Top 10 Explanations for The Bermuda Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle, as we call it today, was coined by the writer Vincent Gaddis in 1964 when he wrote a cover story for Argosy magazine about the strange disappearance of Flight 19. Also known as ‘The Devil’s Triangle’ or the ‘Isle of Devils’, the Bermuda Triangle is popularly thought to be an area in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida to one small island in Bermuda to an island in Puerto Rico. From point to point the area spans into an imaginary triangle. According to many scientists today, however, the only boundaries it truly defines are the ones between fantasy and fiction. The Bermuda Triangle is inaccurately known as a place where more ships and planes have mysteriously disappeared than anywhere else in the world, but why? Here are the top ten reasons the Bermuda Triangle has received a reputation as a possible epicenter of alien abductions, ghost ships, sea monsters, time portals, and other madness and mayhem.


10. Leftover technology from the lost city of Atlantis


Of the various claims about the Bermuda Triangle, the suggestion that it is the location of the lost city of Atlantis is one popularized idea and it comes in at number 10. The well-known Edgar Cayce prophesied that in 1968 archeologists would find the entrance to the drowned city of Atlantis near Bimini in the Bermuda Triangle. At that time a special submerged rock wall formation was found off an island in the Bahamas and many think this is evidence of the lost city of Atlantis. According to the legend, the city of Atlantis was powered by crystals and that they still send out waves of energy today as they lay buried under the sea causing ships and planes to be sent off course by effected navigational equipment. Conspiracy theorists today also speculate about an underwater military base known as Underwater Area 51 as reason for disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle.



9. Time warps


Portals leading into other dimensions, tears in space and time? This theory comes in at number 9 for serious lack of evidence, sorry Dr. Who fans. Some reports say that as many as 1,000 lives have been lost in the past 500 years and that more than 50 ships and 20 planes have been lost within the last century. The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard have said there is evidence of unusual activities in the area, but time travel? Still the idea circulates despite the fact that the Bermuda Triangle is one of the most trafficked areas in the world and therefore the number of supposed disappearances are insignificant according to the Navy. Still, believers exist that think the Bermuda Triangle has ‘blue holes’ thought to be the remains of wormholes where aliens cross dimensions to travel to Earth. A current theory now exists by Rob MacGregor and Bruce Gernon of an “electronic fog” that has time travel qualities.


8. Alien abductions


Alien abductions come in at the top ten reasons for the Bermuda Triangle disappearances at number 8 because they are so popularized however unlikely. Part of the hype about ‘mysterious’ accidents in the area was heightened in 1967 with a press release by the National Geographic Society detailing strange phenomena in and around the Triangle. Of course alien abduction was not a suggestion, but people soon began filling in the blanks with explanations like aliens disrupting navigational equipment in order to abduct people. The fog of the psychedelic sixties was beginning to lift as people were moved into the 70s, but the idea of aliens continued long after the 60s became a transcendental memory. Even Steven Spielberg in this science fiction film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, features the lost Flight 19 aircrew that went missing in 1945 while over the Triangle. A massive land and sea search was mounted for the 5 Navy torpedo bombers that disappeared while in routine flight as well as a rescue plane that went missing after being sent to search for the missing crew. Flight 19 was made up of a 13 men with neither bodies nor wreckage ever being found including the rescue plane or the other 14 men who went in search of Flight 19. Shot down or beamed up to Mars?


7. Deliberate attacks of destruction


Much more plausible, although much more tragic, are deliberate attacks of destruction coming in at number 7. It’s a cause caked with nothing more than the mundane reality of countless casualties at sea and at air from the long-time, human practice of war. Although as far as Flight 19 was concerned, there was no evidence or suggestions that the missing planes disappeared because of deliberate attacks of destruction, many believe these are the reasons for many other missing planes and ships in the Bermuda Triangle area. Deliberate acts of destruction includes acts of war and piracy. Records in enemy files during World Wars have documented numerous losses, and of those that aren’t recorded, many are assumed to have been sunk by either surface raiders or submarines. Piracy is the capture of crafts at sea by thieves, drug smugglers, and pirates. In the past and even today there are many recorded episodes of these acts of piracy being responsible for missing vessels at sea even long after captain Blackbeard went to his watery grave.


