chupacabra

[eternaleyes]

Some New Mexicans say it’s the weirdest thing they’ve ever seen: a creature – and that’s the best word to describe it – found on Albuquerque’s West Mesa. To some, it’s simply intriguing. To others, it’s downright scary. The creature belongs to Robert Wheeler. “It was found out on the West Mesa,” says Wheeler. ”A friend of mine was out there shooting and kicked it out of the dirt.” “It looks like a gargoyle” said Wheeler’s friend Steve Garcia. “It has these sponge-like lips.” Garcia and Wheeler say Hispanics seem most affected by the creature – and what it might be. “[To people of] Spanish heritage, it’s the chupacabra,” says Wheeler. “The goat sucker is what they call it.” A Google search will reveal many images of what people imagine the mythical chubacabra ranging from a demented Grinch-like beast to something more closely resembling the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Wheeler delivered the creature to a New Mexico Game and Fish office where A News crew shot video of it – and recorded responses from people entering the office on regular business only to see the dried corpse. They weren’t sure what to make of it. “Any guess as to what it could be,” A News crew asked one of the drop-ins. “Something prehistoric, I assume,” answered the viewer. After doing some research, It was concluded that the creature probably lived in the ocean at one time and probably isn’t either a chupacabra or an alien.

[Ron Caliburn]

So . . . what's an "ocean creature" doing in the middle of the New Mexican desert?

I call shenanigans!!

[KonThaak]

Well, if the thing was alive before they brought it in, then it couldn't've been a sea dweller. However, if you go out in the Red Plains (I think those are in NM, yes...?), you'll find sharkteeth galore, as well as other oceanic things--clamshells, spiral shells, fish imprint-fossils, etc.

And even if I'm wrong, and the Red Plains aren't in NM, I'm still pretty certain you can find such things in the midwestern deserts.

What I'd like to know is, even if this thing weren't alive before it was discovered (and I was kinda unclear on that, myself), how was it so well-preserved? It sounds to me like either them denying its "supernaturalness" (for lack of a better term) is a coverup, or the whole thing is a hoax they've yet to disprove.

[Ron Caliburn]

It sure weren't no fossil.

[Kolya]

Deserts are pretty good preservers... sometimes. I do not know much about NM deserts though.

[Ron Caliburn]

True, but if the aquatic creature was there the last time there was a sea, it would have either fossilized, or rotted in the still moist environment of 60 million years ago.

This had to be a recent arrival.

[Kolya]

Yea, that is a real good point, Ron.
I sort of forgot the time scales involved in this little story...

[Ron Caliburn]

My father would have bashed me a good one for mentioning the real timelines involved.

[Shadowstalker]

That bad eh Ron. A Creationist I take it.

[Ron Caliburn]

Not really, more of a bible thumper. As in, if you didn't follow it exaclty as was written, he thumped ya.

[Shadowstalker]

Ouch, I have met the type. To them Evolution is some Hair brained idea that just couldn't have happened.

[Kolya]

Strange, I was going to make a joke about the Bible and creation time lines.

But yea following the Bible exactly as written can be difficult. It starts off with two creation stories, for example... strange how people can explain away things like biblical inconsistences and poltergeists if they really want to....

[Ron Caliburn]

Well, you also have to understand that his bible was re-interpreted (read Edited) by the founders.

For example, the list of unworthy of salvation included any non-white, non-American or any person who did not kill at least one unbeleiver dring the rapture.

[Kolya]

Hell.. yea, that's one way of doing it. Rough...

[AdamaGeist]

But... The Rapture isn't in the bible. It was made up by a few people to give people an out before the apocolypse. 'Oh, why should I suffer through the same torments as the rest of humanity? I'm faithfull! Surely god will treat us better than the NORMAL people...'

[Kolya]

Like I said... people can explain (away) anything....

[Ron Caliburn]

There are a lot of reasons for the schism between me and my father. Doctrine is jsut the tip of the iceberg.

I will admit I still carry a few bad habits from my days as a true beleiver though. I'm sure Ben and Shang Li would say my hardline approach is one of them.

[Celeste Darken]

I will admit I still carry a few bad habits from my days as a true beleiver though. I'm sure Ben and Shang Li would say my hardline approach is one of them.

That is not a bad habit.

[Ron Caliburn]

Why are you the only one who seems to understand why I hate your kind? Really?

[Shadowstalker]

Umm maybe because She has more reson to hate Vampires then you Ron? Just a thought.

[Ron Caliburn]

Or perhaps everyone could take alesson from her on how dangerous these monsters realy are?

[Bert_the_Turtle]

I've never said vampires aren't evil bloodsucking monsters who should be eradicated. Its the once-in-a-lifetime bloodsucker like Celeste that is the exception that proves the rule.

[DarKnyht]

Being something of a believer, I would like to chime in. A lot of people (and by people I mean the average Christian) are extremely confused by what the creation story in Genesis is about. It is not really about how the world was created, but was there to explain mans relationship with God. But just a thought to leave you with, the word used in Genesis that we translate as day could also be translated as "age". So in example you would have:

God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first age.

Not wanting a full debate, but just food for thought.