Doc Dumped?

Doc had six -- count 'em six -- posts littering the front page of the HHI website yesterday. As we reported at the time, his useless droppings pushed off other perfectly valid posts about history and archaeology, including reports from what looked like a fairly interesting amateur archaeology dig in the UK.

Low and behold, this morning not a single Doc raving remained front and center. He's been replaced with items having nothing whatsoever to do with his rabid hatred of Odyssey. We've not seen that fast of a change-over of HHI's website ever (and we've been following it well over a year. )

Is this a manifestation of weariness with Doc's visceral attacks on Odyssey as well as his embarrassing behavior that comes at the expense of the HHI masses? We think that's a very distinct possibility.

Stay tuned.

P.S. Doc was just now called to task for claiming that OMEX's institutional ownership was 87 percent. As the moron was just informed, one cannot add the percentage of institutional ownership (42%) and the institutional ownership as a percentage of the total stock float (45%) and get a meaningful number (87%). Once again, Doc proudly displays his stupidity, embarrassing HHI in the process. (To their credit, they publicly called him on it.)

Ape Man Libel?

We received a request this evening from a reader to re-run a deleted Yahoo post from that not-so-lovable Ape Man, "andysalley," as well as a letter written by this reader to Odyssey alleging libel. Not surprisingly, and as our reader predicted in his letter, the entire thread including Ape Man's offending post, and all subsequent comments (which easily ran in the "hang him now" camp), was eventually deleted by Yahoo.

Of course, we're more than happy to run both in case some of you may have missed the exchange over the weekend. (And if you did: congratulations, you have a life!) And so, without further ado:

Ape Man's offending post:

Re: Going Under $4 (Saturday, June 28, 2008)

Last year I said that the Spanish case wouldn't be resolved before 2009, and received a real "flock mocking" for my lack of knowledge about the court system, the case, and the company. Guess what... now even most of the flock seems to recognize that I was right.

A lot of us bears have also said that the company will need to make another offering (read - further dilution) in order to maintain business operations before the end of 2008, if the company cannot start generating profits before then. Of course, the flock refuses to recognize this fact as well.

From a technical perspective, $4.50 is now resistance. From a fundamental perspective, I have to agree with you... I think the PPS is much more likely to see $3 before it sees $5. Since May of last year, I think it is safe to say that there have been very few investors who have made money besides the company officers.

I think these guys are incredibly smart and have a lot of business savvy. They've managed to pull in some incredible salaries and other income from options while enjoying their hobby with some of the best technology available to anyone interested in treasure hunting. Heck, they've even managed to provide some nice income to at least one family member for decorating their office space (a building purchased at the height of the real-estate bubble that was much larger than they ever needed).

Heck, I wish I was as smart as these guys... They've not only pulled the wool over the flock's eyes, they've managed to convince the flock that everything they bump into, or trip over, is a bar of gold!

Cheers, AA

Our reader's letter to Odyssey reporting Ape Man's post:

I'm a long-time follower of and investor in Odyssey Marine Exploration. I’m writing to comment about a Yahoo post by an "andysalley" this evening on the Yahoo Message board. (The full text of his post is copied below). As an investor, I want to express, in the strongest terms possible, how angered I am by this poster’s reckless, malicious comments against the company and its management team. I believe he has committed serious libel, potentially harming my investment in the process.

After all, is there any more serious allegation directed at a publicly traded company than one suggesting deception and fraud of investors? Even if those comments are later passed off as made in jest or as an “opinion”?

I understand there’s a lot of funny business currently going on regarding multiple aliases attacking Odyssey on Yahoo (as evidenced by “nauticalresearch’s” accidental outing of yet another alias on Friday), but I believe “andysalley’s” long-time, well-known presence on the board gives his comments more weight than those of new, anonymous and unknown posters. And while I fully support his right to be harshly critical of the company and its performance, even in frequently insulting terms, I strenuously disapprove of comments that suggest management is purposely misleading investors to enrich themselves and family members.

Where is the libel? I believe “andysalley” crossed a line this evening by writing that management is responsible for receiving “incredible” compensation (even though that is determined by the board of directors), while merely pursuing a “hobby” (when, in fact, OMEX is a fully operational business), while throwing largess at family members and purchasing unnecessarily large real estate holdings at suspiciously high prices. Added together, he’s clearly implying wrong-doing at the expense of shareholders. What’s more, while he uses the term “flock,” there’s no question he means “investors” as he regularly uses this term in a derogatory manner to refer to the Yahoo board’s known long-time investors.

I’ve also voiced my concerns directly to Yahoo, and while I don’t doubt his post will ultimately be removed, that is besides the point. My concern, frankly, is the damage possibly already caused. Worse, this post tonight demonstrates an increasingly hostile, threatening tone this poster is directing at the company and its investors.

I’ve complained about this to Yahoo as well. In other words, I would like to see this stopped before it further gets out of hand. I’m deeply tired of the constant attacks on OMEX that occur on an almost daily basis on the Yahoo board. These types of posts, if enough of them are published, together as a whole and left unchecked, have the potential to cause grievous harm. I therefore applaud and support your efforts to ensure the worst offenders are kept in check through aggressive defense of your reputation. At the very least, I would like to see this poster forced to apologize and/or to agree to never again post on the Yahoo board -- or at least not in the libelous manner he did this evening.

Do we think Ape Man's grunts were libelous? Well, we're not lawyers, not even unfrozen caveman lawyers, but our highly uneducated guess is that it comes awfully damned close. We did observe that Ape Man was in a highly defensive mode about the libel charge all afternoon before the thread was deleted. We think that's telling.

Bad weekend for the bad guys, yes? We hate it when that happens.

Minister of Silly Talk

That propaganda is good which leads to success, and that is bad which fails to achieve the desired result. It is not propaganda’s task to be intelligent, its task is to lead to success. ~ Joseph Goebbels

Not surprisingly, after outing yet another alias on Yahoo last Friday, old Jim McManus isn't showing his face over at Yahoo. Nor are any of his multiple aliases yapping either. Yet.

But he's at it again already with his nonsensical ravings on the HHI website. You'd think someone over there would say, "Listen Doc, you've just made a right serious ass of yourself over at Yahoo, and embarrassed us again, so why don't you just go sleep this one off for awhile?" But that's not how the Twit Minor rolls. If he can't be posting lies and distortions about Odyssey, his life has zero meaning.

Doc: "We know for a fact that the 'Ocean Alert' has been under detention by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in the UK for almost a whole year. In my opinion this detention signals an end to British co-operation and the Sussex contract. Incidentally Odyssey shall lose a sizable non-refundable bond if they lose this contract."

Here's what we know for a fact about the Alert: It has been directly explained by Odyssey, both in public press releases and in correspondence with investors, that the Alert has been undergoing a major overhaul with significant upgrades and will not be "released" by the UK until these are complete and test runs have been successfully conducted. Odyssey also mentioned understandable delays, given the serious nature of the work, and also missing ship's paperwork that was apparently taken by the Spanish during its illegal seizure of the vessel (what irony, eh?). Yet, the HHI minions, both on their website and on Yahoo, have relentlessly beat this dead horse trying to give the impression the vessel has been "seized" or forcibly detained by the UK for more sinister causes.

