Guitar Envy

So many guitars….so little time. Yes, I am an aspiring guitar player. I’d like to think I’m at the intermediate level. Of course that doesn’t stop me from daydreaming about having a sort of Excalibur moment — you know, pulling THE guitar for me from a stone, anvil, or maybe even a backwoods swamp somewhere. One guitar which has always piqued my interest is the Michael Kelly Hybrid. (There’s also a Hybrid Special.)

I remember walking into a locally owned guitar shop in my area and thinking, “Wow, I have never seen a guitar that looks like this one.” The first one I saw had a natural almost creamy finish to it and it looked LUSCIOUS. Kudos to whoever designed this one. It looks the way it sounds.

So what is a hybrid guitar? Basically, it’s like a 2 for 1. You can get acoustic sounds and electric sounds from the same guitar. You can also blend the two sounds as well. If you are slightly indecisive (like me), you are covered either way. Michael Kelly still manufactures the Hybrid Special, which costs a bit more than the Hybrid. Unfortunately, the same exact creamy finish is no longer available and spalted maple doesn’t do it for me. Oh well, it just adds to the Moby Dick-like quality of the creamy one.

I’ve seen used Michael Kelly Hybrids priced around $400. Considering it’s really like getting two guitars in one, that is pretty reasonable.

Another guitar concept I’ve thought about a lot is the visually reactive one. There are lots of variations on this theme: thermochromic paint (reacts to temperature), LED pickups, LED guitar necks, Firefly guitar picks, etc. There is a company called Visionary Instruments which offers several different electric guitars along these lines.

I haven’t priced any of their custom instruments, but I don’t think I’ll be buying one soon. Still, the idea is fascinating. Will there ever be one guitar to rule them all? I doubt it. I could go on and on about preferred brands, necks, etc. I think part of the fun is seeing what other design and sound ideas can be developed.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Halloween Battle Royal

Do you have a Halloween tradition that doesn’t include getting your kid’s candy X-rayed at the hospital? It’s a holiday that seems to have had its ups and downs over the years. Personally, I’m not really into horror or slasher films, but I do have a Halloween film recommendation. “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” is a pretty safe bet. Apparently Universal Studio had the comedy duo under contract along with many classic monster-actors like Bela Lugosi (Dracula), Lon Chaney, Jr. (Wolfman), and more. I watched it recently and have to say Lou Costello’s comedic timing was pretty amazing.

While surfing YouTube, I also happened to find two 1970s TV specials involving the band KISS. The first was “The Paul Lynde Halloween Special”, which was your classic variety show format — plus, a pretty talented cast including Tin Conway, Florence Henderson, Margaret Hamilton (The Wicked Witch of the West), and the gal who played Pinky Tuscadero on Happy Days. Even Donnie and Marie Osmond showed up for this thing.

The second was the 1978 cult classic “KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park.” Words won’t really to this cheesy thing justice. It’s basically like a hard rock band in a Scooby-Doo plot. Naturally, it’s set in an amusement park. There are fights with robots, fights with KISS doppelgangers, and plenty of 70s styled special effects. Oh yeah, there’s also some music in it, too.

Do you have a favorite Halloween TV show? Which memorable Halloween costume was your favorite? One year I wore a Boston Bruins hockey jersey (AKA sweater), blacked out my front teeth, and carried a hockey stick as I went trick or treating with my buddy and his little brother. One guy actually identified me as Bobby Orr. (I guess it was open to interpretation.)

So what about next Halloween? There are some other shows and films I’ve got on my list. This year I found out there is one called “Halloween Is Grinch Night.” Somehow that seems appropriate. The most important question…of all the celebrities I mentioned. …who would win in a wrestling battle royal? I’d put my money on Ace Frehley.

Till next time, Keep Your Mojo on the Horizon.

The Great Checkout Divide

I should preface this with an observation from one of my co-workers years ago. She told me, “You don’t do stupid very well.” During today’s lunchtime run to the big box department store, I proved her right – again. I rushed through the store to grab a few of the essentials — 2 boxes of decongestant, a large Rice Krispies treat, and a couple of Mountain Dews. (By the way, what’s the difference between Diet Mountain Dew and Zero Sugar Mountain Dew??)

