Friday, April 30, 2010

Reagan Something of a Scholar on America's Occult History?

"We all know that Ronald and Nancy Reagan consulted astrologers, but apparently the 40th president was also well-versed in the writings of occult scholar Manly P. Hall, most famous for his 1928 tome The Secret Teachings of All Ages. Over at the Washington Post, former BB guestblogger Mitch Horowitz, author of the excellent "Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation," explores the Reagan-Hall connection." [Boing Boing - READ MORE]

If Downtown Is Truly A 'Heart', OKC Was Given A Monstrous Pacemaker

In this film, Oklahoma City's downtown area in the 1960's is likened to the heart of the metropolis. If this were true, and the cancerous analogy continued, we would have to admit that the solution was not one of aesthetic concern.



While in retrospect we can certainly understand their concerns and ambitions, we must admit that too much was lost in this blind frenzy to "modernize" Oklahoma City. Precious historic landmarks were lost to mid-century modern monstrosities lacking in soul and character. It's good to see now a greater understanding for the importance of history.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Orbs = Dust! Shocking News Leaves A Couple People Stunned

Micah Hanks at Mysterious Universe bring us some startling news from the ParaScience organization, which has verified the theory that orbs caught on film and digital media are in fact merely dust particles and the like.

Symphonic Bigfoot Unleashed

May 1, 2010 is a day that shall go down in history as ... well, it probably won't be remembered, but it will be fun, I'm sure. Bigfoot, poetry and symphonic theremins. Hmm.... CHECK IT OUT or visit Cryptomundo for more.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

A Momo No-No?



While tales of Sasquatch-like ape-men haunting the darkly forested hills of Missouri have been around for some time, the monicker "Momo" arose only in the wake of a rather famous sighting in Louisiana, MO in the early 1970's.  At the time, the large, hirsute hominid was described as having a pumpkin-like head, a fact that may have been taken a bit too literally by those behind a forthcoming horror film by the same name. "Momo" is, if their time table is accurate, in post-production under the watchful eye of Zomular Media Group. Principal shooting was done in the Pulaski County area of Missouri.

I don't know if it is really, really bad or a really, really awesome homage/parody of such horrid films as "Boggy Creek II: And The Legend Continues".  If the latter, all I can say is I'm sorta psyched to catch this once it is released - in whatever fashion that might be. Doubtlessly the sort of film improved upon by copious quantities of alcohol, "Momo" is probably best watched with friends or, if you can manage it, two robots and a smart mouth.

For more information, visit the "Momo" MySpace page.

Jacques Vallee weighs in on Crop Circles

Click Here

Noah's Ark Discovered High Atop Ararat - Again

It seems we've witnessed rumored discoveries of "Noah's Ark" run aground more times than we can count. But this isn't deterring a stalwart group of evangelicals, comprised of a joint Chinese-Turkish effort under the banner of Noah's Ark International Research Team, from proclaiming they have found what they believe to be the Ark atop Mount Ararat in Turkey.  The team says carbon dating has revelaed an age of 4,800 years for the timbers excavated from an icy crevasse more than 11,000 feet up the famed mountain. It has been reported that this is the same time period that the Ark was said to have floated during the proverbial cataclysmic flood. WATCH

While scientists are beginning to conclude that a cataclysmic flood (or several) has occurred in the past and may explain global, cross-cultural flood myths, no evidence has ever been presented to support the notion that Noah was a real man in possession of a physical craft as described. If the team's analysis is correct, it could go a long way toward proving that very prospect.

However, any optimism we may feel must be tempered by the litany of competitor sites and hoaxes that have preceded this discovery. In fact, I can recall that when I was much younger a speaker came to our church claiming he had been atop Ararat and had witnessed not only where the Ark lay but had brought back a sample for those in the congregation to behold.  Looking back, I cannot decide whether he was a man deluded or one bent on duping an eager but ignorant church.

We also must conclude - given the sheer age and popularity of the tale - that more than one attempt has been made to haul up timbers to fashion an ersatz wreck, which might explain previous "discoveries".  Of course, this would call us to question the validity of the carbon-14 dates until such time as repeatable results can be achieved by others to conclude this age of nearly five-thousand years.

