Lurking Fear

“The ‘Net is a waste of time, and that’s exactly what’s right about it.”

William Gibson quote

For a few brief seconds of the 2001 IMAX film “Great North” a dark figure is seen on the far side of a river. The figure, which went unnoticed for 9 years, seems to startle part of caribou heard that the crew was filming crossing the river. While the figure is currently unidentifiable in copies of the film available online, big foot researchers are currently attempting to track down the filmmakers in the hopes of being able to find a print of the film at the full IMAX quality for further analysis. If they are able to find a high quality version of film, the researchers should be able to tell whether or not the film crew inadvertently documented the existence of an undocumented North American hominid. Until that happens we are left to ponder over lower resolution versions of the clip, like this one taken from Youtube:

The dr’s office is a strange place, you visit when you are sick but are afraid of everyone there because they are sick. They should make sterile individual pods that you sit in when you visit then the Dr. comes around and visits you.

The Voynich manuscript is a mysterious illustrated book written in an undeciphered text. It is thought to have been written between 1450 and 1520. The author, script, and language of the manuscript remain unknown.

Over its recorded existence, the Voynich manuscript has been the object of intense study by many professional and amateur cryptographers, including some top American and British codebreakers of World War II fame (all of whom failed to decrypt a single word). This string of failures has turned the Voynich manuscript into a famous subject of historical cryptology, but it has also given weight to the theory that the book is simply an elaborate hoax — a meaningless sequence of arbitrary symbols.

The book is named after the Polish-American book-dealer Wilfrid M. Voynich, who acquired it in 1912. As of 2005, the Voynich manuscript is item MS 408 in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University. The first facsimile edition was published in 2005.

Recent reads include.
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Stephen King – From A Buick 8
This was a pretty good read, the storytelling was excellent and the story itself was compelling although sometimes was slightly drawn out.

J.D. Salinger – Catcher In The Rye
You cannot go wrong with this.  I decided it was time to re-read it after 20 years or so and I think I enjoyed it even more.

Stephen King – The Dead Zone
A great tale, you cannot go wrong reading this if you like King.  Note of course this is far better than the movie.

Stephen King – The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
This was a very strange book.  The read was good and I am not a sports fan at all so the references to sports I found odd, but it is a major part of the book. 

Ray Bradbury – The Martian Chronicles
Kind of dry to most people I would think but definately worth reading.

Ben Bova – The Green Trap
This is a very fast read, if you like detective novels with a bit of modern references it is real good.

Richard Matheson – I Am Legend
I decided to read this because of the movie and because of the other movies Omega Man, and Last Man On Earth.  It is so much better than the Will Smith movie and I was sad it was over.  I also found out he wrote the story that the movie Somewhere In Time with Christopher Reeves was in.

Ben Bova – The Exiles Trilogy
This is one of my favorite books of all time, a sci-fi classic and a great read.

Jack was getting chased by some villagers from whom he had stolen, when he met the Devil, who claimed it was time for him to die. However, the thief stalled his death by tempting the Devil with a chance to bedevil the church-going villagers chasing him. Jack told the Devil to turn into a coin with which he would pay for the stolen goods (the Devil could take on any shape he wanted); later, when the coin/Devil disappeared, the Christian villagers would fight over who had stolen it. The Devil agreed to this plan. He turned himself into a silver coin and jumped into Jack’s wallet, only to find himself next to a cross Jack had also picked up in the village. Jack had closed the wallet tight, and the cross stripped the Devil of his powers; and so he was trapped. In both myths, Jack only lets the Devil go when he agrees never to take his soul. After a while the thief died, as all living things do. Of course, his life had been too sinful for Jack to go to heaven; however, the Devil had promised not to take his soul, and so he was barred from hell as well. Jack now had nowhere to go. He asked how he would see where to go, as he had no light, and the Devil mockingly tossed him an ember that would never burn out from the flames of hell. Jack carved out one of his turnips (which was his favourite food), put the ember inside it, and began endlessly wandering the Earth for a resting place. He became known as “Jack of the Lantern”, or Jack-o’-Lantern.