What's more, they use this distortion to argue another lie: that there has been a rupture in the relationship between the company and the UK and that the Sussex project has thus been scuttled. Nothing has been publicly reported to indicate such a split, nor has the MOD formally announced the end of the project.

This is the essence of Joseph Goebbels' "big lie," so effectively used by the Nazis. This UK nonsense is pure speculative garbage and the constant repeating of it is clearly intended to damage Odyssey's reputation and ultimately it's share price. One might think an idiot being sued for libel, whose trial is about to begin, would refrain from these kinds of salacious charges, but again, that's not how Doc Doofus rolls. He's as blissfully arrogant in his hatred as the Queen Bee.

Perhaps HHI should give Doc the title he deserves, one that Goebbels possessed: Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda.

More amusingly, Doc ends his numerous posts on HHI today begging for assistance to answer a profoundly simple question regarding international waters near the English Channel. A sixth grader with an Internet connection could have easily answered the question in minutes, but this was apparently too much for Doc's limited imagination.

Remind us again why he refers to himself as a "nautical researcher."

P.S. Doc's six (6) posts today officially pushed HHI's one actual amateur archaeology project right off the website's front page. Those folks must be absolutely thrilled.

The Coward's Prance

Yep, the HHI website is back to full-time bashing of Odyssey.

We're sure the dudes who are actually out conducting an amateur archaeological dig are delighted to have their updates pushed aside for Earth-Shattering Odyssey News that originally aired in...2003! Or a post that quibbles with the media's description of the artifacts submitted to the court in the Channel Island arrests (the poseurs clearly don't understand how shipwreck arrests work, which isn't surprising considering their exploration experience is limited to dingleberry mining.)

It must be really comforting to be out sweating in a UK field, digging trenches all over the place looking for something archaeologically interesting, only to have your "peers" back in their darkened caves excitedly jabbering away on the phone like gossiping school girls plotting the next attack on the popular kids' reputation. We're sure, as one of the HHI members stated before, that the poseur leadership's "obsession" with Odyssey doesn't grate at all, or come at the expense of all the other topics on the website.

There is one new development of interest: neither Doc nor Solomon are putting their signatures, nor goofy mugshots, to these anti-Odyssey posts. They're now assigned to the HHI "Administrator." Which tell us:

1. They're worried about Odyssey coming after them (and, it would be sooooo hard to determine the identity of the "Administrator"); and
2. They're cowards

We know this: we're as excited by the start of Doc's trial as we are the beginning of NFL Training camp! We think it likely to be a highly interesting and entertaining forum on HHI's operators and tactics.

Mac-A-Doc, the Deep Lurker Chuckling Plucker

Don't look now, but Doc (aka "nauticalresearch"), has outed yet another one of his aliases on Yahoo. How many times is that now, five or six?

Our favorite mental midget has been posting recently as "mcaguy13," undoubtedly to give his better known alias a low profile as his libel trial moves closer to reality. We've no doubt he has other aliases as well, particularly "laughinggull51," who bears all the Jack Ass characteristics of a Doc front man (i.e., post OMEX "news" perceived by HHI as negative, and hammer away at it over and over and over and so on).

Does this surprise us? Not really. But it does demonstrate the HHI poseurs can't argue the merits of their opposition to Odyssey on their own. They have to resort to multiple false aliases to create the appearance of widespread support and uniformity of opinion. As we've known all along: their opposition is a sham perpetuated by a bunch of true-believing liars and frauds. We hope someday the truth and motivations behind HHI's coordinated attacks on Odyssey will become publicly known. As we've said, Doc's trial could result in some most interesting revelations about the history poseurs and their tactics.

The Queen Bee will not be happy about this mental melt-down, which used to be something of a tradition for Doc on Yahoo on Friday evenings. (He once got so pounded he accused Jeff, and later Odyssey, of selectively editing and deleting his posts and having full control of the Yahoo board -- makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?) Let's put it this way: as the evening wore on, Doc became less and less coherent.

Perhaps we're in for a reprise tonight? Excelleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeent.

P.S. If you're puzzled by our headline, it's simply a mash-up of Doc's self-outed identities.

Indiana Bartram?

Perhaps in defiance of our pronouncement of relative quiet regarding HHI's OMEX posts, Doc and Solomon had the usual witless back and forth. After Bartram posted a long list of Odyssey insider transactions stretching back to '88, the Angry Twit sniffed, manicured pinkie aloft, nostrils aflare, a final word:

Solomon: "How much did the investors get back?"

Twit Minor, who just can't let the Big Stinky Cheese have his rhetorical moment, chimes right in, the Chihuahua to the bulldog:

Doc: "Of course Solomon the answer is nothing."

Yes, of course, the answer is nothing. Not one investor in Odyssey has ever made a penny on his or her investment. Which, of course, explains the preponderance of class action lawsuits that resulted against Odyssey, right? (Reality: there hasn't been one.) If this isn't libel, we don't know what is. And notice how Solomon cleverly has his yappy minion say it for him -- the one who already finds himself in court for such comments.

He's not called the Queen Bee for nothing, baby.

Solomon, quite pleased with himself, then cites PT Barnum in comparison to Odyssey. Which is funny, because, if multiple Internet sources are to be trusted, Old Man Bartram has quite the shallow showman reputation himself. Take a look (click the link, search the page for "Bartram"): he's been called a fake archaeologist, a fraud artist, a big mouth, and our favorite, a poseur.

Any smoking guns? No. But, added up, something smells decidedly fishy. We're actually most intrigued by the reoccurring allegation that Bartram passes himself off as an archaeologist to others. We reported on this once before. But for what purpose? Fraud? We're looking into this more diligently.

For someone who's devoted a fair amount of time criticizing the credentials of Odyssey's staff archaeologists (who actually posses accreditation), what does it say about Bartram's penchant for claiming he's one himself? We know this: he's not an accredited historian nor an archaeologist. Of course, he could simply say he's an amateur member of those fields, but his bellicose, bloated ego just won't allow it.

Is there more? We think so. Stay tuned.

You smell smart...

Things appear to be slowing down on the history poseurs' website regarding Odyssey. Evidence? Check out the latest titillating topic posted by Solomon:

"The Role of the House in Early Neolithic Ireland"

Wow. Pretty exciting, meaty subject, uh? We suppose the Angry Twit thinks posting this stuff gives him a veneer of academic legitimacy -- like it's a simply a scent you slap on, an Eau de IQ. Maybe this is why Bartram claims academics flock to him: he promotes obscure esoterica; they make him appear smart. A win win!

Oh sure, you still find the usual garbage, like tired, old information about insider transactions, and heavily recycled news articles about Spanish government allegations of cultural crimes (oddly enough, though, still no word from the media about those supposed 50 arrests of government officials for consorting with Odyssey, go figure), but it's unquestionably gotten quieter about OMEX.