Kenyan SciFi Short Ponders Our Environmental Fate



Trailer for Pumzi, a short film from Kenyan Writer/Director Wanuri Kahui, which debuted to some acclaim at Sundance.

A review from wired.com can be found here

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Scottish Constable Believed Loch Ness Monster Real


Lake Monster
Originally uploaded by freshEIRE
Recently discovered correspondence from William Fraser, chief constable of Inverness-shire, reveals that he believed some "strange creature" plied the waters of Loch Ness. The communique was found hidden among other papers at the Scottish National Archive and dates back to the 1930s and a time when sightings had risen significantly. Fraser, who details in the letter accounts of others who had seen the creature, doubted the police were capable of doing anything about it. You can read more here.

The Strange World of Professor Copperwaite

At Duke's Auctioneers in England, the Brading Collection (from a museum on the Isle of Wright) is currently up for auction. Among the military antiques, exotic furnishings, and priceless treasures from the British empire, one can find a lot entitled "The Strange World of Professor Copperwaite". In this collection, which seems to be something of a 19th century cabinet of curiosities, we can find peculiar waxwork and taxidermy specimens: a stuffed "yeti", the mounted remains of a "unicorn", three stuffed dogs of a now-extinct breed kept in ancient Rome, a waxwork model of famed dwarf Tom Thumb, SID (A Victorian Monster), which is some sort of winged web-footed creature, a ceremonial "yeti" mask bought from a sherpa in Tibet by Captain Humphrey Scott-Taylor, and many more strange and quixotic specimens.

The Brading museum, founded by Graham Osborne-Smith in 1965, acquired the pieces from an antiques dealer somewhere in the North of England. Although the provenance is murky, the dealer, it is claimed, had picked up the items from the estate of one Professor Copperthwaite, an eccentric academic who traveled the globe in the late 19th Century. He had a penchant for collecting the unusual and bizarre.
 
It certainly sets my creative juices flowing, I'm already thinking of the great story ideas that can come out of such a collection and its eccentric owner.
 
You can see more of the collection here

Saturday, April 24, 2010

A Skeptical Inquiry

Skeptic is one of those words that is wholly misused these days. It has become tantamount to a naysayer instead of one who understands that knowledge can be uncertain and that suspending belief until such time as all the facts have been gathered is a wiser course of action than either denouncement or unbridled faith. Still, there are those who continue to perpetuate the image of a skeptic as someone who stands firmly on a base of accumulated knowledge and dares you with a look of smug satisfaction to attempt any tackle, like an intellectual game of king of the hill. In essence, a true skeptic is one who takes a wait-and-see approach. Instead of listening foolishly to the cries of Chicken Little, he would investigate for himself and weigh the evidence before coming to any conclusion on these sky falling claims.

BLOGGING OFF - Blogsquatcher Calls It Quits

For many reasons, as Loren Coleman aptly illustrates, those who plumb the depths of the mysterious will move on from their respective raisons d'etre from time to time, allowing perhaps for the emergence of new ideas. That said, the absence of The Blogsquatcher (aka D. B. Donlon) will be felt deeply. It was my pleasure to have designed the banner that graced his blog for quite some time. And I appreciated reading his thoughts and insights into the mysteries of Bigfoot as well as his discourses on quantum physics. Sharp, inquisitive minds are in short supply these days, I fear. I see too many for whom the challenging world Of E! News is a real skullbuster. So, I will conclude by linking you to Donlon's own faretheewell.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Strange Craft Filling The Sky

That may not be a UFO you spot floating ominously silent through the evening sky. That oddly oblong craft could be one of a new generation of blimps designed to carry passengers and cargo far faster than previous models. While still slower than a jet, these new breeds of blimps could be the answer to rising fuel costs and environmental concerns. The editors at the New York Times weigh in.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

ROSWELL FOOTAGE REVEALED (echoes out)



While a cute bit of footage (seems like it might come from a movie), it's a bit ambitious to post it as actual footage of a recovered Roswell E.B.E.