I should mention that my cubicle-intensive job allows me an illustrious 30 minute lunch break. Also, I park in a garage which takes 5 minutes on the front end and 5 minutes on the back end of every lunch break so it’s a fairly tight deadline. In any event, I had several items and little time to spare. Then came that all-so-important decision: which checkout lane do I choose? Sometimes you can get a good read on how the lines are moving. Today, the self-scan was packed and I thought I’d be better off with an actual cashier. I was wrong.

The woman in line ahead of me had several items so I plopped down the divider onto the conveyor belt separating her items from mine. I glanced at my cell phone for a second, and then I heard the cashier’s voice. The exchange went something like this:

Cashier: OK,…so…now which of these are hers and which of these are yours?

Author: The stuff behind THIS (grabbing the divider) is mine.

Holy Shit! I felt like Elaine Benes explaining what The Big Salad is. “It’s a salad, only bigger, with lots of stuff in it.” Does anyone wonder WHY we have self-scan checkout? I mean the questions then become, “Are the big box stores training cashiers on divider etiquette? Should they really have to do that?” It seems pretty cut and dry to me, but, apparently, it isn’t. In honor of today’s cashier, I am including the Kate Wolf tune “Across the Great Divide.”

Perhaps the plastic or wooden divider just doesn’t come out and “say” divider to her. Here’s a suggestion to remedy the situation. Why don’t the big box stores consider implementing models of historically significant walls and borders to increase awareness about the whole “divide” thing? The Great Wall of China, The Berlin Wall, Hadrian’s Wall. Collect ’em all!! Davy Knowles says “Tear Down the Walls.”

I also thought about a scene from the original “Planet of the Apes” movie where viewers see makeshift scarecrows guarding an area called “the forbidden zone.” Maybe those would make good conveyer belt dividers?

One final suggestion. The big box stores should fasten together a couple of the dividers with a chain in the middle. During training, anyone who fails to get the general idea of the divider concept will have to run a gauntlet of makeshift nunchakus (nunchucks). That or a funoodle. I would apply for the training job in a heartbeat.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Futuristic Groceries & Delivery

Have the machines taken over? “The Terminator” film series may have hinted at things to come. It portrays a world where, basically, machines/robots/artificial intelligence start to think for themselves and run things their way. “They have assumed control” to paraphrase the finale of Rush’s 2112 album.

I’m sure I’m not the first person to study this issue, but it does make me think about “the big picture”. For example, years ago, grocery store “baggers ” used to manually corral and round up the shopping carts from the parking lot. Some still do, but many stores use a machine to assist with this process now. I call it the “The Cart Droid”, but have no idea what it’s actually called. I assume the droid is an efficient way to get the job done. Another “innovation” is the use of walkie talkies in grocery and department stores. Does that seem like a bit much to anyone else or is it just me? Who had the idea to implement Secret Service tactics into your average big box discount store? “Clean up in Aisle Seven. This is not a drill. I repeat: this is NOT a drill!” Nowadays, there’s also some sort of inventory robot you might see roaming the aisles from time to time. (It looks sort of light Kmart’s original blue light special on steroids.)

What brought some of this to mind is a recent article about Amazon getting approval for using delivery drones. I’m just thinking it’s basically impossible to regulate drones to begin with, let alone when they are delivering boxes to every other house on the block. The next question is, will the thieving porch pirates have to register their drones as well or will they just use “stealth drones” to pillage and plunder. Arrrrghh, matey! Maybe there are drones with battle rams on them already or a supersized drone which will just swallow the smaller delivery drone in its jaws? Will the drones have cameras? (I don’t want give anyone unnecessary ideas, but I’m thinking a teenager with a Roman Candle could throw a pretty big monkey wrench into the whole concept of drone delivery. ) Which is worse? Delivery drones with or without cameras? It’s a tough call.

Just to clarify, I’m really not opposed to technology, but it’s hard to keep up. Another thing…much of these technological advances are all being fueled by our disdain for grocery shopping (myself included.) That raises other questions….Will Aldi participate? Because if they do, will you still have to put a quarter in the slot to release the delivery drone? I’m picturing this…in the next ten years, grocery carts will be replaced by something similar to the light cycles from the film Tron.

Maybe someone will invent light cycle roller skates? That would offer the familiarity of actually going down the aisles with the futuristic technology as well. There HAS to be a combination high tech roller derby arena and grocery store for this scenario, right?