Perhaps a certain person is waiting to see what effect his potentially libelous remarks have on the already fragile universe about him? (Hey, why are we hearing that music from Jaws all of the sudden?)

P.S. It truly pains us to see a picture of our hero Mark Twain on HHI. Twain hated the sanctimonious and hypocritical and savaged folks like Doc and Solomon in his day. (We're certain he would have spat on Smitty. Then again, who wouldn't?)

Queen Bee Bartram

We warned you we could be really collectively stupid and immature. And we hate to disappoint. So today we're sharing a song we wrote, inspired by a very clever friend who, almost as an aside, noted that Solomon, aka John Bartram (the Angry Twit), appears to be HHI's Queen Bee, with the rest of the poseurs merely busy buzzing worker bees.

So without further ado, and with deepest apologies to Koko Taylor (our official Goddess and muse), we offer you the following tune sang to the bluesy strummings in the key of E.

Bartram's Queen Bee Blues

Well, I'm a queen bee, baby
Buzzin’ round Odyssey’s hive
Yeah, I'm a queen bee baby
Buzzin’ all round OMEX’s hive
And when you hear me buzzin'
You know you’re hearing jive

Now I'm not so young and able, to buzz all night long
Aww, I said I'm just not able, to buzz all night long
So when you hear my little minions buzzin’
You know some proxy stinging is going on.
Hear them buzz!

Well I'm a queen bee, baby
Won't you be my friend?
Yeah I'm a queen bee, baby
Please won't you be my friend?
Together we all can sink Odyssey
And shut-up this bald, drunken Mother Hen

Well there’s Doc and Smitty and Mcaguy
And Andy and Frigata and Fleas
A jackass named Laughing-gull
And a rat who goes by “friend-of-steves”
What do they have in common?
What do they do indeed?
They all do my frantic bidding
To bring Odyssey to its knees
Oh yeah yeah

Now why do we all do it?
Why do we buzz with such hate?
Why do we risk lawsuits and sanctions?
When we’d much rather masturbate?
The answer is very simple
The meaning is very clear
We’re a bunch of insignificant losers
Who haven’t been laid in years
Oh yeah yeah

That’s all of it now, baby
Your queen honey bee is done
It’s time for me to shut my yap
And get HHI moving on
I hope you liked my singing
I hope you liked my song
But oh, my God, whatever you do
Don’t compare me to Smitty’s schlong

Oh yeah yeah
I mean no, no!

And there you have it, ladies and gents: Art.

A Cabal of Sanctimonious Misanthropes

We obviously hit some raw, exposed nerves yesterday with our very popular "smithvi2003" profile (our site received over 1,000 hits in a just a few hours and our comments section is as active as it's ever been).

Naturally, this makes us happy.

Not surprisingly, some of the HHI poseurs on the Yahoo board are suggesting today that Odyssey is behind our work or involved in what we do. Well, we said this our first day in existence and we'll reiterate it now: HH Watch has no relationship with Odyssey Marine Exploration whatsoever. We don't seek or receive ideas or suggestions from them about anything we write about. In fact, we're pretty sure they wouldn't want anything to do with us -- we have pretty righteous potty mouths, after all.

(And besides, we've already made our feelings about Greg Stemm well known.)

What's more, we don't focus exclusively on HHI's Odyssey writings. We've ripped them on all manner of other hypocrisies and lies on other topics. We're equal opportunity when it comes to exposing and slamming the history and archaeology poseurs.

However, if the HHI misanthropes want to persist in perpetuating this false claim publicly, and if one in particular, who's about to go to court for libel and defamation, wants to keep spreading this lie on Yahoo, we'd be more than happy to provide an official statement or documentation to the court to show our complete independence, should it come to that.

Is that clear enough? We think so.

Finally, a post-mortem on Smitty: for a while yesterday, incredibly, he rather lamely posted on Yahoo about actually being a victim of a "personal attack." After we wiped away our tears (of laughter), we couldn't help but be intrigued by this pathetic position. After all, if you take the time to read the sordid collection of his Yahoo posts -- his very own words -- the guy would stoop to any level to personally savage other individuals and companies. We sensed nothing more than a defeated, demoralized palooka. We're guessing his HHI masters certainly couldn't have been amused.

And, if Doc or his lawyer is intending to use Smitty or others as some kind of character witness during his libel trial, as "smithvi" suggested (and we find this highly suspect: who will pay for this spectacle? Doc has already pled legal pauperism to the court), then we think this long trail of Smitty slime would certainly make for an interesting inclusion in the court documents. Lord forbid the scumbag actually got up in front of a courtroom (though we really like the comedic possibilities in that scenerio!)

Smitty's obviously ashamed. He should be -- his sordid past caught up with him. And it couldn't have happened to a nicer feller.

Profiles in Cowardice: "smithvi2003" (UPDATE: HE'S now known as "garscrappa")

Smitty and his gargantuan snoz, right

Today we launch our "profiles in cowardice" series, beginning with the least interesting but easily most annoying of the Big Three HHI poseurs: "smithvi2003."

Also known derisively as "Smitty" on Yahoo (where we think he's also probably "gldn_fleez," among other aliases), and as "satdiver" on HHI, he first began posting, we're certain not coincidentally, on May 18, 2007, the very day Odyssey announced the Black Swan (BS) find. He initially posted as a seemingly innocent, merely curious fellow. But in very short time, he launched attacks on Odyssey that, in retrospect, appear clearly to have been coordinated with other HHI negative posts, particularly those of Doc, aka Jim McManus.

It wasn't long after these first posts that Smitty began his infamous "follow the buckets" act, which he repeated ad nauseam until some Yahoo members were ready for murder in the first. He alleged, rather clumsily and stupidly, that Odyssey was faking the BS find, a charge loudly echoed by Doc (not surprisingly, this is part of Odyssey's libel allegations against him). Smitty was widely mocked and quickly debunked for his "theory's" inconsistencies and outright falsehoods. Based on our reading of Odyssey's court filing against McManus, we're amazed Smitty wasn't sued himself. (Perhaps he just seemed mentally incapacitated to Odyssey's lawyers?)

Public disdain and personal shame didn't slow down our Smitty, though. He hammered away at this "theme" for weeks. Mercifully, he was ultimately drowned out by the flow of facts released by the company and by members who took the time to pick apart his weak, inconsequential case. Eventually he stopped referring to it altogether, but not before his reputation as a sloppy, repetitive village idiot was firmly entrenched at Yahoo OMEX.

He disappeared on and off for several weeks at a time, and more recently appeared to be trying to establish a more reasonable, respectable reputation as someone who well understood the shipwreck/underwater salvage business. We've no idea why, but we suspect it may have had something to do with him realizing that his past posts spoke volumes about him personally, and that as he became identified as an aggressive opponent of Odyssey, his own words might come into play. And, low and behold, enter stage left, one of our kind readers entered at a most fortuitous time.

We've zippo interest in the mass of garbage posted by Smitty about Odyssey. Too many have had to endure that annoyance already. No, what we're interested in sharing is Smitty in his own words. We warn you: his Yahoo posts, a sampling of which are linked to below, are highly disturbing, even for the appalling level of cruelty and insensitivity that dominates much of the Internet today.

