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September 2010_june_july_2009.qxd 29/09/2010 11:00 PM Page 38 38 From The ‘X’ Zone Newsroom Study investigates power took over the independent brewery from its Many theories have been offered of prayer in healing founder Tony Bunce in 1993, are fascinated by through the years, but none with a definitive explanation. Perhaps they are being created by the weird and wonderful shapes that show up Continued from Page 35 each year. visitors from another planet; maybe some Mrs Andersen is studying fine art at government entity has experimented with a Winchester College and said that, regardless of newly developed technology; maybe they’re Ricky Roehr, spokesperson for the U.S. whether the crop patterns were man-made or made by high bursts of microwave energy or a Raelian Movement, offered this comment in a not, they had become an art form in their own laser beam that’s been guided by a template press release: “Working with international right, attracting tourists from all over the world. pattern; perhaps someone’s playing games at the attorneys, the International Raelian Movement The new beer reaches local pubs this expense of the area’s farmers. filed an urgent appeal back in 2003 with the week and is called Glyph, a name chosen by Greub taught agronomy for 31 years at U.N.’s Special Rapporteur on Child Trafficking. Mrs Andersen as it represents the hieroglyphs UW-RF before retiring. He was asked how Pedophilia is a crime and we are trying to the crop patterns might or might not be although those English farmers reacted to the imaginative protect children. That’s all. The urgent appeal their messages so far remain undeciphered. creations they found in the fields of their went unanswered and we re-filed it in 2005, The logo on the Glyph beermats shows livelihood? again with no response. Of course, this lack of the pictogram dubbed Led Zeppelin that “Some (farmers) are honored to have response is due to the Vatican’s power in the appeared in fields at Alton Barnes 20 years ago. had their field chosen,” said Greub. “Some hate United Nations.” “Now, 20 years on, the new beer Glyph, ’em.” The Raelian Movement is an atheistic manifests itself at Stonehenge Ales in In a report he wrote shortly after religion that believes that there is no God. They celebration of that formation,” said Mrs returning from England, Greub said, “Some believe that all life on Earth formed many Andersen. (farmers) are at least amenable to having thousands of years ago by advanced The new light amber beer, which has an visitors come out and look at (the crop circles). extraterrestrial scientists, who were mistaken ABV of 4.5 per cent, also has one mystical One landowner has had over 100 formations in for gods by our ancestors. [] ingredient – aromatic Chinook hops grown on his fields over the last 20 years. Most of these the tribal lands in America of the Chinook tribe. farmers, but not all, put up a collection box and From each batch of Glyph produced the Google Doodle Celebrates brewery will be making a donation to the Crop it is the generally accepted practice to deposit a couple of British pounds (about $3) in the box 50th Anniversary of 'The Circle Connector web site, which Mrs Andersen when you visit the site. This serves to help Flintstones' said was an independent site respected world- offset the loss of much of the crop laid down in wide. [] the formation and that is trampled down or damaged by the visitors. "The Flintstones" are 50 years old today Crop circles: Why? Retired “A few farmers detest the circles, either according to the famous Google doodle. Back in because of the crop loss, the public trampling 1960 Fred, Wilma, Barney, and Betty first aired professor looks abroad for around in their fields, or just for philosophical on ABC on September 30th. answers, insight reasons. These farmers either put up signs The Flintstones lasted six years and was forbidding people to enter their fields or very the longest-running animated series of its time. quickly destroy the formations.” Since then many shows have surpassed it Lou Greub of River Falls journeyed to and Greub and his group were able to visit including the all-time record of "The Simpsons" visited southern England for about a week in eight sites that were anywhere from two weeks on Fox. early August along with a group of other curious to 12 hours or less old. For a modern Stone Age family at its individuals. One of particular interest to him was a 50th anniversary, it owes a lot to modern The 11 travelers, made up of United design, somewhat spiraled in shape, that animation. Voice actors, animators, and States, Canadian and German citizens, had one consisted of 400 variously sized circles, and computers have all lent to an explosion in mission: To locate and investigate the latest was over 900 feet in diameter. Even more animation that was led by "The Flintstones." In appearances of crop circles that mysteriously astounding to Greub was that it was created 1960, color televisions were still relatively new occur in random English farmers’ wheat, oat, during a rainy and stormy night. but Hanna-Barbera decided to put color into canola and barley fields. Greub says he is amazed by the precise their cartoon. Crop circles, which began receiving alignment of the elements in the formations. Even Mel Blanc had a voice as Barney strong international media attention in the late “Most of them are geometrically based Rubble for the Flintstones. On this 50th 1970s, are unexplained “formations…made by and perfect,” he said. anniversary, we remember the Flintstones as a laying crop plants…down on the ground to form The retired professor said he’s “…done comical look at modern post-war society. Men a design,” says Greub. “These very distinct and a lot of research on (crop circles), and the trip worked hard at their chosen occupation while precise designs can have a powerful visual reinforced what I expected.” women stayed home and took care of children. impact when viewed from the air,” he According to Greub, most crop circles What was different about "The Flintstones" was continued. “Most of the formations are created begin appearing in May, when crops begin that the cartoon was geared towards adults just during the night…most evoke mathematical, growing up from the dirt, and continue through as much as children. geometric, mythological and astronomical September or when crops are harvested. A lot has changed in 50 years. Now themes.” “June through August are the most women hold jobs and have careers outside the Greub, a retired emeritus professor of active months,” said Greub. home. Many women are single mothers and still agronomy from UW-River Falls, has long been At present Greub doesn’t have plans to hold down more than one job. The Flintstones interested in crop circles and traveled to travel back to England anytime soon. But he is are a capsule and a commentary on another England to see them for the first time. excited about sharing information with other moment in time that is rapidly being forgotten.[] “The fact that they appear,” is intriguing crop circle enthusiasts when he attends the to Greub, he said. “It’s obviously an attempt to International UFO Conference in Phoenix, Crop circles inspire new convey a message,” he added, “but why take Ariz., this year. A vast collection of crop circles that form?” Wiltshire beer His questions along with those of photographs can be found in a hefty coffee-table thousands of other persons interested in the crop book by Steven and Karen Alexander called circle phenomenon go unanswered. “Crop Circles: Signs, Wonders and Mysteries.” The Stonehenge Ales brewery at Who or what has been creating the Netheravon has come up with a new beer in intricately designed formations all this time? Greub owns the impressive book and suggests that persons interested in finding more crop honour of the many crop patterns that appear in How have they been made? Why do they occur? circle formations Google “crop circles” or go to. Wiltshire fields each summer. Why are no two crop circle designs alike? What [] Stig and Anna Marie Andersen, who is their purpose?