Ghosts on the loose in the USS Olympia…or maybe just a bid for tourists
Posted by Grg in Dumb thoughts, Grg's Reference, PR Guy, Rant/Rave, Skeptic on Friday, October 29, 2010
“I’m a complete rationalist,” said Jesse Lebovics, manager of the Olympia and submarine Becuna for the Independence Seaport Museum. “I can explain most of it.
“But [the ship] certainly has a colorful enough history that I think if something were to be around, it makes sense it would be around the Olympia,” Lebovics said.
Sure, Jesse, nice “but” there. I’d think a few ghosts would be mighty convenient for you though.
I don’t necessarily blame the folks who run the Olympia for pitching this story. After all, we’ve seen Eastern State Penitentiary go from moldering historical curiosity to one of the most popular “haunted” places in America by embracing the ghost tourist industry. (By day a historic gem, by night a history-making cash cow.) And the Independence Seaport Museum is still reeling from the scandal left behind by its former president, who ran the place as his own personal cash/political favor machine.
Apparently, the ISM has already pimped out the ship to the ghost TV reality show industry, a necessary first step, I’m sure, before they partner with a ghost tour outfit. That is, if they can put it together in time. According to previous reports, they’re looking to sell it for $20 million or they’ve threatened to sink it off the coast of Cape May. My thinking is that it will join the SS United States and become another ghost ship of Philadelphia.
Um, not in the haunted sense, but the abandoned, looming over Ikea sense…although the Olympia doesn’t necessarily loom over anything.
You want to save the Olympia? Save the waterfront. May my father, a highway engineer since the 60′s, forgive me, but let’s get rid of I-95. The idea is so mad it might work.
UPDATE:
I can’t link it directly, but check out picture number four in the gallery. The caption says it all: “In recordings, Harry Burkhardt says, he has heard voices, including one that told him: ‘Save the ship!’”
Harry, are you certain Jesse wasn’t whispering in your ear?
Why I don’t go in the water: Death Tuna
Posted by Grg in Don't Go In the Water on Monday, October 25, 2010
…scuba diver Ramir Te, who was on a diving expedition, was 80 feet below the surface when he was pulled down by a giant tuna fish at the waters off Kiamba afternoon of Sunday.
Oooh, sorry Charlie. Hope he didn’t get lead poisoning along with the bends. 
Its generally good thing that cows and tuna don’t chat. Better yet, maybe we ought to take the warning and just cut back on tuna consumption.
Why I don’t go in the water: Needlefish Attack!
Posted by Grg in Don't Go In the Water, Science/Geek on Tuesday, October 19, 2010
He probably uses this fish to kill other, bigger fish.
The fish’s long, pointed snout punctured Larson’s back and collapsed a lung, said Bobby Dube, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Larson, 46 of Cudjoe Key, was rescued at sea Sunday evening by two volunteer firefighters and a paramedic who rushed her to Dolphin Marina.
“She was scared. We were all scared,” said volunteer firefighter Kevin Freestone, who used two of his towboat company’s boats to respond. “She was in a very bad way. She was in a lot of pain and her breathing was weak.”
A waiting helicopter airlifted Larson nearly 100 miles to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. She was in serious but stable condition in the intensive care unit on Monday, a hospital spokesman said.
Oh, but this isn’t the first recorded attack by flying fishspears, why check out these assuredly true tales:
In 2000, a 17-year-old girl was snorkeling off Big Pine Key when she was struck by a jumping houndfish. Its bill broke off in her neck, just missing her carotid artery. She lived to tell about the tale after emergency surgery at Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon.
Another incident involving a houndfish and human occurred more than a decade ago in the Dry Tortugas, about 70 miles west of Key West.
A graduate student was diving at night for a project and the light of a glow stick tied to the top of his air tank apparently attracted the fish, which slammed into the side of his head. The graduate student lived.
A fisherman in Malaysia was not so lucky in 1999. He was killed when a houndfish stabbed him through the lung.
I like kayaking, despite my fear of that which nibbles beneath the sea. Next time, I think I’ll wear a flack jacket underneath the life vest. Still, I can’t wait until SyFy makes this into a movie, like Megapirahna, only no amount of bicycle kicking will save your ass:
Linkdump: Save the words
Posted by Grg in Grg's Reference on Monday, October 18, 2010
Also, if I ever do that podcast thing I wanted to do, I’m using a song from this album as its theme. Probably Sambarama (track 4 below).