Lakers Follow In Knicks Shaking Footsteps: Booking Rooms At The "Haunted" Skirvin Hotel

NBC Los Angeles' Kurt Helin warns the Lakers that ghosts are the least of the worries while staying in Oklahoma. It seems they might need to fear the Thunder as well.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

RESPECT THE DEAD

I spent part of this afternoon surveying the recent damage caused to cemeteries near Enid, specifically one in Drummond. Apparently persons unknown felt it would be fun to knock over, damage, and steal headstones at cemeteries in Drummond, Waukomis, and Ames. If anyone who lives in that area knows anything, please let the proper authorities know. I am certain it was the drunken riff-raff with whom we decent citizens must live, but as word of caution to anyone who ventures into these hallowed necropolises: these are places that should be respected. Even the best paranormal investigators should remember that these are the places we have chosen to rest our dearly departed. While I doubt that any respectable team would ever be party to such a thing, we should caution ourselves about how "sexy" we might make graveyard vigils to be. Doubtlessly, these idiots took no cues from the slew of paranormal shows out there that seem to say graveyard = cool place to kick it with some ghosts (especially if the M.O. involves heckling and harrassing spirits), but in case they were inspired to visit one due to these shows, we must take stock about the impact they can have. Likely, they were just some inbreds from the shallower end of the gene pool, but the lesson stands nonetheless. Respect the dead. See the KFOR TV report here.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Monday, April 19, 2010

Time Traveler Tough Nut To Crack

This fellow, who looks a lot like Paul Rudd and who is standing next to a guy who looks a lot like Skinner off the X-Files, is the source of endless debate and consternation among bloggers and anomalists. Some say he is a man-out-of-time while others contend his look is nothing unusual for the period - even if he does seem to stand out from a crowd. The photo is from an online exhibit at a museum in Canada and purportedly taken at the opening of a bridge in the 1940's. You can see a better image, read a breakdown of what's right and wrong, view a nonsensical computer analysis, and hear what commentors have to say about the image here.

The Haunted Lemp Mansion

Constructed in 1838, the home of John Lemp (later to be known as the Lemp Mansion) was funded by a fortune accumulated from a lucrative frontier business of brewing lagers and beers, which still has a special place in the hearts and stomachs of those who call St. Louis, MO home. Although the company no longer exists, one of its beers, 'Falstaff', is still made today under the auspice of another company.

When John Lemp died, his son, William, took over for a time. However, when his own son died suddenly in 1901, a grief-stricken William shot himself in the head. Several years after, his only remaining son, William Jr., took over the family business, only to be forced out of business by Prohibition, an act that may have led to William Jr.'s sister to take her own life. When the family fortune had been frittered away, William Jr. shot himself. Then William Lemp III died of a heartattack. He was 43. And his son, Charles, shot himself.

Layers of tragedy seemed to accumulate upon the family like a dark patina of grief and misery. So, it should come as little surprise that in the wake of these incidents tales of a haunted Lemp Mansion should arise.

After the family line had died out with the death of Charles Lemp, the Lemp Mansion became a bording house that would later fall on hard time, allowing the stately home to slip into decay. In these years, residents would complain of ghostly noises: knocks, raps, footsteps and such. Word of the haunting spread though town and the Lemp Mansion grew a reputation that made it increasingly hard to fill vacancies.

In 1975, Dick Pointer purchased the home and began a restoration that took several long years and culminated in the opening of a restaurant and inn. During the intervening years, Pointer and his family became very aware they were never alone in the house.

Workers during the home's restoration would complain of strange sounds, missing items, etc... Some are said to have left the job site without ever returning. Later, when the restaurant opened, workers would have similar experiences in addition to reports that items such as glasses had been spotted flying through the air of their own volition. Doors have been reported to lock and unlock on their own, the piano plays by itself, and spectral voices, fain and indistinct, can be heard. There have even been reports of an apparition dubbed the "Lavender Lady".

Throughout recent years, the mansion has become a popular spot for both guests and paranormal investigation teams, who often make pilgrimages from afar to experience first-hand the mysteries of St. Louis' haunted Lemp Mansion.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

The Humpback Haunting of Oklahoma's Route 66

Legend has it that along Route 66 between Weatherford and El Reno, Oklahoma the ghost of an old, humpbacked man can be spotted. He wears a fedora and a trenchcoat and is most often reported on rainy or foggy nights. Some tales recount the man in a "phantom rider" or "vanishing hitch-hiker" fashion: The man is picked up alongside the road, but doesn't speak to the driver at all. Then, after some miles, the strange passenger suddenly attempts to leap from the vehicle. When the driver opens the door to let him out, he has vanished. The perplexed driver then glances up the road to see the man walking along the road - several miles ahead. Another legend recounts how a driver thinks they have just struck the elderly man as he was crossing the road, but when the driver gets out, the struck man is nowhere to be seen.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Beauty (and sometimes other things) Is In The Eye Of The Beholder.