I was dreaming the other night that I was in a classroom full of people.   I was moving about and interacting with all of these people some of them in a very in depth manner and after I woke up I started to think about these people and how in depth their personalities and individual histories were.  This led me to start wondering who they actually were, are the entities simply constructs of the brain?  Are the faces from people I have seen in my past, are their stories tied to my personal life of brought about by sheer imagination.

The movement called passive actionism is still in its infancy although it has been around since the beginning of communication. So many people are involved in this movement but have yet to accept or recognize it. The basic tenant of this movement or basic conceptual statement is ‘It’s a good thing I was here/there’. For instance, you were with a friend crossing the street one day, your friend and you crossed and your friend didn’t get hit by a car and die. Seems normal right? Well the reason behind this is your passive action, meaning simply by you being there with your friend, he/she did not get hit by a car, and you actually helped them stay alive. The heroism of this movement is just uncommon surpassing that of firefighters and superheros. It also works at a less physical level, meaning, by just being there things happen, for instance you are at work, a meeting starts when everyone sits down, you can easily state ‘Its a good thing I was here’. Everyone might look puzzled, but any passive actionist in the room will understand and will probably counter, ‘Agreed, its a good thing I was here too’.

Passive Action

Passive Actionism

Passive Actionivity

And who rests up in the attic?
In this house so ancient stands,
amongst its fellows on darkened lane,
weathered, wind beaten, and mildewed from rain.

And why when I rest I hear them so?
Soft steps of children in the dark,
above my head on floorboards creak,
with the soft steps they sag and weep.

Any when did they begin to play?
In this house so ancient stands,
some fifteen years my neighbors say,
the scarlet fever stole the kids lives away.

The dark alley behind the pub
dimly lit
late at night
walk past the butcher and the well
and see the figures shift in the light
they sit well back
from the road
and drink cheap liquor and spirits down
chased from the roads in light of day
scruffy faces, scarred and frowns
but amongst the nameless lot
and older gent rambles on
he tells of creatures under the church
that sits up on the northern empty side of town
he rants and raves, his eyes ablaze, and yells
at all who walk to close
and they just laugh and shrug him off
or treat him like they saw a ghost ( backing away )
but at night when all are asleep
and the moon is obscured by clouds
a distant leathery flapping sound
fills the air.
shadows rising from the abandoned church.
Read more »

In the center of our town
down down on N’amark street
houses divide into a circle
and there in the center the well sits

For years its waters ran the town
people gathered to fill their pails
and drank its clear and cooling draught
and washed their feet, hands, and hair

But on one mourn of hallows eve
when Mayor Colmbert took drunken steps
and stumbled to the wells small wall
then threw himself into its darkened depths

Only one can recount the tale
small Mary Pritchart watched it all
and heard the mayors laughing laughing
then distant splash ending his fall

Oh the well sits unused
once so clear, its waters now brown
they say its the body that was never found
the sealed up well in the center of town

Read more »

The meat market man
butcher, cleaver in hand
goose down piled behind his door
innards, slabs, and haunches hang
clang as he chops
scrapes as he sharpens
The thin red line of blood trickles
out of his side door to the
small sewer in the center of the street

Whomever he greets, he smiles
bloody hands waving and inviting
everyone to the flesh bounty
A slab of pork
A hunk of lamb
Some ribs of beef
Keeping the choice cuts to himself
And giving the fat laden chunks to bums in the street
Makes them happy

Across town
In a dark house a black shadow hangs
Over the inhabitants
The mother weeps
A missing child
Father drinking in the dank living room
‘Nobody knows what happend’ the police say
A tear drops from the mothers face
Into her stew
As a sinewy bit of meat rises to the top of the bubbling mass
A gift of charity from the butcher

