The final item of business is a member's business debate on motion 1095 in the name of Fulton MacGregor on alleviating poverty associated with the purchase of school uniforms in Scotland. The debate will be concluded without any questions being put. I would ask members who wish to participate in the debate to press their request-to-speak buttons now or as soon as possible. I call on Fulton MacGregor to open the debate for around seven minutes. I'm pleased to have secured this debate today, and I would like to start by thanking members from all parties across the chamber who have signed the motion and those staying to participate in the debate. I'd also like to thank those who have helped me with this debate and preparing for it, particularly Julio Byrne and Ann Culley and the whole team at CoolSkill Uniforms, in my constituency of Co-bridge and Chrysyn, and Dr Rachel Shanks at the University of Aberdeen. Their knowledge and expertise in this area have been indispensable in bringing this debate to the table. Presiding Officer, I'm sure that we can all agree that all children regardless of background deserve to be able to attend school in clean, warm and comfortable clothes. However, unfortunately, this is currently not always the case. We have uniformed banks across the country, similar to food banks, and with a cut in universal credit by the Tories, it is becoming harder and harder for parents and carers who are trying to make ends meet to provide for their families. I was glad that this Parliament voted overwhelmingly yesterday for the UK Government to reverse its reclining decision to cut universal credit. The ball is very much now in their court. However, of course, this cut in universal credit is only the latest attack on our most vulnerable by this UK Government that Scotland did not vote for. Again, this Parliament is in the predicament where we have been asked to merely act as a mitigation chamber, and we have already done so much with the bedroom tax, increasing the Scottish child payment and so much more. It is in that context that I know, without full powers, how much we have done already, how difficult it is to do even more with issues such as school uniforms, but more indeed we must do as part of a range of measures to tackle child poverty in this country. We all know that uniforms can be one of the most significant school costs for parents. The Scottish Government has already provided £100 minimum school clothing grant for families on low incomes across the country and has committed to reviewing the real cost of school uniforms for less well-off families, increasing the grant to at least £120 in primary school and £150 in secondary school and ensuring that it increases each year with inflation. I was delighted that the SNP Green co-operation agreement has recognised this and committed to introducing statutory guidance for schools and encouraged the increase of use of generic items of uniform, but I would urge it to do so as soon as materially possible. That is affecting parents and carers now and the pandemic has made an already difficult situation even worse. I wonder if, in summing up the minister, we would indicate an expected timescale for the statutory guidance to be brought forward. This is not a new issue and I have been working with school uniforms for some years now—indeed, since the information about three or four years ago. I have been discussing the problems that parents and carers in my constituency often face when it comes to affording school uniforms. I think that any parent in here will testify to that they are very expensive and that is when we consider an MSP salary. As I am sure many members are equally aware, so many schools now demand very specific items for their uniforms with badges, colours and styles. Those are not always widely available and are only obtainable from specific suppliers. Of course, school pride and identity is very important and I am not arguing against uniforms in that respect. Indeed, like probably everyone else, in here I retain a special pride for each of my schools and I will take this opportunity to give them a wee shout-out. Coat Dyke primary, now closed. Ruxillock primary, where I went after Coat Dyke, and Coatbridge high school. Your school often is a special place in your heart and much of that is driven by the identity of school communities. What I believe is not to remove that identity, but what we need is more standardised uniforms that makes sure that nobody is being left behind and begins to break the stigma. Currently, suppliers can set the price for uniform at whatever they please. With so many having a monopoly it is leaving parents and carers in the unenviable position of having to fork out for an expensive uniform or to potentially send their child to school in a generic one, which is more affordable, but makes them more likely to feel out of place from their peers. Members may also be aware that a new law was passed in England in April, which will require schools to follow new statutory guidance and uniform costs. That was brought forward by Labour MP Mike Gainsbury, and I congratulate him on that. I understand that the UK Department of Education is due to publish statutory guidance later this year instructing England's schools to keep prices down, consider high street alternatives and encourage the use of second-hand uniforms. That is a fantastic move, I believe, and I hope that it will implement that with haste and with appropriate safeguards to ensure quality. I think that that will be very important. Ahead of this debate, I spoke with Julie Obam, who I mentioned previously. She is the chair and founder of Cool School Uniforms. For members' information, she is also my local hero at the opening of Parliament this Saturday. For those who are not familiar with the Uniform Bank, Cool School Uniforms accepts donations of uniform, which are in good condition and redistributes it to those who require it. Families can be referred through schools, social work departments or any respected caring group or individual. Families can also self-refer and will be assisted after benefit checks. The group helped with PE kits and stationery too, and ensure children can go to school ready to learn. Their work is absolutely invaluable and a lifeline to so many, but of course I still wish places like this, as well as food banks, did not have to exist. Julie has said that generic uniforms are something that she would unquestionably support. I spoke to me before about how this is something that successfully takes place elsewhere, for example in Wales. She detailed how some schools request such specific colours for their blazers or shirts, for example a lilac shirt that there is no choice to buy from supermarkets, which are the affordable option for so many parents and carers. A white shirt from a supermarket, for example, can be as little as £3 for a pack of two, for a lilac shirt from a uniform supplier, which is £16 for a pack of two. That is a huge difference if you are on the red line and there is not much change left from the grant of £100 once the basics have been purchased. The overall back-to-school bill can add up to several hundreds of pounds for parents with more than one child, and that is why I believe the current grant available is not working as well as it should or could be. Of course, with COP26 fast approaching, there is a climate issue here too. Clothing is a huge contributor to global carbon emissions. That does not mean that we should stop buying uniforms, but if we can get more than a year's use out of something, then we absolutely should. I know from my own kids that they grow so fast and we are always hoping to get as long as possible out of their clothes, but unavoidable growth spurts mean that their clothes are often new when they no longer fit. It is important that there are options to reuse such items. I also want to talk about Dr Rachel Shanks at the University of Aberdeen, who has undertaken a phenomenal amount of research on the issue. I have spoken to her ahead of lodging my motion and I would like to highlight the three broad recommendations that are borne out in her research. First, we implement statutory guidance and school uniform policies with affordability as a top priority. Secondly, statutory guidance will be under regular reviews of exclusive supply arrangements of school uniform items in order to reduce the cost of the school uniform. Thirdly, school uniform dress code and appearance policies are required to involve pupils in decision making in both their creation and regular reviews. I think that those recommendations are fair and proportionate, and I would ask the Government again to comment on those and provide a view of whether further legislation such as through a member's bill could be helpful and useful to the Government. I will include by saying that every child deserves to be able to attend school with clean and warm clothes that do not single them out from their peers. In a time of great austerity imposed by the Scottish Tory Government, it is becoming more and more difficult for parents and carers to ensure that the cash to make sure that young people are kitted out for school, even with uniform grants in place. School uniforms can only be one part of a suite of measures to alleviate child poverty, including free school meals for larger cohorts and the uplifting of the Scottish child payment. I hope that we can move forward swiftly with a policy that will help to mitigate uniform policy and ensure that our children are arriving at school equipped to learn. Megan Gallagher, who will be followed by Emma Harper. Ms Gallagher, four minutes please. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I start by thanking Fulton MacGregor for bringing this important topic of school uniforms to the chamber today. Cool school uniforms, based in Coatbridge, is one of many organisations that go above and beyond to help families to obtain warm, clean and comfortable school uniforms. Ms Gallagher has spoken highly of the work that she does and I share her admiration and her dedication to helping those whom we struggle to afford uniforms for their children. There is more that we can do in this Parliament to support organisations and to make uniforms more available to all families so that no young person feels awkward or segregated from their peers. It is my intention to explore some of those proposals during my contribution this evening. At present, a large majority of Scottish publicly funded schools require pupils to wear a uniform that can cause financial strain on families each school term. In 2020, the Children's Society found that families across the UK were paying on average £337 per year on school uniforms for each secondary school child. The same study found that those costs were more than three times what parents think is a reasonable cost for secondary uniforms. There is currently support in place for some families as they are entitled to a uniform grant. Whilst it was welcomed that the Scottish Government increased the school uniform grant for primary and secondary school pupils, they were forced into that decision and now eligible primary school pupils will receive a minimum of £120 and £150 per eligible secondary school pupil. This falls now more in line with the views of parents and families as they should not have to pay through the nose in order to ensure that their child has the appropriate school uniform. It is relevant that we recognise the importance of uniforms. It removes any stigma as some families cannot afford the latest designer clothes, they are visible and it should give them a sense of pride in their school. However, with one-fifth of secondary school pupils specifying an exclusive supplier for uniforms, I can understand why, as the end of the school holiday straw near, that families need to make tough decisions as they cannot source their own supplier within their own budgets. Although the SNP Green Coalition has said that they intend to crack down on schools using exclusive suppliers for school uniforms, that promise has not yet been brought forward. They both included that idea within their manifesto but we need action now and, as stated in the motion today, steps to alleviate poverty associated with the purchase of school uniforms should be brought forward as soon as possible. In addition, the Scottish Government must bring forward a £20 increase to the child payment without delay. Until those actions are brought forward, organisations such as Cool School Uniform may continue to experience an increase of demand but families are looking for support of donated clothing. I will continue to seek confirmation from the Scottish Government that clothing grants are not delayed, as they were last year. That, understandably, caused upset and panicked appearance to parents who were entitled to that grant as they did not know if they would receive that financial support in time. Therefore, it is imperative that councils receive that funding so that they can administer it to families in plenty of time before the school term begins and so that they and their child can be organised and ready to return to school. Mr McGregor made an interesting point regarding the reuse of clothing and I share his interest in sustainable clothing, which could involve our young people and our fight to tackle climate change. To conclude, the Scottish Government must bring forward their plans to stop schools from using SEP suppliers and continue to review the school uniform grant, which the Scottish Conservatives support. We also need to make sure that grants are provided to families at the appropriate time to reduce the pressures on organisations that go above and beyond to support their communities. I thank Mr McGregor once again for bringing that issue to the chamber today, and I look forward to hearing other contributions. Welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate and congratulate Fulton McGregor on securing it. I too want to start by congratulating Cool School Uniforms and Coatbridge for ensuring that children and young people across Coatbridge are able to obtain clear and comfortable school uniforms. I welcome the commitment in the Scottish Government and Green Party agreement to bring forward statutory guidance for schools to increase the use of generic items of school uniform. I agree that the use of exclusive supplier arrangements between schools and businesses is prohibitive for many families and can be extremely expensive. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a direct negative impact on the budget of families across Scotland, including in my south Scotland region. At the same time, costs have increased significantly. Too often, school uniforms are an additional expense that families on a low income struggle to meet. Over the course of the pandemic, the London School of Economics carried out research into the effects of the cost of school uniforms on low-income families across the four UK nations. The report found that, in all parts of the UK case study, it showed that families were being driven to choose between heating or eating as well as school uniforms. The report also found that the root cause of those inequalities is the UK Government's welfare system. I welcome that, unlike in England, where there are only regional variations of support, steps being taken by the Scottish Government, such as the school clothing grant of £120 for primary school and £150 for secondary school pupil, which is a lifeline for many families. One participant in the LSE study, Talia, from the Scottish Borders, articulated well the challenges being faced by families regarding the uniforms. Talia once relied on charity shops and pre-loved clothing from friends and people in the community for school uniforms. The inaccessibility of those during lockdown triggered a spiral of bills, debt and hunger. Talia said, because of Covid, I have not received any hand-me-down clothes for my sons this whole year. In September, I had to buy three children all brand new uniforms. I am £2,000 in debt. I ran out of money a week last Thursday. I have only eaten a diet of bread and potatoes this last month and I wanted to ensure that my kids had food. That was at the time when the UK Government was proposing to cut the £20 per week universal credit uplift from the most vulnerable families across the UK. It is completely unacceptable and, again, calling the UK Government to reverse that callous, cruel cut. I want to highlight some of the important work that has been carried out by dedicated people across Dumfries and Galloway to ensure that young people have access to school uniforms. The Dumfries Uniform Bank, run by Dr Amy Vetters, which I visited in 2018 and has been operational since 2017, is available to any family across Dumfries in its surrounding areas who are struggling with the cost of school uniforms. The Uniform Bank has a collection points in various supermarkets where those able can donate items of uniform. They have helped over 380 families so far with uniform costs, and I thank Amy and the volunteers for their work. Another organisation locally across D&G is Aberlour. I visited the Aberlour Dumfries North West Resource Centre campus on Monday and I visited with Amanda McAllister, who is the manager. Aberlour has a range of support options available to families for school uniforms and their recent one-shirt one-month challenge has been getting great support to help with the cost of school uniforms for local families across the area. I again welcome this debate and I support what the Scottish Government has in place to assist families with the cost of school uniforms. I again call on the UK Government to reverse the callous and cruel cut of the £20 per week uplift universal credit. I thank Fulton MacGregor for bringing this debate to the chamber. Scotland, in 2021, simply should not require many of the services that Fulton MacGregor has mentioned in his motion in his speech this evening. Decisions from this Government and from the Conservative Government Westminster have made it harder for people to get by, ensuring that less families are in stable, well-paid employment and thus have seen more people, more children live and grow up in poverty. Indeed, a poverty associated with the purchase of school uniforms in Scotland is a direct impact of political decision making. Families are being let down and we must act with purpose to deliver the real and radical change required to improve livelihoods and life chances. In the motion that we are debating this evening, there is a reference to the suggestion that we should welcome the SNP green party coalition pledge to bring forward statutory guidance for schools to increase the use of generic items of uniforms to reduce costs. Indeed, any progressive steps to make sure buying school uniforms easier and less expensive for low-income families, I will support, because I know the pressure that some parents feel to provide items such as a new school uniform for their children, when it is not an expense that they can afford. However, after 14 years in government, where the Government has taken Tory cuts and multiplied them and passed them on to local communities, I hope that I can be forgiven for being sceptical about the likelihood of the SNP green coalition taking the necessary steps to support our lowest-income families and communities. I hope that from tonight's debate I can be proven wrong, and the members that I have waited here will stand up and be counted on this one. However, in response to the need created by political decision making, it has been encouraging to see so many groups and individuals in our local communities doing all that they can to help parents to provide uniforms for children, whether that be in the form of donating direct to families or setting up uniform banks, as discussed tonight, where uniforms can be handed in and collected by families. Communities pulling together to help alleviate pressure put on their neighbours by poverty associated with the purchasing of school uniforms and other items has been truly positive and has continued throughout the pandemic. South Ayrshire School clothing bank in my own area is a fine example of that work, run fully by volunteers with a mission to ensure that every child is able to go to school in clothing just like their peers, which they believe can help their ability to learn, socialise and develop key interpersonal skills. However, I would stress again, Deputy Presiding Officer, that it is shameful that it has come to this. Although community intervention is welcome and the work of volunteers is admirable, the correct policies would have to be put in place to ensure that it is not needed. Turning to local government, a Labour-run North Lanarkshire council, despite over a decade of cuts being made to the budget this year, became the first councillor in the United Kingdom to introduce a clothing and footwear grant for nursery children. That is an example of a council doing what it can to give children the best start in life. It is clear to me that, if the action such as that was to be replicated across Scotland, our young people would start off with the best of benefits. It is devastating, Deputy Presiding Officer, that poverty, associated with the purchase of school uniforms exist in Scotland. I agree with Fulton McGregor that schools can and should do more to make generic and less expensive uniform items more accessible to parents of the children attending. Having an exclusive supplier of expensive uniforms may work for school, but it does not necessarily work for low-income families that it serves. I would welcome regular reviews into such arrangements. However, Deputy Presiding Officer, I will end by saying that the issue that we are debating today has much deeper causes, namely policies that have been fundamentally flawed and have failed the people most in need. To alleviate poverty caused by a host of factors, we have to be more radical in our politics and stand up for those who have been let down by austerity and cuts, and only by doing that will we deliver the change that we truly need. Thank you very much, Ms Mocken. I now call on Claire Hockie to respond to the debate. Minister, again, around seven minutes please. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I am very grateful to Fulton McGregor for bringing forward this motion and enabling discussion of this very important issue within the Scottish Parliament. I would firstly wish to recognise and thank cool school uniforms for their work in supporting children, young people and their families at access school uniform items, enabling pupils to achieve their potential. I would also like to thank all those who work and volunteer in clothing banks across Scotland for their commitment and support to families. I absolutely recognise the issues and concerns that have been raised in the debate this evening. Our programme for government set out the actions that we will take in our efforts to end child poverty. The Scottish child payment, already benefiting eligible families with children up to six, will be extended to include children up to the age of 16 by the end of next year, subject to the necessary data being made available from the DWP. However, we are already supporting as many children as possible through our bridging payments. Through that benefit, unique in the UK, designed to tackle poverty head on, we are now reaching 108,000 children and we are committed to increase the child payment from £10 to £20 per child per week, as soon as possible. We will continue the process through the budget bill process, or consider this through the budget bill process. As part of the strategic approach, we will also reduce the cost of the school day and we will build a system to ensure equal access to the full package of education, breaking down financial barriers to make a real difference in the lives of children from low-income families. We have already abolished music tuition charges and extended universal provision of school meals to children in primary 4. Over the course of this Parliament, we will extend free school meals to all primary school pupils all year round. In addition to expansion of free school lunches, we are also committed to universal free breakfast provision for all primary school pupils during term time and in the holidays. That will ensure that all primary school pupils will be able to benefit from a nutritious breakfast at the start of the day every day. We will also provide every child with an electronic device and a connection to get online, recognising that this is as essential to education today as jotters and pencils were in years gone by. I want to turn to school uniform particularly in a moment, but I wish to acknowledge the work of the child poverty action group. The group has recently published an updated toolkit for schools to support them in considering the cost of the school day for families and the toolkit provides a range of resources to support schools, local authorities and their partners to identify and address financial barriers to participation and learning. At the heart of the resource is the involvement of children, parents and staff in identifying which school items result in additional financial burdens for families and risk children and young people experiencing stigma or feeling excluded. Turning now to school uniforms particularly, we also know that uniforms can be one of the most significant school costs for families and I confirm that we are firmly committed to overcoming barriers to accessing education, including those arising from school uniforms. In partnership with local authorities, we have delivered on our commitment to increase the level of the school clothing grant in Scotland, increasing the vital support to at least £120 for primary school pupils and £150 for secondary school pupils. That was in place in time for the start of the new school year in August. As has been recognised by Fulton MacGregor during his parliamentary term, we will introduce statutory guidance for schools, increasing the use of generic items of uniform and reducing costs for families. As Mr MacGregor asked me about a timescale in his speech, we will engage with stakeholders as soon as possible as part of preparing that guidance. Those are important steps. We must all do what we can to ensure that families are able to afford school uniforms. Fulton MacGregor. I thank the minister for taking intervention and for answering the question about statutory guidance in talking to stakeholders. I wonder as well if she could comment on another question that asked about how she feels that legislation might be taken forward, the statutory guidance, and if she felt that a member's bill would be helpful for her. I am certainly happy to discuss with Mr MacGregor what he has raised as a member's bill. At the moment, we are looking at guidance, but I am certainly happy to explore that with him in due course. We must do all that we can to ensure that families are able to afford school uniforms. We know that some families are sacrificing essentials such as heating, food and rent payments so that the children can participate fully in schools. That cannot be right. Yesterday, the Parliament voted overwhelmingly, as Emma Harper mentioned in her speech, to support cancelling the planned £20 cut to universal credit next month, a cut that will plunge 60,000 families and 20,000 children into poverty. I therefore find it quite rich that one of the Tory MSPs then asked us to introduce the £20 child payment without delay, and it might be noted that there is not a Tory member sitting on the benches here. They have left the debate. I am pleased to see that the commitment to introduce statutory guidance— Minister, just to the record, Megan Gallagher, who has contributed to the debate, is still here. Is here, virtually, yes, but the two members who were here, Presiding Officer, have left. I am pleased to see that the commitment to introduce statutory guidance on school uniforms has been set out as part of the Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party's shared policy programme. I welcome the opportunity to work with colleagues to deliver that commitment and ensure that all our children and young people are able to go to school free from stigma, are included, engaged and involved in their learning and are supported to reach their full potential. Thank you very much indeed, Minister. That concludes the debate, and I close this meeting of Parliament.