We can't post everything (after all, Smitty has posted 4,000 times on Yahoo), and besides, there's no need to -- anyone with the time, inclination, or cast-iron stomach, can just as easily read every post ever written by the deviant. Even still, the character that emerges from even this small, random selection of writings is a disgusting, highly disturbed individual. So, bear with us, hold your nose, and dive into some of the worst of "smithvi2003."

Smitty's Yahoo posts are characterized by significant patterns of crude abuse, including references to bestiality (1), incest (1), homophobia (1, 2), pedophilia (1, 2, 3, 4), sexism, creepy stalking (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), harassment (of a Vietnam vet to boot), and, believe it or not, even anti-Canadian sentiment.

We think you'll agree that what bubbles forth from this sewage is a revolting, bullying, exceptionally crude ignoramus who could as realistically handle Odyssey's role in the underwater exploration business as Charles Manson could competently occupy a Supreme Court seat. In reality, we doubt that "smithvi2003" could last even five minutes under circumstances of normal human interaction. We think this goes a long way toward explaining his deep personal antipathy toward, and conviction to anonymously (i.e. cowardly) destroy Odyssey, and obviously other innocent persons as well.

Unfortunately for him it was his own actions wielding the Internet as a weapon that chronicled his own character assassination. Ironic, huh?

Finally, thanks to our source, we're also fairly certain we know Smitty's personal identity. We see no point in outing him. As his own words demonstrate, he's nothing but a sad, sick, pathetic individual who's but an insignificant blip on the human radar. So, his name shall remain our secret. Unless the right people ask us for it, that is.

Coming up next: A Profile of HHI's "Solomon," aka John Bartram.

P.S. Several of the board that "smithvi2003" posted his vile offering to went out of business, primarily because he played penny stocks, but that did not stop us from backing up copies of his most vile posts, which are a history of his lack of character. Here they are, if you can stomach it:

Doc in the Docket (and other breaking news)

Looks like Twit Minor's libel trial is going forward. According to the Hillsborough County Court Docket, interrogatories were sent to Doc by the company on June 18th. Is it any surprise then the Big Mouth suddenly shut his yap?

Now it's gets interesting. You can count on us to report on the trial.

Also, we're thrilled beyond belief with a veritable treasure trove (sorry, we couldn't resist) of information sent to us by a reader about Solomon, aka John Bartram, aka the Angry Twit. Gosh, isn't it funny how often it is that those who scream the loudest, who protest the most vigorously, about fraud and wrong-doing turn out in the end to be the worst perpetrators of it?

We are working on our "smithvi" profile now, but here's a little tease about what you can expect from our future Bartram treatment. His past appears riddled with personal allegation of lies and fraud. Let's see how well the Angry Twit stands up to the uber-scrutiny he's directs at Odyssey and their work.

Is it just us, or do you also get all tingly when the bad guys finally get their due?

Thou Shalt be Deleted

Yesterday we reported that HHI had changed a destination page on their website from a link we provided that led readers to some banter between Doc and Solomon (which appears to have gone permanently missing, hmmmm). What was put in it's place was a rather harmless-looking membership login box.

But, take a look at this screen capture from their website:

The nitwits were actually dumb enough to reveal the source path for this "login box."

So, if you're masochistic enough to be an HHI member, and you logged in to read the exchange, your membership would have been deleted and your ability to view the website would have been permanently revoked. (The practice of banning IP addresses is common at HHI and has been reported to us by several readers. In fact, their website administrator once bragged that he had deleted over 200 memberships in a scattershot campaign to try to rid HHI of those pesky critics and skeptics.)

This illustrates perfectly the warped mind-set of the HHI leadership. They are so threatened by an alternative viewpoint, and so committed to their true-believer cause in destroying Odyssey, that even a casual reader of this site could lose his or her ability to read what HHI was saying, and not only about Odyssey-related subjects, but a host of others as well. And all for daring to read another perspective about or criticism of HHI.

What's the next heavy-handed tactic? Burning books or inconvenient documents? Air-brushing out the photographic images of those who have fallen out of favor? (Sound familiar?)

The hypocrisy and narrow-mindedness of these people never ceases to amaze us.

Shipwreck Explorer Doc: UPDATE

This is interesting: Our Monday post about the appearing and disappearing act of Doc's announcement of a "discovery" of a Spanish shipwreck has gone missing again. We provided a link to HHI to show a highly contrived conversation between Doc and Solomon about this, but now it mysteriously requires a member login (no thanks). The thread also cannot be located anywhere on the website.

Strange, this was always publicly accessible information before. Hmmmm.

We wonder why. Did Doc's claims about Texas A&M's involvement -- oh, how shall we charitably say this? -- turn out to be untrue? Is Doc afraid the Spanish government will come after him and HHI now that he's chest-thumped about pawing their cultural heritage? Or maybe those 50 Spanish officials that got arrested for dealing with Odyssey (according to Solomon, anyway), are out for some HHI blood?

Who knows and who cares? As we predicted before, and mark our words, this claim will never result in anything, for reasons laid out in the original post.

But we do chuckle at the predictable hypocrisy. Once again, shed a little light on the HHI cockroaches and they go a-scrambling. It's especially funny because, while they constantly criticize Odyssey for "secrecy" and "underhanded" behavior, it's actually HHI that puts those practices into play. (And ironically, it's Odyssey's openness as a publicly traded company that feeds HHI's appetite for destruction.)

We know -- and we know you know it too -- that if this shipwreck find was as big as Doc wanted everyone to initially believe, he, Solomon, and the entire HHI website wouldn't be able to shut up about it. Yet, after a quick peep above water, they've gone under again. (It might take ZEUS to find any future mention of this alleged shipwreck find.)

But hey, that's what we're here for.

P.S. A special thanks to the kind reader who provided information about Yahoo's "smithvi2003," also known as, we think at least, "gldn_fleez" (and too many other aliases to list here). Who knew information about him was right under our noses? As you will learn soon enough, this guy is a real peach. We're vetting the information now and will have a post about it up by this weekend. Thanks again for your contribution! Keep 'em coming!

A taste of their own bile...

Since HHI, whose mindless drones are once again crapping up the Yahoo board on a daily basis, have no problem getting crudely personal about Odyssey's founders and executives, we've decided we're going to do our own in-depth profile of HHI's two founders, Doc (James McManus) and Solomon (John Bartram).

We already have some fantastic, quite hilarious, information from our own research and other contributing members, but we realize there must be some readers out there with first-hand information as well. Of course, your anonymity will be completely honored. Keep in mind, however, that we can't publish falsehoods or lies, as that would be mimicking what they actually do. So, some vetting of submitted information will be in order.

Also, if anyone has information about "smithvi2003," who has at least 100 other aliases over at Yahoo (gldn_fleez; dochubris; frigata_mercedes; beavus_chyst; and on and on and on), we'd be interested in that as well. We know a little about him, in part because of his own idiotic online postings, but we'd like more. We'd love to give this obnoxious little cowardly wanker a taste of his own medicine.

