UPSTATE NY, USA – A long time MU Plus member of the Australian based podcast Mysterious Universe recently shared with his wife a tweet showing an image of a long lost Bigfoot board game. SG’s [redacted] wife secretly tracked down the discontinued board game, and surprised him on Father’s Day with the gift.

“I was so impressed that the hosts dug up this image,” recalled SG. “I happened to show my wife the image and we had a good laugh…a few weeks later I was surprised over Father’s Day breakfast as she had magically tracked one down.”

Experts believe bigfoot (aka Sasquatch) to be a fearsome 7 to 8 foot creature, that eludes mankind by living deep in forests throughout the world.

However, this board game portrays the beast as a sweet-smiling puffball who inappropriately touches tiny, unsuspecting children.

After ripping the packaging off, the family of five decided to play. That is where the fun ended.

“A plastic Bigfoot is moved around the board, effectively pooping out chips from his backside,” explains SG. “Then, with no rhyme or reason, players are encouraged to roll a set of dice and move aimlessly around the board…it made no sense.”

SG explains that after 2 minutes, his teenagers showed signs of agitation, a drastic loss of attention (began texting), and left the table abruptly.

“It’s bad enough keeping my name out of the press for a sighting,” explained SG. “But playing the game is completely humiliating…I can never let anyone in my life know about this. My Father’s Day was ruined. It’s hard enough to get my kids together for a meal these days…thanks alot Bigfoot you F*****!”

The Milton Bradley Company has declined comment, pending further investigation into the matter.

[Thanks Steve]

Hey MU Groovers!

We want to wish you all a happy and safe Easter and give an extra big thanks to Plus+ members for supporting the show.

Just a little FYI – There is no regular show this week. The Plus+ episode will come out on Thursday and a Music Special for all listeners will be released on the weekend.

Thanks from all the MU Team

As many of you will know, my love affair with the positive effects of negative ions generated from items like salt lamps is still going strong. However I have a new ionic mistress… her name? Elanra

Would you like some salt with your lamp? No? Well then perhaps you should seek your negative ions from The Elanra by the Australian based company Bionic Products. I have longed to buy an Elanra as it has been long touted for its incredible health benefits. I finally I bit the bullet and purchased one. So far my experience with it has been incredible.

First, let me explain. When I was a child my parents insisted on running this monstrous machine in the bedroom that made noises that I could only attribute to it containing horrific childhood monsters. This was the ionizer of the 80′s. Despite its noises my parents insisted on running it through the winter to ensure I didn’t get a cold. Surprisingly, it was very rare that I missed school because of colds or flus. The Elanra of today is much different.

The Elanra has done away with these giant horrific machines of the 80′s and compressed an incredible machine into a compact portable health improving device. Elanras produce small biologically active negative ions of oxygen which can be ingested into the body.

PROS

Inhaling the small negative ions of oxygen produced by the Elanra Ionizer helps your body to regain its own natural balance. Restoring this balance has been shown to produce many positive benefits including:

• Less susceptibility to colds and flu
• Less fatigue
• Natural detoxification of the body
• Improved sleep, relaxation and meditation
• Comfortable breathing
• Relief from allergies and hay fever
• Relief from sinus congestion and inflammation
• Enhancement of the body’s natural defence mechanisms
• Decreased stress, irritability and tension
• Increased alertness
• Increased work productivity
• Improved concentration
• Maintenance of normal functioning of all body systems

So what of these claims? Do they really work? In my experience… YES

I really wanted to do a through review of this device so I have carried it around in multiple situations for the past week. First I ran it the second night of the Nexus conference in the hotel room. I woke up refreshed and felt strangely full of energy.

Once I got home, I put the Elanra next to my bed and ran it while I slept. Again, I woke up feeling great. One of the most compelling experiences I has was when I ran Episode 407 by myself. I was up until 4.30am recording, yet while I felt tired, I didn’t feel exhausted. I then got up the following morning at 9am and felt so energetic that I went out and got a heap of errands done that I had been putting off for a long time.

On top of everything else, with the Elanra running in the studio by day and near my bed by night, I have finally rid myself of this nagging cold that has been affecting the production of our shows recently.

The Elanra is available in 3 different models (I picked up the MKIII) and can be purchased from negativeions.com Each device has multiple user selectable programs and there is a model to suit your needs.

Don’t believe it? Check out the scientific peer reviewed articles which back the Elanra. Additionally, the Elanra by Bionic Products is the only ionizer approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration. Trust me, they don’t approve anything without strict scrutiny.

