 | | | DownloadsMysteries of the World (MOTW)Version 0.1 | | | This is a KFCP ... No, not Kentucky Fried Chicken Plate ... KFCP stands for
"keyword-focused content page". This Tier 3 web article is based on the keyword "downloads". The Complete Book of the Unexplained A Thrilling Exploration of the Earth's Most Baffling MysteriesThe Complete Book of the Unexplained is a gripping anthology of the world's most mystifying conundrums. From eerie tales of curses, witchcraft and ghosts, to miraculous accounts of
religious visitations and angels, it covers the complete spectrum of the
unexplained. Combining scientific research, witness accounts and historical evidence, the
authors recount the most bizarre episodes of our planet — and
beyond — in vivid detail. Intriguing secrets of lost civilizations, alien abductions, mystical places,
mythical beasts and stories of life on Mars are revealed, along with tales of
individuals whose remarkable psychic powers have set them apart. Guaranteed to astonish and intrigue, The Complete Book of the Unexplained sheds new light on the deepest, most awesome secrets of the universe.  |  |  |  |
The Weird 100
"TAKE A WALK ON THE WEIRD SIDE"
Sure, everyone's had the occasional odd experience — the car
keys vanishing from your kitchen table, déjà vu , the case of the disappearing beer. Most of them can be explained away. (The dog took your keys; you really have
been here before; your roommate drank the beer.) But what about the true enigmas, the puzzles of science and the universe that
can't be so easily dismissed? Questions such as: - "Who built the baffling monuments on Easter Island?"
- "Did the 'lost' city of Atlantis ever really exist?"
- "What is behind the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle?"
In this fascinating compendium, Stephen Spignesi presents one hundred of the strangest, most mystifying riddles on earth
including: angels and zombies, near-death experiences, crop circles, poltergeists, auras and halos, Nostradamus's predictions, possession and exorcism, The Philadelphia Experiment, reincarnation and past-life regression, Stonehenge, time travel, legendary beasts and mythological creatures, and more! Filled with dramatic photos and drawings, as well as "pro" and "con" evidence
from believers and skeptics alike, THE WEIRD 100 explores the unbelievable while proving that life is a lot more
interesting — and infinitely weirder — than we
ever imagined. |  |  |  |  |
••••Telling the Truth (About Santa, Etc. ...)Most western parents feel guilty about Santa Claus. When the time comes to face
the question about whether Santa 'really' exists, they feel like slayers of
children's innocence or exploiters of their credulity, or both. In cultures
without Santa, other mythical gift-bearers generate similar family crises.
One mother I know cheerfully admitted that the whole story was hokum and
forfeited her children's trust for the rest of her life. A father of my
acquaintance tried to stress the poetic truth of the tale and faced an
embarrassing interrogation about his hocus-pocus with Santa suits, Christmas
stockings and half-eaten mince pies. Another said, 'It's true about Santa the
way it's true in the book that Long John Silver was a pirate.' 'So it's not
true,' his little boy replied. An academic couple, after discussing it
thoroughly between themselves, decided to tell their children, 'It's true that
Santa brings you your presents in the same way that we speak of the wind
hurrying or the sun smiling.' The little boy and girl, who concluded that the
sun and wind exist and that Santa does not, never forgave them for this evasion.
A schoolmaster who taught my own children and had a very pious little girl
tried saying that the Santa story was a parable: 'You don't suppose,' he said,
'that the things Jesus told in the parables actually happened, do you?' The
child ceased to be pious. Fellow-Catholics gave me rival advice. 'Tell your
boys,' one said, 'that the Santa story is an attempt to express the divine love
that is reflected in parents' love for their children.' I felt this was good
doctrine but that there was no place for Santa in it. 'Of course Santa exists,'
the other asserted. 'He's Saint Nicholas, mediating for children.' I was
prepared to admit this but felt that it tended to make the image of the
gift-bearer pagan and abominable - which, I suppose, it is. I still feel the
Santa tale is more than just another of the falsehoods we invent to manipulate
our victims but I have not yet found the sense in which it is true or a way of
expressing it which exactly fits the
facts.
-- Thomas Dunne, Truth - A History and a Guide for the Perplexed (1997)
|
Tagline: | Some helpful download guidelines? ... Maybe! |
The information on this webpage is collated & presentedby Paul Quek, from Singapore BBA (Hons), MAppSci (CompSci) [Bachelor of Business Administration, Honours]
[Master of Applied Science, Computing Science] Check this out: Cool Software! (New window opens)
| Incept Date: | | 05 September 2008 | | Rev'd Date: | | 10 July 2010 |
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Penn Teller Bullshit! Show
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|  Latest Updates!