Please send any information to hh.watch@gmail.com. (Oh, and for all you HHI assholes who already submitted our email address to spam machines, don't bother doing it again. Google has righteously strong filters so your efforts were in vain. And, didn't you once accuse Odyssey of these exact same kinds of tactics? Uh huh.)

Thanks!

Swashbuckling Explorer Doc

We've zero doubt now that Frick and Frack are listening in (Hi fellers! Did ya pop on over to see "how the other half" lives?!). After recently tweaking Doc about making such a big deal on HHI about allegedly finding a Spanish shipwreck, only to have it fall completely off the radar, we found this hilarious, blatantly obvious exchange today.

Doc: "Well Members, We have received the answer from Dr. de Castro and Texas A&M. The wood samples date between 1640 and 1660. Yes it very old indeed. Now we shall move forward through the proper channels and develop a plan to handle this interesting find."

Congratulations dude, you found some really old wood. Um, is that all you got? Is that really enough to say you've "found" a shipwreck? Seems awfully optimistic, to say the least.

Solomon: "Thank you for the update, Doc. Yes, the 17th century must be old for that part of the world. I look forward to future reports, in particular learning of both the proper channels it goes through and any archaeological study which may be forthcoming."

Did you get that, "members" (he really means "followers")? Proper channels and archaeological study. Are you sure you got that? Proper channels. And. Archaeology. (Just in case you missed it.)

Yeah, we bet.

We'd bet our collective retirement funds nothing will ever come of this. First, who's going to personally fund a project to further explore old wood? Who's going to give money to a soon-to-be convicted libelist who's main occupation is driving a tow boat? Oh we bet people will break out the checkbooks and piggy banks for all that prestige. Academic funding? Yeah, we all know how frequently universities hand-out limited resources to island-dwelling amateurs with a mighty taste for the drink.

Sure, makes total sense.

Mark our words: this is the last you'll hear of this swashbuckling project.

P.S. HHI and their pet monkey "Smitty/Fleas" are getting badly beaten down and embarrassed on Yahoo today. It's a truly beautiful thing to behold.

Frick & Frack Flap

Doc and Solomon, the Frick and Frack of Odyssey-hating nitwits, must be feeling antsy about the "Black Swan" (BS) case. Not content to wait and see how it turns out, or to take the word of Spain's lawyer that it's all but over and Spain has won (to which Judge Pizzo responded, "well, no, actually, we're moving on to discovery and a trial"), they have to distract members with unrelated items to the case (Mass arrests in Spain? Ocean Alert smoke, anyone?).

As usual Doc demonstrates his utter ignorance of all things financial by harping on about minor insider sales from a single OMEX board member (to which even he admits haven't occurred in some time). He bleats on about old news -- Odyssey's first quarter results! --apparently not realizing the company has nearly already completed its second quarter. Twit Minor then follows with one of his classic non sequiturs:

"Members, The financial woes of this company have greatly increased since their only successful recovery. The Republic yielded far less than Odyssey expected and even today there is a court case challenging their rights to what was recovered. I believe that Spain will be successful in proving sovereign immunity in the Mercedes case which closes the door on monetizing this latest recovery. The next sixty days will be most interesting. I look forward to Judge Pizzo's order."

Frack (Solomon), overjoyed by things he admits he doesn't intellectually understand but that still add up to bad news for Odyssey, jumps up and down like a little child on Christmas morn and spews yet more venomous spittle:

"The whole argument of Odyssey is ridiculous. Actually, it is worse than that: it is desperate in its inanity. Like just about everything to do with his misbegotten company, I do not believe the genuiness [sic] of their intent."

Thanks for clarifying that, Angry Twit. No one was truly clear about how you really feel about Odyssey.

Frankly, we're surprised Bartram didn't take the opportunity to once again claim some super secret knowledge about Odyssey that HHI would, in due time, expose to the world. (Of course, these claims are always offered as future revelations, never offered up in the present. You can imagine why.)

After all, Frick and Frack have claimed super secret information about those infamous arrests in Spain (this must be secret because not one media outlet picked up on it); super secret information about the Melkarth; super secret information about living rooms (you can't make this stuff up, folks); super secret information about every project Odyssey has ever worked on; and super secret information about whether Stemm wears boxers or briefs and what color.

This was, of course, the same approach of Joseph McCarthy, who also regularly claimed to posses secret damning evidence about his enemies in his ever-present briefcase. This worked for a while, but we all know how it turned out in the end, don't we? Disgrace and a ruined liver.

Don't be surprised by a similar outcome in this case.

Bartram BS

Solomon must be feeling pressure to deliver something, anything to back up his recent sensationalist claim that 50 (count 'em, 50) Spanish government officials were arrested for improper dealings with Odyssey. Today he posted what we suppose was an attempt to provide evidence to support the charge, which has yet to be covered in the media. As we're about to show, what he actually accomplished was to demonstrate just how low HHI will go to "prove" their bias against Odyssey.

Here's what Bartram posted on HHI today, which he cites as a quote from a Spanish news article, along with our note of missing text:

"Of the 385 prosecutions instituted informative and processed last year, 211 are for the Prosecution of Cadiz and 174 to the Prosecutors area of Algeciras [NOTE THE DELETED SECTION HERE]. Also, the Attorney provincial Environment opened last year six prosecutions for offences against the historical heritage, stressing the investigation for alleged plundering of archaeological sites underwater and seizure of property of historical heritage by the vessel the American company Odyssey Marine Explorer the Strait of Gibraltar."

The Angry Twit was kind enough to provide a link to his source, but foolish enough to assume no one would check it. We did, and what we discovered astounded even us. Bartram selectively edited quotes from the article to not only fundamentally change its context, but also to make it appear as if Odyssey was associated with a high level of illegal activity.

Here's the same first sentence with the deleted text (in italics). As you will see, it reads quite differently.

"Of the 385 prosecutions instituted informative and processed last year, 211 are for the Prosecution of Cadiz and 174 to the Prosecutors area of Algeciras, most of them (345) related with crimes against spatial planning. Many of these crimes are related, according to the document contains, by not complying with orders to stop illegal construction in undeveloped land; licenses granted to illegal urban and false documents for the granting of writings by new construction."

In other words, most of these cited charges, which are from last year to boot, don't have anything to do with underwater archaeology, cultural heritage, or the arrests of government officials, but rather with land-based construction citations! There's also two more full paragraphs, totaling six sentences, separating Solomon's first edited sentence and the one that mentions Odyssey. This is unethical, incredibly disingenuous "editing" and clear evidence of a purposeful intent to mislead readers.

This is also a perfect example of how HHI regularly operates and it's why the group and its contributors should never be taken seriously by anyone interested in history, archaeology, or any issue related to Odyssey or Spain. And legitimate news organizations and reporters interested in getting the story right should be especially wary of the group. (Are you listening John Colapinto?)

To add injury to insult, or more appropriately, to add more slime to his innuendo, Bartram concludes this abortion of the truth with, "As I wrote earlier, Spain is taking this matter very seriously."

