Hacking Stupidity

Message for HHI: In the old days you blamed Odyssey for your website problems. You even told a New Yorker reporter you would never have "gone after" Odyssey if they hadn't "attacked" you first. (Yeah right. And, as usual, you never provided one ounce of evidence the company ever hacked your site.)

Now you're suggesting a Turkish invasion to muss up your already-bad HTML?

The hilarious part is you think this "attack" puts you in the same category of major international organizations. Positively shocking narcissism.

Word for the wise: Maybe you HHI nerds should just accept you're all profoundly stupid. Or, In the parlance of Americans: you're dumb asses, incapable of running your own website. Time for outsourcing?

Just saying....

Disposing of the Trash

We've been away a bit of late, but will suspend our sweet time in the summer fun to note the History Hunter scum, led by Chief Errand Boy Doc (with hefty side contributions from the usual steaming turds), have officially taken over and ruined the Yahoo OMEX board. This is mostly by default, as most of the long-time Odyssey investors have clearly given up on the board. Few even bother to post any longer. It's really not that surprising. The Yahoo board ceased long ago to be anything more than a staging ground for the worst kind of worthless bashing and poser punk garbage.

There is one upside to the development: Doc has gravitated back toward his evil side (that can't shut up) and is again attacking individual Odyssey employees by name, in this case, one of Odyssey's archaeologists. We think this reckless, insidious behavior will make a damning showing in his upcoming libel trial. Regardless, we also find it revealing that the History Hunters are so lacking in a coherent public argument against Odyssey they are reduced to having a third-rate boat captain manage literally dozens of aliases on Yahoo that daily and repeatedly attack the company, its integrity, and its employees.

Truly a sign that victory is not in HHI's grasping, desperate grasp.

So, if you're looking for an alternative forum to discuss Odyssey in reasonable, measured tones, that is, a place where the HHI whores and mindless bashers have no sway or wrecking ball capabilities, check this place out. For the record, we know nothing of the moderator, who claims to be in his teenage years (wink wink, nudge nudge), but who does have a long track record of fair posts about Odyssey on Yahoo.

Summer Hiatus

You've probably noticed the frequency of our posts have plummeted of late. Consider it the beginning of our official summer break, started a tad late. Also, and predictably, life's responsibilities and many curve balls have impacted our ability, and frankly our desire, to pay attention closely to the HHI scumbaggery (which, after a while, becomes predictable enough to be boring).

Also, there's not really been a lot to report about the HHI idiots of late. Right now, they're busy laying out some truly lame conspiracy theories. These "theories" appear to be driven by the Spanish reporter, Santiago Mata, a guy who has yet to be correct or accurate about Odyssey (we like one Yahoo poster's characterization of him as "Spain's Geraldo Rivera"). This proves he's in league with HHI founders, as many have suspected (and now we can guess where Bartram got his "information" about those supposed mass arrests of Spanish government officials for dealing with Odyssey that amazingly never made it into the press).

This is yet another reason to condemn John Colapinto's sorry-ass judgement in making the history hunters poseurs a part of his New Yorker piece. Hell, he should have also quoted some of those folks who think O.J. Simpson was innocent -- they're just as likely to be as misinformed and ignorant about Odyssey as HHI.

The hilarious part is the HHI nitwits are suggesting Odyssey enlisted the U.S. State Department and the Spanish military to apply pressure on the Spanish government to benefit...wait a minute...yeah, that's right: Follow that thought to its logical conclusion. The mind naturally asks "what the fuck?" Someone in HHI's midst should raise the question begging to be asked: Okay, so there's a conspiracy here and the classic question is who benefited from it? Odyssey? Wha-Huh? Anyone with two orbs in skull sockets witnessed how fair and balanced Spain has behaved toward Odyssey the past few years.

Hey, what can we say? These guys ain't our favorite idiots for nothing!