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PrologBelow are instructions for downloads ... plus some useful explanatory notes. "Haiti UFOs" Video Download Instructions
You can download the entire "Haiti UFOs" video clip, which is quite
short, from these sites (use a "video downloader", as explained further below):- www.youtube.com/watch?v=up5jmbSjWkw
- video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-6759924984687191819, or
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6759924984687191819
- video.yahoo.com/watch/1539467/5224956
- www.dailymotion.com/video/x2qez3_haiti-ufo-video_tech
- www.metacafe.com/watch/766348/haiti_ufo_video/
Michael Shermer VideoWhy People Believe Strange Things (2006 TED Conference in California) Download Instructions
If you wish to view or download the entire "Why People Believe Strange Things"
video clip, go to:- www.michaelshermer.com/2006/02/why-people-believe-strange-things/
or
www.michaelshermer.com/?s=Why+People+Believe+Strange+Things - www.ted.com/index.php/talks/michael_shermer_on_believing_strange_things.html
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T_jwq9ph8k
- video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-5685953896575760284, or
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5685953896575760284, or
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7236653443170147271 - video.yahoo.com/watch/22165/1675684
- www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-8T_jwq9ph8k/
The Shermer-TED video is quite a large file: above 30MB, and even above 40MB at
higher quality.
YouTube and Google Video also offer the better-quality ".mp4", in addition to
".flv".
Whether ".flv" or ".mp4", unless you have a fast Internet connection (such as a
fast broadband), you are going to have a longish World Wide Wait viewing experience due to the slow video streaming.  |  |  | | Video DownloadersBecause of large video clips, viewing them online takes some time
...
Therefore, you'll probably do better if you find a "video downloader"
application to download the video for offline viewing on your
computer.
Video downloaders come in one of 3 forms:
running online (server-side)
— e.g., http://keepvid.com/ and
http://www.techcrunch.com/get-youtube-movie/
(note: may not work with all sites;
keepvid is more general
);
check this out to get some more help
http://www.cnet.com.au/software/internet/0,239029524,240091346,00.htm browser plugin
— e.g., with Firefox browser, I had once installed the add-on
called "Fast Video Download" (available from
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3590); standalone (client-side) software that you install on your computer.
Video PlayersThen, after downloading the video clip onto your computer —
note that you may have to rename the downloaded file to a ".flv" or ".mp4" file
extension, as well as the appropriate filename (from, for example, "get_video"
or "video.mp4" or an indecipherable string of numbers, to "Michael Shermer -
Why People Believe Strange Things") — you'll probably also
need to download a FLV or MP4 player.
Look for
simple FLV players
— e.g., FLV Player,
Riva FLV Player,
Moyea FLV Player,
Sothink FLV Player; or more generalised players
— e.g., VLC Media Player, or
GOM Player, or
the elegant-looking, or newsy-looking Adobe Media
Player.
VLC and GOM players can also play ".mp4" files, although you may wish to
download Apple's Quicktime Player as well for this purpose.
After trying out many players, I have settled on VLC. Many of the images you
see on this website also comes by way of the "snapshot" function in the VLC
player's "Advanced Controls" ... (Beats having to use some standalone/separate
screen capture software, although they do have their uses ...)
Video Converters & EditorsVideo file-format "converters" as well as FLV "editors" — such
as "RichFLV" and "VirtualDub" — can, of course, also play flash
videos.
With VirtualDub, you must have a "FLV Input Plugin" (filename:
"FLVInputDriver.vdplugin"), plus you must install "ffdshow-tryouts" and do a
couple of settings with ffdshow, after which you can easily
save — using "Direct Stream Copy" at VirtualDub's "Video"
menu — any FLV to AVI. Follow the download-and-installation
instructions from Motiah.net (moitah.net/) to get VirtualDub and
ffdshow-tryouts, and to do all the necessary settings. It's not difficult; just
be patient!
Most of the time, I simply use SUPER, that is, "Simple Universal Player,
Encoder and Renderer" ... very, very useful!