So there you have it: yet more shameless HHI buffoonery. We hope Odyssey will feel free to use this evidence in any proceedings they decide to pursue against HHI, and especially against that lying sack of worthless shite, John "Solomon" Bartram.

What's a little libel in the family?

Solomon has officially lost his mind over at HHI. In our decidedly non-legal opinion, he has committed obvious libel against Odyssey Marine, and perhaps Greg Stemm, in his latest post.

Referring to an Odyssey project that's a decade old -- the Melkarth -- the Angry Twit smears his slimy innuendo everywhere:

"History Hunters knows much of what Odyssey has done. Far more than the company has ever published. We know, for example, where the [Melkarth] shipwreck is, where the amphorae were stored on their voyage back to port, and what happened when Stemm lost his nerve. We even know where one of the amphorae is now - in whose living room it stands. We know what was said to whom, when, where and why. As we do for many other Odyssey projects. I don't think their facade will stand much longer. When it goes and the world sees the ugly truths behind the mask, one of the secrets to be revealed will be that of the Melkarth."

Mighty big claims there, Bartram. You better pray your "information" is correct. We're convinced the burden will soon be on you to prove these scurrilous libel and defamation charges in court. The separation of the Atlantic ocean is not legitimate protection or a defense, Jack Ass.

Once again, it's amazing how often the HHI scum claims inside information that comes at the expense of Odyssey's reputation and integrity. Is any evidence ever provided for these charges? No. Proof? No. Sources? No. Names? No. Documents? No. Anything? No. Just take their word for it, they've got something. Just like Solomon's recent "knowledge" about mass arrests in Spain involving Odyssey, right?

By the way, Bartram, you do realize your post has a copyrighted photo of Odyssey's used without permission, don't you? Got your checkbook ready?

Photo caption: Twit Minor (Jim "Doc" McManus) and the Angry Twit (John "Solomon" Bartram), stand aside something they've never actually seen before: A solid man of honor and integrity.

Wither Doc?

Not that we're complaining, mind you, but has anyone else noticed the sudden absence of our favorite nautical researcher? Think this might have something to do with his upcoming Odyssey libel trial? One would hope the buffoon finally obtained some sound legal counsel, as in: "Immediately shut your pie-hole online, fool. This is what got you in this mess in the first place!"

So, what happened to his supposedly grand discovery of a Spanish galleon in the Virgin Islands? That sure went silent quickly. HHI was all over it when it first happened. Last we heard Doc was bleating about contacts with a university underwater archaeology program, where he says he shipped his illegally plundered artifacts (at least, we're guessing that would be Spain's attitude). Oddly silent for a shipwreck-explorer-wannabe who sooooo badly wants attention, no?

At any rate, we shall be hearing from Jim McManus soon enough, we suspect. We can't wait to see how he pulls together all those disparate items for his defense: Odyssey's control of the Yahoo board, alleged threats against his life, the FBI, attorney general, INS, CIA, Chinese immigrants, Viagra, and Solomon's wicked halitosis.

Maybe Dan Brown will even write a book about it.

One thing we do like about Doc, though: we hear he can't stand "smithvi2003," or "gldn_fleez," better known as a worthless shipwreck groupie/flunky out of Washington State who's never accomplished anything in his life, unless you count crapping all over the Yahoo board all day a worthwhile activity. This "smitty/fleas" character spends his days posting half-muttered retard-isms, and fancies himself a shipwreck explorer (what has he ever done? you tell us), which is interesting considering the guy never seems to move more than a foot away from his keyboard. Read more about this steaming turd.

At any rate, we shall keep you posted on what we hear about Doc's trial as it moves forward. Stay tuned!

P.S. Yes "macaguy13," we know you're Doc. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You really should heed legal advice, silly goof.

The Curious Case of "Media Man"

We've reported before about how HHI likes to take credit for practically every article that appears about Odyssey Marine, particularly those with a negative bent. The latest demonstration of this is Solomon's claim he provided information to the UK's Independent article about Odyssey's recent actions in the Channel Islands area.

The Angry Twit, pinky a-thrust, sniffs:

"Glad that I was able to assist Cahal Milmo with this piece, which is quite good. We make an effort to provide responsible journalists with appropriate background material."

We love that Solomon considers himself the arbiter of responsible journalism, especially considering he has accused Reuters, the Associated Press, and the New York Times of being Odyssey stooges. He even accused his own esteemed BBC of being sloppy and irresponsible. However, write an article he finds appropriately negative about Odyssey, and, well, he's ready to personally hand over a gilded Pulitzer Prize.

A couple of things about this latest claim we find most curious: First, despite claiming to be a source for this news article, Solomon is neither quoted, nor is HHI referenced, despite the group's well-known anti-Odyssey views. Second, remember the Angry Twit just claimed to have first-hand knowledge of mass arrests in Spain of allegedly pro-Odyssey government officials (50, count 'em, 50). If, in fact, he spoke with this reporter, isn't it reasonable to assume this bombshell would have been mentioned as well, especially within the context of the ongoing BS court case in Tampa?

We wonder if this Cahal feller is aware of the Angry Twit's claim to be a source for his story? Well, let's find out shall we?

Coming Out

Our favorite angry man has a fascinating new thread started over at HHI. It's quite the departure. It speaks of elite society, with lots of pictures of stylish, well-dressed ladies, debutantes in pretty dresses, long silky gloves and matching accessories, with all kinds of inside detail about lavish balls, receptions and dinner parties, oh my.

Hmmmmmmmmm.

All of it positively more dashing than our Solomon, with his middle class paunch, polyester pants, sensible shoes and Members Only jacket. (We're not making that up, we've seen the photo...unfortunately it's now only accessible in the "members only" section of HHI, and we're firmly behind Woody Allen's thought that we wouldn't be members of a club that would have us as members.)

Ah well, it's better than more Odyssey or American bashing.

Or is it possibly creepier? Discuss.

Mo' Twititude

Solomon the Angry Twit™ is at it yet again. Prepare to be amused.

Solomon: "I have often asked myself: why doesn't Odyssey work its sites? Now we can add to the question: why didn't or doesn't Odyssey want the Ocean Alert to work?"

Um, we hate to break it to you, Sir Twitsky, but Odyssey is out working. Like, right now. (Perhaps you missed the company's two recent arrests right in your backyard?) So, while you quaff Ripple by the gallon and dream of being a media darling (wink wink), the company is out actually doing something important in the field. While the TV cameras are rolling to boot.

Oh, by the way, and pay special attention since you once again didn't do your homework: the Alert is a search not a recovery vessel. And, while it's clear you and your minions (we see those flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz) are trying to make a major controversy out of some online UK notices about the Alert, it's obvious the effort is falling on deaf ears (with the notable exception of one forgettable doofus).

As usual, History Hunters speak, massive yawns ensue.

Solomon: "Why would they let piles of 'treasure' - booty as the juvenile, drooling US media likes to call it - sit unattended on the sea bed?"