In Warr Acres, OK worshipers at St Charles Borromeo Catholic church have been upset by an icon of Jesus that seems to portray an oddly phallic looking set of abdominals.

Rev. Philip Seeton, the presiding pastor, asserts that the image is supposed to show distension of the stomach. The 10 foot tall piece was painted by a local artist, Janet Jaime, in the style of a classic religious icon known as a San Damiano Cross. This icon comes from 12th Century Italy.

Yet despite relaying no complaints to the Archdiocese, parishioners contacted local media (many anonymously) to complain about the work, which they saw as pornographic. Those who have gone on record, have expressed concerns about the cross' exposure to children and the stain of pedophilia on the church as a whole.

I wonder what Hermann Rorschach would have to say about it all...

Aliens Do The Darndest Things

From the blog "Phantom Universe: Spooked by a Peeping Tom" (via Phantoms and Monsters) comes this delightful bit of pareidolia:


"SW" believes she caught an alien peeping through the window of her home in Stephens Co., Texas. Stephens Co sits adjacent to Erath Co - home to Stephenville, a UFO hotspot as of late.

What struck me, however, was how there was a far better "alien" inside the pattern on the curtain than ever may have stood outside her window like a small town pervert.

He kind of seems to be gesturing to himself, or perhaps showing off his "guns". I don't know which, but the one on the left (in the curtain) is a far better alien than that in the window.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Here There Be Monsters!!

I'm admittedly no fan of gaming (I could scarcely master the original Mario Bros.), but I know I'm often in the minority on such things. Many of you doubtlessly love both gaming and monsters. The simple solution: Capcom's Monster Hunter 3, which kinda looks like a fun ride that even I might give a whirl.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

And Speaking of Mummies

Greco-Roman Mummies, dating back to the 3rd Century BCE, unearthed in Egypt during construction of a youth center. 

Dearest Mummy and Daddums...

A recent discussion between Mysterious Universe's Micah Hanks and famed anomalist writer Brad Steiger concerning the various giant humanoid mummies found throughout the American West in the 19th century becomes a classic example of all that is wrong with the way such mysteries are handled in the 21st Century. It has everything: true believers, paranoid delusions, hearsay, and a total white washing of the larger socio-political framework within which these original accounts arose. Time and again, the giants (of which the remains have almost invariably vanished under suspicious circumstances) are shrouded in that Darwinist frenzy so firmly pinned to that time period.

Links (here and here) accompanying the article show a poorly photographed, purportedly extant specimen found in Yosemite Valley in 1891. Yet, examining it closely - even in the photograph - it doesn't seem quite right, and the child cradled in the female mummy's arms seems almost doll-like.

According to reports, the mummy was acquired by Ripley's in 1998.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Archaeological Progress Has Its Drawbacks in Britain


While inarguably paving the way with laws forcing any private or public construction projects to employ archaeologists to evaluate the sites beforehand, Britain falls short when it comes to making those data useful. Now academics complain they have little to no access to the loads of "grey" data collected by private archaeologists, commissioned by companies seeking to build a new mall or office park. Within this mass of hidden information might lie the key to mysteries such as stonehenge - if only it can be peer reviewed.

READ MORE

Afterthoughts On 'The Real Face of Jesus'

Earlier, the documentary that aimed to pull a lifelike 3D representation of "Jesus" from the shroud of Turin was discussed.  And my general conclusion stands: I'm impressed and it warrants further scrutiny. However, I was not without certain doubts. Among those questions most nagging me was the issue of the "dripping" blood. While the position and nature of the wounds themselves appear to be historically accurate, the nature of their weeping concerns me for several reasons.

Before I proceed, I shoud mention that I am neither a forensic pathologist nor criminalogist nor medical professional in any capacity. That said, it is my understanding that once the heart stops, the blood stops pumping, and would begin the process of coagulating and sinking to the lowest levels. Since a man crucified would be upright, his blood would sink to the lower half of his body. By the time he was removed (assuming a bit of time to "display" the criminal), what blood hadn't bled out through his injuries would have settled like motor oil in his lower extremities.

