THE TRUE HORROR OF 'LAZARUS EFFECT'

The LAZARUS EFFECT showcases the newfound popularity of reanimation horror.. WIRED’s Jordan Cruccihola examines this premise in an article posted today, saying

“Reanimation horror is not the most populated of sub-genres. We’ve surely had more cabins in the woods, unbeatable super killers, and haunted houses. But reanimation has a special place in our hearts thanks to its scientific roots. Sure, it’s all ridiculous science with little to no connection to reality, but there are still a lot more lab coats than in your standard-issue slasher. And if there’s one thing we wish there were more of in horror flicks, it’s lab coats..”  

An the author is dead on right! The LAZARUS EFFECT, being released this weekend for public consumption, has an interesting premise: A group of medical students find a way to bring the dead back to life. It’s a horror classification, but easily travails into the science fiction category as you read more about the idea.. And really, we are living in this world.

This horror encapsulates perfectly our fears about future shock, the advancement of medical technology, and how we are on the verge of some amazing but possibly scary things.. The movie is getting intensely bad reviews, not only from the paid informants in entertainment rags, but also the masses who have already been privileged to see and write about it.

The common thread is that this is a rip-off of FLATLINERS. Maybe that’s true, but it’s also bringing to theaters the concept of the future and how it can be dangerous if in the wrong hands.. there’s a cultural allegory here if you pay attention. A commentary on society..

LAZARUS is not expected to rise to the top of the heap in the movie theaters over the next few days, but it is predicted to do fine for its genre for a winter weekend..

The message of IT FOLLOWS explored

IT FOLLOWS trailer lays out rules for upcoming horror film.

The movie is highly anticipated.. it’s a modern movie about the dangers of teenage sexual promiscuity. Instead of exchanging bodily fluids that lead to an STD, the couple involved will become victims of a sexually transmitted CURSE.. that follows.

I have read a number of accounts and early spoiler information about this movie–it looks to be one of the freshest and most creative horror movies that we will be getting in 2015.Some have even called it a ‘masterpiece‘!

Reviews like that often don’t happen in the mainstream world for this genre..The UK INDEPENDENT’s Geoffrey Macnab reviewed the movie with a positive four out of five star conclusion.. Macnab wrote,

“The ingenious new teen horror film It Follows will intrigue, puzzle and trouble audiences by turns.”  

And this:

“This may be a horror movie but it has some of the same feel as Larry Clark’s cautionary tales about mixed-up, laidback American kids. It is shot as artfully as Clark’s films and, like them, portrays a self-enclosed teen society in which parents and teachers don’t intrude.”  

For many years, any watcher of horror either random or astute would know that films often play on the fears of the youth.. Jason Vorhees killed the immoral, in a sense he was the ultimate champion of religious fervor–slaughtering the promiscuous party animal teens that skipped foreplay and went right to the deed at Camp Crystal Lake.

Perhaps no one saw the irony in his kills, the idea that he was the biblical old testament God reigning judgement down on those who sinned.. This new film seems to keep with that same idea: Sin and sex.

In IT FOLLOWS, the predator and villain can only be seen by those who have been cursed with the sexual relations that spread it.. An keeping with my long held notion that horror movies, in any given time (and professional wrestling), perfectly symbolize the current state of modern pop culture for that generation, Macnab paints a similar picture in his INDEPENDENT review, writing:

“It Follows plays not just on the kids’ ambivalence about their own sexual desires, but also on their disgust at the idea of their parents’ sexual lives. The Freudian elements sit alongside action sequences (a car crashing in a cornfield, an explosive final-reel stand-off at the local swimming pool). This is also a love story of sorts. Paul (Keir Gilchrist) is besotted with Jay. He is just a little too geeky for her to consider as a suitor but he is persistent and loyal. His innocent devotion is in very stark contrast to the depravity that surrounds the teenagers..”

PUFFY CLOUDS BEGIN TO FILL THE AIR AT BELLGAB

For weeks, speculation has been rampant on BELLGAB.COM.. The social site where Art Bell fans go to surmise the latest ordeals, the latest rumors, and the most recent George Noory memes, has also been home to a gush of emotion with each Art Bell message to the squadron of loyal listeners.. They are the base. Sometimes organized. Sometimes apathetic.. sometimes stuck in a mental rut.. and as Bell would say, vaguely lovable.