Read more »

Along the path deep in the fragrant wood.
A corner turned the carriage stopped on the dirt trail.
A masked man, long coated frop.
Demanded our pennies and all that we have.
Birds singing, the sun is shining,
showing through branches and leaves.
His gun controls us all, each nervously smiling.
The masked man relieves us of our worldly weight.
A cool breeze brushes our white faces,
and in the far distance a laugh echoes through the woods.
Resonating on dew covered leaves that line the path.
Nervous and twitching the masked man gets jumpy.
The fragrance of flowers reaches my nostrils,
just before the sulfrous boom.
Each person falling with each heated blast,
upon the soft moss covered forest floor.
The rumble like a distant thunder,
the sound of his horses hooves as he rides away.
Warm and wet the scarlet flow comes from my lips.
My eyes catch a bird fly overhead as my daylight enters darkness.

As the lights flicker in the room and
my fingers blazing, crack the keys, popping and
the chat room buzz is all docile now, and
morning light shows, dimming cables lose their artificial and
electrical glow. empty.
empty. I can only speak in electronic form. and
I smash the keyboard
I smash the keyboard and
look out of my dirty window..into the street at the people going to work.
the chat room buzz is all docile now.

A genre in its prime these days, the horror film is a work of beauty. Pumped with the deadly killers of retro ‘B’ drive in films and stacked with the antics of sexy vixens and victims, the scream queens of the thriving horror industry are upon us. One of these, Stephanie Beaton, is making a mark in her films and on her fans alike. A veteran of 20+ films and numerous television, magazine and other appearances, Stephanies resume just keeps growing. We managed to get a few moments in email with her and got a great chat….

NR – Did you plan on being an actress, or scream queen?

SB – Actually, I never wanted to be an actress. I always wanted to be a veternarian while growing up. Acting sorta came to me in High School after moving to California. Being a “Scream Queen” was never planned either. It just happened that way by being casted in so many horror flicks.

NR – Does it bother you to be known as a scream queen?

SB – No, not at all. In fact, I love it!! Since I am a HUGE fan of horror, it’s kinda cool.

NR – If so have you always been interested in horror?

SB – Oh YES!!!! I have loved horror all my life. When I was a kid, I remember buying all the Fangoria Magazines and looking over and over the pictures of guts and stuff! I watched horror films when I was a kid again and again.

NR – How did you get invovled in movies or horror movies?

SB – Well, when my career first began, I did runway modeling, calander modeling. That was back in 1993, 1994. In 1995, I did my VERY first film, Unnaturally Born Killer. Prior to that was some Music Videos and modeling jobs. But UBK was my first film. I auditioned and got the part. Part of the audition was screaming.

NR – Do you find a difference ( the work atmosphere )between doing horror type films/tv to dramas or other work?

SB – You know, there really is no difference between doing horror verses other types of films such a comedies or dramas. It’s basically all the same for the exception of the budget and whether its a independant or a A list film. I’ve done both “A” and “B” films. If it’s low budget, then it’s real tough. But there is a lot more creativity going on.

NR – What was your first experience with horror as a child?

SB – Are you asking me when I saw or remember my first film? If so, I was 4 and watched “Phantasm”. If you are asking me my OWN horror…well I can tell you, when I was a kid, my Mom used to tell me of the story of the Bagman and how he gets little kids who are bad. He drives a dark van with tinted windows and he has two black dogs in the back. When you are bad, he comes and puts you in a burlap bag and takes you away, chops you up and feeds you to the dogs. Well, one day, a knock came to the door and my Brother told me it was the Bagman. He told me to look out the window and guess what was there? The dark van! I paniced!!!! He drug me to the kitchen where this man was at the back door and he held me down as I screamed and screamed!!!!! My Mom was there too. But that was my first REAL experience with horror.

NR – Are you into horror films/books/etc in your real life, or is it just a job?

