X-Files Stuff in the News!

I mean, I would love for half the stuff I see in sci-fi to be true right now. You know what I am talking about, don't you? I would love to be able to zoom through "Space the Final Frontier" in the comforts of the Starship Enterprise sipping margaritas with Jean-Luc Picard while watching the stars fly by. Maybe that babe, Counselor Troi, could join us.

Yes, I can tell the difference between truth and reality (sort of). It's fun to pretend but I know when the pretense stops—or do I?

Another kind of sci-fi on the caliber of the "X-files" has been going on lately and I want to know just what in the name of Agent Mulder is going on?

I wrote a week or two ago about the exploding toads of Germany.

"I cannot get out of my mind the exploding toad phenomenon reported in the Altona district of Hamburg, Germany. This was taking place at the end of April 2005, causing a ghoulish and macabre mess that confused the hell out of scientists. They had taken to calling the district the "pond of death".

They think they may have solved this little grotesqueness with the explanation of some peckish toad-liver-stealing crows. I don't buy that at all.

On May 18th, a report appeared in the Associated Press about a scene right out of Hitchcock's "The Birds" occurred in Houston.

Apparently, some rather miffed Grackles (a large and loud crow-like bird) have gotten it into their little pea-sized birdbrains to attack the good citizens of Houston. These attacks have become so vicious that people are being injured.

"The grackles zeroed in on a lawyer who shooed a bird away before he tripped and injured his face, Jue said. The lawyer was treated for several cuts." [1] Can you believe this?

One woman was knocked to the ground, according to the article, and had to be helped up by two men who were also attacked. All three had to flee into a nearby building to escape the Grackle attack.

So what set off this flock of Grackles? And note that they are large and loud Crow-like birds. Is there a connection between the toad-murdering crows of Germany and this Houston event? Don't you want to know?

Then, lo and behold, Reuters' news service reported that on May 19, a sleepy little Russian village's lake simply DISAPPEARED overnight! Imagine that! You go to bed telling the wife that you will be up before the crack of dawn to go "Wet a Hook". You get up, eat a little something, grab the gear, and walk down to the lake, only to find that it is gone--Poof! [2]

I assure you I am not making any of this up. An entire lake was there when the Russians went to bed and the next morning it was gone.

Get this: The article is entitled, "Lake Disappears, baffling villagers". They find it, what, a little baffling? I wonder if TERRORIZED would have been a more appropriate word? Baffled just doesn't cut it. I am thinking that an overnight disappearance of an entire lake would elicit a little stronger reaction like,

"Ìû òÿíåì íàøèõ èøàêîâ èç çäåñü".

This roughly translates to,

"We are hauling our butts out of here."

Just what the devil is going on here? Exploding toads in Germany (the explanation was NOT conclusive), vicious people-attacking CROW-like birds in Houston (authorities had to close down that section of the street), then the overnight disappearance of an entire lake.

Just where are Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Skully when you need them?

[1] Hostile Grackels Attack People in Houston; Associated Press

[2] Lake Disappears, baffling villagers.