Hurray for FREE SoftwareAll of the above are FREE software that can be installed on your Windows
computers; I never paid a single penny, dime or cent. Oh yes! Linux and Mac
users also have their own free players, naturally; just Google "flv players,
linux .or. mac, free" to find these FREE software. |  |  |  |  |
Ruwa-Zimbabwe 62-Children's
3rd-Kind Close Encounter Video EpilogHope the above instructions are helpful ... Actually, technology ever moves forward, so that downloading has become easier
and easier as time moves on ... For example, for downloading YouTube videos
while using the Firefox browser, I simply installed one of my really favorite
"add-on" — that is, "Video
DownloadHelper" — and just click on the "icon" on the left of
the video title on the YouTube page and presto! I get the video downloading
without any fuss at all. This is the 21st Century ... It's now that simple:
click and download! | | | |
In general, we are a website about the Mysteries of the Universe (where 'World' = 'Universe') ... and the term 'Mysteries of the Universe', of
course, encompasses the more staid and serious scientific Mysteries about the
Cosmos, aka Universe, including such mysterious topics as Supernovas, Black Holes, Red Dwarfs, Pulsars, Neutron Stars, and Galactic Superclusters, Clusters and Groups .... For the more sensationalised Mysteries, we are thus also a site that examines
the Mysteries surrounding the controversial and perennially-interesting Roswell Incident, UFOs, Aliens, Anti-gravity Propulsion Systems and the like ... We also deal with - Strange & Elusive Creatures — which we may also called Cryptic Creatures, or Cryptozoological Creatures (or, simply, "Cryptids") — such as the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland and Bigfoot in the USA (so that on this site, you will eventually find a comprehensive
Index of all so-called Cryptids);
- Puzzling Places — also known as (aka) Phenomenal Places — such as the Bermuda Triangle (aka Devil's Triangle) off the coast of Florida where many or several planes
and ships have mysteriously and completely disappeared (there will be an Index
of such Puzzling, or Phenomenal, Places);
- Alluring Artifacts — aka Alluring Artwork or Curious Artifacts & Artwork — such as the Baghdad Battery and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa (aka the 'Magdalene'??? — maybe!) (there will be an Index of
such Alluring, or Curious, Artifacts & Artwork);
- Monstrous (and/or Mystifying, and/or Mysterious, and/or Marvellous) Monoliths,
Megaliths and Monuments such as Stonehenge in England; Ancient Pyramids & Ziggurats in Egypt, Ancient Mesopotamia, and Latin America; and the Sphinx in Egypt (there will be an Index of such Strange Stonework, Mindbending
Metalwork & Wonderful-Wondrous Woodwork); and
- Spellbinding Bible and Jesus Mysteries & Codes (e.g., Da Vinci Code and the 'Magdalene') as well as other Strange Religious Mysteries and Mystery Religions (there simply will be a humongous Index of such Religious Mysteries, due to
the human race's predilection for, and pre-occupation with, the Divine, the
Spiritual and the Transcendental);
and so on and so forth (other examples of Indexes/Indices will become
available) ... Along the way, we will examine unusual topics such as - Eastern Mysteries (e.g., Zen & Its Mysteries; Death Touch; Shaolin Kung Fu),
- Love/Sex Mysteries (e.g., Mystery of Love; Sex Appeal Mystery), and even
- Intriguing Individuals (such as Quetzalcoatl; King Arthur; Prester John; Robin Hood aka Robin of
Loxley; Jack the Ripper; Hitler; even Yahushua/Yesua Marshiach aka Iesous
Christos aka Jesus the Christ) ...
And, we will also explore to the full the meanings of such terms as - 'Bogosity',
- 'Unexplained Mysteries',
- 'Unsolved Mysteries', etc ...
This includes an examination of the various terms associated with what I call 'The Fringe' — - 'Fringe Science',
- 'Pseudo-science',
- 'Weird Science',
- 'Bad Science',
- various pseudo- or alternative fields (e.g., pseudo-history; alternative
archaeology; alternative geology; Creationism; Intelligent Design),
and
- 'Conspiracy Theories' (e.g., 911; Lincoln Assassination; JFK Assassination),
- 'Urban Legends or Urban Myths' (e.g., "crocodile in the sewers"), and the like.