SB – Yes I am into horror. I have a quite extensive library of films, books and all types of dark and mysterious things!

NR – What is your favorite work that youve done? What type of work do you find most satisfying?

SB – Wow…this has to be a tough one here. I really enjoyed playinmg Serena in, “The Evilmaker”. I liked working on that film a lot. But unfortunatly, they casted someone else to play me in “Evilmaker 2″. I like doinf roles which are meaty. I like roles with more pof a character base then anything else. I also liked working on “Bikini Planet” too. That film was a riot to work on!!! It was a comedy.

NR – What type of work did you do before films?

SB – Let’s see, where do I begin! I worked as a 911 Dispatcher for the Police Department, I worked in a Veternarian’s office, Nursing Home, Grocery Store, And I did telemarketing…I sold toner!!!! Yes, toner, for photocopiers! I also was a bookkeeper.

NR – How do you feel about the current state of hollywood, do you find most of the big budget films good/bad. Is/was it a hard system to break into?

SB – Well my opinion of Hollywood isn’t too great! All your fakes, pretenders and losers all seem to flock to this industry and prey or feed on people and they literally will take your soul if you let them. But as far as big budgets are concerned….I prefer the indi scene more so. Don’t get me wrong, I love working on Blockbuster films, BUT working on indi’s are the best!!! The hardest working people around do these types of films. And yes, it IS hard to break into the business. There is no such thing of an over night success.

NR – You have a fan club, how is that going? How large is it? Do you take any active parts in the club?

SB – My club is going well. You know, if I had a members site for the fan club, I could tell you how many people are in it but because I don’t, I can’t tell you. I answer all my email personally. I am 100% involved with my site and my fans.

NR – Who is your favorite actor/actress?

SB – I like Demi Moore, Morgan Friedman, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro.

NR – You have a great internet site, are you good with computers or the internet? Do you spend a lot of time online? How many emails do you get everyday?

SB – Thank you first off. I know nothing of HTML. So I design my site and my webmaster does it all for me. I am completely illiterate when it comes to computers. But I do anser all emails and such. I get about 500 to 1,000 per week from fans alone.

NR -What is your favorite type of music, or band?

SB – You would have to ask me this. I am one of those people who are clueless to the band’s names but just know the song by heart. So I can sing it to you, but can’t tell you who it is. I do like all types of music though…..Blues, rock, Old Rock, Alternative, Techno, oldies, Jazz, etc.

NR – How do you feel about nudity in a film, do you think it is overdone?

SB – Yes I do. I mean, you can tell the cheap low budget films from the big budgeted films JUST by the nudity. The low budget guys seem to think that they have to exploit the woman in their films to sell the films and thats sad. If they wrote a better script they could maybe do better but instead they sell only to a certain market. I don’t think that there is anything wrong with nudity, BUT, when it comes to the late night Cinemax films or low budget films where its raw….YES there is a problem! The stuff aired late night on Cinemax is VERY close to porno. If you are going to do porn, then do it, make money at it but please don’t be crossing that fine line with stupid scripts, ridiculous actors and constant sex scene after sex scene that makes no sense at all!

NR – Do you think it affects film quality?

SB – Yes, having too MUCH sex in films does affect film quality! If it’s done when needed, then its fine but when doing it too much is pure trash and then your film is nothing more then merely trash!

NR – Have you ever done any ‘playboy’ style magazines, or been approached to do any?

SB – No, I haven’t done Playboy. I wouldn’t have a problem with Playboy either, I would LOVE too! In fact, Penthouse WAS cool too at one time, BUT now, Penthouse has gone bad. There photos now are pretty risque.

NR – How about pornography, do you get approached for that?

SB – No, I have never been aproached for porn. I know plenty of porn people but never been asked to do it. Probbaly because I make it VERY clear that I would NEVER do that. So therefore, they don’t ask me.