My only request is, whatever scenario plays out in my favorite big box stores, please make sure to include GPS with it. I’d be lost without it.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Wizard of Blaaahs

Picture this. It’s mid-nineties, yours truly is browsing the vinyl selection at Record Reunion….then some guy (who looks like Jay or Silent Bob with long hair and resplendent backwards baseball cap) strikes up a random conversation.

Unidentified Dude: Hey, dude, did you hear about that new Pink Floyd thing?

Author: Ummm….no?

UD.: Dude, where have you been? It’s all over the news!

Author: What is?

UD: Get this…Dark Side of the Moon, man….it’s a secret soundtrack to The Wizard of Oz!

Author: Yeah, right – – and the album Wish You Were Here is one for Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.

UD: (staring coldly) Whoa….seriously??

Smart ass comment aside, there really was an urban legend that surfaced about syncing The Floyd’s epic, mega-platinum-album and the film with the flying monkeys. Supposedly, you started the album at the MGM lion’s third roar and there were all of these crazy coincidences that took place between the music and the movie. I watched about 20 minutes of this today (thanks, COVID!) and was pretty underwhelmed. Maybe being sober while watching it was my mistake.

It’s a pretty wild idea. Apparently a newspaper writer in Indiana gets credit for this urban legend. Supposedly the song “Brain Damage” goes nicely with Dorothy’s chance meeting with the Scarecrow.

According to Wikipedia, this Floyd-Oz sync is referred to as “Dark Side of the Rainbow – also known as Dark Side of Oz or The Wizard of Floyd.” The whole idea is kind of crazy if you ask me, but that’s what makes it an interesting topic of discussion. Apparently, a guy named Griffin McElRoy spoofed the whole thing by supposedly doing a sync between the album and Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2. Give the guy some credit!

Oz or no-Oz, my favorite cut on Dark Side of the Moon is “Time.” I think the lyrics are great and the guitar playing of David Gilmour is great. The bass intro is fantastic as well. It’s epic.

I think the alarm clock beginning to the song is pretty clever/unique, but it seems to overshadow the song itself. One time I heard a guitar player say “That’s a special effects song”. Is it, really? I think an acoustic or more stripped down version would still work.

Back to the whole Oz thing…is this what happens when your art reaches THAT LEVEL of mainstream popularity? If that’s the case, then the Paul Blart guy may be onto something. How come none of the five-thousand Star Wars films have made the list? Surely, Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” has to sync with Princess Leia and Han Solo, right? Or what about Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara? I’d like to say more, but I’ve got to sync The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” with Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

I Dreamed I Saw St. Sasquatch

In an effort to ward off “corona-tation” (the condition of vegetating in front of the TV while trying to avoid coronavirus), a friend of mine and I went for a stroll in the park Sunday afternoon. The weather was relatively mild with little wind. I would guess we walked maybe two miles on the county park trail when, all of a sudden, a moment of intense panic came over me. I had my wallet and keys in my pockets, but NO CELL PHONE!! I knew I brought it with me because I had just taken a pic of an unusual-looking-yet-artistic frog tree. My friend took my keys to the car to try calling from her phone while I trekked back in what can only be described as an angry Sherlock Holmes mode. I checked all along the trail, but it was nowhere to be found. The trail basically came to a dead end at a parks maintenance hub with dump trucks and junk like that. I thought that it HAD to be where it fell out of my pocket, but I had no such luck.

Next, I stopped along the trail where my friend showed me what “polk salad” looks like. (We had just watched “Ford vs. Ferrari” the previous night and they played parts of the song “Polk Salad Annie” throughout the film.) I’m sure I still couldn’t identify “polk salad” if it was right in front of me. Nevertheless, I was trying to “Keep Calm and Carry On” when I remembered a spot where I veered off the beaten path to skip a stone in the nearby lake. And there it was. My less than a month old cell phone in the blue protective case was lying face down in the grass with the little light glowing. It still had a charge and it still worked!! As I picked it up, I saw my friend dutifully tried to call me 26 times. Then I thought I saw something move in the distance.

I heard a faint noise and then saw something I couldn’t believe — It was a real, live Bigfoot or Sasquatch. I couldn’t believe my eyes! My jaw was probably on the ground. It was tall and hairy, but the hair on top of its head was pulled into a sort of top knot thing like Gene Simmons from KISS. What was even MORE shocking was it spoke to me.