Eventually, this site will grow to such an extent that it really will become an
all-inclusive and comprehensive Index of these and other Mysteries of the World ... proceeding from the Index Page, to every other webpage and every 'web article' ... As we are still an evolving site (and blog), our current system of arranging
the Index of Mysteries (as it were) is a tentative one ... ultimately, we
will achieve an Index (or system of pointers) that can bring you, the
reader-cum-viewer, to each and every known Mystery, either directly or via
various cross-referencings ... The Science of the Librarian will come in handy here, I am sure! To re-iterate: this site will eventually become an all-inclusive and
comprehensive Index of Mysteries ... such an Index cannot be build up in a
day, even with an army of eager beavers at work ... so that the Index will be
growing, day after day, week after week ... Wish us luck and pray for us for
God's blessing on this project. | | | | |
| | | | Caveats to Mysteries Explorers, Investigators & Students ...
In this web site, our aim is to see whether we are any nearer to understanding
the 'Mysteries', and even perhaps to see whether we are close to 'solving' them or reaching
some other kind of closure. Please note that, although I am not a scientist, I am quite Science-grounded so
that this site is also Science-grounded ... and I embrace such ideas as are
embodied in: Occam's Razor, or the principle of parsimony — to look for the simpler explanation or solution.
The following brief note from Louise B. Young's The Unfinished Universe (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1986) is rather interesting and
pertinent: ... it sometimes happens that the same set of facts can be explained in two or
more different ways; when this happens the simplest explanation is preferred. A
principle known as "Ockham's razor" (proposed by William of Ockham in the
fourteenth century) says that it is unsound to set up more than one hypothesis
to explain a phenomenon when one will suffice. And this principle has been
respected throughout scientific history. The significance and elegance of a
scientific theory are measured by its simplicity and the degree to which it
makes sense out of what appeared to be unrelated and disorderly facts. the cautionary exhortation of the Nobel-prize winning physicist Dr. Richard Feynman — that the easiest person to fool is ourselves, and that we
should be aware that we do not get caught up in 'cargo cult' sciences and
practices (of the advertising people, politicians, educationalists,
sociological sciences, especially); the admonition of CSI (previously CSICOP) founders Dr. Carl Sagan and Professor Marcello Truzzi, to any investigator and explorer and student — that
"Extraordinary
claims require or demand extraordinary evidence (or proof)"; and the mind- and eye-opening presentations and writings of Dr. Michael Shermer, Executive Director of the Skeptics Society and Publisher of the Skeptics Magazine — e.g., how our "cognitive bias" (which could be
inborn-innate, learnt, and even suggested to us by another person) make us
believe in "strange things" or "weird ideas", such that these bias affect what
we think we 'see' or 'hear' or 'perceive', especially when we fool ourselves in seeking
and seeing familiar patterns such as faces, figures and pyramids on Mars ... or
the Madonna on bread buns and glass fronts and tree barks ... or the Loch Ness
'monster' and plesiosaurs and so-called 'paranormal creatures' or 'cryptids
(cryptozoological creatures)' and also UFOs and ETs/Aliens in vague photos and
videos (usually at someone's suggestion) ... or even hearing the word 'Satan'
and 'Hell' in reverse-playing music or songs (and this recognition can
dramatically increase after someone's suggestion of the keywords to listen out for)!
However, note the following caution from Dr. David Noel Friedman (who is described as a "Dead Sea Scrolls Scholar for Over 50 Years") and Dr. Pam Fox Kuhlken in their book What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls and Why Do They Matter? (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdman's Publishing
Company, 2007): Two favorite mantras of mine are "Be skeptical", which you have to be if you're
a scholar, and "Be especially skeptical of the skeptics", because skepticism is
too easy a position to assume. If someone routinely says of every new
discovery, "It's a fake", then they dismiss it and it's over for them. They
never have to change their minds or consider new ideas. The fact is, every new
discovery may open a door we didn't even know was there.
I'll tell you something about spotting fakes, though. The fact that we have
found something we haven't seen before or don't understand doesn't necessarily
indicate a forgery. On the contrary, if it's a fake, we would expect it to
conform very precisely to authentic material that has already been found.
Otherwise it wouldn't convince anyone. Who would take a chance like that? And
the argument that fakes turn out to be clumsy is self-defeating, because that
would mean that a fake attempts to be exposed, when it actually intends to
elude detection.
| | | | |
| | | |
It's incredible the things that people believes in ... such as Cryptozoology,
with its collection of impossible-to-find 'cryptids' (aka 'paranormal'
creatures), prominent examples of which are Bigfoot or Sasquatch , the Loch
Ness Monster, Skunky, and Chupacabra. "Penn & Teller [Bullshit!] - Cryptozoology" (Excerpt)And, of course ... as an intelligent and non-gullible person, you should not
believe in such nonsense, unless there is proof! Extraordinary claims must be accompanied by extraordinary evidence
or proof. But so far, no such evidence or proof has been offered that would
satisfy anyone whose explorations are reality-based or whose investigations are
truth-based ... such reality- and truth-based
explorations-investigations are
conducted by the mainstream scientists (like the late Nobel-prize winning
physicist and all-round maverick, prankster and amateur bongo player, Dr.