NR – What is your stance on pornography? Do you feel it should be restricted?

SB – It has it’s place. I think Pornography on the internet is bad. Mainly because kids get their dads credit cards and get in there and watch. But who knows what will happen with this new DA guy, John Ashcroft. He has already closed down many porn shops all across the country and he will start working on the internet too. Which is good because the internet isn’t regulated. Well to a degree it is. You can’t away with murder on it, but it would be a good thing if this Ashcroft guy could start cleaning things up a bit. He is against sex and violnce in films too. So maybe the end of all these late night almost porno films on Cinemax! That would be wonderful if he got rid pof those.

NR -What are you currently working on? What is in the future?

SB -I just rapped up shooting two films actually. One here in Los Angeles titled, “Quarantine”. I play Jenny and I get ripped apart by zombies. That was fun to make. Then I flew to Minnesota to shoot, “Tortured Soul 3, The Willing Flesh”. I just returned from there like 3 days ago. That shoot was interesting. As for whats in the furture…right now, we shall see. I have a few productions lined up.

NR – What city are you living in now? What is a good town for horror films?

SB – I live in Hollywood, California, but I am moving VERY soon. As for where is good for Horror, there seems to be more horror films shot back east then out here in California.

NR – Is it good money making horror films? Is it a living or just a side thing? Have you done work for free?

SB – It’s good money when things are Union. When films are non-union, thats when you can get screwed! So you have to becareful. I have worked for free, back when I first started. I think I worked twice for free, but NO MORE!!!!! No my fees are pretty high. I’ve done well over 30 films so your prices rise as your popularity rises and fame and experience.

Bowling, the sport of the middle class. Played in nostalgic 50′s era mod lanes, or in blacklit, neon modern mega-complexes bowling is now the past time of friends and families all across america. It has been a game enjoyed by many, since its inception in 5200bc by the Egyptians to its use as a religious worship by Germanic monks in 200ad, bowling has had quite a past.

The actual first recorded enclosed ‘bowling center’ was built in London around 1455, but bowling ‘greens’ were being built on the lawns of nobility in Europe since the 1300′s. This original enclosed

center was used by common-folk as a gathering place, to drink and enjoy the game of ‘nine-pins’ ( it was originally called ‘kegels’ ). These enclosed centers spread to other majoy towns in England throughout the next 10 years. The big problem was that the nobility never seem to like commoners to ‘gather’ together in one spot too long, and in 1465 Edward the IV made an edict forbidding ‘hustling of stones’ ( the slang term at the time ) and any other bowling like sport. This took its toll on the sport in England for the next 20 years or so. But the sport again started taking off and gained popularity once again…of course this couldnt last, in 1555 all bowling centers in England were closed, considered ‘places of unlawful assembly’.

In 1611 Captain James Smith is returning to the colony at JamesTown in Virginia to find the colonists, starving and out of food, but happily spending their time bowling. This he finds offensive as the colonists should be working, and the sport is declared illegal and punishable by three weeks in the stocks. The sport although suffering from illegality in many places flourishes in others. The dutch are bowling away in their American colonies around 1625.

The sport again takes its hold on England and becomes widely popular, with new bowling centers opening once again. It becomes a gamblers favorite and many people begin losing their days pay to shady rules, and bowling hustlers. One of the biggest gamblers of the time ( a compulsive gambler ) is King Charles of England. He takes the game, standardizes the rules ( ball sizes, pin sizes, etc ) to make it more competitive and to even the odds out. At this point everyone is still playing the favorite ‘nine pins’.

The sport continues to grow world wide, but especially takes a hold of the United States. The main problem is that by 1840 almost every place to bowl is located next to a tavern ( i gues taverns like to build small lanes to attract customers ) in its ‘alley’…This seems to be the origin of the name ‘bowling alley’. Well drinking, and the good people of the USA just dont mix, in 1870 ‘nine pin’ bowling is banned due to its association with crime and gambling, fortunately for the rest of us there worded the law quite maticulously and a nice fellow brings about ‘ten-pin bowling’. The sport continues to flourish.