We are going to demonstrate the bladder in the lower urinary system. So this structure which is being held up by my assistant, these are the two ureters, which are descending down into the pelvis. And this structure which is being held up by my other assistant, this is the bladder. So this is the apex of the bladder, to which we can see attached is a ligament, median umbilical ligament, which is the vibrous remnant of the urecus, which in turn is derived from the fetal allen toy. This portion of the bladder that we see here, this is the dome of the bladder, or the superior surface of the bladder, which is covered by visceral pleurotronium, but it has been removed. This portion that we see here, this is the vesico-utrient pouch, in this case, the uterus is highly atrophied. And behind that, this is the recto-utrient pouch. The ureters open onto the trigon in the floor of the bladder, which we shall show when we open the bladder. Now let's take a look at some other ligaments of the bladder. This structure that we see here, on the right side, this is the distal portion of the umbilical artery. And this forms the medial umbilical ligament. And this, as we can see, this is giving rise to one of the superior vesicle arteries. There will be many other superior vesicle arteries given off. Now let's take a look at the relations and the spaces around the bladder. The portion in front of the bladder, where my hand has gone in, between the pubic bone, pubic symphysis and the anterior surface of the bladder, this is known as the pre-vesicle space or the retropubic space. It is also referred to as the cave of red Zeus.  And in the case of females, there's a condensation of the fascia which is known as pubo-vesicle ligament. In the case of males, it is called the pubo-prostitic ligament. On either side of the bladder, there are again condensation of the endopelvic fascia, which have been removed, which allow passage to these blood vessels. These are the vesicle arteries and veins. These are known as the lateral ligaments of the bladder. One on this side and one on this side. A space behind the bladder. In the case of females, as I have told you, it is the vesico-utrient pouch. In the case of the males, it will be the recto-vesicle pouch. Now let's take a look at the interior of the bladder. We have opened up the anterior surface of the bladder to show the interior. Most of the bladder is derived from the endodermal of the urogenital sinus. However, this region that we see here, this is the region of the trigone. And this is derived from the misodermal wolfian duct. Squamous non-charitonizing metaphysia of the trigonal mucosa is common in females. The rest of the bladder is transitioned into the epithelium. Now let's take a look at the three openings in the trigone. On either side, we can see this is the ureter coming. This is the opening of the ureteric orifice. On the other side, this is the ureter. And this is the opening of the ureteric orifice. And finally, at the apex of the trigone where my finger has gone in, that is the urethral orifice. So the structure, which is demarcated by these three openings, this is referred to as a trigone. When we are doing a scistoscopy, normally we can see only two ureteric orifices and the region between the two, which is known as the inter ureteric bar. In the same view, we cannot see the urethral orifice. And if we were to be able to see the urethral orifice also, then that is known as marioncine positive, which is the feature of benign prostrate hypertrophy in males. But that is not the case in this particular patient. A quick word about the ureteric orifices in the bladder. The ureters do not enter the bladder straight away. They enter in a bevel fashion through the musculature of the bladder. And here they constitute a sphincteric mechanism, which prevents vesicouretric reflux of urine when the patient is passing urine. Because if the sphincteric mechanism were not there, then urine will reflux up and then it will lead to ascending urinary tract infection. Coming to the blood supply of the bladder. The bladder in the case of the males is supplied by two sets of arteries. One of the superior vesicle arteries, which come from the umbilical artery. This is the proximal part of the umbilical artery, which is patent. And we can see one branch here. This is the superior vesicle artery. There are many other branches. We can see them on the left side here. And we can see the other branches on the right side here. These are all branches of the superior vesicle artery. In the case of males, we also have an inferior vesicle artery, which arises as a separate branch from the anterior division of the internal iliac. But in the case of females in this cadaver, there is no inferior vesicle artery. Instead, there are vaginal arteries. Incidentally, in this cadaver, the uterus is very atrophied and therefore the structures pertaining to the uterus are almost non-existent. Now, let's come to some important clinical correlations pertaining to the bladder. Bladder calculus is quite common. And when there is calculus, there is a stylus, which is the inflammation of the bladder. And when a patient has got an infection or inflammation of the bladder mucosa, then he has urgency. That is, sudden desire to pass urine. In addition, there is dysuria, where the patient complains of pain in the suprapubic region and pain during passing urine. The mucosa of the trigon is very sensitive. And whenever there is an irritation due to calculus or infection that is known as trigonitis, the patient has severe urgency and frequency and dysuria. The patient wants to pass urine repeatedly. Now, let's come to the problem which is not so in this particular cadaver, but in males. And that is benign prostatic hypertrophy. When there is an enlargement of the prostate, the median lobe of the prostate pushes into the neck of the bladder through the region of the sphincter urethrae. And that projection is referred to as the uvula. And then it gives rise to what is known as the marioncine positive. In such cases, this musculature of the bladder that we see here, in this particular cadaver, this is very thin, but the musculature becomes hypertrophied. And it can also become trabiculated and there can be sacculations and even diverticulate may develop in such patients. Another is cancer of the mucosa of the bladder. It is usually transitional cell carcinoma. And finally, we have this entity which I've already mentioned that is the vesicoeurotric reflux, which happens when the sphincter mechanism of the ureters are deficient and that can lead to ascending urinary tract infection. So these are some common abnormalities pertaining to the bladder. If there are any questions or comments, please put them in the comment section below. Dr. Sanjay Sanyal signing out. Have a nice day. Make sure you like this video and make sure you subscribe. Thanks for watching.


Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third-party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and is intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised. Everyone's heard of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and the James Younger gang. But most know very little about the man whose story intersects with them all. Cousin to both the Younger and James brothers, and for a time the chief antagonist of Wyatt Earp, this other man has been somewhat overshadowed in history. But those that have heard of Johnny Ringo know him as the fascinating figure that he was. He was a gentleman gunman who could spout Shakespeare and who many writers romanticized as one of the deadliest gunfighters of the Old West. And to this day, only adding to the mystique of Johnny Ringo is the fact that mystery surrounds his own death, a death as legendary as his mythic life. I'm Darren Marlar and this is Weird Darkness. Welcome Weirdos, I'm Darren Marlar and this is Weird Darkness. Here you'll find stories of the paranormal, supernatural, legends, lore, the strange and bizarre, crime, conspiracy, mysterious, macabre, unsolved and unexplained. Coming up in this episode… To his family and neighbors, Richard Kuklinski was the all-American man. To the mafia and his victims, he was the devil himself, known as the Ice Man Killer. Wherever tragedies happen, urban legends settle. And for almost every urban legend, there is a road to take you there. A road often just as terrifying as the urban legend it takes you to. We look at the true story of a bar bouncer accused of killing his wife, which is odd, seeing as the incident took place before he killed a man while defending her honor. Extra-terrestrials come in all shapes and sizes, if you believe what you see on television, film and even online in the fringe conversations of UFO enthusiasts. The most famous of the aliens are usually depicted in the very realistic humanoid form, the Greys. But what exactly are the Greys? And is it possible they aren't extraterrestrial at all? We'll meet a man who has an amazing superpower. He is especially proficient at passing gas. But first, a gentleman gunslinger who could quote Shakespeare. Johnny Ringo was a mythical gunslinger who died a mysterious death befitting his legend. We begin with that story. If you're new here, welcome to the show. And if you're already a member of this Weirdo family, please take a moment and invite someone else to listen. Recommending Weird Darkness to others helps make it possible for me to keep doing the show. And while you're listening, be sure to check out WeirdDarkness.com where you can send in your own personal paranormal stories. Watch horror hosts present old, scary movies 24-7. See weird news items. Listen to the Weird Darkness syndicated radio show. Shop for Weird Darkness and Weirdo merchandise. Listen to free audiobooks I've narrated. Sign up for the newsletter to win free stuff that I give away every month and more. And on the social contact page, you can find the show on Facebook and Twitter, and you can also join the Weird Darkness Weirdo's Facebook group.  Johnny Ringo was born John Peters Ringo on May 3, 1850, to Martin and Mary Peters Ringo in Washington, Indiana. He was the first child of a large family of five children and was related to both the infamous younger and James brothers. At the age of 14, his family left for San Jose, California, but while crossing the country by wagon, his father was killed in a tragic accident. A letter published in the Liberty Tribune described the event in gory detail. His shotgun went off accidentally in his hands, the load entering his right eye and coming out at the top of his head. At the report of his gun, I saw his hat blow up 20 feet in the air and his brains were scattered in all directions. Still, the family was resilient, like most frontier folk, and made it to San Jose after a year-long stay at the younger's home. But Johnny Ringo's adolescent years between 1864 and 1870 are not well documented, though there is an unsubstantiated claim that he was a drunkard and juvenile delinquent that left his family and San Jose itself in 1869. However, the San Jose Directory and Federal California Census, both of 1870, plays him in San Jose, working as a farmer. Additionally, his sisters later reported that he left San Jose as part of a harvesting team sometime between 1870 and early 1871. According to some accounts, Ringo's delinquency came later when he was charged for discharging his firearm in a public square in Burnett, Texas. Then came the infamous Hoodoo War, and the outlaw legend of Johnny Ringo only grew from there. In September 1875, Johnny Ringo got caught up in the Hoodoo War, a blood feud that had started over cattle ownership between Germans living in Mason County, Texas and American-born residents of neighboring counties. Ringo's involvement was not over cattle but was instead the direct result of the slaying of Moses Baird and the serious wounding of George Gladden, both of whom were his close friends and had themselves gotten caught up in the bloodshed. Baird and Gladden had been tricked by local gambler James Cheney into riding into Mason only to be ambushed in an attack orchestrated by Mason County Sheriff John Clark. On September 25, Johnny Ringo joined another seven men to avenge Baird's death. When the men rode into Mason, Ringo and a man named Bill Williams separated from the party and headed for Cheney's home. There, they shot the gambler dead without warning. Ringo and Williams then made for the home of another alleged collaborator in the ambush named Dave Duel. When they arrived, they shouted for Duel to come outside, but when he came to his front door armed with a gun, it scared Ringo and Williams off. Both men then rode back to their party and publicly bragged over breakfast about killing Cheney. According to HX's Ranger report, either Williams or Ringo allegedly said that they had made beef of Cheney and if someone did not bury him, he would stink. More killing followed four days later when other members of the party cut down three men. However, arrest warrants were not issued against Ringo for killing Cheney. Instead, he was arrested twice in December for other charges. The first arrest was for disturbing the peace in April when he fired his pistol in the middle of Burnett, but he was soon released after the $150 bond was posted. The second charge was far more serious for Johnny Ringo. He and former Texas Ranger Scott Cooley were imprisoned for threatening to kill the Burnett County Sheriff and his deputy. Authorities were worried that their friends might try to bust them loose from prison and thus had them transferred to a prison in Austin. On their way there, Ringo received a bit of notoriety exemplified by the Austin Statesman paper which reported on January 4, 1876 that Ringo, quote, is said to have taken an active part in the Mason County War, unquote. But Ringo's name was bespelled as Ringgold in the newspapers, which accounts for some confusion over the outlaw's identity ever since. The spelling may have arisen from translations in German newspapers as official records confirm his name was indeed John Ringo, not John Ringgold. Either way, the Hoodoo War was now over, though tensions remained in Mason County for a few more years. It wasn't long before Ringo and Cooley were moved once again, first back to Burnett before being granted their request to stand trial in Lampasaw County. Although they were both convicted and imprisoned for making threats against law enforcement, they appealed the sentence. But they did not want to wait until 1877 to have their case heard. Luckily, their cohorts agreed and broke them out of prison in May 1876. Cooley, however, reportedly died a month later. Despite the media painting Ringo as a notorious outlaw on the run, he only evaded capture for a few months before once again being sent to prison in Austin. Surprisingly, his earlier appeal still went through and the charges were reversed. However, they were soon overshadowed by a charge of murder. His slaying of Cheney had finally caught up with him, but this also came to not when no witnesses were willing to testify against Ringo. Thus, Johnny Ringo was released in May 1878, settling in Loyal Valley Mason County a short time after. In November, Ringo went from outlaw to being offered a position as constable for precinct number four at Loyal Valley, though it's not known for certain if he took up the position. Throughout 1879 and 1880, Johnny Ringo continued causing mayhem wherever he went, including shooting one man for wanting to drink beer instead of whiskey and holding a poker game at gunpoint in order to pocket the $500 held by the players. In 1881, he was brought to Tombstone, Arizona to stand trial for the poker game incident, but was more concerned about a rumor that he was involved in a recent stage robbery. He blamed legendary local lawman Wyatt Earp and his gunfighting friend Doc Holliday for the rumor and all three men had a showdown on the streets of Tombstone. As tensions increased, the men started reaching for their sidearms when a constable grabbed Ringo from behind and diffused the conflict. Nevertheless, the altercation made Johnny Ringo take a personal interest in the long-standing feud between the Earps and the infamous Clanton Outlaws. While spending time in jail in 1882, he learned that Earp and his posse were planning to arrest the Clantons in Charleston, so Ringo organized for his bond to be quickly processed and, on release, immediately set off for Charleston to warn the Clantons. But Earp's brother James saw Ringo leave Tombstone and was aware of his plan. He wrote an affidavit calling Ringo an escaped prisoner, intending to thwart the arrest of a U.S. Marshal. Because of this affidavit, a second posse led by J. H. Jackson pursued Ringo. However, they were intercepted by Ike Clanton and Ringo was informed of the warrant for his arrest. Johnny Ringo then went back to Tombstone where he was placed on trial, but once again, witnesses refused to testify and Ringo was let free. From there, the situation in Tombstone only grew worse. Morgan Earp was shot dead by an unknown assailant in March 1882. Many believed Ringo was the culprit, but records from the time dispute this. Furthermore, testimony in the Tombstone epitaph stated Ringo wanted no more part in the feud. Ringo's time in Tombstone was dramatized in the 1993 movie Tombstone, starring Kurt Russell and Bill Paxton and Sam Elliott, with Ringo being played by actor Michael Bean. Meanwhile, Earp and his posse had more troubles when they were accused of killing outlaw Frank Stilwell and thus fled Tombstone. The next day, Sheriff John Bayon gathered men, which included Ringo, to capture the Earp posse. By then, Earp and his party had killed a Mexican named Florentino Cruz, who some believe was Indian Charlie, one of the killers responsible for Morgan Earp's death. Back in Tombstone, it was reported that Earp had shot dead curly Bill Grosius in the Wetstone Mountains, and because Grosius was the most notorious outlaw in his area, his death overshadowed Earp's killing of Stilwell and Cruz. In any event, in April 1882, Earp and his men fled Arizona. A month later, Johnny Ringo himself also left Tombstone, exonerated from all indictments amid the back and forth swarm of lawmen and criminals in the area. But despite his good fortune, Johnny Ringo was found dead just two months later. Much speculation surrounds the July 13, 1882 death of Johnny Ringo. Many believe he committed suicide. The facts seem to support this, but many people point to some inconsistencies in the way the body was found that might suggest foul play. Sightings in Tombstone and the nearby town of Gallyville state that Ringo looked depressed and was drinking heavily before his death. The last time he was seen was around July 11th, which is roughly when he left Gallyville. Three days later, he was discovered with his back to a tree, clutching a .45 caliber Colt in his right hand, apparently dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It seemed pretty cut and dry, but some people, both at the time and in the years since, have looked at the evidence and believe instead that Johnny Ringo was murdered. Speculation revolves around the number of cartridges found in his gun, possible lack of powder burns on his hands, suggesting he may not have fired a gun himself, the position of his hat on his head, and admissions from his contemporaries, including Wyatt Earp to his murder. But all of these lines of inquiry are flimsy at best. Jack Burroughs, the author of the 1987 biography Johnny Ringo, the Gunfighter who never was, and David Johnson in his book, John Ringo, King of the Cowboys, have weighed the evidence and concluded that Johnny Ringo most likely committed suicide. An unusual end for a legendary outlaw of the Old West. Coming up, wherever tragedies happen, urban legends settle, and for almost every urban legend, there's a road to take you there. A road often just as terrifying as the urban legend it takes you to. But first, we'll look at the true story of a bar bouncer accused of killing his wife, which is odd, seeing as the incident took place before he killed a man while defending her honor. These stories and more when Weird Darkness returns. Our next Weirdo Watch Party is Saturday, April 13th. We'll be treated to a Roger Corman crapfest from 1958, Teenage Caveman starring Robert Vaughan. Did he just say dirt that eats men? Yep, I guess so. Mistress Malicious and her Mistress Peace Theater will keep us entertained throughout the film as we watch this caveman teenager with great hair go into the jungle to fight prehistoric monsters like... dogs and an armadillo. Whatever, they're prehistoric creatures. Our Weirdo Watch Party is always free to watch online, so grab your popcorn, candy and soda and jump into the fun, and even get involved in the live chat as we watch the movie. Plus, during this Weirdo Watch Party, I'll be giving away a creepy crate to one lucky winner, full of scary surprises like horror collectibles, true crime-themed accessories, books, terrifying trinkets and more, with some Weird Darkness swag added in. You won't know what's in the creepy crate until you open it. And I'll be giving instructions on how to win the creepy crate inside the chat during the movie, so you have to tune in to win. It's Teenage Caveman, Saturday, April 13th, hosted by Mistress Peace Theater. The show begins at 10pm Eastern, 9pm Central, 8pm Mountain and 7pm Pacific. You can watch a trailer for the film and watch horror hosts and schlocky B-movies anytime, day or night on the Monster Channel page at WeirdDarkness.com. Hope to see you on Saturday, April 13th. Billy Weeners was the night watchman and bouncer for the saloon in the Theater Comique in St. Louis. He was a large man, a great, burly, broad-shouldered bully, said the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune. In January 1877, he was under bond for attempting to kill his wife. It might have been better had he not been out on bond and just stayed in jail until his court date. It would have saved his neck. Literally. Billy Weeners was quite fond of whiskey. He was drunk on the night of January 29th when he was working as a bouncer at the saloon. Despite being out on bond for the attempted murder of his wife, Weeners apparently had a little chivalry in him as well. He overheard the assistant barkeeper, A. V. Lawrence, make disparaging remarks about Weeners' wife to the head barkeeper. Weeners responded, drawing his revolver and threatening to kill Lawrence. A. V. Lawrence, alias Lawrence Mack, was known as a quiet, inoffensive young man, a short man of slight build. He was no match for Billy Weeners. A bystander stepped in to separate them, and Weeners agreed to go home. But before Weeners left, the altercation renewed and Weeners struck Lawrence in the face with his fist. Lawrence picked up a soda bottle to hurl at Weeners, but before he could throw it, Weeners drew two pistols and fired one, hitting Lawrence in the neck. He died almost instantly. Weeners was quickly arrested, and the following October he was tried for first-degree murder. He was found guilty and sentenced to hang on December 14. As the judge pronounced the sentence, Weeners smiled pleasantly and seemed unconcerned. But later he told reporters he would starve or kill himself before he would meet death on the scaffold. After five months of incarceration, Weeners had already lost 70 pounds. Weeners received a stay of execution while his lawyer appealed the verdict before the Missouri Supreme Court. They alleged that the judge in Weeners' trial did not instruct the jury regarding murder in the second degree. At issue was whether Weeners attacked with premeditation and malice a forethought in killing Lawrence. Weeners' attorney argued that he had acted in the heat of passion and should not be charged with first-degree murder. The Supreme Court upheld the original verdict. They summed up their lengthy ruling by saying, We have carefully examined the record to find evidence tending to mitigate the offense of which the defendant was guilty, but have failed to discover a circumstance to indicate it was other than deliberate murder. The hanging was rescheduled for February 1878. As Billy Weeners awaited his punishment, his sister Annie worked to have his sentence commuted to life in prison. She circulated a petition and met personally with Governor Phelps. While support for commutation was growing, the governor would not commit himself. Billy Weeners was hanged at 8.30 am on February 1, 1878, in the jail yard in St. Louis, in front of a small group of spectators, mostly reporters and attorneys. Weeners made a brief speech in which he admitted to killing Lawrence, but not in cold blood. He said he was crazed with liquor, and he warned all men against whiskey and bad associations. Roads around the world are often the site of tragic accidents and deaths, then becoming the center of terrifying legends. In the city of Wildwood St. Louis, County, Missouri, lies Zombie Road, which stretches through a valley and ends near the Merrimack River. Mostly unused since the 1950s, the road became a popular hangout for teenagers who liked to party away from adult supervision. Zombie Road was also said to be the hunting ground for the zombie killer who stalked the place looking for young couples. These days, however, ghost hunters like to stake out the road in the hopes that they'll catch a glimpse of the ghost of the wife of a local judge who was hit by a train nearby and died in 1876. The National Highway 33 in Jharkhand, India looks like all the other highways in the country. Busy. It runs from Arwal to Farakha and links Bihar and Bengal. There's a temple to be found at each end of the expressway, and it's said that those who travel along the highway must stop and pray at both locations to avoid a fatal accident. Between 2010 and 2013, a total of 245 people died in accidents on the highway, leading to rumors that the highway is cursed. Many drivers have also reported seeing the apparition of a tall lady and a white sorry patrolling National Highway 33. South Africa has its fair share of haunted roads, with the most infamous being the N9 National Route, which passes through Uniondale, where you might just find the ghost of Maria Rue attempting to solicit a lift from you. The well-known Swartburg Pass in the Karoo links the towns of Prince Albert and Outshorne and was built by hundreds of convicts in the late 1800s. 30 of those convicts died during a snowstorm, and it's said that as you drive past the spot of the tragedy, you'll feel the temperature drop by several degrees, even in the middle of summer. At another spot on the mountain pass, a guard who accidentally shot himself still hangs around in plain sight, and when the wind blows a certain way, the plaintive cries of a family who died in a blizzard can be heard in the distance. In Anondale, New South Wales, Australia, a narrow street that runs parallel with a rail viaduct has earned itself the moniker of The Street with No Name. The bodies of murdered people, reportedly including six children, have been dumped here, which has led to an urban legend that says those who happen to find themselves on this street will likely experience fear, anxiety, and a sense of doom or foreboding. Too many of the murders have not been solved, which just adds to the air of desperation. It's also said that children and animals behave strangely whenever they are in the vicinity, and that late-night visitors have heard disembodied footsteps, whispers, and unexplained noises. Those who believe in the presence of ghosts are convinced that the souls of the murdered children cannot rest and are forever stuck in what's also called an evil street. A survey in 2020 revealed that one out of seven Brits has seen things of the paranormal variety while driving. It's not surprising really, as the UK is known for multiple haunted roads, including the A229 with its Bluebell Hill Bride and the A696 with the spirit of a dead RAF officer lingers. Until the 15th century, wolves were plentiful in the farmland of the east riding of Yorkshire, which is believed to be why there are so many werewolf sightings on the B1249 between Driftfield and Staxton Hill. A truck driver was traveling along this road in the 1960s when a hairy creature with glowing red eyes tried to smash through his windscreen. The incident was detailed by the author Charles Christian. In 2016, a young woman reported seeing a dog bigger than her car but with a human face while driving along the road. The Kirak Highway in Malaysia is dangerous in more than one way. It is prone to fatal accidents and is also the site where a horrifying creature is said to roam. The creature legend hails from a story about a couple whose car broke down on this highway. The husband got out of the vehicle to try and find help and while he was gone, his wife fell asleep. She awoke to the loud sound of something banging on the roof of the car. Too scared to get out, she stayed put while the sound got louder and louder.  An officer approached her telling her to exit the car via the driver's side and walk toward him. As she did so, the officer told her to not look back. She couldn't resist, however, and as she peered over her shoulder, she saw a huge creature on top of the car gripping her husband's head between its claws and banging it against the roof. On the Kirak Highway, there have also been sightings of a driverless yellow VW Beetle that overtakes other cars, but then drives in reverse while staying in front and scaring the pants off of motorists. Scotland is no stranger to spooky and fascinating tales. Not only are there creepy roads here, but you'll also find hellhounds, locked monsters and spectral beings that haunt traditional bridges and overpasses. The most haunted road in Scotland is said to be the A-75 Kinmount Strait. It's on this road that brothers Derek and Norman Ferguson were driving when they saw a hen flying straight toward their windscreen. Then followed cats, dogs and other animals. All the animals disappeared on impact with the windscreen. Truck drivers have had eerie experiences on the A-75 as well, with one quitting his job after waking up one night to see an endless stream of apparitions passing by his truck. Motorists have also reported knocking people over who suddenly appear before them in the road, only for them to vanish after the shaken-up driver gets out of the car to help. Mount Misery and Sweet Hollow Roads run parallel on Long Island, New York. Also known as No Man's Land, driving down either of these roads might see a running into a group of ghostly teenagers who followed through with a suicide pack years ago. Motorists have reported seeing the ghost of a child who had been killed in a hit-and-run sitting on the overpass, as well as a policeman missing half of his head. Some have seen a man holding a basket containing severed heads. Another legend has it that a mental asylum once stood on Mount Misery Road and was burned down by a female patient. She also died in the fire and now wanders the road at night, still wearing her hospital gown. The half-faced girl of the old Polly Road and the screaming ghost of Morgan's Corner in Hawaii are just two of the creepy stories surrounding the roads there. There's also the woman who died in a car crash on Polany Road in the 1950s after catching her husband with another woman. To this day, there are rumors of her spirit standing in the middle of the road, causing drivers to crash as they tried to swerve around her. While building the H-1 Highway in Oahu, construction workers unearthed the bones of ancient Hawaiians. This discovery came after several of the workers claimed to have seen the ghosts of Hawaiian warriors. This resulted in the highway taking seven years to complete because it became impossible to find people to keep working on the project. Thailand has many haunted roads to choose from, should you be in the mood for ghost hunting there? First, there is the spirited Ta Chom Nang Chang Road where headless ghosts and a playful female apparition with a penchant for sticking out her tongue roams. A two-lane road in Thonbury, Bangkok called Chok Pra Road is the sight of a creepy legend about a husband who killed his pregnant wife.   