CONS

One drawback that may stop you from purchasing the Elanra is the price. The smaller units start in the $200 price range with the largest units sit around $700-800. I must say though, the build quality is incredible and you really do “get what you pay for”.

I had noticed that I was waking up feeling slightly dehydrated, however I think it was just the fact that I don’t drink enough water in the first place. Since placing a glass of water by my bed and drinking more during the day, this feeling of dehydration has dissipated.

Finally, this is a electronic device that does produce charged particles, hence it must be kept away from electronic devices. The other day I witnessed Ben get a large shock when he touched the device after running around on our highly static studio carpet. It’s not dangerous and the device adheres to the high Australian electrical device standards. It was just a bit shocking (pun intended).

In Conclusion

While the Elanra isn’t cheap, the high quality of the build and the amount of health care costs it will save you, its worth every penny. You can check out my interview with Josh Shaw the inventor on the Elanra in Episode 407 of Mysterious Universe. Please also note, Bionic Products have not paid us for any advertising and I purchased the MKIII myself.

The benefits of this device just need to get out there!

Check them out at www.negativeions.com

At the beginning of our week off Aaron and I sat down with Joe and Lando from the The Ozone Nightmare for a fun two part recording with no particular topic or agenda.

Plus+ subscribers will find Part 1 of the show in their feeds while Part 2 is hosted over at The Ozone Nightmare.

Keep in mind this is not a Mysterious Universe episode and the subject matter is pretty “off topic” from our regular bread and butter. Expect video games, comics, movies etc.. oh and there’s a lap dance in the first 30 minutes.

Note: Language Warning on this show for sensitive listeners!

Breaking News: Aaron just called me to let me know that he has captured what may be the most important wildlife footage ever recorded. I am absolutely astonished at the quality of this new video.

It is in my mind clear, undeniable proof, that the Yowie, Australia’s Bigfoot, is real and roaming the Australian wilderness.

The ground breaking video is after the jump.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We are now in talks with our new parent company, Fox News, to bring the truth of the Yowie to the world in a Fair and Balanced way.

With the construction of the new studio I went in search of an unusual lamp to add some character to the room. Little did I know I would embark on journey that would lead me to discover the wonders of Himalayan Salt Lamps.

Firstly, let me say WOW! The benefits we have experienced with these lamps in our homes and the studio have been significantly noticeable and exciting. Let me give you a little background…

What is a Himalayan Salt Lamp?

Himalayan crystal rock salt was formed many millions of years ago when the seas dried up. Gradual evaporation, and the conditions prevailing in the interior of the earth, resulted in the formation of a crystalline structure that gives rock salt its typical appearance. Crystal rock salt is the most beneficial, pure salt available on this planet. It consists of the most perfect geometric structure possible in rock crystals and is the result of millions of years of compression under the Earth’s surface. It has a precise mesh with our body’s inner workings because Himalayan crystal salt contains an almost identical set of elements to those found inside the human body: that is, 84 of the possible 92 trace minerals, in the same proportion that naturally exist in our blood.

Research and experience have proven the healthy and therapeutic benefits of this rock salt, especially if illuminated as heat helps it discharge negative ions into the atmosphere that balance the high proportion of positive ions which are released by the use of electronic items such as television sets, radios, artificial air conditioners, dryers and vacuum cleaners. Smoking also pollutes our air with positive charge ions. The negative ions emitting from rock salt lamps freshen the atmosphere and improve air quality by removing harmful positively charged particles from the air, thus also serving as natural air purifiers.

Some of the specific benefits include:

• Improved sleep

• Relief from migraines

• Reduction of the severity of asthma attacks

• Increased work productivity and concentration

• Relief from sinus problems, hay fever and allergies

• Improved digestion

• Enhanced immune system and lung capacity

• Reduction of susceptibility to colds and flu

How did it benefit Aaron and Ben?

Ben and I have experienced considerable improvements in concentration, energy and enthusiasm while putting a show together. Thanks to the wonders of summer in Australia both Ben and I suffer from the occasional bout of hay fever. Since running a Himalayan Salt Lamp in the studio we have both experienced a considerable reduction in hay-fever (except for the MUP109! ~ Ben).

I myself feel especially invigorated after spending a couple of hours near the lamp and Ben had told me he loves having the lamp in his house to help him sleep.

I am really surprised and excited by the benefits I have experienced running these lamps! Pretty impressive considering I purchased the first one solely for the look.