Trust us, you'll learn along with everyone else the next time Odyssey finds treasure. We suspect it will be sooner than you think. Nice slam of the U.S. again, by the way. We guess all those warm fuzzies you got from the Obama nomination have officially worn off? Or, is a certain someone missing his favorite American punching stooge, Twit Minor? (Where has he been?)

Solomon: "For the same good reason Odyssey ran off from the Mercedes site, last year. And don't go thinking that we don't know what that was, either. We know exactly why. And so does Spain. You figure it out."

Odyssey "ran off" from the Mercedes site? Now whatever do you mean? If the company "ran off" it was only because their vessels were full of gold and silver coins. And what should we not be thinking you don't know, fool? Of course, this is the standard history poseur tactic of suggesting that only they are in possession of super secret information. As if Spain, or any other intelligent person, would trust a bunch of amateur, conspiratorial-minded kook-jobs. Yeah, sure. (50 arrests anyone?) Nope, just some more of dat slimy innuendo.

It sure is interesting how often the history poseurs claim inside information and make predictions based on it. Shockingly!, Amazingly!, these events never seem to come to pass. But hell, why not? Where's the accountability? If no one is paying attention enough to care, what's the cost? Answer: absolutely nothing.

Solomon: "Now, I've gotta dash. I can hear the sirens coming."

Ah, now this, kiddies, is truly interesting. A little mental slip on the Angry Twit's part. Such "joking" lets us in on that Solomon has been calculating the potential consequences of his words against Odyssey and those associated with the Black Swan case (50 arrests anyone?). We think this confession, posed as humor (lamely), conveys real fear. Admit it, Solomon: When you wrote about sirens coming, a little pee came out, didn't it?

Good. More worry, less sleep, and urine-soaked pants means karma is indeed at work in the world, if not your little pea brain.

Mass Spanish Arrests Update

After HHI's titillating charge that 50 Spanish government officials had been arrested for alleged improper dealings with Odyssey Marine, and considering the complete lack of media interest in such an event, we contacted one of our media friends in Europe. This esteemed reporter has followed Odyssey and the goings-on in Spain for years. He responded that it sounded like an "overblown conspiracy theory," but that he would look into it.

A conspiracy theory perpetuated by History Hunters, specifically John Bartram (aka "Solomon")? Say it ain't so!

Our little old website would love to be the one who busts Bartram's cojones for spreading false information about not only Odyssey, but also Spain and its government officials and military. At the very least, we hope it might put an end to the mainstream media's giving these stooges a public stage to spout their visceral hatred of all things Odyssey. (Are you listening John Colapinto of the New Yorker?)

Stay tuned.

Super Secret Silent Sources

Solomon was asked last night by HHI's "administrator" (who we've heard is Solomon himself) to put some meat on the meager bones of his bombshell that 50 government officials in Spain were arrested for supposed illicit dealings with Odyssey Marine.

What drew our attention to this claim (and we're sure others as well), is that any rational person would assume the arrest of so many government officials for criminal dealings with a solitary U.S. company, especially one that's being sued by that nation, might just lead to a headline or three in Spain, the U.K., Gibraltar, or the States. Yet, there's been nary a peep about this, with the notable exception of HHI's website. Does that make any sense?

What's Solomon's "source" for this claim? He says several Spanish organizations, especially those dealing with archaeology, are in regular contact with his group (which is interesting considering HHI is an amateur history and archaeology website, not a professional organization). He says the media is as well, which, to be fair, is borne out by their recent inclusion in Odyssey's New Yorker profile (which, by the way, also identifies HHI as "amateurs"). Solomon says that while preparing for an interview with a Spanish media outlet, he was told a secret investigation was being conducted into alleged shady dealings having to do with an "agreement" brokered between Spain and Odyssey (which agreement we don't know, because he doesn't say).

Solomon, also known as John Bartram, then says that according to his unnamed source "inappropriate" pressures were brought to bear by the U.S. Embassy on Spain's military and that of the UK's (which is a new charge, actually). No further context or meaning is provided, nor are the results of these actions, which were presumably to benefit Odyssey, fleshed out. Bartram adds, conveniently, that one shouldn't be surprised by the the large number of arrests, as he personally witnessed similar actions while living in Spain.

While Solomon claims mass arrests aren't unusual in Spain (which we think is likely bullocks), considering the widespread international media coverage of the Black Swan find, and in light of the high-profile lawsuit going on between Spain and Odyssey at the moment, one might reasonably expect such an event to catch the attention of an editor or three in Spain, if not elsewhere in Europe and the U.S.

We therefore believe that HHI, led by Solomon and Doc (John Bartram and James McManus, respectively), are once again aggressively spreading vile innuendo with the intention of grievously harming Odyssey. In this case, however, we think they've likely bitten off more than they can swallow.

Time will tell. We expect to be writing more about this over the coming days as more information becomes available. In the meantime, read HHI's posts about these "arrests" and see what you can make of it yourself.

And stay tuned....

Idiot Redux (They're back!)

It's been relatively quiet lately over at HHI. The history poseurs appeared to be settling in for the slower, typically more reflective summer period. You didn't honestly expect that to continue, did you?

Doc and Solomon, likely already badly sun-burned and twitching to get back to Odyssey bashing -- their only true occupation -- finally found something to get their panties in a twist. They're now running full steam ahead with an online reference to a supposed violation of Odyssey's ship, the Ocean Alert, which was apparently cited for some issues related to "onboard safety systems" (whatever that means).

In our opinion, there is not sufficient information available to make an informed judgement about what this means, if anything. And, in fact, if the citations had amounted to something serious and material, Odyssey, as a publicly traded company, would have been obliged to announce it in a press release, or as an 8-K filing with the SEC, neither of which they did. That should tell you something.

Of course, common sense and perspective doesn't stop our favorite chumps from taking this wee bit of information and suggesting a vast, deep, dark conspiracy involving Odyssey, the UK's Ministry of Defense (MOD), the BS recovery, the British Parliament, 50 arrested Spanish officials (read on!), the SEC, the Man on the Moon, that little feller from the Austin Powers' movies (pictured above), and Elvis.

Can the FBI and Attorney General be far behind?

So, with this minor bit of online information, the silly twats are off and running. Doc posted the safety violation on HHI, then pointed out the supposed, confusing involvement of the MOD and argues this happened at the same time as the BS recovery. As we said, the information is fairly clouded, and what the Twit Minor is trying to suggest, we haven't a clue. Of course, Sir Solomon the Angry Twit doesn't waste any time piling on. He's been fairly quiet and was undoubtedly anxious to resume consuming OMEX flesh -- which sure beats trying to chew his own face off, we're sure.

Solomon: "As you say, Doc, more mystery. The log of Gibraltar/Cadiz shipping for the period when Odyssey was mounting its Black Swan misadventure ties the movement of an Odyssey vessel to the UK Ministry of Defence. This in itself raises some interesting questions. One may be what the MoD knows of this; another is if it may relate in some manner to other involvement of armed forces as speculated about in Spain: those of the USA, UK and Spain. We have heard that some 50 officials are under arrest in Spain as part of a criminal investigation into possibly inappropriate ties with Odyssey."