And then of course there is Route 666. Sorry, just Route 666. The additional number 6 though could be added after hearing these stories. It is one of the original highways in the U.S. highway system. Route 66 was decertified in 1985 but some segments of it can still be traveled as part of the designated historic route. Along with the various tourist attractions that Route 66 has to offer, ghosts lurk around just about every turn in the road. The Missouri part of the road is known for the specters that haunt the Bethlehem Cemetery and the Bloody Hill Ghosts at Wilson Creek. In Oklahoma, apparitions float around in the Tulsa Little Theater and the Gilcrease Museum. In Arizona, visitors can take a break from their road trip to do some sightseeing at the Navajo County Courthouse, which is haunted by the only man ever hanged there. And in California, there is the haunted Georgian Hotel to explore and the cheerfully named Suicide Bridge. When Weird Darkness returns, to his family and neighbors, Richard Kuklinski was the all-American man. To the mafia and his victims, he was the Devil himself, known as the Ice Man Killer. Plus, we'll be in a man who has an amazing superpower. He is especially proficient at passing gas. These stories are up next. Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, as well as the Crisis Text Line. Both have trained counselors at all hours to help those in need, and the page even includes text numbers for those in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, and Ireland. Those struggling with depression can get help through the Seven Cups website and app. And there's information for anyone to read more about what depression truly is and how to identify it through our friends at ifred.org. There are resources for those who battle addictions, be it drugs, alcohol, or self-destructive behavior, along with help for those related to addicts. The page has links to help you find a therapist or counselor, to find help for those who have a family member with Alzheimer's or dementia, help for those in a crisis pregnancy, and more. These resources are always there when you or someone you love needs them on the Hope in the Darkness page at WeirdDarkness.com. Do you liken yourself to an assassin, an interviewer once asked Richard Kuklinski? Assassin? Sound so exotic? Hitman replied with a hint of amusement and a small smile. Then his face turned serious. I was just a murderer. Just is an understatement. Richard Kuklinski, better known as the Ice Man, was convicted of murdering six people, but he claimed to have killed hundreds, and the prosecutors didn't doubt it. Richard Kuklinski was born April 11, 1935 in Jersey City to an aggressive alcoholic father and a stern religious mother, both of whom beat him regularly. His father's beatings were so rough that they killed Kuklinski's older brother, who authorities were told fell down the stairs. Kuklinski took the violence he received and gave it back to the world. He tortured and killed neighborhood cats and stray dogs. In the 8th grade, he dropped out of school, and that same year at the age of 14, he beat the town bully to death. The young misanthrope turned into a giant of a man, growing to be six feet five inches tall and weighing almost 300 pounds. Then in the 1950s, Richard Kuklinski got involved with the mafia. He ended up indebted to mob soldado Roy DeMeo, and when DeMeo sent men to beat him into coughing up his cash, Kuklinski's stoic acceptance of the thrashing impressed the hardened mafia man, who brought him on as an associate after he paid up. He became an all-purpose criminal, trafficking illegal pornography, staging robberies, and beating those who the mob felt needed a warning. His knack for handling sticky situations and his ability to consistently pull in cash for the DeMeo crew earned him their respect. In time, it brought him to the attention of the Gambino crime family, of which DeMeo was a member. Kuklinski wasn't a professional killer at the time, only a recreational one, but that was all about to change. Kuklinski's reputation eventually spread to the elite of the organized crime world, particularly the notorious to Cavalcante family who hired him for his first major gang killing. He approached his new position with professional zeal, taking on extracurricular killings for research and to satisfy his own craving for murder. In 1954, he began to make periodic trips from New Jersey to New York City, prowling the Upper West Side of Manhattan for victims. Often his targets were people who annoyed him, someone he felt had slighted him in some way. Other times, he killed at random just for the sake of killing. His methods were as variable as his victim selection. He shot, stabbed, strangled, poisoned or bludgeoned according to his mood. His weapon selection shifted constantly. A decision that prevented the police from suspecting the rash of deaths in the area were the work of one man. He used everything from ice picks to bare knuckles to hand grenades. According to a statement Richard Kuklinski once made, a nasal spray bottle filled with cyanide was his favorite. Kuklinski continued to carry out assignments for Dimeo and the Gambino's and his willingness to murder without hesitation disturbed even his criminal colleagues who began to refer to him as the devil himself. He only had two rules, no women and no children. Beyond that, anything was fair game.  Kuklinski told the man that he could have 30 minutes to pray to God to see if God would come and intervene. But God never showed up and he never changed the circumstances and that was that. It wasn't too nice. That's one thing I shouldn't have done that one. Shouldn't have done it that way, Kuklinski said. It was one of the only times Kuklinski ever expressed remorse for his actions. Kuklinski was particularly clever when it came to avoiding the authorities. He often removed the fingers and teeth of his victims to prevent their identification. He melted bodies in oil drums or left them in the back of junkyard cars to be crushed. Sometimes he'd throw them in the Hudson River or dispose of them in mine shafts. His favorite trick was leaving his victims' bodies in industrial freezers, then dumping them months or years later. When the police found them, the deceased would appear recently killed and Kuklinski would never be suspected. The technique earned Kuklinski his nickname, the Iceman. At the time, the police thought it was homeless people attacking and killing each other. They didn't suspect that there was a ruthless killer from New Jersey coming into the city to murder at random. Even Kuklinski's family never suspected what was going on. In 1961, he married his wife Barbara. She didn't know that by the time they met, the man who doubled as the Iceman killer had allegedly already committed about 65 murders. The pair had three children together, and to their suburban New Jersey neighbors, they were the ideal All-American family. They lived an affluent life. The children attended expensive private schools, and the family hosted barbecues in their backyard by the pool and took trips to Disneyland over the holidays. Kuklinski was even an usher every Sunday at Mass. When the police finally caught up with him, Barbara had no idea what her husband had done to break the law. She did know, however, that he had a temper. Richard Kuklinski had bad days, and when he was out of sorts, he was abusive, beating Barbara badly enough to break her nose on one occasion. He always left bruises. I used to call it anger. It was beyond anger. He was sick, she would later say. Still, she claimed that she never suspected he was a killer. I'll be the first one to say maybe I was naive because I never saw anything like that. My family never did anything like that. For 25 years, Richard Kuklinski kept up the family man facade by thoroughly compartmentalizing his life. He didn't tell the criminals he worked with anything about his personal life, his family, or where he lived. He never socialized outside of work. He stayed away from drugs and prostitutes, and he never bought what the mob was selling. He was an employee, not a client. But in the 1980s, after 25 years of working as a hitman for the mafia, Kuklinski started his own crime ring, and he began to make mistakes. His undoing was Phil Salamine, a local mafia man and the closest thing Kuklinski had to a friend. Salamine helped the ATF in his sting operation and presented ATF agent Dominik Polifrone to Kuklinski as a prospective client. Polifrone came to Kuklinski with a job, then recorded Kuklinski's promise to murder in exchange for money. It was the end of the road for the Iceman. One day in 1986, unmarked cars surrounded Richard and Barbara Kuklinski on their way to breakfast. The cops pointed guns at their heads. Pat Kane, the lead investigator, approached a distraught Barbara in the midst of her confusion and said plainly, he is a murderer. He was charged with five murders the following day, and in 1988, was found guilty of four of them. He was later convicted of two more and given consecutive life sentences. Detective Pat Kane believed he killed as many as 300 men, saying he killed who he wanted, whenever he wanted. After his arrest, Kuklinski was not shy. He gave interviews to prosecutors, psychiatrists, reporters, criminologists and newscasters, anybody who wanted to talk to him. He participated in two documentaries about his life and spoke candidly about the things he did and why. He claimed to have killed the notoriously corrupt Jimmy Hoffa for which he was paid $40,000. In a TV interview from prison, he said, I've never felt sorry for anything I've done other than hurting my family. I do want my family to forgive me. After 25 years in prison, Kuklinski's health started deteriorating. In 2005, he was diagnosed with incurable inflammation of the blood vessels and eventually transferred to the hospital where Barbara would go to see him one last time. In and out of consciousness in a moment of clarity, Kuklinski asked doctors to revive him if he should flatline. But on our way out, Barbara signed a do not resuscitate form. A week before he died, they called her to see if she had changed her mind, but she hadn't. Richard Kuklinski, the infamous Iceman killer, died on March 5, 2006. Mr. Methane is a world-renowned entertainer who, as the name suggests, is a very special talent when it comes to passing gas. Of all superpowers one could have, farting at will probably sits near the bottom of everyone's list, and yet one of the few people known to be able to control their flatulence has managed to build a career out of this ability. Paul Ulfield, aka Mr. Methane, discovered his unusual talent for farting in his teenage years and eventually managed to use it as a way to make a living, believe it or not, traveling the world