Why I don’t go in the water: even more nasty things ‘neath the sea
Posted by Grg in Don't Go In the Water, Rant/Rave, Science Fandom, Science/Geek on Monday, October 4, 2010
Still, I’m creeped out.
This critter, below, for example is a squidworm. The forward tentacles are there, I’m sure, to rape your mind.
Apparently, squidward squidworm was identified during a 2007 expedition to the Celebes Sea, near Borneo.
From the expedition’s chief scientist, Larry Madin:
When we got down nearer the bottom with the ROV, we encountered the most unusual and unfamiliar animal of all. When we first spotted it, people watching the video called out “squid,” “no, shrimp,” “maybe a fish,” “I think it’s a worm.” It did turn out to be a worm, but like nothing we had ever seen before. A worm almost 10 centimeters long, swimming with a row of paddles formed from stiff bristles, and with 10 long, writhing tentacles coming out of its head. No wonder we thought it could be a squid! We did end up calling it the “squidworm.” We think it may be an undescribed species, but none of us are experts on polychaete worms, so we’ll have to wait until a real specialist can tell us more about it.
Why I don’t go in the water: Sea Pigs
Posted by Grg in Don't Go In the Water, Science/Geek on Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Ick.
The Question and Answer Book of Space: Earth
Posted by Grg in Science Fandom, Science/Geek, Vintage science on Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Earth, of course, is much too close to the moon, or vice-versa, I’m not sure which. And both are much nearer to the sun, unless it is in the process of exploding in which case the Mercurians and Venusians have already had it. The Earth is 93 million miles or so from the sun and, as everyone knows, of course, the moon is exactly one helvetica away from the Earth, roughly 238,857 miles.
Still, it does well to set up the whole vast loneliness of space thing, which is a bit much for a kids book written in the midst of the space race. Figure this, between the book’s first printing, 1965, and this edition, 1970, Americans had already witnessed two landings and were beginning to scan the dial to see what else was on TV.
The Question and Answer Book of Space: Explorer 1
Posted by Grg in Vintage science on Friday, September 17, 2010
Feelings of inadequacy wash over young Werner.
Seriously, though, is this guy styling or what? Presumably they edited out the smoke or cocktail in his right hand. The left hand in pocket denotes casual authority. He’s hip, he’s a scientist and isn’t about to let the Freudian implications of his research blow his cool. Also, you can slice cheese with the crease in those pants.
The Question and Answer Book of Space: cover
Posted by Grg in Science/Geek, Vintage science on Thursday, September 16, 2010
Its hard not to love The Question and Answer Book of Space. For one thing, while it was obviously written for the kids of 1965 — this is the 1970 edition — it really doesn’t talk down to them. Instead its written in plain, confident English. No math, no orbital mechanics, but straight answers to your pervasive space questions. Except the poop thing, for that you’d need to wait another 45 years for Mary Roach to publish on the topic.
Just look at the hangdog astronaut on the cover. Its no Chesley Bonestell, but it really ain’t bad.
Little Buzz hated getting picked last for stickball, a fate that weighed heavily upon him on the way back to base.
More to come.
Don’t Go In the Water: Soul-crushing horror edition
Posted by Grg in Don't Go In the Water, Science/Geek on Friday, September 3, 2010
Either way, it is quite conceivable that you’d go mad looking at it. (Some Japanese Dude via Japanator via I09)
It is, of course, Gadzookie’s cock some kind of anemone, all gnarled up after being pulled out of the water. The locals call it a “dickswim”…’nuff said.
By the way, you can read “The Whisperer in Darkness” here.
Oh, the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (ye who made that excellent Call of Cthulhu silent film) are adapting this one too.
(link in case embed doesn’t work…)
Like Call of Cthulhu, it seems to shows its amateur roots, but I don’t expect to mind much. Whereas CoC went with a classic silent film look, here they’re trying for a little noir. Nifty. Lovecraft has been tough to adapt, at least for Hollywood. These low-budget efforts know their audience. I hope they do “Shadow Over Innsmouth” next.