But today, they may have just cracked the code.

Several days ago, Art Bell made a dramatic announcement on both Bellgab and Facebook that, due to problems being able to play bumper music on his scheduled upcoming July podcast, he may just scrap the whole thing. Intense debate was immediate.. a rush of ideas filled the pages of the site with pleas from some for Bell to just come back, even if music would be absent his podcast. Others mentioned free places, and some wanted to donate their own original songs. But Bell wasn't playing with any new ideas: He clearly wants the music he had always played on Coast to Coast AM, he said to set the atmosphere as the program continued through the night.

Emotions suddenly turned positive as Bell began posting more hopeful words. A deal, he said, was being worked out with a 'major player.' After much speculation, Bell last night wrote about the inability for Bellgabbers to guess who that 'big' player was.

Until today when a user named 'Somewhere in Time' guessed CUMULUS.. Speculation took off from there..

As for me, I did my own part, contacted a source with Cumulus Media that I have used previously.. A brief friendly phone conversation changed to an even more brief and less kind talk when I asked if Art Bell could potentially be a major player coming to the Cumulus brand.. A deal, I was told, would be announced 'if a deal was even being worked on' when both parties decided it should be.. If 'both parties' were even talking about it.  The classic no confirmation.. no denial.. military style.

Bell himself added to the vast array of speculation with a few coy comments and lively jokes, even humoring users who were openly talking about placing money bets on him signing with Cumulus vs not.. Finally tonight, Bell entertained the idea of announcing early but said he didn't want to say a word until the documents were signed:

What clues? I can not say a word till the date to announce. It is hard for me not to just blurt it out now because we have been told it's a go but I want to wait for the signed final deal first but boy it is exciting. I will be depending on the PROVEN ability of this murky and semi civilized group to hit Social Media with a brick for me when we are ready.

Art

The clues were dropped.. the hints were made.
There is not clear confirmation of CUMULUS being the new brand of Bell, but it is certainly raising eyebrows when the comments are taking into consideration.

But at the same time, Bell is having fun with it all, as well.
He posted on Facebook tonight:

For those of you who can read between the lines and do not mind adult language and are not easily offended plus have a good sense of humor you may wish to check out http://www.bellgab.com remember, I warned you, it's not the underbelly of the Internet..but you can see it from there.

The underbelly.
And as a card carrying member of BELLGAB, I think I can see the underbelly from my house.

 

'IN SEARCH OF' THE LAND THAT PROSPERS: LEONARD NIMOY EXITS EARTH

RIP

LEONARD NIMOY.

DEAD AT 83..

I credit Leonard Nimoy with most of what I am interested in today.

I was too young to watch IN SEARCH OF when it appeared on television in new form, but I recall becoming addicted to it in the late 1980s and early 1990s when some forgettable cable station ran reruns of it each day. I rushed home from school, typically, trying to catch the show.. Leonard Nimoy was the voice of that program and it was perfect for the content..

Later in life, I came to appreciate the meaning of STAR  TREK--the messages and pop culture commentary was subtle, but as I grew up and starting my own aging process, I loved it even more.. Now, looking back at the program, it's clear that the ideas presented were cutting the cutting edge.. They were beyond the common thought of the day.

Leonard Nimoy, without question, became the face of STAR TREK. Spock was the reason many watched the show--even now when movies are made, the important question always centers around what actor will play SPOCK..

Nimoy did much, much more.. He was best known for his acting. But he was also remarkably funny--a true comedian who was blunt and often subtle in his humor.. And he was famous for another magic he possessed: His velvet voice.

This news is a big bummer.

He left the world at 83.
He lived long..
He prospered..
And he was memorable entertainer who deserves a moment or two of silence..

 

The Cat's eyes

DC's Catwoman Comes Out as Bisexual »

After 75 years, Selina Kyle is finally coming out of the closet.In the latest issue of the DC Comics’ Catwoman comic book series — No. 39, released this week — Kyle kisses another woman, ending decades of fan rumors and speculation by stating canonically that the character is, in fact, bisexual.