They also are currently obsessed about goofy, half-thought-out theories involving Hedge fund shenanigans (we expect this to make its way into Doc's libel defense), Odyssey's director of international business, and others. And, as always, these topics are pronounced as major, Earth-shattering news that will absolutely devastate Odyssey, only to inevitably result in dead-ends, lost momentum, and ultimately, complete silence. In essence, HHI is made up of ferociously snapping, yelping chihuahuas leaping around wildly. All that noise and motion for nothing.

Regardless of how much more we continue to post here, we think we've laid down a solid public record of HHI's idiocy and their obvious anti-Odyssey agenda. So, for that reason alone, we''ll forever leave it up as an accessible public record for those seeking some perspective about who HHI is and what they're about.

Also, we are still planning on attending Doc's upcoming libel trial because we know that's going to be ripe with amusement. We can't wait to see him lay out all his conspiracy theories in public, especially since they're all utterly irrelevant to the fundamental issue of his libeling and defaming Odyssey. We expect little patience and much scolding from the judge. We'll report as much as we can.

Finally, we owe much thanks to our dedicated readers and the many contributors who've made this site so popular. If you had told us we would achieve over 8,000 hits in a mere few months of existence, we would have spewed mouthfuls of beer all over you. Though, we're not really all that surprised that there's so much interest in the lying, deceitful, and hypocritical behavior of the poseurs, particularly of the moronic founding pair of John Bartram and Jim McManus. One is soon going to suffer some true pain in a Tampa courthouse and the other simply has to suffer through life as a self-righteous asshole who thinks he's something he's not.

We expect their karma to pay hellacious dividends over time, that's for sure.

Now let's be clear: we're not saying we're going away completely, but we've been feeling quite guilty the past week watching the hit count continue to climb every day with no new content to offer. So, we recommend checking in every couple of weeks, but no more than that. Obviously, if something major breaks with Odyssey, or new lawsuits emerge regarding HHI, we'll be on that like stink on...well, you know.

So, have a great summer, and again, thank you!

Message to John Bartram

Hey Bartram, instead of posting articles about Sotheby's and fraud, and making predictably lame-ass connections to certain treasure hunting companies, why don't you clean up your own barn?

It stinks to the high heavens, man.

Have you been paying attention to the regular embarrassment your co-founder is causing HHI on Yahoo? Is it a sanctioned policy of your members to use deception and deceit in pursuit of all perceived enemies. Having facts and the truth on your side won't do? Is your case against Odyssey so intellectually bankrupt that Nixonian Jr. methods are encouraged and pursued?

Don't bother answering: those questions are rhetorical -- anyone who reads this site regularly knows the answers already.

Oh, but wait: you have some credibility issues of your own, don't you? In fact, we're still awaiting your professional archaeology and historian credentials. Did those get lost in the mail? Sounds to us like these are strictly amateur pursuits for you, just like your horsewhipping and shooting hobbies. How shocked should we really be that it only took five minutes of Internet research to connect your name to allegations of fraud involving ... wait for it ... treasure hunting.

How delicious.

You, McManus and your sordid HHI practices reek of filthy swine. But, that's okay: More and more are catching your scent and paying attention.

You feeling us yet? Oh, we bet you are.

The Answer to our Prayer

Our favorite nautical nimrod has outed himself on Yahoo again, though not in the usual way. "Doc" typically exposes himself by accidentally signing his name to one of his many aliases' posts. In fact, Doc's Friday night meltdowns used to be so frequent they became a source of high entertainment. Tonight's outing, which appears to mark a return to his old act, was much less obvious, but damning all the same.

In recent days the Yahoo board was invaded by an aggressive new anti-Odyssey poster who went by "intelcall22." Many Odyssey regulars suspected it was HHI founder Jim McManus, even as he tried to pass off a persona of a hard, truck-driving country hick. Tonight, the new Bocephus in town distinguished himself by teaming up with that Ape Man Andy buffoon to insult and challenge others to real-world physical confrontations. (Yep, we agree: Let's hope these disturbed, delusional dipshits aren't raising or influencing youngsters.)