and showcasing his somewhat repulsive ability to the world. The Macklesfield-born Englishman currently holds the record for the most farts released in one minute, but is also known for performing popular songs by farting and various other revolting tricks. Paul Ulfield discovered his superpower as a teenager while doing some yoga exercises with his sister. While attempting the lotus position, he realized he could inhale and exhale through both ends of his body. Excited about his newly discovered talent, the next day Paul let loose 20 rapid-fire farts in under a minute for a group of his friends. But the farting Superman didn't become Mr. Methane until later on in his life. He originally trained to become a train conductor and sometimes entertained his colleagues with his farting skills, but eventually decided there was more to life than waking up at three in the morning to drive a train and went into the entertainment business. In the late 1980s, Mr. Methane started performing as an opening act for a local music band and subsequently traveled to New York, where he both impressed and horrified show hosts like Howard Stern with his farting ability. He's produced musical parodies of famous songs, including Phil Collins in The Air Tonight, and has made appearances on shows like Britain's Got Talent and Germany's Das Supertalent. Here's a partial recording of his performance on German television. If you're not too ended from that, you can watch the full video by clicking the link in my show notes. Dr. Peter Warwell, a renowned bowel specialist from Withington Hospital in Manchester, says that by raising the diaphragm, Mr. Methane is able to suck air into the colon through an open sphincter, then close the sphincter before discharging the air. By moving the buttock cheeks, the entertainers learn to alter the tone and pitch of his farts, allowing him to perform his unusual musical repertoire. If all of this sounds somewhat familiar, well, Mr. Methane's story is similar to that of Le Petal Mane, literally the Fart Maniac, a 19th-century French entertainer who learned that he was able to suck air through his sphincter while swimming and then use the ability to build a career for himself in Paris. In 2018, Mr. Methane contacted Guinness Records and asked to have his attempt at releasing the most farts in one minute be acknowledged. He aimed for 50 in a minute, but reportedly managed a whopping 86 farts in 60 seconds. This wasn't his first attempt at getting his name into the world's most famous record book either. He'd contacted them in 1990 as well, but back then his talent was not something Guinness wanted to be associated with their brand. Hopefully I'll get into the book this time, he said, because they're a lot more liberal, but there's room for improvement. Maybe I could do a hundred in a minute. Up next, extraterrestrials come in all shapes and sizes, if you believe what you see on television, film and even online in the fringe conversations of UFO enthusiasts. The most famous are the aliens usually depicted in the very realistic humanoid form, the Greys. But what exactly are the Greys, and is it possible that they're not extraterrestrial at all? That story, when Weird Darkness Returns. Nothing goes better with chocolate than vanilla, and nothing goes better with the darkness than vampires. So we've combined all of them into a new blend of Weird Dark Roast Coffee called Very Vampilla.  So good, you'll want to sink your fangs into the fresh roasted bag itself. Weird Dark Roast Very Vampilla, the only thing at stake, sorry, not sorry, bad pun, is your dissatisfaction with your old coffee. Sip it while the sun is down if you're one of the undead, or when the sun is up if you just feel dead and need a bit of a boost. Get your Weird Dark Roast Very Vampilla at WeirdDarkness.com slash coffee. That's WeirdDarkness.com slash coffee. According to ufologists, the Greys are one of many different types of alien races that have and are still visiting Earth. The Greys are probably the most known alien species because they not only come to Earth in our solar system often, but abduct people and let them go, leaving many witnesses to attribute to what they look like and what their agenda is here on Earth. When people ask what do aliens look like, the Greys are the usual description they get. There are two different types of Greys that visit Earth. The first seem to be the leaders and the most intelligent of the two. They are approximately 5 to 8 feet tall, have large heads, large dark eyes, long skinny fingers, arms and legs, have a small mouth, small ear holes, and have been reported to have two small nostrils. They are hairless and seem to communicate through some kind of telepathy with each other as well as humans. The second are worker Greys that have been cloned to the bidding of the larger Greys. They are much smaller than the other Greys at around 3.5 to 4.5 feet tall, stubbier fingers, arms and legs, but they are similar in other ways, same-shaped head, eyes, ear holes, and small holes for nostrils. They don't seem to be as intelligent as the taller Greys and do much of the grunt work during probing and abductions while the taller Greys work on more scientific areas like collecting sperm and egg samples and working on genetic materials. Other alien researchers have assumed that there may be other types of Greys out there with many names, much like there are different races of humans, there are different races of aliens, such as Bellatracks, Greys, Zeta reticuli, Grey type C and more. As to date though, these are the two types we can determine as true. Many people have asked why aliens visit Earth, why they abduct people. Well, there are a few different theories as to why they are in our solar system. The Greys come from the Zeta reticuli 1 and 2, a binary star system visible from the Southern Hemisphere approximately 38 light years away. The star system consists of two stars, one slightly smaller than our own Sun in the Milky Way and the other almost the same mass as our Sun. Both stars are much older than our own Sun at around 8 billion years old and dying while our Sun is still in its middle age at 4.5 billion years old. Many people such as Betty and Barney Hill can confirm that this is their home world as the aliens during the abduction showed her and she drew a map afterwards, which surprisingly was a real star system. With the Greys' Sun dying and the resources on their planet depleted, they have moved on looking at other planets to inhabit, whether or not all the Greys have left that's unclear. The Greys have also been cloning themselves for generations, which has damaged the genetic makeup of their DNA. To fix the DNA issues, they have been doing experiments on humans by trying to fill in the gaps of the damaged DNA with healthy human DNA. This is one of the reasons they abduct humans and do experiments on them. Many people who have been abducted have reported having sperm taken from them as well as eggs from the women. It is believed that they have thousands of alien human hybrids from these abductions that they watch closely to see if they have succeeded in their mission of fixing their dying race. They have also had contact with high government officials in the past and present, some good and some bad, such as what went down in Roswell at Area 51. When we went to the Moon, the aliens basically chased us off and told us not to return because they have bases on the Moon where they do experiments and use it as a jump-off place when coming and going to Earth. They have been controlling civilizations for centuries by acting as gods, giving out technology and using plain old fear. Some say they even grow humans that can be controlled and place them in high offices to help keep us obedient. Some alien researchers have theorized that the Greys aren't from outer space at all. They might simply be humans from the future that use time travel to visit, which could explain a lot if you think about it. Take the basic look of the Greys to start with. They do look very similar to humans, but more advanced. Their heads are larger because of the increased size of the brain. They have grown taller and thinner over time, just as we have over time. Their fingers are more slender and longer because of less physical labor and more use with computers and robotics. They have larger, darker eyes from being exposed to sunlight remarkably less than we are normally used to and the use of computing equipment. A smaller mouth from not needing to speak because of the use of telepathy and moving from eating meat to smaller, easier digestible fuel. No ears for the similar reasons of not needing the use of hearing as much. The skin of the aliens is a gray from the mixing of races on Earth, turning it into a plain gray mix. Other things to consider that can be argued but are still worth mentioning are the gray aliens that visit us and they seem to have a great understanding of the different languages here on Earth. Did they learn this over time while studying us or is it because it is part of their past? The gray spaceships that is the flying saucers they haven't changed over time, which could be because they are all coming from the same point in the future just visiting different times. When they abduct us and take our sperm and eggs they may be bringing them back to the future to help save our own dying race. We could be dying of a disease or some man-made virus or weapon gone wrong and the only way to save the human race is to bring back healthy DNA from before whatever happened to us. It's still a theory as most everything I just said is and most evidence points to extraterrestrials in most people's opinions but we are not about to rule anything out until the truth is known. And once we discover that, we'll probably find that just as bizarre. Thanks for listening. If you liked the show, please share it with someone you know who loves the paranormal or strange stories, true crime, monsters or unsolved mysteries like you do. You can email me anytime with your questions or comments at darren at WeirdDarkness.com. Darren is D-A-R-R-E-N. And you can find the show on Facebook and Twitter, including the show's Weirdo's Facebook group, on the Contact social page at WeirdDarkness.com. Also on the website, you can find free audiobooks that I've narrated, watch old horror movies with horror hosts at all times of the day for free, sign up for the newsletter to win free prizes, grab your Weird Darkness and Weirdo merchandise, plus if you have a true paranormal or creepy tale to tell, you can click on Tell Your Story. All stories in Weird Darkness are purported to be true unless stated otherwise, and you can find source links or links to the authors in the show notes. A mysterious death of outlaw Johnny Ringo is by Kuroski for all that's interesting. Roads that lead to urban legends was written by Estelle for Listverse. What Are the Grays is from Animalian. Mr. Methane, the gas man, is from Spooky for Oddity Central. A broad-shouldered bully was Wiener, was written by Robert Wilhelm for Murder by Gaslight. And the mafia's most prolific hitman is from Katie Serena for all that's interesting. Again, you can find a link to all of these stories in the show notes. Weird Darkness is a production and trademark of Marlar House Productions. Copyright Weird Darkness. And now that we're coming out of the dark, I'll leave you with a little light. Ecclesiastes 5, verse 10. Whoever loves money never has money enough. Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. And a final thought from Norris Thomas. Laziness is a disease that can be cured, but only if you are willing to change your useless habits. Find inspiration, get involved in something that has meaning. I'm Darren Marlar. Thanks for joining me in the Weird Darkness. Don't miss future videos. I post videos seven days a week. And while you're at it, spread the darkness by sharing this video with someone you know who loves all things strange and macabre. If you want to listen to the podcast, you can find it at WeirdDarkness.com.