Wait, what was that? You say 50 "officials" have been arrested in Spain for "inappropriate ties" with Odyssey? REALLY? Hmmmm, you claim 50 Spanish officials were arrested during a "criminal investigation" and not one peep from the Spanish, British, Gibraltar or American press appears? That pig sure ain't gonna fly, Mister.

Finally, how many times have HHI members had to endure snooty lectures from the Master Himself about posting items without the appropriate level of "evidentiary support"? As this potentially libelous bomb shell suggests, this rule obviously doesn't apply to the Angry Twit. He blathers on:

Solomon: "Why wasn't this reported by Odyssey to the SEC? Personally, I think the investors would like to know what is happening to their major assets in Odyssey, especially when a substantial portion is unable to operate."

You mean, the same investors you've personally called stupid, inane, naive, and greedy? Now, you surely can't expect us rubes to suddenly start looking after ourselves, can you Solomon?

And then, the inevitable concluding mouse roar:

Doc: "Solomon, I concur. If the Ministry of Defense was in fact involved at the time some very critical questions need to be asked by the MP's who have oversight in this area of government...As you have pointed out, the loss of this asset for safety violations from July 23rd of 2007 thru the 30th of April 2008 and the failure to make known this development to the shareholders presents a grave issue of credibility in my opinion. Is this material evidence? I think so."

Yes, the Twit Minor concurs. And sees a vast conspiracy that exposes Odyssey's "lack of credibility" that the SEC should investigate: STOP THE PRESSES!

Shallow, stupid, predictable. Yep, our boys are back alright!

The Sacred and Profane

A couple of weeks ago, the HHI rubes were spraying spittle ranting about Odyssey's alleged violation of the sacred "grave site" of the Mercedes shipwreck (of course, they were merely squawking the same dramatic lines spouted by the main parrot, Jim Gould). We won't rehash all the nonsense here -- you can read all about it below -- but there are many reasons why that charge was utterly unfounded and ridiculous.

At the time, one of our smartest friends, Jeff K., noted that no archaeological dig could ever be possible if disturbing human remains was disallowed. And, low and behold, take a look-see at what showed up today on the HHI website:

Now, while this is a rather macabre photo taken from an archaeological site (though it could be any CSI photo ever taken), we understand this process is an important scientific endeavor. And, while it might appear, at first glance anyway, to be unnecessarily intrusive, it is, in fact, a necessary reality of the archaeological process.

Odyssey faces no less different challenges in its work, except that in the cases of deep-ocean graves, marine organisms consume remains in relatively quick order. (For obvious reasons, the vast sea is not an environment hospitable to dead things.) The point is, if one follows archaeological protocols, and as this photo aptly illustrates, handling human remains is a manageable part of the process.

So, regardless of the profane rants of the HHI divas, and Spain's lead attorney on the BS case, that Odyssey thoughtlessly "raided" the graves of the deceased, the fact is the company approaches shipwreck sites with all the rigor of trained scientists, along with a healthy dose of respect, ethics and humility. This fact is frequently missing in criticisms of Odyssey, but we are here to change that.

Why? Because we pay attention.

The Head that Swells

Apropos our new poll, and just a couple of days after launching it, Sir Solomon the Angry Twit’s™ head has swollen to near fatal, or at least near-stroke, proportions. What could set off the already trigger-happy-hostile Brit? Oh, we don't know, perhaps Odyssey's press release last week announcing the arrests of two new historic shipwrecks found near the Channel Islands?

Now, we know OMEX gets under Solomon's flaky skin something fierce, even more so than his annoying half-witted American cousin, Twit Minor (aka Doc), but this latest announcement drove the Angry Twit to not only rage about Odyssey, but also to display, once again, his clear and open disdain for Americans and our supposed lack of national intelligence. We HH Watch guys are obviously stupid and sophomoric, but we don't think our actions we should represent an entire nation of people, especially not one with our GDP and level of productivity. Just saying.

Solomon: "Odyssey's claims have become so standardised - in wording and pretentiousness - as to be boring."

Well, let's not waste any time getting to it, Big Boy. Hey, this is certainly a nice change, who knew the evil overlords of treasure hunting and archaeology could be so, how do you say?, pedestrian? Nice!

Solomon: "'...outside the territorial waters or contiguous zone of any sovereign nation' - isn't it always? Maybe it is, but I wouldn't believe them just because they say so. It would be hard to find a non-territorial/non-contiguous free inch in the English Channel. 'The sites both contain cannon...' - sure they do and yet they cannot bring themselves to identify the ships.

Let's take this one point by point for the dopey dense one:

• Yes, Odyssey exclusively hunts for shipwrecks outside other nation's territorial waters; this is, in fact, one of the core tenants of their strategic business plan
• You don't believe them because they said so, but as investors, public words are critically important, and Odyssey takes them quite seriously.
• Um, and finally, Odyssey didn't identify the shipwrecks because, as it said, they don't know yet what they have. They arrested the sites so they may make a determination. So, stay tuned (we're sure you will).

Solomon: "They've sold tickets before on their magical, mystery tour and I'm not buying."

Really? Gosh, who knew? We'll be sure to alert the media about this breaking news item.

Solomon: "This one is so priceless they have to repeat it every time: 'believed to date from the Colonial period...'. How totally meaningless. Well, to anyone who isn't American. Whose colonial period, exactly? They could not be more vacuous if they tried."

Of course, he's right, we Americans all -- everyone of us! -- drink beer, eat donuts, and scratch our private parts while watching the Simpsons. But ain't it funny how many people around the planet still strive to live and work here along with their families? Including many Brits, whom, from what we can see, appear to be increasingly dominating our major news services (which is okay with us, for the record). Go figure.

Solomon: "'Company’s archaeological and conservation teams..." - they missed out the 'heroic' this time, which is some relief. Come on, Stemm, tell us who you've got labelled as archaeologists. Give us a good belly laugh. 'Odyssey’s core business is shipwreck exploration and archaeological excavation...' - no, it isn't, you dunces. Go read a book, or watch some intelligent television (difficult to find, I know, but the truth is out there) and find out what is archaeology. Then hang your heads in shame. Numbskulls."

Wow, "vacuous," "dunces," "numbskulls"...we're surprised he left out "poopy heads" and "farty faces."

More seriously, this is now several times the Angry Twit has accused Odyssey of not practising archaeology, or not having archaeologists on staff, both of which are obvious lies. Once again, we think Solomon's rants are increasingly veering into the libelous, defamation zone. We hope Odyssey is paying attention to these remarks, especially considering the far lower standard of proving libel in the UK (which, frankly, we wish we had here as well). We suspect they are.

So there you have it. We'd say the Angry-Twit-Head-o-Rage-Meter® is now at a solid 3.5. (Oh, rest assured, we're working on some mighty righteous graphics to illustrate this!). Don't worry, we'll give plenty of warning when that goofy melon begins to show signs of blowing!

You don't want to be sprayed by that rabid mess.