In 1895 the American Bowling Congress is formed, and the sport moves on through history. In 1916 the Womens International Congress forms, and everything stays quiet until about 1950 when the first automatic pin setting machine is invented. This causes bowling to gain mass appeal. During this same time, Capezio introduces a line of bowling shoes with advertisements showing upper class ladies bowling.

In 1961 the number of bowling alleys in the US jumps from around 6500 to 10000, at this same time the average neck size per pin is increased make the average pin weigh 7/10 more ounces than previously. By 1963 Americans are spending around 44 million dollars a year on bowling balls and the equipment. The sport continues to grow in popularity to its current day estimates ( by the A.B.C ) to around 50 million bowlers in the USA alone.

The dull hum of neon lights, the stench of sweat and stale cigarette smoke. All these things invaded my senses as I approached the counter at a local adult video store. The clerk, a pregnant Spanish girl with a listless look in her eyes, asked what I needed as I neared the counter. “I’m looking for a snuff movie.” She glanced up at me briefly, then pointed to a well-lit corner of the store. “Everything you want is right over there,” she stated. I was shocked, I thought it would be much more difficult than this. The corner walls were lined with movie boxes, most with leather-clad sex mistresses on the cover. Others showed tightly bound women or men, asses red and blue from severe lashings, each ball-gagged and staring wide eyed at the camera. As I looked over the boxes, each seemed to be what I was looking for, but upon closer examination I noticed a warning in small letters on each, stating “death and rape depictions are for entertainment purposes only, no actors/actresses were harmed in the making of this film.” These were not what I was looking for. These were not the scourge of the Christian right, nor the Holy Grail of porn. These were not real snuff films.

But what is a snuff film, what defines it? A snuff film is a movie (film or video) that depicts the rape, torture and eventual murder of the actor/actress (victim) while engaged in a sexual act. The victim being filmed is not aware of his/her impending death and usually they are young prostitutes, kidnap victims, or girls from foreign countries. The films are made for sexual gratification by the most extreme sadists and are for sale to only the most bizarre collectors. They are said to mainly originate in South America but this might be related to a 1970 film called The Slaughter that was filmed in Argentina. Wel, at least that is what the rumors state. You see, the more you investigate snuff the more it seems nobody has every really seen a snuff flim.

The hype about snuff films really began to circulate in the early 1970s. It seems it started with a letter to the FBI from Raymond Gauer, then-director of The Citizens For Decency Through Law. “They’re producing snuff films now,” he wrote, and went on in detail describing the making and use of the films. The FBI (being a law enforcement agency) was obviously interested in finding some of these films. This began an almost 25 year investigation, that is now revealed through the freedom of information act. It shows that although the FBI has constantly heard rumors of snuff films, they have never actually seen one or been able to purchase one. The one thing about snuff, is someone always knows somebody else who has seen it. Hmmm … quite interesting.

The hype was amazing, the search was excruciating. Al Goldstein, owner of Screw Magazine, once put up a reward of $100,000 to get his hands on one of these films. No luck. In 1976 the FBI thought they were hot on the trail when an underground cinema in Indianapolis announced it had a copy of a film called Snuff. Among the 12 people attending the screening were two agents and a criminal pathologist. The film depicted a gory and amateur-type sex and death sequence, which the pathologist stated was a theatrical staging. Come to find out, to the trained eye cow intestines do not match human intestines. Later, it was also determined that the producer had hoped the FBI would investigate the film to bring him more publicity. Another dead end.

(On a side note, the film title Snuff is actually the early ’70s movie titled Slaughter. This was filmed in Argentina, and is directly related to the persistent rumor that snuff comes from South America.)