Sasquatch: Look, I shouldn’t be talking to you, but I heard you make a remark about lake monsters so you seemed pretty cool to me. Don’t even think about asking me for a selfie either.

Author: (Gulp.) Ummm, no problem. I just wanted to find my phone. I didn’t know you guys could talk.

Sasquatch: Humans and their phones! Yeah, there’s plenty of things we can do. We’re not like those barking Wookies in the Star Wars movies. We just like to keep to ourselves.

Author: Yeah, I can relate. You’ve seen Star Wars?

Sasquatch: The first three. My “kind” think Lucas is pretty typical of humans. Innovative, but greedy. I mean how many “pre-quels” do we need anyway? Don’t get me started on the merchandising.

Author: Yeah, I hear you. Sorry, I’m a little freaked out….

Sasquatch: It’s cool. Who’s been trying to call you anyway? Let me guess…CVS Pharmacy?

Author: (Nervously laughing). Well they do call a lot, but my friend was helping me look for the phone. You guys are into movies?

Sasquatch: Yeah, it’s an interesting glimpse into your culture. Some are better than others.

Author: How do you stay so hidden? I mean, I can’t believe this is happening, but it’s daylight and you’re just out in the open…

Sasquatch: Have you seen “Predator”?

Author: Yes.

Sasquatch: Another good example…The first one was good. The spider-faced dude was creative, and Arnold was, too… but HOW MANY stinking sequels do you really need? Anyway, most of the time we have that sort of super camouflage force-field thing. You know what I mean?

Author: Yeah, that makes sense. Great blue herons have some serious camouflage, too. They’re large birds, but they just blend right into the background. I guess it’s like that.

Sasquatch: Yeah, herons are cool.

Author: So.. what’s your favorite movie?

Sasquatch: The Big Lebowski.

Author: Really? I love that movie.

Sasquatch: Somebody just left a bootleg VHS copy of it out by cousin’s place. I also found Bob Dylan’s “John Wesley Harding” on cassette out there. My cousin is one of those publicity hounds. You know that whole MoMo the Monster thing?

Author: Yeah, I remember that. I was just a kid then.

Sasquatch: Your media people are about as bad as ours. What kind of a name is MoMo? Pretty stupid. Anyway, I gotta get going, but I’m glad you found your phone. You’re lucky to have a friend who will call 26 times to help you and harass everyone walking down the path about your cell phone.

Author: Yeah, you’re right. Man, I can’t believe this is happening! You have media outlets?

Sasquatch: We do. They leave a lot to be desired. You know you’re also lucky you didn’t leave that empty energy drink can out here either. Looks like you were thinking about it.

Author: You saw that? Yeah, I was pissed at myself for losing the phone.

Sasquatch: Dude, it’s only a phone. I gotta jet.

Author: You’re right. Hey, are you guys affected by the virus?

Sasquatch: Not like you guys are, but you’re gonna be fine.

Author: Yeah?

Sasquatch: Yeah. Just tell them Sasquatch told you so. I’m sure that will go over. Peace!

…and just like that he vanished back into the woods, and I guess his camouflage force field. I still had so many questions… Why the Gene Simmons styled top knot? I mean, is he a KISS fan, too? What does he think about their merchandising? They have their own Sasquatch Media Network? Do they have digital? I mean he kept talking about cassettes and VHS tapes. I gotta say he wasn’t what I expected, but it was definitely cool. I wonder if I ‘ll see him again…St. Sasquatch, The Patron Saint of Cell Phones Lost in the Woods.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

The Colorful and The Freaky

I don’t know what it is about certain lights and colors (or the combination of them), but I just like them. I never really buy or display Christmas lights, for example, but I enjoy looking at them. Once in awhile I’ll see something that catches my eye and think, “This is how the world should look ALL OF THE TIME.” Sound crazy? I don’t know if I explain it, but I’ll try.

For example, my friend was riding shotgun while I was driving down the street. It was nighttime so it was dark outside. As I drove down this particular street (which I’ve done numerous times), I noticed some sort of flashing lights (LEDs?) illuminating a car wash. I just said, “Man that’s awesome!” Maybe it’s the stark contrast of the bright lights and the darkness or the vivid colors themselves. I don’t know. I’ve always enjoyed a lot of the psychedelic art to come out of the Sixties, but am far from a hippie or a “doper” to use my cop friends’ terminology. The pop art of Roy Lichtenstein is up my alley. I had a pop art phone app on my old iPhone and enjoyed trying different color schemes with random pictures.