6. Methane Gas

Coming in at number 6 for an explanation of the Bermuda Triangle as being a mysterious, ocean-eating triangle in the Atlantic is methane gas. An explanation for some disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle has focused on the presence of vast fields of a natural gas called methane. Laboratory experiments have proven that bubbles of methane could indeed sink a model ship by decreasing the density of the water with wreckage being very likely to rise to the surface to then be rapidly swept away by the Gulf Stream. It has additionally been proposed that these eruptions or ‘mud volcanoes’ can produce frothy water that is no longer capable of providing adequate buoyancy for ships causing them to sink very rapidly without warning. It has been proposed that this methane gas can also effect planes as well as ships. Publications by the USGS describes large stores of undersea hydrates worldwide but according to other papers, no large release of gas is believed to have occurred in the Bermuda Triangle for the past 15,000 years. No release or just no records?


5. Geomagnetic fields


Strange disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle have been linked with evidence of compass and navigational problems, making geomagnetic fields a real, plausible case for disappearances in the Triangle. Problems with magnetic equipment from geomagnetic fields is 5 of the top ten reasons the Triangle became mystified. Many have theorized that there are magnetic anomalies in the area and that the region is unique in that it’s one of only two places on Earth where true north and magnetic north line up which can vary readings on navigational equipment. In relation to the ‘electronic fog’ theory by Rob MacGregor and Bruce Gernon, powerful electromagnetic storms from within the Earth break through to the surface and come into the atmosphere leaving a fog behind.


4. Gulf stream variations


The Gulf Stream is virtually like a river within the ocean itself that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida into the North Atlantic. It spans a 40 to 50 mile-wide area and it can carry debris up to a surface velocity of 5.6 miles per hour to two to four knot currents depending on weather patterns. The Gulf Stream could easily move a plane or a ship off course, and furthermore, the Bermuda Triangle includes some of the deepest trenches in the world, some as deep to nearing 28,000 feet. Vessel remains are very likely to be swallowed up forever by the sea and into the trenches if not by the current. Unexpectedly high waves also have been reported up to eighty feet high outside of the Gulf Stream adding to the difficulty of finding ships and planes lost at sea bringing it through in the top ten list at number 4.


3. Weather and rouge waves


Caribbean-Atlantic storms yield unpredictable weather and waterspouts within the area of the Bermuda Triangle making weather and rough waves one of the biggest causes of disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle at number 3 by many scientists. According to Norman Hooke who works for Lloyd’s Maritime Information Services in London, “The Bermuda Triangle does not exist.” He says instead the incidents are weather-related accidents. Destructive hurricanes in the area are well-documented occasions as well as rogue waves that sink ships and oil platforms. Recent satellite research has proven one single wave to reach as high as 80 feet or higher in open ocean areas.


2. Human Error


Human error is the number one reason cited for losses of aircrafts and vessels at sea although I’ll list it here as number two. Spatial disorientation and sensory confusion is rare with pilots but are a well-known reason for a small percentage of flying accidents with 87% of those accidents resulting in fatalities. Also the fact that the area within the Bermuda Triangle receives a great deal of traffic, more so than in other areas, leads to more accidents and disappearances. Human error is most likely the number one cause of fatalities but something even greater is really the cause for all the speculation.


1. Sheer myth


The only explanation is no explanation, that is to say, the Bermuda Triangle theory is based on superstition that took hold of people’s imagination mostly starting in the 20th century making the propensity people have to gravitate to tall tales the number one reason the Bermuda Triangle story exists at all. Over time, writers took previous claims of old, sailor tales and legends and even records by Christopher Columbus himself of the area having “strange dancing lights on the horizon” “flames in the sky” and “bizarre compass bearings” and continued to embellish and add to the mystery with more up-to-date embellishments. Today it is believed that what Columbus was observing were Taino natives cooking fires from their canoes or on the beach. The compass readings were off because of a miscalculation of the movement of a particular star, and the flames in the sky were meteors falling to earth which are easily seen while at sea.

According to The Skeptics Dictionary, many of the disasters claimed to have occurred in the area did not even happen in the Bermuda Triangle. As the Dictionary points out, “The real mystery is how the Bermuda Triangle became a mystery at all.” Yet, although the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle has been put to rest by many credible researchers and scientists, the name and the mystery, continues on.


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Top 10 Snakes

The limbless cousins to the lizards are some of the most maligned animals on Earth, though most species are entirely harmless to man and all are a valuable part of nature’s balance. Even without arms and legs, they can come in a remarkable assortment of forms adapted to a surprising variety of environments.