I am not shocked.
As a matter of fact, being a BATMAN fan since my early years of life, I always sensed something a little edgier about Catwoman when compared to the other villains.. Selina Kyle is not the quaint woman of Tim Burton’s imagination in the early 1990s..

And anyway, I always pictured Catwoman as Ertha Kitt, as she was probably the role model for any Catwoman to come.

This comic book coming out has generated a lot of controversy and attention—

This whole thing started when Genevieve Valentine wrote a blog about this. The explanation for this new role of the arch nemesis of BATMAN:

When I was first plotting out what I expected to be a six-issue arc, there were a few emotional beats I considered indispensable. One was Nick, around whom Selina’s moral axis pivoted and whose death would set up Antonia to be both guilt-trip and threat to Selina – a contestant for the throne, even if neither of them wanted to think of it that way. Another was finding time for a few key moments with Batman, particularly in the first issue to set up their connection even when at odds.
And one was establishing Selina as canon bisexual.
She’s flirted around it – often quite literally – for years now; for me, this wasn’t a revelation so much as a confirmation.

And boom. The Bible versus are now being quoted on news articles and comic book sites, and many people are suddenly condemning someone that doesn’t exist except on paper.

Now the question becomes: Who does the CAT want more? The BATman or the BATgirl?

So don’t fear, BATfans, Catwoman’s sudden burst of sexual creativity is not going to be ruining any childhood imaginations.. her proclivity for both genders is not going to incur the wrath of God on the comic book world.. And quite frankly, we will survive.

I think this is a fine move. Comic books are always and should be on the cutting edge of societal evolution. I think for some male oriented readers, this may challenge and rattle the core of their nerve endings for a bit. But they will grow used to it.. After all, why condemn a woman who is bisexual but be pefectly fine with a wealthy man, Bruce Wayne, who uses his money and influence to get attractive women to sleep with him?

And really, what BATMAN and CATWOMAN do in their bedrooms is nobody’s business. Well, unless it’s on a certain page in a comic book..

NEW SEASONS. NEW WITCHES.

UK GUARDIAN REPORTS: SEASON OF THE WITCH: WHY YOUNG WOMEN ARE FLOCKING TO THE ANCIENT CRAFT »

Rapper Azealia Banks brought witchcraft back into the mainstream by tweeting ‘I’m really a witch’. But women in the US have been harnessing its power for decades as a ‘spiritual but not religious’ way to express feminist ambitions

This fascinating story written by Sady Doyle in the UK GUARDIAN explains how a new burst of ‘witches’ is taking place in the modern world..

The GUARDIAN seems to credit modern pop culture and entertainment with the new witchcraft of our age.. Things like AMERICAN HORROR STORY and the COVEN. Doyle even gives a nod to the TUMBLR site http://charmcore.tumblr.com/.. I have visited it, though it seems more that it’s a site of reblogs as opposed to original content.

But there is another angle, one more political: Feminism and the power of the female, symbolized by the strength of a witch..

Doyle writes,

Wicca, with its focus on a goddess (rather than a male god – though it has those too) and its relatively open approach to creating canon, was a natural fit for many feminist women interested in writing their own spiritual script. But women who weren’t explicitly Wiccan were also drawn to “witchy” ways of processing the world: not only did women make feminist tarot cards in the 1970s, author Alice Walker personally endorsed one set – the Motherpeace deck. Feminist psychologists such as Jean Shinoda Bolen and Clarissa Pinkola Estés wrote books on using goddess imagery and myths as means of understanding female subjectivity.

There has been a long and wrong series of centuries in which witches were proclaimed evil.. they were stoned, drowned to death, and ‘pressed’ with heavy objects.

I know several people who practice Wicca. They are fine, amazing people. While they may have one too many ‘coexist’ bumper stickers, they don’t cause harm to me or society.

Suddenly witches are trendy. Get ready for that..

THE FUTURE OF CHILDBIRTH

IF YOU HAVE SOME SPARE TIME IN THE COMING DAYS, LISTEN TO LAST NIGHT’S CLYDE LEWIS RADIO SHOW..

It was beyond important..