Just to clarify, I like looking at and experiencing color. I don’t dress like a middle-aged, male version of “Rainbow Brite.” I recently saw a segment with Conan O’Brien in Japan and his visit took him into a very colorful section of Tokyo.

The description of this video is a “kawaii makeover in Harajuku.” Not really my thing. Maybe I’ll just do this. I’m going to list some examples of things I like. Please feel free to weigh in on whether they’re psychedelic, colorific, freaky, or just plain weird. Maybe I’ll start a roadside attraction with all of them:

Lava lamps: They’re colorful and freaky. Good combo of both.
Ocean in a bottle: This is sort of like a DIY lava lamp. I made one in about 8th grade. The downside is they’re highly flammable.
Blacklights: I’ve never owned one, but this a good example of the colorful and the freaky as well. My cousins had one when I was kid. I can’t remember which posters they had.
Fish aquariums: OK, they don’t always explode with color, but some do. I’m also fascinated by GloFish. I’m sure PETA disapproves. Are they genetically altered to glow in the dark? Betta fish are pretty colorful, too.
Assorted children’s toys: Spirograph is definitely psychedelic. Lite Brite is pretty wicked, too. Is there a way to combine the two? Hmm.
Ferrofluid: Most of the time, this stuff is black and it’s kept inside a glass case. You move it around with a high powered magnet. I think you can find different colors, but you may have to look pretty hard. It’s on my bucket list.
Animation: Bugs Bunny isn’t too freaky, but Yellow Submarine is a pretty good example of explosive, vivid color. They might be edged out by the “hookah smoking caterpillar” of Alice in Wonderland/White Rabbit fame.

8. Claymation: I don’t think I’ve really seen a psychedelic instance of this, but it is colorful. The Peter Gabriel video for “Sledgehammer” is a good example of its potential.

9. Tibetan Sand Mandalas: Definitely have vivid colors, but a little less wind-and-sneeze-proof for my liking.

10. Thermochromic stuff: Sounds fancy, huh? This is like mood rings or coffee mugs that change color due to heat. Very freaky.

There are plenty of other examples/choices…a favorite album cover (Sgt. Pepper is pretty good), sugar skulls (definitely freaky and definitely colorful). I remember a scene in the comedy called “Best in Show” where this couple worships color. I haven’t gone that far. The world isn’t always colorful, but I enjoy it when it is.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

How much sweat could Jim Thorpe wick, if Jim Thorpe could wick sweat?

This blog entry is not about my usual passion for hidden gems in music in movies. Rather, it’s a few observations and opinions on clothing trends. I used to buy a lot more name brand clothing when I was teenager, but I don’t quite as much these days. (I’d rather spend my money on music, movies, and/or junk food.) I remember seeing a TV special on rock n roll music — it might have been the anniversary of Rolling Stone Magazine or something like that. They were talking about fashion in rock n roll. After a lengthy segment on how important a band’s look can be, they cut to Jerry Garcia wearing a plain black t-shirt. He said something like, “My fashion statement is right here.” Nevertheless, two particular mainstream non-musician clothing trends need to be discussed.

The first one is camouflage. It seems to me it was first associated with the military — you know, snipers hiding out to kill you with a single shot and things like that. Nowadays, isn’t it more of a fashion statement? Walk into a large outdoor store like Bass Pro, Cabela’s, or whatever else is out there and there will be rows and rows of this stuff. You’ll see hats, shirts, and pants in camo. I’ve got nothing against it really, but I heard something on talk radio that made me think about in a different way. Someone pointed out people hunted for years and years without it. Hmm. If I visualize the “founding fathers” and pilgrims, they’re usually rocking basic black or military blue. I mean you had your Daniel Boone/Davy Crockett look, but I always thought of the coonskin cap as more of a trophy than camouflage. I don’t hunt and I don’t fish. Maybe that’s why I don’t wear it.