The body would have then been removed and burial rites, according to Jewish laws, would have been observed. This man would have been ritually washed, annoited with oils and spices, and then wrapped in cloth. 

Now, I am only assuming, but would not the act of washing and annointing remove the vertical or "downward" streaks of dried blood that had accumulated on his body as he stood nailed to that cross? How then can we explain their reappearance on the cloth in which he was shrouded after being washed? Seepage from the wounds? Perhaps, but would that seepage not be minimal (due to the coagulated blood), and more importantly, have flowed across the body since the rituals certainly involved handling a supine form? That is to say, if we were looking at this individual standing up, those bloody streaks would not be "dripping" down, but rather flowing horizonally across his face, arms, chest, legs...

Instead, on the Shroud of Turin, we are treated to a display of exactly what we would expect to see - if we didn't think about it too much: bloody wounds dripping thickly downward. But even if we entertain the thought that this man was buried without ceremony, we would have to face the fact that the blood on his skin would have mostly dried, and that if any staining occurred, it might only be suggestive spotting. 

Shroud enthusiasts will simply say this attests to the supernatural power of the cloth; it is a divine photograph to illustrate what Christ looked like in his final moments upon the cross. This is all fine and well for those for whom the Shroud is a relic of faith, but for those among us who are looking for scientific answers to a scientific enigma, such matters of metaphysics will not suffice. Sadly, until the Shroud can be examined more completely, we are still left with too many questions.

The Real Face of Jesus let us down in this respect. It was far too concerned with safeguarding the Shroud's mystical enigma to truly examine its tangible mysteries as thorougly as they deserved.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

A Bag of Bones

At the beginning of the 20th Century, those lowly denizens of New York City's less fortunate neighborhoods, the Bowery for instance, who found themselves without the funds to secure lodging on any given night, could for a small sum pay to have their belongings stowed in the basements of hotels such as Mills Hotel No. 8. As is frequently the case under such destitute and harsh conditions, the owners often left the bags unclaimed as they met untimely ends.  However, in some situations, it was advantageous to leave one's belongings elsewhere, lost among hundreds of others.

On June 26, 1919 the hotel staff began the task of clearing out unclaimed bags, surely taking whatever was useful or of value. So, when porters began to inspect a particularly pricey suitcase, they wondered why someone in need wouldn't have sold such an item, collected the cash, and purchased a far cheaper container for their belongings. It seemed the answer rattled dully within the fine leather clad case.

As the men cracked open the suitcase, they were horrified to find a fully disarticulated skeleton inside, remnants of flesh still clinging loosely in various spots.

Once the police were called, a cursory examination revealed that several of the long bones had been sawed through partially and then, in what seems to be a demonstration of impatience, snapped off the rest of the way. The flesh had been stripped with a knife, the remains treated with quicklime, and then the bones were cushioned inside the case with a padding of raw cotton, two towels, and newspapers dating back nearly four years. The towels, investigators stated, were of a type intended for "feminine use," which I can only assume is some type of euphemism.

The image above is the only Mills Hotel extant in New York City. It was built in 1879. It can be presumed that Mills Hotel No. 8 was of a similiar style.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Group Hopes To Record Titanic EVP's

A team of ghost hunters are off on a big production to do the first-ever paranormal investigation of the Titanic. Ambitious, but are their motives centered more on fame? READ HERE.

Bigfoot Hoax Frustrates OK Community

For weeks now, a series of images depicting Bigfoot shot from a cell phone and accompanied by audio recordings have made their rounds in the small Oklahoma community of Jay in Delaware Co., frightening locals and causing much consternation among law enforcement.

Concerned citizens in the small hamlet - you know the type - placed worried calls to the local sheriff's office, asking if the pictures were real. Others wondered if it weren't a joke. Sheriff Jay Blackwood assumed it was and declined to investigate.

Good hunch.

Apparently, those still shots were from the famous Patterson-Gimlin film and the audio recording was from Ohio, according to D. W. Lee, Executive Director Mid-America Bigfoot Research Center. Both had been downloaded from the Internet. Had the locals at least Googled that which frightened them so, they might have quickly discovered these salient facts on their own.