One of our intrepid readers noticed that old "Mister Guidrey" -- the "real life" name Doc assigned his new bad-ass alias should anyone care to meet him for a beatdown at his favorite bar (we know, you can't make this stuff up) -- was available for an online chat. So he clicked on the link to do so and, low and behold, the following profile and user photo popped up:

Yep, that sure looks like Doc McManus, aka "intelcall22," alright (click on the image to enlarge).

Not fully convinced? Fair enough. Okay then: Take a close look at the photo of Doc below (on the left) taken directly from his profile page on the HHI website:

That sure is an interesting "Vesper" t-shirt Doc has on, no? Now where have we seen that before?

Busted!

Poor Jim McManus. Let us bow our heads in vespers that someone, anyone, will save this poor dumb bastard from himself. Or not.

Again, here we have another stellar example of how the History Hunter founders operate in the real world. Not through honesty, integrity and truth -- the very traits they so often self-righteously accuse others of not possessing -- but rather by cheap deception, lies and dishonest measures such as this.

Is there more disgrace to come from the HHI poseurs (haven't we given you enough already)? We're not the praying types, but we'd wager some secular Ben Franklins it's all but inevitable.

Stay tuned.

Yawwwwwn

[Photo at left: The oddest looking manchild on the planet displays an anatomically accurate model of John Bartram's teeny-weeny naughty parts, discovered in his Uncle Purv's super secret, don't-you-dare-touch-that "curiosities" drawer. No word of love letters. Yet.]

Gosh it's been boring over at HHI lately, eh? No Doc spouting about Odyssey's daily evil-doings (say, whatever happened to that Spanish shipwreck old nautical-researcher claimed he discovered; did his infamous illegal Chinese immigrants whisk it away?); no Solomon threats of beat downs, shootings or horse-whippings of anonymous American tormentors; no HHI members writing hilariously putrid poetry...wait, hold the line: that one's actually a go.

Nope, just stultifying benign posts about strange-looking kids finding historic artifacts, Nazi loot buried under British homes, and the Holy Grail being carefully excavated from a member's holy....oh, never mind. The point is, we're bored, man.

Why did the HHI guys get so quiet all of the sudden? Did Bartram receive a cease and desist? Did the tough guy shart himself from fear when he finally realized he made one too many threats or loosey goosey allegations about Odyssey? Honestly, we don't know. What we do know, however, is our main source of comedic material has suddenly dried up. Gone missing.

Oh well, there's always that little Jack Ass Doofus of a Sleazeball, Smitty/Fleas, to mock. (Although admittedly, it's a litte too easy, even for us.) Anyone else marvelling at what a complete douchebag he's making of himself over at Yahoo these days? He's obviously bored too, not to mention wicked pissuh drunk on top of it. Nothing good ever comes from mixing those two things, especially when you throw in a degenerate mind like Smitty's.

So what do you say, dear readers? Send us some good stuff: Write something about the poseurs, or anything you like really, and we'll post it. Help us survive these summer daze...or at least help us make it till Doc's libel trial. You know that's going to provide more comic relief than Rodney Dangerfield could shake a schtick at.

Bartram Fartram

As we've said before, it's amazing the plump little nuggets one can randomly find stumbling about HHI's beast of a website. And even though we've had great fun at Bartram's expense regarding his practice of threatening violence toward those he disagrees with, believe it or not, we found yet another example of his self-professed meanliness:

"The media has been - very largely - happy to report Odyssey's case, often quoting verbatim Odyssey's words without due diligence. Who is responsible for that? Not Odyssey, as I see it. It is their job to sell themselves and they have done so with considerable success. So, if it ever comes time to bring out the horse whip, I know who I'll be taking into the yard for some exercise." ~ Horse Master Bartram

Beatings, shootings, horse-whippings -- apparently all in a day's work for the Angry Twit. Smarter people than us have made the appropriate Freudian observations about those who feel the need to constantly tell everyone who will listen how tough they are. Of course, all one has to do is look at a picture of the Hapless Dork to be absolutely stricken with terror by his manly menace. (No, not really; in fact, put some doggie ears on him and you'd have yourself a human facsimile of Disney's Goofy.)