The title was “My Name is Metal” and talked about the very real future that is about to hit humanity like a freight train: Babies becoming less inclined to being born from a womb.. instead, futuristic ways of putting stem cells away for later, so women can choose when she has a child, is coming. Along with that, religious implications, societal upheaval, commonplace gay parents, and future shock..

Clyde Lewis opened his show with shock and awe:

Being in a lab or a building where we can grow children is at least two years away according to a report from Russia Today and the child-growing lab is being used in order to allow two men to have children.
Babies of same-sex couples are becoming a future prospect, as scientists have disclosed revolutionary research on making human egg and sperm cells using the skin of two adults.
It means that we might soon see a fully “dish-manufactured” baby in a lab.

The show had a free-flowing only caller driven format .. during the course of the program—and this is not a scientific viewpoint at all—the majority of younger callers seemed to be better apt to having agreeable minds to the future coming. However, older callers—and those who professed more of a Bible bumper belief system—did not.

The amazing part is this: It’s all happening. Not later, but now.

Last week TIME magazine published a cover with an adorable baby’s face: The headline read ‘This baby could live to 142 years old’ 

There are dangers with this future. But amazing possibilities too.. the idea of knowing genetic defects prior to birth.. the chance for parents who cannot have children being able to in new ways.. And even more, as Clyde Lewis argued, this could end the abortion debate. Imagine no more need for women to consider aborting a fetus… instead putting it all on hold, saving the pregnancy for when she is ready through the use of artificial practices.

The future is now.
And it’s going to scare a lot of people.
It’s going to shred old style beliefs on life and death..
And it’s going to be a totally more revolutionary idea than the test tube baby of last century.

Welcome to the brave new world, earth.

You can—and should—listen to the show here: https://soundcloud.com/groundzeromedia

IN LIKE A LION, OUT IN DARKNESS: FEAR IN UK THAT MARCH SOLAR ECLIPSE COULD WREAK HAVOC

SOLAR ECLIPSE TO DISRUPT POWER SUPPLIES – TELEGRAPH »

Eclipse to block out 95 per cent of sunlight in parts of Europe

According to the report appearing in the UK TELEGRAPH today, this nearly 100% eclipse on March 20 may actually cause problems..

The eclipse is going to be the biggest one since 1999.

Victoria Ward writes this,

Power supplies could drop suddenly next month when the UK is plunged into darkness with an eclipse of the sun.
Energy experts warned there could be possible blackouts in the biggest solar eclipse since 1999.
Nearly 90 per cent of the sun’s rays will be blocked out in parts of Europe on March 20.
In London and the South East, 85 per cent of the sun will be obscured by the moon whilst in northern Scotland, more than 95 per cent will be covered.
The National Grid has warned that solar power output in Britain will halve during the event.

My first inclination on this was that the story appearing is just an example of fear porn and attempt to get readers and clicks. But it could also be a relevant message about the future. If we rely heavily on solar energy, there very well will be moments where, perhaps, our power source goes black. Or maybe times when that same power source throws a hissy fit and solar storms knock down a grid..

Ward says,

He told the Financial Times: “In a way March 20 is a glimpse into the future of our power systems.”
The eclipse will last around two hours from 8.40am. The next one will not be until 2026.

So .. Eclipsepocalypse 2015 begins in earnest..
Be afraid.

Dreading the poster of the TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN

This is a movie poster blast from the past.. it was called THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN, and a was loosely based on the 'Phanton Killer' or the 'Texarkana Moonlight Murders' that took place ni 1946..

The other evening, I got the chance to watch the 2014 remake of this 1976 classic.. The redo was interesting. It was like DICK TRACY meets SCREAM, a movie with cartoonish appeal that also featured a 'we know this is a horror movie' attitude like Wes Craven's late 20th century horror series..

However, any time I watch a remake, I typically go back and watch the original. Either for posterity or just because I want to check off the similarities and differences between each incarnation..

The original SUNDOWN film wasn't exceptional by any stretch of imagination.. But it created a new genre--it may be one of the least known movies that started the slasher flicks of the late 70s and all of the 1980s. The TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN was brutal at times and most likely difficult to view during some moments in theaters during the Carter years..