It seems snuff is something many want (for various reasons), but no one can find. A San Francisco Chronicle reporter, Rider McDowell, spent over six months trying to track a film down. He talked with pornographers, collectors, police, murderers and others, with no luck. While he did find movies claiming to be snuff, these were all deemed theatrical representations. This search was also attempted by the LAPD, after hearing rumors of satanic cults making snuff films on the beaches in California. This investigation actually went on for a while, but It turns out the eye-witness was making everything up. Geesh.

One of the more famous or infamous snuff legends involved Son Of Sam killer David Berkowitz. It is rumored that Berkowitz filmed the murders of his victims to circulate among the Church Of Satan members. Maury Terry, author of a book on Son Of Sam, states that on the night of Stacy Moskowitz’s killing, a VW van was parked across the street from her death site. This van was supposedly used to film the murder. Unconfirmed reports state this footage was obtained by Roy Radin, a financier and well-known porn collector. It is said that about 10 copies of this film exist, although none have ever been found or seen. The trail continues.

An expert on pornography and obscene material once stated that he had seen a snuff film, and that Scotland Yard had numerous copies of these types of films. But when contacting Scotland Yard, Detective Mick Hames states, “although they have never found any in England, they surely exist in America.” Once again, this is not what the FBI says. What is interesting about snuff films is that it is not actually illegal to view or own one. If one were to turn up the police would have to use local obscenity laws to even confiscate the tape (and only as long as the owners/viewers were determined to not be involved in the murder). The FBI even questions its own ability to prosecute if such a tape were to be found. “Since there hasn’t ever been one found, there have never been any laws enacted against snuff films,” states a California agent.

Members of Screw Magazine state that the snuff film is an urban legend perpetuated by the Christian right to give pornography a bad name. Christians claim that snuff films exist and are the work of the devil and evil pornographers. Police in the United States say they exist in England. Scotland Yard states they don’t have any but they surely exist in the states. One thing is sure, fake ones exist and do a thriving business at adult video stores and online. But what about the real thing? Well, in the past four years, more information has surfaced.

In 1999 we finally get a break in the case. Two men in Germany were arrested for making a snuff film. It seems they kidnapped a 21-year-old girl, raped and tortured her. The only problem was she died before production could finish. They then attempted another kidnapping but this woman managed to escape and alert authorities. So it seems the myth of snuff is not a myth anymore. Also, in Italy, a child pornography ring that allegedly sold films of children being raped and tortured to death for prices ranging from $60-$6,000 dollars, depending on how brutal the film was, was broken up. Hard evidence at last? Or just a couple of random acts?

It only seems logical, in a world where murder can be bought on the streets for a few hundred dollars, teen sex tours can be bought from countries like Thailand and South America, and video equipment is easy to operate and obtain, that these movies exist. And it seems that with the proliferation of image transferring media on computers, this style of film will become more and more real, leaving the back alley world of dark pornography and invading Web sites and mainstream media. That is, if they really exist…

You get a new job, you move to a new town up in the mountains of New Mexico; everything is going great except for the headaches. You chalk it up to the change in elevation, perhaps a bit of stress from the move. But after two weeks the pains still don’t go away. Then one day, as if a switch is clicked, it begins … a low and distant hum. At first you can shake it away, push it out of your mind. But then it seems to gain in strength; not that it’s getting louder, but it’s just so constant. The sound emanates from the center of your head and pushes out, not throbbing, not changing, it’s just there. Within a year of hearing the ceaseless, penetrating noise you just cant take it anymore, and you are forced into an insane asylum.

This is just one of many near-identical stories that tell of this phenomenon, and amazingly enough, they’re not isolated incidents. In the town of Taos, New Mexico, (about 30 minutes from Santa Fe) roughly 2% of the citizens hear this constant noise. While all of them are not driven mad by it, they are positive the noise exists; so positive, in fact, that they collectively gathered enough support to persuade the Congress to investigate the phenomenon. Investigators have dubbed it the “Taos Hum.”