So what's up with this wanker, John Bartram?

He says he stands for what's right in archaeology, and constantly attacks Odyssey about its practice of and credentials in the field, yet he apparently falsely portrayed himself on a number of occasions to certain members of the public as an accredited archaeologist and historian.

Bartram claims to be merely an objective observer about Odyssey, yet devotes virtually the entire HHI website to publishing and spreading lies and mistruths about the company. (This often comes, sadly, at the expense of some HHI member projects that seem fairly interesting.)

He speaks of his disdain for rudeness and bad behaviour, yet sends out two of the most pathetic, vile, stupid human specimens to populate this planet to do his anti-Odyssey bidding. (We've devoted much space to the putrid reputations and actions of Smitty and Doc; check our archives for the dirt.)

Bartram never fails to rip Odyssey for having a profit motive as "treasure hunters" (a term he uses disdainfully), yet in an older version of the HHI website, he peddles media, archaeology and history services for sale, presumably not for charitable purposes, to...wait for it....treasure hunters. (And, as further evidence of his deep hypocrisy, neither he nor his website provides one shred of evidence of their expertise or credentials to offer such services. They also claim numerous "clients," yet no client list or projects summary is to be found.)

We think it's obvious what Bartram and HHI is all about. He can stomp about, arrogantly sniff, threaten violence, lawsuits, and days of reckoning, even raise an offended pinkie in protest, but he can't stop our efforts to bring you the truth about the history poseurs and their lying, misleading claims.

That's a perspective you won't ever find on HHI -- disagreement and dissension are strictly forbidden.

Happy 4th Ya'll!

Happy July 4th everyone!

As we celebrate this nation's historic defeat of tyranny and embrace of liberty, we're reminded of the need for constant vigilance to those who would limit our hard-earned freedoms.

As Ben Franklin wrote,“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”

Sound relevant to today? We think so.

Now, back to the BBQ....

Feeling lucky punks? Are ya?

Is there a better way to resolve a complex issue of marine archaeology than to simply pop a cap in some one's ass?

We think so, but the suddenly tough-talking Twits over at HHI apparently endorse the more aggressive approach. Twice today the issue of shooting or threatening others with guns appeared on the poseurs' website. All in good fun, you say? Not when you consider the sources.

In the first instance, which we reported earlier today, Old Toughie Bartram (we strive to make our hero Wodehouse proud), who has made several online references to physically assaulting those he disagrees with (translation: he's a bigger pussy than Garfield), today wrote about a hypothetical run-in with Odyssey, with a grim result:

Solomon: "Personally, if somebody turns up on one of our sites waving a piece of paper and shouting at me, they are at risk of getting shot."

Shot with what Bartram? A bitchy glare? Ooooh, that sounds positively venomous.

"SatDiver" (smithvi2003, Smitty, gldn_fleez), so desperately eager to ingratiate himself to the Queen Bee, buzzed about with similar threats. Hilariously, though, and showing a complete lack of imagination, he posts virtually the same scenario as Master Bartram, with the same predictable outcome:

SatDiver: "You can show up to a recovery operation, show them your piece of paper, with No location shown, and tell them that they are on your site, and that they have to leave.There are many groups operating out there that I would not suggest trying that with...."

Which he follows with...take a guess...that's right: A photo of a guy playing with all kinds of nasty-looking boom sticks (i.e., big ass machine guns). We know, we know: Pathetic. (Of the beyond words variety.)