Hi everyone, Joe for Jaspy's casebreaks.com coming at you with 20, I was gonna say 2020, which one should I do? 2019 Bowman's Best Baseball two box random team break number one I guess just these two loose boxes right there 2019 Bowman's Best a little quick little two box break and we comboed up some teams right here Cleveland not in the mix by the way Just FYI, it's just gonna be Oakland, Kansas City and Washington comboed up right there There it is. Now one spot gets you two teams So it's a 14 spot break and there should be 28 on both lists If we did it right Here we go. Good luck Three into three six times for each list one There's 20 area there two three four five and six six then final time hard six Mr. Zeller down to Mr. Hip. All right six times for the teams, please. It should be 28 two three four five and six after six times We've got the San Francisco Giants my rivals all the way down to the New York Yankees What does that even mean?  You also have the Blue Jays Logan with the Cubbies Dennis with the Indians and the Rockies Will with the Brew Crew Blake with the Red Sox Mary Lou with the Angels Ryan last spot Mojo Rangers your other last spot Mojo Pirates will Christian with the Padres Blake with the Rays Gary with the Astros Mary Lou with the Mariners Ryan with the White Sox and Zechariah hip with the New York Yankees trades are allowed Let's alphabetize by team here Logan has both his combo spot and the cubby spot up for trade Brewers are also up for trade. All right. Looks like no trades I'm already a little bit over tonight We've got a busy day tomorrow. So TWC trade window closed. Oh What are we doing here trade window open? Trade window open. What are you guys doing cubs brewers? Logan you pick Well, which cubs cubs or combo spot or cubs brewers cubs brewers? Think that's what Logan offered cubs for brewers as well. Okay. I think that's what Logan meant to we says will okay so cubs Brewers will and is now in the cubs spot Tea there for trade Logan is out of the cub spot and into the brewer spot Bonchance for both of you and everybody else Let's print Let's rip. Let's rock. Let's roll. Do we need to officially close close the trade window again? Might as well TWC trade window closed again. Why is that camera looking pointing straight out the door? That's my that's my tops poster. I know you can't it's kind of hard to tell But it's a tops poster There you go. You can see it right there where it's the front and backs of all the tops cards from 1952 1951 the blue and the red backs all the way to 2019. It's one of my favorite posters. All right, there you go And there you go. There's everybody. All right. This is our last break of the night folks So no no Nick at night for tonight It's got to get up early tomorrow To make sure we get some important shipments in Among other things and we're just preparing in general for a long week of mosaic and Bowman baseball We're trying to conserve a bit of energy because that Bowman baseball is gonna It's gonna wipe us out Now be sure to look at our website folks in the Bowman baseball section the first product in the Bowman baseball section Will actually be an informational page Be sure to read that and we'll try to keep you updated there as much as possible. We've had some Some potential Delays in that Bowman baseball Delays and getting our entire allotment I think we're gonna get some but we just don't know exactly how much Maybe up to a quarter or up to a half of our allotment which should be enough for 24 hours of breaking which I think we were all still down to do I'm hoping it happens. I got a I got a hotel room for Friday night That's just walking distance from the shop, which is great for you guys If you if any of you want to come and visit you've got a hotel room a whole kind of pricey, but But it's it's there. It's close. It's a Hamptons in By Hilton, so if you have Hilton reward stuff on our stuff Use that use that there if you want to come and visit and stay five minutes away from the shop Yeah, no our distributors tops let our distributors know that there was gonna be some delays and Then the distributors let us know So we found out now. We're letting you know Someone emailed us and try to let us know and we're like we already know Don't worry. Don't worry about us But yeah, it's gonna be anywhere from we have a number of different distributors that we're getting Bowman baseball from so some have said You'll get all of it You know some some have said I only get get some of it But eventually we'll get all of it by next week. It's just we just want to make sure we have enough for for 24 hours of breaking We may just say effort and just do 24 hours anyway We got Panini select baseball to work on too. We might still have some mosaic leftovers So it's gonna be a busy day anyway, and it can easily set up some Not that easily, but I'm sure you can set up something where we can have some mixers or something like that that we can do late at night Maybe it'll be like 20 hours of breaking. I don't know. It's a little bit of a fluid situation Losing my voice a little bit of a fluid situation. So Just keep just keep your eyes open For updates on that page Alec Minoa Big prospect for the blue jays up-and-coming prospect. They got a lot of up-and-coming prospects Joe with the blue birds Nick Senzel rookie he's gonna be pretty great Boba shed. I think it's gonna be interesting this year Did I also see some red here somewhere? So Boba shed for the blue jays reds Brian Zeller with the Nick Senzel There's the red right there There's the chervon Newton green one out of 99 autograph for Talon and the Mets Those greens out of ten or out of five in bowman's best I forget feel like they change it every year and It's it's out of ten. It's Josh young nice four out of ten big prospect for the Rangers Ryan Shackleton last spot mojo Yeah, Arthur. Yeah, it's ten.  We've got a redemption coming up and it's Michael Bush Joe has my Dodgers Joe M. I think he was in the same draft with Joe P. Got me this That's a Cody Hosey autographed baseball in the back Michael Bush and Cody Hosey were in the same draft together Shea Lang Lears to 250 That's for the brave Brian Zeller Freddie Freeman atomic Another John. I think all card ship in this because it's hard to distinguish between Yeah, it's hard to distinguish between the prospects and the vet commons and whatnot. That's a Vlad grower rookie and there's another nice up-and-coming prospect to Nolan Gorman for the Cardinals corner infielder for the Cardinals that will be Gary Prescott Nice Keston here a rookie for the brew crew Joey bark die cut sometimes those die cuts could be autographed in this set Logan with the Brewers will Smith rookie for the Dodgers Vlad Guerrero rookie power producers insert for the Blue Jays Joe M and Next box Michael Bush is a good is a fan favorite of the of my Raiders. That's also for sure There's Mike trout and Greg Jones for the rays Tampa Bay rays a Blake Hill Hildenberg with the Tampa Bay rays Another Keston here a rookie There's Brandon Lowe to 150 Another ray for Blake add the rushman power producers and Quinn Priester For the Pirates, he's got a cool autograph that goes to Ryan Shackleton his other last bot mojo team There you go. Nice one Shaq. It's supposed to be Future Justin Verlander there for the Tigers Casey Meyers Elohimenez and rowdy tell us sorry Eloi franchise favorites. Sometimes these franchise favorites can be autographed as well That's for Ryan Shaq and the White Sox and Nick Ladolo Nice franchise favorites for the Reds Brian Zeller There you go Zeller Cody's cousin Glad grow junior. That's a nice refractor rookie for the Blue Jays that's going to be for Joe M These could go for a pretty penny too especially if graded These usually grayed out pretty decently. So there's Casey Meyers again Will Smith Sunzel rushman Franco Riley and there's Keone Kavako For the twins that goes to Zachariah hip Nice. There you go. Trey Turner refractor Taylor Tremel Boba. Shet Shervin Newton who does indeed sign his autograph like a dollar sign we saw earlier and Juan Soto at the end probably just easier for all the cards to ship in this and try to decipher Which is the prospect or not? There you go. And there you have it folks Our last break of the night was the two box Ram team break number one 2019 Bowman's best baseball There could be some more so keep an eye out in the store. I'm Joe. I'll see you next time. Bye