But there was one thing that THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN got right in 1976: One of the most memorable posters I have ever seen for a movie, especially a horror flick..  There's something freakish about that sunset image and the town, that lonely town, tucked safely but dangerously between the trees and mountains.. And that foreboding image of the Phantom with his freakish mask that only displays two eye holes..

This poster has stuck in my mind for years.. Since I was younger and first stayed up late without my parents knowing to watch this on Rhonda Shear's UP ALL NIGHT, I remembered that poster. . and that quaint image of Americana destroyed by a masked villain to stole innocence..

I was born in 1980, years after this original film.. But as a child of the 1980s, a certain spirit of the 70s was bred into my in my early life..

This image presented on the poster haunted me for two distinct reasons: 1) It reminded me of the scene from ET where Halloweeners begin to the roam the streets at sundown, and 2) the image looks amazingly like the town I grew up in the 80s, Centralia PA--a town with an underground mine fire that met its demise because of that crisis..

This post is not a movie review .. I quite frankly disliked the new remake and the original was lackluster. But it was important in the history of horror movies. It gave us the slasher flick.
And it gave me chills each time I thought about that hauntingly beautiful movie poster..

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CONSPIRACY IS ON THE OTHER SERVER?

Lots of trolls have been online lately.. when you hear the term, you’re accustomed to thinking of teenage twits in the wasteland of their parents’ dark basement.. 4CHANers posing as people and knocking around the innocent with online bullying and fake news..

But these trolls are scientists. And they are trolling conspiracy websites and forums in an attempt to make the muddy waters even dirtier..

A new study concludes that ‘anti-science’ conspiracy theorists don’t know when they are being fooled by insane conspiracy theories.. According to the research published on PLOS.ORG,  people who already believe in conspiracy are more apt to believing in more of it and finding information to back their claims rather than refute it.. Even more, the study says, people will engage in social media pages more when they realize they found a place that would allow their beliefs–beliefs that are typically opposite of the mainstream of society on any given topic..

Here is how the RAW STORY described the way the study was conducted:

The researchers examined social media patterns for 1.2 million Facebook users and found that nearly 92 percent of those who engage with Italian conspiracy theory pages interact almost exclusively with conspiracy theory pages.

The study also found that conspiracy theory posts are much more likely to be shared and liked by Facebook users.

The researchers then tested the strength of these users’ biases by posting “troll information” – or sarcastic comments parodying anti-science views – on Facebook.

“These posts are clearly unsubstantiated claims, like the undisclosed news that infinite energy has been finally discovered, or that a new lamp made of actinides (e.g. plutonium and uranium) might solve problems of energy gathering with less impact on the environment, or that the chemical analysis revealed that chemtrails contains sildenafil citratum (the active ingredient of Viagra),” the researchers said.

They found that 78 percent of those who “liked” these 4,709 troll posts interacted primarily with conspiracy theory pages, as were 81 percent of those who commented on them.

The researchers also noted that anti-conspiracy theorists often wasted “cognitive resources” pushing back against these unscientific “troll” claims, even when they were “satirical imitation of false claims.”

There are some interesting parts to this study but also some creepy angles to consider.

Most people on Facebook have either been duped by a fake ONION story or saw a friend get sidelined by fraud information or parody.. It’s a truly self-defeating time in someone’s life when other friends post the SNOPES refute to ‘school’ the tin foil hat wearing Facebook user. But for scientists to purposely troll and unknowingly study people who didn’t take  the opportunity to volunteer for such a study is a little more creepy..  While there is no dubious note being placed on the study results from me, the notion that people unknowingly were becoming mocked and the butt of jokes in the elite scientific circles is a bit too much..

There are parallels that can be drawn from this, however. And positive ones as well.. First off, it’s always good to ascertain the source of information you are getting–this is important for this website as well, as we often source out and link places where we get information and attempt to trace any news back to an original source before your consumption takes place on NIGHT TERROR NEWS. Going further than that, though, it’s also good to consider those sources and conduct careful review before buying into something that sounds a little fishy. I am reminded of the MARK DICE videos where he is able to get people to sign a petition for just about anything, including one where he asked people to sign a form demanding the banning of H2O from the environment.. People did.