The second fashion statement is the trend of clothes which supposedly “wick away” sweat and moisture. OK, I have a few shirts like this, but this fashion trend/statement is completely out of control. On the one hand, competitive athletes are always looking for an edge. On the other hand, how many of the best athletes in their particular fields had this technology? Wayne Gretzky? Pele’? Larry Bird? Somehow they all managed to be superstar athletes WITHOUT ANY WICKING CLOTHES whatsoever. I put it to a friend of mine like this. “In the 80s, you could go bowling with your friends in your regular casual/street clothes. Nobody worried about any wicking anything at all. Somebody has got to take a stance on all of this over-wicking.”

Recently, I’ve seen some social media posts about phenomenal athlete Jim Thorpe. (He’s probably best known for playing professional football and winning gold medals in both the pentathlon and decathlon.) The post tells a story about someone stealing his shoes during the Olympics and Thorpe just using a mismatched pair from a trash can. It’s a story I’ve read more than once. My gut tells me there was no wicking and no camouflage involved. Just think what he could have achieved if he’d had both!! This leads me to my latest fashion idea. I’m going to start selling mismatched athletic shoes and call them “Thorpedoes.” I’m not sure if the first batch of them should be camouflage, moisture wicking, or both.

Till next time, Keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Blue Ruin

This is a film worth seeing. Fair warning — there are some graphically violent scenes, but the film itself is really more drama than anything. Blue Ruin is the story of a shaggy-looking dude named Dwight Evans (marvelously played by Macon Blair) — I think he could be in the same police lineup with the lead singer from The Spin Doctors. He lives in his car, collects recycling for money, and rummages through the garbage for food. However, don’t let his big eyes, mousy vibe, and lack of a “real” job fool you. He’s got skills, street smarts, and toughness you might not expect.

As the story unfolds, viewers learn someone close to Dwight has been killed in a double murder. To make things worse, the killer is set to be paroled. Dwight takes things into his own hands and that’s where he falls down a Hatfield & McCoy-type of rabbit hole. He reconnects with his sister (played by Eve Plumb) along the way, but it’s not all love and roses. Devin Ratray shines in a supporting role as Dwight’s likable, long-lost friend from high school.

I decided not to include the trailer for this Jeremy Saulnier-directed film because I knew nothing about it going into it, and I loved it. Blue Ruin isn’t a film for everyone. The dialogue is sparse in parts, but the film is never boring. Dwight Evans is very much an introverted anti-hero, which makes his brushes with life & death that much more interesting. On the one hand, he’s a guy who blends into the background. On the other hand, he’s Hellbent on seeing justice served and surviving whatever fallout comes along with it. Macon Blair’s facial expressions are a big part of this film and he delivers.

Blue Ruin is a fascinating film, and a fascinating escape from reality. It makes you wonder what you would do in the same situation.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Monsters! Mysteries or Myths?

Before you roll your eyes, I’m going to tell you this made-for-TV film is a high quality one. Believe it or not, The Smithsonian Institution was involved in its production. (OK, I did find it on The Paranoia Channel, but that’s beside the point.) None other than Rod Serling did the voice over on this film which investigated The Big Three of Cryptozoology: Bigfoot, Yeti, and Loch Ness Monster.

It’s amazing how a few eerie musical notes, combined with Serling’s narration, and some mysterious images can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Now THAT’S good television! I remember seeing this when I was very young, and it’s always stuck with me.

“Monsters! Mysteries or Myths?” takes the viewer on a journey around the globe to exotic places like Scotland, the Himalayas, and even The Pacific Northwest. In my humble opinion, this is the key to all great art — it TAKES you someplace. You hear the Scottish accents, you see the freaky looking Yeti costumes worn by residents of the Himalayas, and so much more. It takes you to the nether regions of your mind. To me, it doesn’t really matter whether any of these “monsters” exist — it’s the remote possibility that they COULD. As the narrator, Serling asks questions and speculates on the possibilities.

One scene I distinctly remember watching as a kid. There was a guy (John Cobb) who was trying to break the world speed record in a “jet boat.” He had the pedal to the metal while cruising on Loch Ness, then all of a sudden….BAM!!! His boat just exploded.

Was it a hump on the back of “Nessie”? That’s what I always inferred from the film, but I digress.

There are interviews with eyewitnesses, scientists, hoaxers, and even a psychologist. I think this film stands up pretty well over time. Some men’s hairstyles are a little shaggier than you might see today. (There’s even a scene with a gal who looks like the Swiss Miss Cocoa mascot.)

Whether you’re a believer or not, it’s hard to top these stories. Planet Earth is a freaky place, you might as well embrace it.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!