Now, most of you are already grossly familiar with SatDiver Smitty's way with "subtlety." His years of Yahoo posts, detailed in our recent profile, revealed a vile penchant for insults featuring pedophilia, bestiality, incest, but also uber-creepy stalking of female posters and the cowardly harassment of a Vietnam vet. As we said then: this guy's a piece of work. (HHI should be really proud of such stellar associations.)

Does HHI honestly expect to be taken seriously by the adult world, especially the niche that focuses on the fairly narrow, restricted field of marine archaeology, with this kind of asinine behavior?

Ah well...it's ultimately of no concern to us how the world perceives HHI; we do this for our own and hopefully others' amusement. And while we'll refrain from threatening to shoot anyone, you can count on us to continue carving up poseur ass. Strictly metaphorically speaking, mind you.

A challenge for Indiana Bartram

We see the Angry Twit's threatening violence again over at HHI, this time saying he's going to shoot someone for simply waving a piece of paper at him, but the tough-guy act aside (in real life he's a confirmed prancing coward), check this out:

Solomon: "We, History Hunters, also participate in nautical archaeology."

Is that right?

Okay, because we know you and your members read us, we'll bite: Name one, just one, nautical archaeology project HHI has ever worked on. Provide a link, a summary, a report, anything to show your work in the field. And don't be throwing Doc's finding a couple of old twigs on the ocean bottom at us either. All that's good for is a laugh over a couple rum and cokes, otherwise you'd still be promoting it on your website.

We're talking about any project on par with what Odyssey has accomplished.

Of course, you won't, because you can't. You should know by now, Bartram, that simply promoting yourself as an archaeologist or historian doesn't make it so. Now, refer to yourself as a rank amateur, and we'll let you have your little moment of glory. Until, that time, why don't you shut your yap?

We're waiting....

Decipher this...

HHI's pseudo intellectuals are again trying to connect spiritualism, paranormal activities, religion, Mormonism, PT Barnum-ism, Bartram's Stupid-ism (okay, we threw that last one in there), to make an exceedingly weak case using highly selective bits of U.S. history to justify their obsessive hatred of treasure hunting, and more specifically, Odyssey.

They insist, with thoroughly unconvincing evidence, that the so-called "fraud" of treasure hunting is a uniquely American phenomenon. (Of course, we all know there's no such thing as a gullible Brit. Just ask Neville Chamberlain, and he only cost what, a few hundred thousand lives?) We're inclined, however, to see these HHI's efforts for their true purpose: to bash Americans -- their second favorite pastime.

The Angry Twit Bartram started this boring monologue with himself a while ago, but seemed to lose steam, probably because he bored himself to death, or more likely, he exhausted his sherry supply. Perhaps both. Hey, it's a lot of work posting all those pretty pictures online (for if he doesn't make it like a comic book, Doc refuses to read it...it's not a lot unlike them having to pour whiskey on garnishes to get him to eat his fruits and veggies.)

Regardless, the conversation is picking up again, much to our amusement. The latest post is from "Scribe" (karma: 188) who quotes long passages from an obscure book about "enthusiastic religions" in western New York (sounds riveting, no? Think it has pictures?). Old Scribe bought it probably because he thought merely possessing it would increase his IQ a few points.

About the book (which has nothing whatsoever to do with treasure hunting, by the way), he writes:

"With (blind) faith an integral part of the process, it also explains how treasure hunting, US-style, studiously ignores science and reason. It also explains how critics of treasure hunters are attacked so viciously, for they are the heretics, or even the anti-Christ."

The soap-opera worthy dramatic second sentence, in addition to being a classic non sequitur, raises a question: Does HHI, who nobly claim devotion to history and archaeology, have a right to lecture others about the scientific pursuit of reason when it stoops to post an innocuous photo of a part-time Odyssey captain reveling during the holidays? And then have the little minions scurry off to post it on Yahoo (upon which it was immediately deleted)? Is this a point achieved through science, logic and reason?

Yeah, okay. Sure.

Be sure to drink some more of that Guyana Kool-Aid, Scribe. Your Queen Bee compels it.

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.