Richard Feynman) as well as by the professional skeptics (such as the famous
and much-sought after speaker who is also the Executive Director of the
Skeptics Society, Dr. Michael Shermer). It is so easy to fool ourselves — many of us are surprised to learn that
the easiest person to fool is often ourselves! — as Dr. Feynman warned us
when he gave a lecture about Science, especially that bogus variety that he
called "cargo cult science". We also tend to see what we want to see or we believe what we want to believe
— as Dr. Shermer observes and cautions in his writings and many
presentations in conferences and appearances on TV. "Cognitive bias" and/or "perceptual errors" are terms that Dr. Shermer uses to refer to the matter. Besides errors of cognition, there is also a tendency to interpret many things
according to our affective bias, meaning an emotive state which is engendered by being easily influenced
emotionally by events ... And we should be aware that we also may be plagued
with 'selective memory' to boot, so that we interpret events out of the time
sequence in order to fit our beliefs, prejudices and interpretations of the
events ...
Unknowingly, many people suffer from both cognitive and affective biasnesses
— I happen to know a few of them in the real world, but these people
don't seem to live in the real world ... For example, while declaring themselves as members of 'the church' or 'the true church' or 'the universal church' or some such nomenclatural claptrap — which means a situation of 'rituals without relationship' with God;
where they practise or embrace non-Biblical 'traditions' and ideas, including
pagan ideas such as the Winter Solstice festival known as Christmas, or such as
the Spring Equinox-related festival known as Easter, or such as the 'Good
Friday' which can't obviously be true because the Gospels say that the Messiah
rose on Sunday morning after having declared he will be dead for 3 days and 3 nights and it will be nothing less than the sign of Jonah who also was in
the belly of the marine beastie for the same duration ... etc., etc., etc.,
etc., etc. ... especially as many of these traditions and ideas are explained
in extra-Bible sources and appear nowhere in the 'canonical' books; or they
believe in such nonsense as "Perpetual Virginity", and they break the Second of
the Ten Commandments with their crucifixes, crosses, statues, stained glasses,
and pictures, etc.; in other words, they've got their religion, which is simply equal to 'form without power'; — they still secretly [sheesh ... mustn't let the priest or deacon know about it!] consult the I-Ching book as well as Feng Shui 'masters' (or other equally esoteric texts or so-called 'authorities' or
'gurus') when going about their lives, e.g., when buying
properties/real-estate, or decorating or renovating their homes, or making
investment decisions, or planning some trip or journey! And they use traditional or alternative or folk medicine when sick or unwell
... unless the illness is really something major or life-threatening, in which
case, suddenly Western medicine, or surgery, or therapy, seems to be the Real
Deal ... or Real Thing! It's so sad to see such delusions and gullibility operating in their lives! They really need to get a handle on their lives — they really need to
"get a real, scientific life"! They are so proud that they are so 'open-minded', being able to visit this or
that shrine or temple or place of worship, etc., etc., etc., ... showing
respect to idols of stone and metal and wood. Actually, their minds are so
'open' that they haven't got any to speak of or to use! As Penn & Teller would say, it's all unadulterated BULLSHIT ... and, perhaps,
horseshit as well! Let's look for the simpler explanation rather than the dramatic or sensational,
and often, impossible, explanation — applying with care the principle of
parsimony (where less is often better), or Occam's Razor. Remember: a possibility does not equal to a reality! Many things are
'possible'; they have a tiny chance or probability of occurring, but they
usually do not happen or cannot happen at all. Finally, if you want to see if you are delusional, biased, prejudiced,
gullible, and totally ungrounded in reality or Science, then check out whether
you have fallen into the trap that I call 'The Fringe'. | | | | |
Cheers! Paul Quek
Webmeister
Woodlands, Singapore | Incept Date: | | 05 September 2008 | | Rev'd Date: | | 10 July 2010 |
| |
or 
) ...
— please click the audio player below:
