Greetings Graliens,
First of all, I’d like to thank all the loyal readers of the Gralien Report for another wonderful year! 2009 was tremendous so far as growth in readership, and thanks to the efforts of many of you out there, it also proved to be an instrumental time for boosting the site to the greater presence on the web it now holds. Many thanks to all of you for your comments, stories, news tips, emails, thoughtful insights and overall intelligence. Ideas truly are what make the world go around, and although I might sound a bit idealistic at times (and perhaps even overly optimistic), when people work together I do believe there are few limitations to what can be achieved.
That being said, I wanted to share a few of the most-read articles that have appeared here at the Gralien Report in 2009. These are, as ranked by page views and return visits by folks like you, the ones you’ve demanded to see the very most. Therefore, I encourage you to enjoy them again and share them with others if they were a favorite of yours, and also feel free to share any insights in the comment forum below the post. Or if you’d prefer to communicate directly, you may email me. On the other hand, if the articles below are new to you or you are only a recent visitor to the site, I invite you to enjoy the best of 2009 that so many like-minded individuals out there have read over the last twelve months.
So now, let’s get on to the goodies…
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In a technological demonstration of advanced bio-engineering, use of methods like vivisection to see the workings of organs in live goldfish have now, in a sense, been made obsolete. “You don’t have to cut it open. You can see a tiny brain above the goldfish’s black eyes,” says Yutaka Tamaru, an associate professor in the department of life science at Mie University.
Indeed, a new process has produced the favorable result of goldfish with translucent skin, in response to growing controversy regarding dissections of animals for study.
Calling the see-through fish “ryukin,” the goldfish were produced through a process of selectively breeding varieties of “mutant” hatchery goldfish with pale skin. “Having a pale colour is a disadvantage for goldfish in an aquarium but it’s good to see how organs sit in a body three-dimensionally,” Tamaru told AFP.
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I’ve always been very intrigued by the notion that underground worlds might exist… by this, I mean extensive cavernous realms beneath the Earth that descend to depths yet unexplored. This realm is, typically, only occupied by creatures that exist in exciting works of fiction by the likes of Jules Verne, and more recently, Jeff Long with his fascinating Descent Trilogy.
There is, however, one man who exists in tandem between the frightening works of fiction that pertain to the underworld, and the reality of strange, anomalous things purported to exist below ground. Wm Michael Mott, author of the book Caverns, Cauldrons, and Concealed Creatures, is a well known graphic artist and author who has written everything from Fortean and paranormal subjects to fantasy novels and short fiction inspired by the likes of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Mike is a very good friend, and I was delighted when he recently shared with me a series of links to interviews with him over the years, including a classic 2004 Coast to Coast AM appearance.
Wm Michael Mott Radio Appearances
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Here’s a well-wishing of season’s greetings to all of you out there. May your holiday be merry, and the rest of your winter be warm, peaceful, and full of cheer.
Peace and blessings,
Micah A. Hanks