As it stood Blackfox fielded countless calls, which took his time from more pressing matters. A fact he was eager to impart upon those responsible. It turns out the images were hoaxed by a group of local boys whose names have been withheld. Sheriff Blackfox attempted to contact them, hoping to impart an understanding of the trouble those images caused. However, much to his dismay, the boys were not at home. We can only assume he kept trying. Doubtlessly, this will be more ammunition for Matt Moneymaker's prosecute pranks agenda.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Good Friday Sighting Recalls Past Events

From a recent report to MUFON:

"We were enjoying Good Friday (4/2/10) with family south of Yoakum, Texas (southwest of Beaver, OK in the Texas Panhandle). My husband and his son and our grandchild spotted what they thought was a vehicle traveling along the upper ridge of the property. Immediately we jumped into the car and went to see the object thinking it was a red vehicle. There was no vehicle in sight and there were no gates that a vehicle could have gone through....the "vehicle" dissappeared quickly and there were no signs of tire tracks ....after considering this scene I began to consider a ufo as I have been studying them for awhile now.... Another story: My father-in-law [long time deceased], early 1900's was walking home from hunting [late at nite]...he was approached by bright lights and was knocked out so to speak...when he awoke his eyebrows were burned and the hair on the dog that was with him hair was burned....the dog frightened, must have jumped across his lap and you could see the "burned" area on Mr. Barre's britches where the frightened dog laid across his legs during this encounter. This man was a very upright man in the community, never drank, and very well respected.

Friday, April 2, 2010

The Real Face of Jesus?


The Real Face of Jesus? — The Shroud of Turin — History.com

The Shroud of Turin, a 14-foot cloth in which many believe Jesus Christ was buried, may be the most studied artifact in history—and the most controversial. For centuries, scientists and historians have pored over this bloodstained piece of linen that bears the faint outline of a crucified man, hoping to uncover what the image represents and how it was created.

The first documented reference to the shroud dates back to the 14th century. Historical records suggest it changed hands many times until 1578, when it wound up in its current home—the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. The Catholic Church has never taken an official position on the cloth’s authenticity, but the Vatican has made statements attesting to its value and arranged for public viewings.

The advent of photography in the late 19th century forever altered the course of the shroud’s history. In 1898, a lawyer named Secondo Pia took the first known photograph of the cloth, and his negative revealed new details—including strikingly clear facial features—that could not be observed with the naked eye. Scientific interest in the relic immediately picked up. In 1902, the French anatomist Yves Delage, an agnostic, inspected the photographs and pronounced that the figure on the shroud was indeed Jesus Christ.

The first direct examinations of the cloth were conducted in the 1970s, most famously by the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), a team of scientists led by physicist John P. Jackson of the University of Colorado. The group found that the markings on the cloth were consistent with a crucified body and that the stains were real human blood; they also suggested that the image’s shading patterns contained three-dimensional information. They could not explain how the imprint ended up on the fabric in the first place.

In 1988, scientists removed a swatch of the shroud for radiocarbon testing. Three independent laboratories concluded that the material originated between 1260 and 1390, leading some to deem it inauthentic. Since then, however, further studies have cast doubt on those results, suggesting that the shroud may indeed date back to the time of Jesus Christ’s life and death.

In March 2010, researchers unveiled a revolutionary radiocarbon dating method that could allow scientists to safely establish accurate ages for precious artifacts like the Shroud of Turin. Unlike traditional carbon dating, the new process does not require samples; instead, the entire object is exposed to an electrically charged gas that gently oxidizes its surface without causing damage. This means that, someday soon, the world may have a more precise estimate of the Shroud of Turin’s real age.

In the spring of 2010, the Shroud of Turin will be available for its first public viewing in 10 years, scheduled from April 10 to May 23


Cullan's Note: Until I watched this documentary, I would have said the whole Shroud of Turin thing was a sucked orange, long-debunked. However, it's over zealous mysticism and spirituality aside, the hard science kicked up by this investigation has me wondering if there isn't more to the shroud that a simple hoax. I'm not saying this ever wrapped the body of Christ, but it very well may be real nonetheless and just how the image became manifest on this tattered cloth is a worthy enough mystery on its own. Check it out. The History Channel will re-broadcast the program Saturday, April 3, 2010 at 8/7 central.