Where can I get one?

Despite living in one of the largest cities in Australia, a search of my local shops revealed nothing. As such I did a Google search and found Natural Gifts for You. The proprietor of this store is Lil Petrovski and she has been as amazing as her lamps! She has an incredible knowledge of the lamps and buying from her has simply been a pleasure. Lil’s lamps come in all shapes and sizes including natural rock formations, spheres, pyramids and fire bowls.

Each of the lamps I ordered arrived promptly and very well packed. Lil also supplies other great products in addition to the Himalayan Salt Lamps. I strongly recommend checking out her store at www.naturalgiftsforyou.com

Unfortunately, Lil currently only supplies her products to Australia, however I strongly recommend our listeners in other locations google a local supplier, get one and let us know how you benefit from these great lamps.

Stay tuned to for an upcoming chance to win one of these great lamps.

Aaron and I have been planning this for a long time now and are both extremely excited to finally launch our new membership service, Mysterious Universe Plus+.

With 13 Season 2 episodes under our belt, and a smooth production schedule in place, we felt we were more than ready to start putting more content out on a weekly basis.

For the full rundown on what Mysterious Universe Plus+ is all about, be sure to visit our Plus+ info page. In a nutshell we offering extended versions of our existing weekly mid week shows and extra full length episodes released on the weekends.

We’re also looking forward to exploring different types of content in 2010 including video (uh oh I need to start jogging!), field investigations, and extended interviews.

Listen closely to the first 5 minutes of Season 3 Episode 1 for an early bird access code and if you were clever enough to sign up to our newsletter you may find a treat in your inbox around about now.

See you on the inside.

Unfortunately Aaron was interstate last week so I eventually decided to save our stories and talking points for this week’s episode. A solo episode was on the drawing board at one stage but got scrapped after a busy end of week, and a complete re-arrangement of our recording space (and gear list).

We are still waiting on our Ready Traps to acoustically treat our new recording space. So don’t be surprised if the show sounds a little “roomy” on our next episode. Needless to say there will be lots to cover on episode 11 so expect a big one this week.

In other news our new online store went live last week selling the 8GB Season 1 USB Sticks. They are selling fast so order now to avoid missing out. We are really pleased with Storenvy’s new system as it enables us to store our stock in Florida, and offer faster, cheaper shipping for everybody.

A short run of Mysterious Universe T-Shirts should be available this month and we are also looking to commission designers for Mysterious Universe themed designs. If you’re interested in designing a shirt don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via our feedback email.

Be back in your ears soon, and don’t forget to follow our Twitter Feed for immediate updates on our recording schedules and podcast news.

The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency has just released pictures that show a dark spot that may well be a portal leading to a huge lava-made cave that could one day serve as an underground moonbase for astronauts.  That is if they aren’t already occupied.

The story reminded me of a brief interview I did about the Seven Sister Caves found on Mars  during the first season of MU with with Mac Tonnies, who died unexpectedly–and far too soon– of natural causes this week at his home in Kansas City.

Through his books and blog, Posthuman Blues, Mac was one of the new voices in UFOlogy a field that has been dominated by men mostly hold enough to have been eye witnesses of the 1947 Roswell crash.  Tonnies’ earliest interest was in Mars.  He published “After the Martian Apocalypse” in 2004, but even before that, in 2000, he took a deep look into the face of Mars on his website Cydonian Imperative.

He had just completed a new book “The Cryptoterrestrials” that is expected to be published by Anomalist  Books.  If you haven’t read his work, here ‘s a good place to start. For a thought provoking tribute we can, as usual, depend on Bruce Duensing at Intangible Materiality.   Below is the original MU interview with Mac, and a departing wish that he now has the answers he sought to solve every mystery of the universe. Godspeed, Mac Tonnies.

Just a quick post to let you know that this week’s special episode will be released on Halloween.

That is if our interview with the Dibbuk box keeper, Jason Haxton, didn’t leave us cursed yet again. Aaron pointed out to me yesterday that as the interview started we experienced the heaviest October rainfall in Sydney in 20 years.

Did we anger the box?

The episode will feature two guests as we are interviewing Jason Offutt tomorrow, who you will know from from-the-shadows.blogspot.com. Jason’s work has been featured heavily on previous episodes and I’m super excited to finally be able to speak with him and discuss his new book, Darkness Walks: The Shadow People Among Us.

If you have any questions for Jason on the Shadow People/Old Hag phenomenon please add them as comments to this post.

See you on Halloween.