Lepp – Five Time Winner of the West Virginia Liars Contest!

A few years back Bil Lepp came to the Indian Summer Storytelling Fesival and told this story.  I’ve been a fan ever since. He has several CD’s of his amazing tall tales and I own and repeatedly enjoy them all.  Don’t miss this free one.

My favorite is called The Teacher in the Patriotic Swimsuit.  There are dozens and all are absolutely hilarious.

 You can purchase his recordings at Bil’s site.  Or you can  download his stories as MP3’s

Filed under: Culture, Humor, Paranormal , Bil Lepp, Buck Dog, CS&X, festival, Half Dollar, Humor, imagination, storytelling, tall tales, West Virginia, yarns

Big Foot On Mars?

The top photo was recently released by NASA.  It was captured by a Mars Rover.  Pretty odd looking rock; or is it Sasquatch?  The last image is the first reversed.  Perhaps even a female Sasquatch.  Just about as likely there as here I should think.  Read NASA’s explanation.

Filed under: Astronomy, Culture, Current Events, Humor, Paranormal, Science , Big Foot, Funny, Humor, mars, Martian, NASA, Paranormal, rover, Sasquatch, Science, Space, Yeti

How About a Pet Hippo for Christmas?

To get an idea if a hippopotamus is the right thing for you, watch this.  Who knew there’s even a song about wanting a hippopotamus for Christmas.

Filed under: Culture, Paranormal, Relationships, Science , Christmas, hippo, hippoptamus, house trained, massage, pet

Can Somebody Help Me Understand This?

 What we have here is a video of my nephew (he’s the one in the red shirt, right at the beginning of the video) clambering on stage to, I can’t imagine what; to be with/be near/be about/be in close proximity to, Morrissey.  As you can see, he is not a teenager.  Neither of course is this Morrissey person.

First of all, watching the video didn’t present Morrissey as being a person of any particular talent, sex appeal, or charisma.

Second, this is obviously an expected, frequent and probably encouraged behavior.

Third, did my nephew receive something in return for this behavior?  Some payment, gratuity, bragging rights, applause or souvenir?

Fourth, does my nephew feel somehow sated by this experience?  Or will he seek to repeat the behavior to satisfy some lust or compulsion that I cannot imagine?

In short, would someone please help me understand why a frumpy old man would have the urge, controllable or not, to make contact, in such a manner, with another frumpy old man, who clearly doesn’t know him from Adam.

Filed under: Culture, Paranormal, Relationships , Behavior, Embarrassment, Incredulity, Morrissey, Pop Culture

I Have Been Elfed!

Some vengeful person has Elfed me on Office Max!  So what if I deserve it.  Of course this war could escalate.  Fair warning to all you elfmeisters.  Behold the Elf version of the men in my family.  Clearly the women are making a statement about their exposure as Can Can Dancers. So now it’s time for an encore performance of that masterpiece.

Filed under: Art, Culture, Humor, Paranormal, Uncategorized , Elf, Family, Humor, Paybacks, Revenge, Talent

Prevalence of UFO Reports

 Map shows number of UFO sightings, abductions and other encounters per 100,000 people, by county.
SOURCE: J. ALLEN HYNEK CENTER FOR UFO STUDIES, CHICAGO

I don’t know what to make of this.  UFO sighting reports appear to be most common in rural areas.  I might attribute that to the prevalence of hicks in those areas.  But that wouldn’t explain the low number of reports in Appalachia and the near absence of them in Louisiana.  Some say there are correlations between sightings and proximity to Indian Reservations.

There are reports that Fathers Dominguez and Escalante saw UFO’s on their journey through Utah.  A couple of journal accounts from the 1847 Mormon Battalion March, while in New Mexico, also reported unusual lights maneuvering around the sky in unlikely patterns.

It’s rather exciting to live in a hot spot.  According to the map, I have somewhere between a 90 and 2900 chance of seeing something for every 100,000 people in my county.  As I am out there more than most that should increase my odds even better still.  Yet I have never seen a thing that was unusual at all.  I have yet to take my skeptic hat off, but it is set way back on my head so I can get a clear view.

Filed under: Culture, Paranormal , Hicks, Indian Reservations, Map, UFO

Skinwalker Ranch

A few weeks ago a Nephew of mine asked me if I knew anything about the Skinwalker Ranch. I didn’t, or so I thought. Then he went on to explain that I should know all about it since I live in the Uinta Basin. He told me that there had been UFO sightings there among other things.

It then dawned on me that years ago I had encountered an unexpected gate on a road I had previously travelled. The gate had lots of threatening signs on it. I asked around and was told that someone was doing research on UFO activity on the ranch behind that gate. And so I discovered I actually did know something about the ranch and could even drive right to it.

I was surprised that living in such close proximity to the ranch that I actually hadn’t heard a thing about it for years.

Back in the sixties there was a rash of UFO sightings in the area and I personally knew several reputable people who saw pretty detailed views of these mysterious craft. A friend of mine has written a pretty detailed account that pretty much summarizes my experience.

I decided to pick up a copy of Kelleher and Knapp’s book Hunt for the Skinwalker and find out the latest on the matter. It was a very interesting, but inconclusive read. It is fun to imagine stuff like the book describes, taking place so near to home. I don’t really doubt the sincerity of the witnesses, but having spent an enormous amount of time out and about in the vicinity and having never ever seen any thing unusual, I do feel pretty slighted.

Apparently, aliens, skinwalkers and Sasquatches find me revolting and are deliberately shunning me for some inexplicable reason. I’ve never snubbed or scoffed at them, so I can’t imagine what I’ve done to offend their mystical sensibilities. I’d like to make peace with them and sit down for a Pow Wow or something, but I can’t find a mailing address or anything that would facilitate my appologetic overtures.

I’ve thought of disguising myself as a Sasquatch and wandering around over there in hopes of tricking them into thinking I’m someone else, but it occurs to me that this tactic may have already been tried. Besides I don’t want to run the risk of being mistaken for a female of that species, if you get my meaning.

I guess I’m just going to have to be content with watching the night sky in wonder and amazement at what I do see, and hope that some day I’ll be inducted in to that exclusive club of witnesses. Perhaps some subtle nuance such as a new pair of bib overalls or a missing tooth will serendipitously qualify me.

Filed under: Paranormal , Books, Paranormal Activity, UFO, Uinta Basin