10. Erpeton tentaculatum

The “tentacled” snake is the only member of the genus Erpeton, and the two tiny “tentacles” of its namesake are a completely unique feature for detecting prey. It preys mostly on small fish, hunting in murky water with its hed bent backwards like a crowbar. When a fish swims by, it wiggles its tail to frighten the prey straight towards its mouth.

9. Rhabdophis tigrinus

While venom is a powerful natural weapon, it’s also quite costly to produce and important for a snake to conserve. The last thing it really wants to do is waste venom on something it can’t eat, so when the tiger keelback must defend itself from a larger predator, it often saves its venom by secreting a noxious toxic substance from glands in its neck – a substance produced not by the snake itself, but extracted from the poisonous toads it dines upon.

8. Chrysopelea

This amazing genus of “flying” snakes are capable of flattening out their bodies and gliding up to a hundred meters, surpasses many other gliding vertebrates.

7. Crotalus cerastes

The desert dwelling “sidewinder” has one of nature’s strangest modes of locomotion, moving sideways rather than forwards as it wriggles its body. This not only provides excellent traction in its environment, but reduces its contact with scorching hot sand and uses less energy than a traditional slither.

6. Elapidae

The beautiful but deadly sea snakes belong to the same family as the widely feared cobras, but are so adapted to a life beneath the waves that, like whales and dolphins, most species are completely unable to move on land and give live birth while underwater. Many species can even extract oxygen from the surrounding water through their skin, satisfying up to 20% of their oxygen requirements. The banded sea krait, shown here, is one of the more primitive species, still spending some of its time slithering on land. As it often forages for prey with its head buried, its tail resembles a second head to discourage sneak attacks from predators.

5. Pareas iwasakii

This tiny but rather large-headed Japanese has one of the most oddly specific diets in the animal kingdom; its asymmetrical jaws are adapted for preying entirely upon snails…so long as their shells spiral clockwise. A once rare mutation is known to produce snails with counter-clockwise shells, and since these provide a greater challenge to the snakes, the “mirrored” snails may be growing steadily more common.

4. Atractaspis

The “stilleto” snake has also been called a “mole viper” and “burrowing asp.” Though highly venomous, it spends most of its time tunneling through soil with little or no room to open its jaws and strike. Instead, it possesses switchblade-like “pop out” fangs, which it hooks into subterranean prey by jerking its head backwards, hooking into their flesh.

3. Scolecophidians

“Blindsnakes” or “threadsnakes” are another group of burrowers, nonvenomous but quite a bit weirder than our last serpent. With eyes covered over by thin scales,tubular worm-like bodies and mouths tucked underneath their heads, these animals are completely adapted to a fossorial (burrowing) lifestyle, and feed primarily on soft subterranean insects such as termites and ant larvae. Some species even possess tiny, movable finger-like sensory growths on their snouts,much like a star-nosed mole.

2. Eunectes murinus

No list of snakes is complete without the green anaconda, the heaviest alive today and one of the world’s longest predators. While their typical recorded length is up to sixteen feet, reports of anacondas over thirty feet in length have circulated for centuries. Like all constrictors, they wrap their bodies around prey to restrict breathing and kill by asphyxiation, swallowing the prey whole when it finally stops struggling.

1. Naja ashei

With their deadly venom and famous “hooded” threat display, cobras are easily the world’s most iconic, most dramatized reptiles, and none are as fearsome as the various “spitting” cobras, who can spray venom several feet from their fangs with muscular contraction, often aiming deliberately for the eyes of attackers and capable of causing blindness. Naja ashei, a species from Kenya, is the largest and most venomous spitting cobra in the world, reaching lengths of up to nine feet from head to tail.

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10 Strangest Flying Animals

Plenty of animals fly; this is no surprise to anyone who actually comes from Earth. However, there are plenty of “flying” animals that are really gliding versions of other animals. You don’t expect your average rodent to come drifting from the skies, let alone some of the other creatures in this list.

No, we typically think of flies (it’s right there in the name), birds and maybe bats when we think of flying animals. Even then, quite a few of them creep us out. Get ready to feel unsettled every time you are in an open field from now on.

10. Flying Squirrels

Okay, as flying animals go, flying squirrels are almost mundane; at least most of us have heard of them, although the closest we have come to seeing one was when one hung out with a stupid cartoon moose. The real animal is pretty strange; it looks like someone ironed out a hamster and made it jump from trees. Flying squirrels are the world record holders for “flying” animals, which is to say, of all the gliding animals that are called fliers, they go the farthest, reaching a stunning 288 feet in a single jump! The only humans to go that far after a jump unfortunately fell 30 stories and had to have the evening news tell of their “accomplishment.”

9. Flying Phalangers

Okay, if you have no idea what a phalanger is, join the club. They are apparently an Australian subfamily of possum that manages to survive the horrors of that island continent by cuting them into submission. I mean it, that picture is an adult. I can only imagine the babies are…. Holy crap… Look at those… If they made Care Bears that looked like that, adult men would scream and cry if they were forced to leave Toy ‘R’ Us without one.

At any rate, the most famous phlying phalanger is the sugar glider, which sounds like it flies with fairies and delivers laughs to kittens. They can glide for about 50 to 150 feet and are likely the cutest thing to ever take to the air. It’s also the last thing on the list that would even remotely qualify as “cute.”

8. Flying Lemurs

These things are called flying lemurs because “air sailing horror-beast” was too wordy. Or maybe because they are related to lemurs. Believe it or not, that is the closest thing on earth to being a primate without actually being one. They are also called colugos and outside of bats, they are the mammals most highly adapted for flight. As you can see, their limbs and tail are connected by flaps of skin that connect out to the very ends of them, thereby increasing their surface area and making them better gliders. They are apparently incredibly bad climbers, which is odd since they glide rather than fly, but are extremely maneuverable and can glide up to 3230 feet, with almost no loss in height. (most other “gliders” are more accurately “controlled fallers”).

They are also really scary looking animals that have no doubt inspired tales of flying monkeys stealing children.

7. Flying Lizard

I am of the mind that lizards, at least the small ones, are kind of cute. They often have big doe-like eyes and rid the world of bugs. However I am also of the mind that anything that drops on you from a tree unexpectedly is instantly frightening. Pictured above is an Indonesian lizard of the genus Draco, which as you may have guessed, means “dragon.” They have been known to glide as far as 195 feet while only losing 30 feet in height from the initial jump.  Unlike the flying mammals, they don’t have loose skin strung between their arms and legs for gliding, but rather extended ribs, which makes them about the only thing in nature to achieve a super power by being blended with one of Jigsaw’s murder machines.

6. Flying Snake

If you are afraid of snakes, you probably did not need to know that in some parts of the world, you are in danger of them gliding out of the forest canopy and landing on you. Sorry about that. They also live in the same parts of the world as the flying lemur and the flying lizard, which makes me wonder, what is in those trees that is so bad that multiple animals evolved gliding abilities to escape it?

The flying snakes are “mildly venomous”, which means they have poison, but it is not harmful to humans. Likely 90% of the people who read that don’t care about the “not dangerous to humans” part and will likely focus on the fact that South East Asia and Indonesia have flying poison snakes. Life in that part of the world must be like a game of Pitfall.

5. Flying Frog

Finally, we move past horror animals into merely curious. Flying frogs have apparently evolved from several different lines of frog, in most places in the world where there are tree-dwelling tropical frogs. They developed their “parachuting” ability as a means of predator evasion, and fortunately lack the pants-wetting ability of flying lizards and snakes because even a giant house-sized frog would be inherently adorable.

Appropriately enough, the first described flying frogs were found in Malaysia and Indonesia, where they spend their lives dodging every other flying creature. I can only imagine the forest skies of those nations look like air traffic control screens, only filled with bug eating animals and snakes.

4. Flying Fish

Okay, no more jumping out of trees, these guys live in the ocean.  While flying from one tree to another is impressive, leaping out of the ocean and gliding 160 feet is awesome. Now, the flying squirrel may have the tree to tree world record, but they have nothing at all on flying fish. The record for a sustained glide by a flying fish is 1300 feet, at a speed of 42 miles per hour! The achieve flight by beating their tail 70 times a second and launching themselves out of the water, then ride the updrafts waves produce. They can fly up to 20 feet vertically into the air, and sometimes accidentally strand themselves on ships.

Those are impressive numbers for an animal that is generally designed to swim for a living, and can’t even breathe air.

3. Mobula Ray

What is 17 feet across, weighs over a ton, and can launch itself out of the sea? Why, a mobula of course! As rays go, they are only second in size to the manta ray, and they can jump as high as 6 and a half feet out of the water. Now, there is some danger here; a woman in Florida was killed when an eagle ray jumped into the boat she was on and hit her, and they top out at a few hundred pounds. Imagine being hit with a flying ton of fish. Still, there are videos on youtube of these things breaching, and it is pretty damn spectacular.

2. Gliding Ants

Okay, so there are species of ant that fly with wings, so what is so interesting about “gliding” ants? These are un-winged ants that fall into a very specific subset of requirements, like having good eyesight, living in rain forests that flood, and forage for food at the ends of branches. They also tend to be armored. When they fall from trees, they focus on the lighter color of the trunk against the darker forest background, and then flatten their head, legs and abdomen and then glide from free-fall to a J-shaped flight, and then grasp the tree. The whole thing seems to have developed as a way to avoid falling out of trees and being eaten on the forest floor. Gliding ants have an 85% greater chance of falling and landing on a tree than ants that just fall. So nature deigned ants that are clumsy, but make up for it by being X-Men.

1. Flying Squid

That is no PhotoShop, that is an actual squid gliding over the ocean. Believe it or not, they actually display behaviors that show they actively maintain their glide, meaning they may not be gliders at all and may actually be flying squids. They act very much like the flying fish, using their ability to evade predators, and also wind up on ship decks.

Scientists aren’t exactly sure how they manage to launch themselves or maintain their flights, which adds a layer of mystery to the already weird fact that they are cephalopods that can take to the air and glide. Flying fish can be related to at least a little bit, since we probably evolved from fish some time way back in the past, but the only mollusks to ever leave the water were snails and slugs, so this is kind of like the fish skipping the amphibian and reptile stages and jumping right into birds.

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Top 10 Christmas Villains

Without conflict there is no drama and without Christmas villains there wouldn’t be dozens of holiday themed television specials and motion pictures. Christmas villains come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Most of them start out as not get the meaning of it all, but through a set of circumstances they repent and end up wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Then there are those villains who show up at Christmas with no intention of changing. So let’s raise a glass of eggnog to the Top Ten Christmas Villains. If not for them, we wouldn’t have any Christmas stories to tell.

10. Burgermeister Meisterburger

Most Heinous Villainy: Making Santa a Most Wanted Criminal

This grumpy Gus made his appearance in the animated classic “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” (1970). As part of Santa’s supposed back-story, the Burgermeister was the mayor of the small village where Kris Kringle first passed out his toys. When the Burgermeister tripped on errant toy duck he banned toys. Even a brief flirtation with a yo-yo wasn’t enough to convince him to change his ways. By making Kris an outlaw he forced Santa to go down chimneys. See how important Christmas villains are? The Burgermeister was given life by venerable cartoon voice artist Paul Frees who also provided the voice for the other cartoon villain Boris Badenov.

9. Heat & Snow Miser

Most Heinous Villainy: Using their weather powers for evil instead of good.

Following up on the success of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” the stop motion elves at Rankin and Bass delivered “The Year Without Santa Claus” (1974) and introduced us to two nasty brothers by the name of Hear Miser and Snow Miser voiced by George Irving and Dick Shawn respectively. The Misers were the epitome of sibling rivalry and it was only through the intervention of their mom Mother Nature that Santa was able to get back to business. In 2006, a live action version of “The Year Without Santa Claus” was made for TV with Michael McKean and Harvey Fierstein playing the weather challenged duo. These boys proved so popular they were given their own special in “A Miser Brother’s Christmas” (2008) where they finally learned the meaning of Christmas by filling in for Santa. And once again it was all thanks to mom.

8. The Martians

Most Heinous Villainy: Kidnapping Santa Claus.

Yes, the Martians from the classic turkey of a film, “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” (1964) . This cinematic chestnut was made on an obvious shoestring budget in a Long Island warehouse. When released it made only around $200,000. Then along came Mystery Science Theatre 3000 who in 1988 took the film out of mothballs, dusted it off and ripped through it. It’s been a good/bad classic ever since; right up there with “Plan 9 From Outer Space” and “Showgirls.”

7. Old Man Potter

Most Heinous Villainy: Holding on to Uncle Billy’s deposit.

He was the meanest and richest man in Bedford Falls and made George Bailey’s life miserable. That is right up to the point when George discovered he really did have a wonderful life. Portrayed with delicious sneer by Lionel Barrymore, Old Man Potter goes down as the quintessential Christmas villain because there was no redemption for him. FYI, Lionel is the great uncle of Drew Barrymore and is credited with inventing the boom microphone back when talkies started up. Want to stump your friends with “It’s A Wonderful Life Trivia?” What was Old Man Potter’s first name? It was Henry.

6. Jack Frost

Most Heinous Villainy: Freezing over anyone who does him wrong.

Jack got his start as an impish elf in folktales who liked running around making people cold. “Wizard of Oz” writer L. Frank Baum used Jack Frost in his “Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” tome. With the Christmas TV specials and movies, Jack became the defacto go to Christmas villain. He caused trouble for “Frosty the Snowman” (voiced by Paul Frees!) and for Tim Allen’s Santa Claus in “Santa Claus 3: The Escape Clause.” (2006) There he was played by Martin Short. Jack also turned up in a couple of B slasher films, most notably the aptly named “Jack Frost” (1997) and its sequel “Jack Frost II: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman” (2000). And yes, that’s a real title.

5. Gremlins

Most Heinous Villainy: Sending an old lady shooting out of her home on her electric stair chair.

Don’t shine a bright light on them, don’t get them wet and whatever you do, don’t feed them after midnight. Those were three simple rules to follow to make sure this one of a kind Christmas present wouldn’t go all wonky. Of course we know what happened in “Gremlins” (1984). Gizmo got wet and the Mogwai “Stripe” was born who begat hundreds of other evil gremlins that wrecked havoc on Christmas night. In the first draft of the script, mean gremlin Stripe was actually supposed to be the Mr. Hyde to Gizmo’s Dr. Jekyll. Luckily, executive producer Stephen Spielberg nixed that idea. Look closely: the small town in this film was the same small town used in “Back to the Future.” In fact the movie theatre that went up in a fireball as the end of “Gremlins” is the same one Marty McFly crashed into in his first adventure.

4. Hans Gruber

Most Heinous Villainy: Killing Mr. Takagi in cold blood.

As long as there have been movies there have been movie bad guys, but one baddie stands alone: Hans Gruber from “DIE HARD” (1988). He counts as a Christmas villain because Hans and his crew picked an office Christmas party to raid. Unfortunately, for them John McClane was on the guest list. What happened next became the standard by which every subsequent action film would be judged. Making his feature film debut in the role of Hans was Alan Rickman. His reputation for playing a Hollywood heavy landed him several more roles right up to Professor Snape in the Harry Potter franchise. For the scene when Hans was supposed to take a death tumble from the tower, Alan was actually dropped 21 feet to an airbag. To get the right reaction, he was let go on “2” instead of “3.” The look on his face says it all.

3. Marv and Harry

Most Heinous Villainy: After robbing houses, Marv would flood them.

Back in 1990, the brat pack’s favorite director John Hughes crafted a simple story about a little boy accidently left behind for the holidays while two inept burglars attempted to rob the house. The rest is film history. “Home Alone” went on to gross $533,000,000 making it the number one comedy film of all time. Marv and Harry were played by Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci. For the filming, Joe Pesci had to be constantly reminded this was a family film and he couldn’t drop the “F” bombs he was used to. Director Chris Columbus got him to say “fridge” instead. When it came time for Daniel Stern to have a tarantula crawl on his face, he agreed to do it just once. He had to pretend to scream otherwise he would have scared the spider.

2. The Grinch

Most Heinous Villainy: Stealing all the Whos’ toys and decorations.

Popular children’s author Dr. Seuss first brought the Grinch to life in his 1957 book, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” The story had all the Suessical elements of the Whos living in Whoville, but it was the Grinch’s story. It’s also a perfect example of a Christmas villain finding redemption. For the 1966 cartoon adaption, famed horror actor Boris Karloff was hired to narrate and provide the voice for the Grinch. At first, Theodor Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) objected to Boris because he thought his voice might scare the kids too much. Thankfully, he was overruled and a classic Christmas villain was brought to life. And we got a new word for a grouchy and stingy type of person. Dr. Seuss wasn’t finished with the Grinch. He would go on to write “Halloween is Grinch Night” (1977) and “The Grinch Grinches the Cat In The Hat” (1982). Both animated specials won Emmys.

1. Scrooge

Most Heinous Villainy: Wishing there were more poor houses and orphanages.

If there was to be a number one Christmas villain it has to be Ebenezer Scrooge. The Scrooge archetype is essentially what every other Christmas villain strives to become. Charles Dickens creation was first published in 1843. Since that publication the story has never been out of print and has spawned at least 22 official stage variations, 2 operas, 4 recordings, 10 radio broadcasts, 49 television show adaptations and 20 film versions. Among the notable actors who have taken on the mantle of playing Scrooge have been Kesley Grammer and Albert Finney in musical versions. In classic versions Scrooge has been played by George C. Scott, Patrick Stewart, Reginald Owen and everybody’s favorite Alastair Sim. And let’s not forget Mr. Magoo, Jim Carrey and Bill Murray in “Scrooged.” “Bah, humbug!”

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Top 10 Bizarre Cryptids

A cryptid is a creature who may be thought by some people to exist, but is not recognized by the scientific community. Cryptids appear frequently in folklore and mythology but – as you will see – tales of them appear still to this day. One cryptid that is well-known is Bigfoot. After the giant squid was discovered, I became fascinated (and creeped out) by these bizarre creatures. This list is in no particular order.

10

Nessie / Champ

Champ and Nessie are creatures that have similar backgrounds and descriptions. People have reported seeing these creatures in Lake Champlain, USA, and Loch Ness, in Scotland. Reports of Nessie describe the creature as being 20 feet long with dark grey skin. She is reported as having humps and at least one set of paddles. She has a head similar to a horse‘s. Witness reports vary on the description, but not by a lot. The most reported sightings of Nessie occurred in the 1930s and still occur to this day. Champ has been sighted for as long as 400 years. Native American tribes have even older legends of a beast in Lake Champlain. Champ is also described as being about 20 feet long (lengths vary) with a serpentine body. He also is reported as having a horse-like head. Champ has had laws pushed through to protect him. The most interesting thing about Champ and Nessie is that they are thought to be dinosaurs that managed to survive. Descriptions of them are similar to a plesiosaur.

9

Chupacabra

Chupacabras have been reported to suck the blood out of livestock, similar to the way a vampire would. The chupacabra has been a very confusing subject for crypto zoologists to research because descriptions vary so much. American “chupacabras” have been usually proven to be a canine breed. Usually, they have mange so bad that they look like another creature entirely. Researchers have found sightings as early as 1974. They have also found that the chupacabra is similar to a creature in legends of the Taino Indians. The Puerto Rican sightings have gathered the most interest. Sightings had been reported from 1995 to 1999. The chupacabra has been reported as having large glowing red or orange eyes, huge fangs, sharp claws, spikes running down it’s back, and as standing on two limbs. In one sighting, the chupacabra changed colors before their eyes. One theory is that they are a scientific experiment gone horribly wrong.

8

Ebu Gogo

These little guys were sighted in Flores, Indonesia, from ancient times to the 19th century. They’re described as hairy and short with big guts. They walk like humans. They are said to have mimicked the words people said to them. Australians and Indonesians found skeletons of a new species of human at an archaeological site. They were believed to live over ten thousand years ago. The skeletons were about a meter tall. These skeletons were thought to possibly be the ebu gogo of Indonesian folklore. The ebu gogo have been used by Indonesians as a scare tactic to get their children to behave. The term “ebu gogo” means grandmother who eats anything. Legend has it that the ebu gogo and the people lived in peace… for a while. The ebu gogo started killing crops and the humans’ animals. They fled to caves when the humans started killing them. These caves were eventually set on fire after the ebu gogo stole a baby. Some were said to have fled to the Liang Bua caves, which is the cave where the archaeologists found the small skeletons.

7

Springheel Jack

Springheel Jack has been reported in London, New Mexico, Massachusetts, and Argentina, from 1837 to our time. Springheel Jack is thought to be a tall and thin man, who wears a tightly fitted hat and a black cape. He has large claws and sometimes his eyes are described as glowing a bright red. In 1837, a man, thought to be a police officer knocked on a woman’s door, claiming to have caught Springheel Jack. She came back with a candle and the man had disappeared. She went outside to find a man by her gate. After giving the man the candle, who happened to be Springheel Jack, he attacked her. He spit white and blue flames out of his mouth and tore at her dress and face with his claws. He fled after the woman’s sister came out after hearing her screams. In 1877, people reported their bullets shooting through him, while he remained unharmed. In the 1930s, he was reported being in Silver City, New Mexico, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The reports remained the same. In 2005, he has been reported as jumping from one roof to the next, up to five meters high and ten meters long. Some people link him to Jack the Ripper.

6

Shadow People

Shadow people are reported worldwide and since the beginning of recorded history. Shadow people seem to be living shadows. They are usually seen out of the corner of peoples eyes. Some people see semi-transparent dark splotches. They vanish as soon as a person realizes what they saw. When people see shadow people a feeling of despair and fear overcome them. There have been some reports of being attacked or chased by these shadows. The shadows are usually larger than a normal shadow and doesn’t resemble the person’s silhouette. I have personally came across a shadow like this and a dreadful feeling came over me for a brief moment. It was abnormally large and moved, when I did not.

5

Beast of Bray Road

This beast was sighted in Wisconsin, USA. It has been sighted since 1936. It runs on all four limbs, or its hind limbs. It is said to be about six feet tall, built like an athletic man and covered in shaggy hair. He has a wolf-like face with yellow eyes, that glow in the light. A woman said it was the closest creature to resemble a werewolf that she had ever seen. He has a horrible odor of decaying meat. In 1936, this beast was seen digging in an Indian burial site. The watchman prayed for his life upon seeing him. The beast reportedly said “gadarah” to him and walked away on his two hind legs. Gadara was a Greek city, located east of the Jordan River. It is mentioned in the New Testament. According to the Bible, Jesus met a man who was thought to have been possessed by evil spirits. This man was so strong that he could break through chains. When the man saw Jesus, he worshiped him. He told Jesus his name was Legion, and that there were many like him. Jesus cured him of the evil spirits, by transferring them to a herd of pigs. The pigs then ran into the sea and died. The theory is that the beast of Bray Road was trying to tell the man about his kind and that his kind has been around since biblical times.

4

Mothman

This creature has been sighted in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, USA. Sightings have been reported since 1966. The moth man is a gray and winged creature with large glowing red eyes located in what would normally be the creature’s upper chest. It is about six feet tall and wider than a man. The first report was made by five males who were at work in a cemetery. As they were preparing a burial site, they had seen a creature that appeared to be man-like fly over them. In another report, a group of people were chased while they were in their vehicle going at least 100 mph by a similar creature. The mothman had managed to keep up with them for a while, before flying away. They claimed the mothman did not flap his wings while flying. Some people even reported their car completely dying, momentarily, when they have sighted the creature. The mothman has also been linked to UFO sightings and seemingly legitimate claims of “men in black” visits at a newspaper office.

3

Atmospheric Beasts

Atmospheric beasts are reported to have semi-solid bodies and are often invisible. They can fly, but have no visible wings. Sometimes atmospheric beasts are reported as UFOs. Ivan T. Sanderson claims that most UFOs are actually atmospheric beasts. He theorizes that atmospheric beasts are animals that live in the clouds. Sometimes the atmospheric beast is reported to change shape, color, and texture. People who believe in atmospheric beasts think that the creature will die if they ever touch the ground. Some people even report them spitting streams of water at them. Others report that the beasts smell like mildew and feel like a giant soft tongue. They also seem to resemble animals of the sea, rather than land animals.

2

Maryland Goatman

The Maryland goatman has been seen in Prince Georges County, Maryland, USA, since the 1970s. It is reported as having the lower body of a goat and the upper body of a man. He also has the horns of a goat. He’s about 7 feet tall and 300 pounds. The goatman was first sighted by a couple of lovers who had been making out in their car. The goatman had an ax in his hand, while staring at the couple. He then ran into the woods. A woman reported that she had seen the creature in her backyard while her dog was barking urgently. She was too scared to go outside and found that her dog had had it’s head chopped off, when she went outside the next morning.

1

Pongo

There are legends of this creature in Africa. He is said to have looked like a mix of a man and a monkey. Legend had it that the creature had magical powers and enjoyed the taste of human flesh. Female pongos turned into gorgeous women in order to get close enough to a man to eat him. Pongos and humans could reproduce hybrid kids who looked like normal humans, but had cannibalistic tendencies. In 1847, the pongo was amazingly discovered to exist. However, it is now called a gorilla and known to be a vegetarian. Okay, I admit this animal is obviously no longer a cryptid. However, it shows that reports of cryptids may sometimes be over-exaggerated, and if some are found to exist they may actually turn out to be pretty damn ordinary.

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