You can always find a few..

But on the other side of this coin, there are positives to have a doubtful mind when you read news..

While some enjoy debunking conspiracy theories, there are truthful moments of history where conspiracy took place. And times where sordid events occurred because of ill-timed or contrived actions on behalf of those in charge of society.. there is truth to many conspiracies.. they all don’t pan out. And they all don’t make sense.. However, simply buying into the ‘official’ line without questions is not scientific at all, and contrary to how an astute functioning brain should actually operate..

When the Sandy Hook nightmare took center state in December 2012, a number of conspiracy theories abounded. In part that happened due to awful reporting from mainstream sources, and wrong information being disseminated on national news programming..

One man’s conspiracy theory is another man’s fact.
Sometimes this argument over conspiracy theory itself annoys me.

When George W. Bush was in office, many liberal Democrats found themselves being in the uncomfortable position of agreeing with Alex Jones that 9/11 was an inside job. When Barack Obama assumed the presidency, those same people who bought into old conspiracy suddenly matured and downplayed anything that questioned the public relations talking points about the President. Suddenly Alex Jones became a kook who, some may even say, should lose his First Amendment right..

There are very rational people who want to deliver us from talking points and get to the bottom of a story. Without a conspiracy theorist, Woodward and Bernstein would never had asked more questions.. Iran Contra would have been ignored.. Bill Clinton would not have had sexual relations with an intern, at least to our knowledge. History itself has been shaped by people asking more question, delving deeper, and using a scientific approach to factual discernment.

That is not to say people aren’t wild and wide-eyed in their belief systems at times. It’s tough to believe that reptilian shape shifters are reading teleprompters on the evening news. But I for one don’t want to take away anyone’s ability to claim that. I will discern the information I read and research the sources of them..

And finally, with all that said, there is one more aspect to ‘conspiracy theory’ about science, vaccines, and all of those types of topics  I think would be worthwhile to state.. Do vaccines cause autism? Probably not. But do vaccines cause injuries? Yes. There is a Vaccine Injury Fund.  Do scientific studies conclude anything? Yes. But other studies refute those conclusions and keep the topic going.. is coffee bad for you? Does traffic cause autism? Are airplanes releasing toxic pollution that is changing our atmosphere? All of those questions and more get answers.. and then new answers and theories..

Perhaps this is where you need to take a step back BEFORE you conclude anything.

What is science? It’s not a man. Or a deity. Or a God. No matter what some may think. Instead it is defined this way:

the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.

And on those types of things, so often there are no answers.

If I asked you: Are there colors we have never seen? You’d most likely first say no, we have seen them all. Then you may back it up by saying the very factual statement that since we have already explored the electromagnetic spectrum, there are no more reasons to ask this question. And no more colors coming.

But what about that alternate universe that may exist? That other galaxy where all things would be new? The place where, quite possibly, gravity is not a rule and things don’t quite work they way they do in our logic.

Science is evolving constantly.. finding out more.. And asking.
Asking.
And anyone who would start to diminish the need for people to keep asking questions are not scientists at all..

MAY WE INTERRUPT THIS CRIME SHOW FOR A UFO SIGHTING?

Strange news broke early in February and thanks to an article by Lee Speigel in the HUFFINGTON POST and subsequent link by Clyde Lewis, the story is going viral online..

The story first appeared in PERU THIS WEEK on February 11. Reporting by Hillary Ojeda about the footage posted on YOUTUBE and now being shared around the world:

The video footage was uploaded by Eduardo Chávez Guerra to YouTube today and has since been viewed more than 2,600 times.

Reggiardo had just begun filming for his program “Alto al crimen” when his camera man got distracted by something floating in the distant sky. They postponed filming a few moments to take a better look at the floating object.

The YouTube clip’s description reads, “[d]uring the recording of the ‘Stop Crime’ program, in the heart of Miraflores, at 10:30 am, was distinguished in the sky a strange hovering object.”

Onlookers in the video shout their wild suggestions and estimations for the UFO and concluded it could not be a plane for the way it was floating.

The video here:

At the time the original story was written, the video was viewed under 3000 times. Today that number is closing in on one million..

