Friday, January 10, 2014
Book Review: The Man Who Filmed Nessie by Angus Dinsdale
Truly excellent book on a largely forgotten Loch Ness Monster researcher
This is not so much a book about the Loch Ness Monster (although it does form part of the story) as it is about the man who got a film of Nessie in 1960, Tim Dinsdale, a former aeronautic engineer who gave up that career to chase monsters. It is a loving biography written by his youngest son which details Tim's early life in China and emigration to England as a young boy. Tim read an article in True Magazine in 1959 about the mysterious creatures of Loch Ness which prompted him to take journeys from his home in England north to Scotland (within driving distance) taking all kinds of equipment with him, including specialized cameras and lights and all kinds of supplies. He eventually began using a boat, using the boat to drift in the Loch with his camera set up. In April of 1960, before he got a boat, he filmed a possible Nessie creature from the shore. He also took a second film of a boat in the same location about an hour later for comparison and the object he filmed was different and larger than the boat. He took part in several Nessie hunts and expeditions and even lectured at different schools and colleges and other functions in England and Edinburgh. He did have other sightings of Nessie, but never again got it on film. He worked with several organizations including the Academy of Applied Sciences (headed by Robert Rines) and one individual used an autogyro to fly over the Loch searching for the creature. The author and his family would accompany Tim on some of his expeditions and even help out on occasion with technical aspects. Tim lived a rich full life, and when he passed away in 1987, he had gained more fame than he expected because of his film. All in all, this book is really a wonderful read and a tremendously entertaining biography. I give this one a 10 out of 10.
This is not so much a book about the Loch Ness Monster (although it does form part of the story) as it is about the man who got a film of Nessie in 1960, Tim Dinsdale, a former aeronautic engineer who gave up that career to chase monsters. It is a loving biography written by his youngest son which details Tim's early life in China and emigration to England as a young boy. Tim read an article in True Magazine in 1959 about the mysterious creatures of Loch Ness which prompted him to take journeys from his home in England north to Scotland (within driving distance) taking all kinds of equipment with him, including specialized cameras and lights and all kinds of supplies. He eventually began using a boat, using the boat to drift in the Loch with his camera set up. In April of 1960, before he got a boat, he filmed a possible Nessie creature from the shore. He also took a second film of a boat in the same location about an hour later for comparison and the object he filmed was different and larger than the boat. He took part in several Nessie hunts and expeditions and even lectured at different schools and colleges and other functions in England and Edinburgh. He did have other sightings of Nessie, but never again got it on film. He worked with several organizations including the Academy of Applied Sciences (headed by Robert Rines) and one individual used an autogyro to fly over the Loch searching for the creature. The author and his family would accompany Tim on some of his expeditions and even help out on occasion with technical aspects. Tim lived a rich full life, and when he passed away in 1987, he had gained more fame than he expected because of his film. All in all, this book is really a wonderful read and a tremendously entertaining biography. I give this one a 10 out of 10.
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
News Updates for 1-8-14
Bigfoot Wars: First Look at Bigfoot
Squatchin (Search for the Bigfoot) 2014
Nessies of the Multiple Kind
Monsters & Mysteries in America: Behind the Scenes
The Bishopville Lizard Man
BFRO Investigator Invites Bigfoot for a Swim
Squatchin (Search for the Bigfoot) 2014
Nessies of the Multiple Kind
Monsters & Mysteries in America: Behind the Scenes
The Bishopville Lizard Man
BFRO Investigator Invites Bigfoot for a Swim
The Bay Area has apparently won the lottery on new species discovery, as scientists there have uncovered 38 new species of ants, geckos, barnacles, sand dollars and sea fans along with many others. They even discovered a new salamander in their own California backyard. All those discoveries were made in 2013, which goes to show that we really haven't seen all there is to see here on earth. Meanwhile, a W.Va. biologist discovers new crawfish species, names it after legendary Hatfield clan. He dubbed the creature Cambarus hatfieldi which is okay, we suppose but we really thought it'd be much more entertainingly epic to name it "Devil Anse"...And speaking of entertaining, check out these absurd birds that take shape when Bird Taxidermy Imagines Bizarre New Species. If birds with pompadours and dreadlocks were to show up on our back porch, we'd consider taking up birdwatching.
Where The Wild Things Aren't Sydney Morning Herald
Aside from the thylacine hunt that's made the news recently, Australia's cryptozoology research efforts also extend to the ongoing search for Yowie, Bigfoot's Aussie cousin. Rex Gilroy, "father of Australian cryptozoology", says that the idea that Yowie is a tall, hair covered ape is completely wrong. Instead, he says that "Yowies are a living form of Homo Erectus." Gilroy believes that there are tribes of Yowie living in certain secluded areas of the Australian outback. So far, the Yowie haven't made themselves available for photos or videos, but Gilroy is determined to find them. In his spare time he also hunts for evidence of black panthers who are a little less shy and have been spotted all over the country...So, What does Bigfoot look like? Andrew Holmes says that a close look back along the branches of the Ape family tree might yield big clues to Bigfoot's appearance with Gigantopithecus, an ancestor of modern apes that stood 8 feet tall. Holmes adds that one thing is for sure about the ongoing mystery--that Bigfoot definitely does not resemble in any way the "body" that Rick Dyer is hauling around the country. And lastly, Bradford Today is wondering if this video is Real or fake Bigfoot footage from Pennsylvania? There's not a chance that the video is real, but this video is actually a very good example of how to spot a fake. Think about it—what's more likely, that an extremely lucky witness just happened to get a perfectly shot video of Bigfoot who thoughtfully strides across the field of view in a straight line or a guy and his buddy rented an ape suit and shot a quick spoof video to stick up on YouTube? Another big clue is that Bigfoot is not blurry. As everyone knows, real Bigfoot have a built in defense mechanism that automatically blurs them from view preventing clear photos or videos!
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