Month: August 1997
New Animals from Vietnam
The remains of a previously unknown deer-like animal were recently displayed at a news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, by members of the the World Wildlife Federation (WWF). It has been identified as a species of muntjac, a large barking deer, making it one of the ten new large mammals 'discovered' by scientists this century. The researchers haven't yet found a live one, but it's known locally, where it is hunted for meat, and is known as 'sam soi cacoong' - 'the deer that lives in the deep, thick forest.' It's the third new Vietnamese mammal to be recognised by science in the last five years, joining the Saola aka The Vo Qoung Ox (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) and the Mang Lon muntjac deer (Megamuntiacus vuquangensis), as well as the Ga Lung Pheasant aka Vo Quy's Pheasant(Lophura hatinhensis). Interestingly, there's quite a lot of research going into the search for the Nguoi Rung...
Curiouser and Curiouser: UFO Conference in Cork
In Blather 1.11, 'Where's Me Kidney?', I mentioned the UFO conference to be held in Cork City on 16th August. Any decision about travelling to Cork for this event was promptly put on the long finger, but lay around in the back of my mind like an unpaid bill. Despite the fact that I had made some preparations, and told people that I was going to Cork for the weekend, by Saturday morning I still really hadn't made a decision. Was I really about to brave the intricacies of the Irish rail system to attend a conference which might be an utter waste of time? I barely made the 11:25 Intercity to Cork, and spent the journey between reading 'Irish Eccentrics' by Peter Sommerville-Large, and questioning my sanity. The conference started at 3pm, in the Metropole with bumps and starts. Actually no, the conference didn't start at 3pm, a video...
Blessed Virgin Elvis
The infamous 'moving statue' of Ballinspittle in Co. Cork is back in the news again, in The Irish Times of August 13th. J: You do know that Elvis is dead, don't you? K: No he's not. He just went back home. BVM on the move The infamous 'moving statue' of Ballinspittle in Co. Cork is back in the news again, in The Irish Times of August 13th. Crowds are being drawn back to the grotto where the BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary) statue allegedly 'moved' in 1985. These days, only her head is said to move, and only on 'Our Lady's feast days' according to one witness. Another visitor to the grotto said that it was 'all about prayer. She wants people to return to prayer. There's been an awful falling away from the church. Look at Saturday night Mass; there are very few young people at it. It's very sad.'...
Cat Amongst the Pigeons
It would seem that Blather 1.12, 'I Don't Want to Believe' has managed to raise many a hackle in the ranks of its recipients. I wrote the article to explain my stance regarding the extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH)... I wrote the article to explain my stance regarding the extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH), which, as I explained, is that I prefer to also examine other theories that are being are being examined in the study of UFOs, such as geological or environmental phenomena, hoaxes, misidentification etc. After last week's article, I was deluged with mail, some complimentary, and some downright rude. Ironically, having stated my opinion for the sceptics who thought I was a 'UFOhead', I was attacked for being 'narrow-minded', 'ignorant' and 'arrogant' by those who appeared to dislike my exploration of these theories. At the close of last week's Blather, I stated: 'Now if anyone reckons that this is not a...