THE VATICAN ON HIGH ALERT

We have been speaking of the ISIS threat to the Vatican and Pope Francis for several weeks now.. The ‘prophecy of the Popes’ and the visions of Nostradamus aside, the real news is very blunt and showcases how dangerous of a time we live in..

USA TODAY reports on the tumultuous turmoil of warnings in Italy and the VATICAN.. a few snippets of text that are worth reading:

The Italian government is on high alert after threats from the Islamic State called Italy “the nation signed with the blood of the cross.” And the country would probably need help to confront the militant group.

“The risks are real,” said Sabrina Magris, president of the International University Schoolof Rome and Florence, the only European institution that prepares negotiators for hostage and terror threats. “The goal may be an actual attack of some kind or simply using threats to create an atmosphere of fear. But the risks shouldn’t be underestimated.”

The Vatican has made no official comment about being a potential target for the Islamic State, also known as ISIL or ISIS, or other extremist groups, and Pope Francis resists many security measures, delving into crowds whenever possible.

At Sunday’s Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, extra security was evident. Police patrolled the area and were stationed around the Vatican’s perimeter.

There is much more to the story.. you can read the NIGHT TERROR NEWS archive to discover some other stories printed concerning the dangerous threats to the VATICAN from terrorists..

But reading all of this, I was reminded of one image from years back when Pope Francis first became Pope.. In 2014, Pope Francis released doves of Peace.. but the doves were attacked by crows–the sign seemed to be inescapable..  And seemingly since, bad news has come for the world and a darker force, some may argue, has taken over..

A FAMED INTERNET PERSON COMMITS SUICIDE

Draven Rodriguez didn’t want a yearbook image like all others..so he made himself different, posing with his cat and laser lights. It went on to become one of those ‘things of the internet,’ the little pieces of pop culture that seem to catch on and stick. Although for Rodriguez, this senior portrait of fame has ended very  badly: News reports abounded this weekend that he committed suicide..

According to reports, he was 17 and took his own life on Thursday last week.  The New York teen is now being mourned online, the same place where his image went viral only months ago.

There are also endless theories popping up in comments sections on stories concerning why Rodriguez died.. But this is the nature of suicide and stories like this: we don’t know.. we will never know, and quite frankly, perhaps we should not know.

Whether he intended the world to see his image or just to make high school fame, his creativity and fearlessness should be appreciated and applauded.

But the thing I fear the most for the family, the part that touches my heart more than anything else, is that most people who share the image of this innocent young man will never know the tragic outcome of his fate from days ago.. they will share his image and it will live on in Internet infamy.. it will continue to exist in the domain of the meme..

And all the while, the young man left his family and this world, took his own life, and ended whatever ordeal he was dealing with on this planet.. His family, the obituary said, cherished him. What family wouldn’t cherish an amazing soul in their lives? What parents wouldn’t give every bit of their love and support to a child?

I ponder this: Did internet fame somehow haunt this young man? Did his meme becoming a shared and viral picture destroy him, even though he only did it to celebrate the dare to be different and the joy of being creative? Did the world somehow stomp him down?

Only he knew that…

No words are adequate for suicide, and I would not even pretend to articulate the morals or implications of Rodriguez’s decision. I think we know them already..

Bumper music continues to be sticking point in potential Art Bell return

From Bell's own Facebook account tonight, the news is not yet conclusive as far as his return. He writes, in full:

Ok here is a update that I am afraid will not tell you much. We are in talks with a big player and the rub is the music, for me a must have, as is the live show aspect and the time slot 9PM-12AM P.T. for the show.

The only sticking point is the music and we should have that worked out by the end of the Week, or not. All I can tell you is we are going at this as hard as we can. If we pull it off it will have some commercial content but it will be a free live stream and be Worldwide, then I feel I will have kept my promise. Nobody wants me back on the air more then me.

You will all know the moment I do.

Art

The return to the airwaves, or podcasting, has been thrown off the 'midnight express' tracks after the blunt fact of high costs for the use of music reared its head. While some people have offered advice, and even offered their own music for free to Bell for his show, he has refused. Instead he wants to use music from his personal collection for his own program, many songs most likely that were also used when he hosted Coast to Coast AM and DARK MATTER on Sirirus XM.