The Taos Hum is said to be a very low frequency noise that sounds like a buzzing or distant rumbling. Some people say it emanates from their head, others say they hear it coming from the ground. Investigators sent in by Congress determined through comparison (not actual measurement of the sound) the noise was indeed a very low frequency, somewhere between 30 and 80hz; The human ear picks up sounds in the range of 20hz to 20khz.

The investigators determined, by broad study of the Taos population, that around 2% of the residents could hear the sound. Because of this rather large percentage, they decided the hum must be from an external source rather than from something like low frequency tinnitus (a condition in which one experiences a constant hum or whine in the ears, suffered by, among others, William Shatner). Extensive tests were done in and around the Taos area, but no background sounds could be measured. Some have speculated that nearby power plants are creating the sound, but this too was ruled out. The investigators, after trying every external approach, even did extensive testing on the inner ears of the people who could hear the sound. This too produced no measurable results. Investigators finally concluded their work, admitting that while the noise in all probability does exist, they have no way of measuring it.

So what is the Taos Hum? What or who can be causing it? One prominent theory holds that some type of government experiment in low frequency earthquake control is generating the sound. Others speculate on some type of submarine communication device, using what is called “ultra-long frequency” waves. But if either theory were indeed the case, why would this strange sound only exist in Taos? After digging a little deeper, it seems these occurrences aren’t localized phenomenon after all.

As it turns out, people have reported the sounds from various parts of the country. A source, who will only be known as “Jude,” says this: “The Taos Hum does not emanate from Taos. It is heard all over the US and other parts of the world. I may leave Taos and not hear it in Kansas, for instance, but then hear it again as I get close to Michigan.” Similar reports have been made by people all over the country. The show Unsolved Mysteries aired a special on the Taos Hum and asked viewers to call if they knew anything about it. From the calls, surveys determined that of 383 call-in responses to the program, about 174 people claimed they could actually hear the noise. The locations of those who could hear the hum were as far-flung as Seattle, central Arizona, Southern California, North Central New Mexico and Colorado, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. What do these locations have in common? Almost all of them claim some type of military installation nearby.

Another interesting aspect of the hum is the insistence by many that it intensifies during periods of heavy military activity. During the Gulf war, for example, many people actually left Taos and other locations where the hum was active because it had become so intense. The intensity makes sense if the hum does indeed relate to ELF or ULF submarine communications.

ELF and the military go hand in hand. The military first conducted ELF and wave propagation experiments around 1969 using antennas that were each about 14 miles long. These experiments went on until about 1976, when studies determined the system would be too vulnerable to nuclear attack. But despite the cancellation of the tests, the Navy continued to develop the ELF communications system. They built new antennas, this time 28 miles long, located at a Clam Lake facility. This renewed development went on until the Carter administration cancelled the project in 1978. It was revived again in the Reagan years in 1981, and this latest system employed 56-mile-long antennas along the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (notice the site correlations), in addition to 28-mile-long antennas in Wisconsin.

But what does all this mean?

The ELF communications system operates with each antenna powered by a 660 kilowatt transmitter. This transmitter broadcasts on the ELF system using U.S. frequency bands 30 to 50 hertz and 70 to 80 hertz. Both of these ranges have been associated with the Taos Hum.

So is the Taos Hum related to the military use of ELF or ULF communications? We can’t be certain. The evidence would seem to point in that direction, but the government has again closed off studies on the subject. Does the Taos Hum even exist? It hasn’t been recorded, it hasn’t been heard by any type of expert and it has been mimicked. But it’s been heard by hundreds of people. They have gone crazy from it, or suffered nosebleeds and raging headaches. Those unlucky enough to be plagued by the sound have suffered greatly for years, and if the government is indeed behind the hum, they owe a whole lot of people one hell of an explanation and apology.

Electric lightbulbs blacken.The traffic lights all go out.