Northampton: They All Float Down Here

Faithful readers, can we call just take a moment, be honest with each other and admit that Tim Curry's role of Pennywise the Clown in Stephen King's "It" is the most terrifying thing to ever happen on television? Can we all just admit that that creepy clown has haunted our dreams as children and may even cause feelings of dread in us as adults?

Or is it just me?

I first saw "It" when it was on TV in 1990. Confession: I was probably not quite old enough to be watching something like that. How do I know that I may have been too young? Because I threw up after watching the first half of the miniseries. Now, that could have been because I had eaten too much hamburger gravy, or it could have been that my body was revolting after the terror and stress I had just put it through.

And to this day I still get that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever I see Pennywise, and sometimes when I just see Tim Curry. So you can imagine my feelings when I found out that someone in Northampton, England (which I believe is just north of Hampton, England) was dressing up as Pennywise the Clown and roaming around the streets.

Apparently the Northampton Clown, as he's called, shows up at a random location and stares at people. He doesn't talk, he doesn't juggle, he doesn't make balloon animals or any of the other terrifying things that clowns normally do -- he just stands there and waves. So people began to be, understandably, creeped out by him, and they did what normal people who are disturbed by something do these days - take a picture and post it online.

Here are a few of them:

Oh I get it!

"They all float down here!"

"Don't you want your balloon?"

Great, a clown and a weeping angel in the same vicinity. *shudder*

The pointing makes this picture especially creepy.

The Northampton Clown first started popping up around September 2013 on Friday the 13th (of course). Since that time, his pictures have appeared on the news, he's started a Facebook page and, just last week, his identity was revealed.

News outlets are now reporting that the Northampton clown is a student named Alex Powell. Alex is a filmmaker who made a mockumentary about a clown in a similar getup a few months before the sightings began. However, even though the media is sure that the Northampton Clown is none other than Alex Powell, the Northampton Clown Facebook page simply states, "Don't worry, my identity is still safe. See you all soon! BEEP BEEP!" so perhaps the Northampton Clown is still out there. . .waiting to be found in the dark night.

 Well, I guess it's back to nightmares and bed-wetting for me.

Goodnight.

"Assustar" is Portuguese for "To Scare"

I'm not a hipster, therefore I am perfectly okay with posting something that has become popular. For example, I am one of the few people who still admit that they like Gangnam Style. Plus, this blog's original intent was to keep track of things that I found interesting, and this video is definitely worth saving. So if you've already seen this video, faithful readers, enjoy it once more -- if you haven't seen it, you're in for a treat. . .a Brazilian treat.

Brazilians are known for soccer, guarana, being obnoxious, samba, carnival and girls from Ipanema. However, they haven't been really well known for their practical jokes, until now. Check out this hilarious hidden camera prank they pulled on a few unsuspecting citizens.



Brilliant. Simply brilliant. Bem feito, Brasil!

Now, even though I speak Portuguese, I still can't quite figure out certain aspects of this video.

1. Where did these people think they were actually going?
2. How did they make them think the elevator was actually moving?
3. How did the girl see her way around in the dark?
4. Why did no one take a swing at the ghost? Not that I wanted them to hit an innocent little girl, but some people react in that manner when they are frightened.
5. What show was this for?

If any of you faithful readers know the answers to any of these questions, please let me know. Understanding this video will help the nightmares stop.

Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!

As we all know, good things tend to come in threes. There's the three wise men, the Three Amigos, the three-course meal and the Toy Story films. So today I'd like to present you with three different slices of fried gold with one common theme (hint: the theme is zombies). After all, who doesn't love zombies?

Firstly, I'd like to show you this cartoon, sent in by, alert reader, Tori Morten.

I can't tell you how long I chuckled about this one. It's such a genius connection! I wish I would have thought of it. It's interesting to think of the loveable bag of hay from The Wizard of Oz as an inspiration for George A. Romero, the creator of the modern zombie. I bet it was. I mean, Romero was born in 1940, exactly 5 months and 10 days after The Wizard of Oz was released in theaters - that can't be a coincidence!

Next up, I present to you this house, sent in by, alert reader, Lecia.

 

Ta-da!

So what's so special about this house, you may ask? Well, this innovative design is perfect for a world like ours, a world on the verge of a zombie apocalypse. Inspired by Michael Bay's horrible movies, this house actually transforms into a zombie-proof stronghold. Watch and behold!

Boom! Just like that, you have no weaknesses in your fortress of solitude. No windows for peering zombie eyes, no doors for zombie hands to crush, no overlooked, unused coal shafts for zombies to sneak into. It's a solid stone block. The only way you can get into this place after it has transformed is by a drawbridge lowered from the second story, shown below.

And did I mention that this house is also located behind a giant, retracting stone wall? 'Cause it is.

It's called "The Safe House" and it was designed by KWK Promes and it is located in Warsaw, Poland - proving once and for all that Americans aren't the only people paranoid about a zombie apocalypse.You can see more pictures of The Safe House, including the indoor pool, the lurking guard cat and the floor plans, at HomeDsgn.com.

However, truth be told, the real threat in a zombie movie is hardly ever from the actual zombies trying to get in. It's almost always because of dissension in the group of humans that the zombies are able to gain some ground on the battlefront. Heck, in some movies the humans are the ones with the higher body count. Moral of the story: Don't trust people.

Which segues perfectly into the final segment of this zombie-rific post. This video, sent in by, faithful reader, Jaime, shows just how cruel humans can really be to each other.



I don't know whether to call child protective services or post this on my blog and have others laugh at it. Wait. . .I think I already made my decision on that. . . .oh well. Anyway, this Japanese prank show displays just how uninformed children are about zombie attacks. I mean, seriously, Tabasco sauce? Plastic wrap? What were they THINKING?

I blame their parents. Any good parent should have their children prepared for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. For example, my kids know exactly where my cricket bat and flamethrower are in case of an attack. And, as an added bonus, they also know what plants we can put in the front yard in order to prevent zombies from getting in our house. After all, you can't be too careful.

Until next week, faithful readers!

Signs of the Future??

This story was sent in by, alert reader, Andrea.

Keep watching the roads!!