The newest news isn't much, but it's a message advising situational awareness for fans resolute in their hope that Bell returns this July..

This is an obvious developing story.. as usual, the HORROR REPORT will continue to go for the ride with everyone else.

Who could the big player be..?

The strange events in the land of the meteor

This is an image showing four separate scenes from the city of Chelyabinsk.. That was the site of the 2013 meteor explosion that rocked that part of Russia and was equal to several Hiroshima bombs..

RT profiles the city where now, as you can see, strange things are brewing.. 

The image of the three suns was an optical illusion.
But the blue snow wasn’t.. As a matter of fact, the storm giving people the strange colored precipitation made world headlines but no one came by to explain why exactly the weather was as colorful as it was..

There is little we understand about anything.
But three suns and blue snow is probably at the bottom of our human comprehension…

The amazing things that happen when you’re busy making other plans. Four years on..

The John Lennon song still is true.. there are things in life that remind you you’re not in charge. Such an event occurred February 2011 when my wife went into labor after watching a Cosby Show rerun with me around 3am—the witching hour. She had our son, Ayden Morris, near 1pm hours later..

From that moment on my life changed and it continues to do so.

Being a father is amazing. Rewarding.. challenging.. And honestly the best job I’ve ever had. And one I have to do—my wife feels the same way about motherhood. We are called to act each and every day. And even when he goes to bed each night, we still watch from the corner of our eyes to make sure he’s safe and sound.

And today, Ayden is four.

I can’t honestly believe how quick time has passed.

I think it was about two years ago that I wrote on this website that I intended on writing a book about fatherhood. I still want to. I started it.. I suppose it’s never too late. Information about parenting really doesn't change, does it?

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC hits nerves with new cover

The people who believe in evolution are also typically those who don't like GMO food. And those who don't like GMO food are also wealthier and are more apt to refuse vaccinations.  NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC is slamming them with its new cover story--and lumping other conspiracy theorists in with them, including people who don't believe in the moon landing.

The story is titled "Why do many reasonable people doubt science?" It is written by Joel Achenbach. The cover story and subsequent article fired up an intense conversation on REDDIT.

You can read the article for itself and judge accordingly. It names a number of heavy hitting topics, even touches on fluoride in the water,  and reports that there's no dangers and science has yet to find a reason to worry.

The is an applause of science, and a denunking of the myths that often perpetrate long after they are started.. Such as Ebola, and the fear that the disease could go airborne (though there was scientific and historic precedent, NAT GEO is not impressed.) They are equally not impressed with claims of GMOs being less healthy than regular food, or vaccines having much danger.  Of course the true and real Vaccine Injury Fund is  not mentioned in the article.  The woman everyone suddenly loves to hate is though, Jenny McCarthy makes a big appearance.

Climate change comes up. Achenbach, again, asserts that science is near 100% in agreement that climate change is happening. I agree with it.. But if Achenbach wants to truly figure out why people doubt such claims, then look no further than the email scandal from only a few years back where it showed scientists were conceiving some information and creating data as a way to further scare the public. Do real scientists REALLY do that?

On fluoride, Achenbach says,

Actually fluoride is a natural mineral that, in the weak concentrations used in public drinking water systems, hardens tooth enamel and prevents tooth decay—a cheap and safe way to improve dental health for everyone, rich or poor, conscientious brusher or not. That’s the scientific and medical consensus.

Not mentioned, however, is that Adolf Hitler actively used sodium fluoride in water supplies in Nazi Germany and there have been studies which have aimed to poke holes in the 'safe' campaign on the chemical additive to water. Even more, other figures released in various studies also would bring into question whether better health overall has led to a decrease in tooth decay or if it's been all due to fluoride. 

The article is fine and factual. Science and the answers it gives us should be celebrated. But I don't think veneration of science as a new religion does any good for society, and scientists who want fame and fortune also don't do science justice.

There are real reasons that good people doubt science. After all.. now many times have good people been told that coffee was either good or bad and that cholesterol was fine or not?

Science is a living and breathing institution.

And really... is the case EVER closed on anything anyway?