; Phantoms and Monsters: Pulse of the Paranormal

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Fortean / Alternative News: Exo-Planet 6-1-11, bin Laden Conspiracy Theories and Paranormal TV Fakery


Crop circle may have predicted a comet or new solar system planet on the New Moon of June 1, 2011

Over slightly more than a week in June of 2009, a large new crop picture appeared at Milk Hill in southern England in three separate phases (see milkhill2009c or lucypringle.co.uk or lucypringle). Almost two years later now in April of 2011, still no one seems to understand what they were trying to tell us there!

While we were studying several crop pictures which may predict an enigmatic “planet X” for December of 2012, we came across some distinctive astronomical symbols in Milk Hill of June 2009. Those distinctive symbols suggest that it may refer to an upcoming date in June of 2011. To be more precise, the Milk Hill crop picture of 2009 seems to show a rare planetary alignment which will only occur once in the near future on June 1, 2011. It also shows an extra anomalous symbol to represent a “new astronomical object” in our solar system, currently of unknown origin, which will supposedly be seen on the same date.

The new object could be a “comet in outburst”, as we saw predicted in crops between 2005 and 2007 for Comet 17P Holmes (see time2007g or time2007h). Alternatively, it could be our first glimpse of the enigmatic “planet X”. Interestingly enough, those crop artists counted it in their Milk Hill field diagram as an “extra planet” between Mars and Jupiter. The unknown object is not Comet Elenin, nor is it Comet Holmes in a second outburst.

The first part of Milk Hill on June 21, 2009 showed an “astronomical sextant” with five different planetary orbits attached, as may be seen when looking up into Earth’s sky. Continue reading at Milk Hill of June 2009 seems to predict a new, bright astronomical object in our solar system, possibly a comet or even an “extra planet”, on the new Moon of June 1, 2011

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Owls attacking dogs in Phoenix neighborhood

Residents in an Ahwatukee Foothills neighborhood enjoy watching great horned owls fly around their homes but found out through a close call that those birds can be dangerous to small dogs.

"We just couldn't believe it," Carol Smith said. "We always thought (the family dog) was safe as long as we were in the yard. We used to let him just lay out there, before it gets too hot. Then the owl came down once. It was pretty shocking."

The couple has been watching two owls in their neighbor's tree for at least six weeks. The two adult great horned owls built a nest in the palm tree and have been staying nearby to take care of the babies. Around sun set each night they begin to fly around and hunt for food.

"We were sitting out and the big owl was in the pine tree behind our house," said Dan Smith, Carol's husband. "I was watching him fly back and forth. It wasn't unusual at first because a lot of times they'll sort of swoop down and go back up. By the time I realized that he wasn't going back up he was across the neighbor's yard and his talons were so close to my dog. I stood up and clapped my hands."

The owl was scared away by Dan's reaction and didn't end up getting the dog. Since then they've learned they may need to be more diligent about keeping an eye on their dog.

The Smiths have seen the owls snatch birds out of the air and they've found pieces of rabbits and birds left behind but they never imagined the owls would come after their dog. Since their close call they've heard stories of friends in Sun City who had owls try to get dogs that were on a leash.

Darren Julian, urban wildlife specialist for Arizona Game and Fish, says the owls may be searching for food when they come after dogs or they may just be protecting their young.

"If they are nesting and they have young then they're going to need more food to feed the young," Julian said. "A domestic pet may be something they could use as a food source. The other thing is they may look at the pet as a potential threat to their young, especially as the young are getting ready to leave the nest."

The Arizona Game and Fish Department groups owls with other birds of prey such as falcons, eagles and hawks and gives them the name of raptors.

They say the birds can be beautiful to watch and helpful for keeping the rodent population down but they may cause problems when they try to take domestic pets.

According to AZGFD's website, azgfd.gov, raptors are attracted to areas that have water sources and owls especially like building nests in high places for a better view for hunting.

They eat rodents, birds, snakes, rabbits and insects and can also hunt small animals like dogs, cats and chickens. They're most common during their migration period from September to April.

Raptors are protected by law so unless they are causing major problems or are in danger of hurting themselves, they should not be removed.

The Smiths say they don't want the birds removed. They enjoy watching them each night.

"You just have to be more diligent," Dan said. "I'm not wanting to get rid of them. I might be singing a different song if he had gotten my dog."

AZGFD recommends keeping small pets in an enclosed area or supervising them while outside. If a bird starts to dive at people it's a good idea to carry an umbrella for protection and avoid the area. The bird is probably trying to protect its nest. AZGFD also warns that raptors may spend a few days on the ground while learning to fly and they should not be touched unless they look sick or injured.

This is the first time the owls have come to this neighborhood. It's hard to tell how many babies they started with but at least two have fallen from the tree and died. One remains and may be there awhile until it learns to fly. Once the baby is gone the owls will probably go further away from the nest. For now they'll stay within eye sight of it, Julian said.

Until then the Smiths are enjoying watching them fly and keeping a close eye on their small dog. - msnbc

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6 Wackiest Osama bin Laden Conspiracy Theories

William and Kate Tipped on bin Laden Killing

Bin Laden's death bumped the birthers out of the news—it also bumped off the royal wedding. Could there be a connection between the two huge media stories? The Daily Mail thought so, and managed to track down a professor from the University of Buckingham who said he “would not be surprised” if Prince William and Kate Middleton had been forewarned about the top secret raid on bin Laden's compound. After all, the royal couple postponed their honeymoon just before bin Laden's death was announced. The Mail even asked a palace spokesman if there was a connection. He insisted there was none.

Bin Laden Worked for the CIA

Self-styled independent journalist James Corbett called the news of bin Laden's death a “retirement party for an old CIA asset, along the lines of Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963.” Like the theory that bin Laden has long been dead, it's another story from the 9/11 Truth movement that's been updated for the news of bin Laden's killing: bin Laden was always just a scapegoat for the September 11 attacks, and now that he was no longer useful, the CIA decided to tie up the loose ends. “Whether he actually did die yesterday or he's been dead for years, or whatever the case may be, this is simply discarding a war on terror bogeyman who's no longer scaring the populace,” according to Corbett. Iranian security official Javad Jahangirzadeh took a similar view, saying that bin Laden had been part of an American plot to create a violent image of Islam, and now that his work is done, he's been killed.

One wag suggests bin Laden was part of an American plot to create a violent image of Islam, and now that his work is done, he's been killed.

The CIA faked the new videos

If there was ever a question about whether photographs of bin Laden's body would convince skeptics, look no further than the response to bin Laden's home videos. In a post titled “Hoax,” a writer at libertarian Alex Jones' site, Info Wars, says the videos, which were released “in a desperate effort to bolster its crumbling official narrative,” are a bit too similar to other videos release in 2007 by a “Pentagon front group.” The Pentagon has a history of passing off old bin Laden videos as new and creating its own, the Info Wars blogger writes. Another blogger points out differences in bin Laden’s beard between the new videos and older ones, and wonders whether the videos are “the smoking gun conspiracy theorists have been looking for.” The CIA actually has faked a bin Laden video before, as the Info Wars blogger points out, though it's not one you've ever seen played on the news. The Washington Post reported last year that the CIA made a propaganda video showing a fake bin Laden sitting around a campfire “swigging bottles of liquor and savoring their conquests with boys.”

Osama bin Laden is not dead

Surprisingly, this seems to be the less popular of two main conspiracy theories. For obvious reasons, this version is more popular among the Taliban than in the United States. But even in the U.S., some raised doubts about whether bin Laden had really been killed. Fox Business News host Andrew Napolitano asked guests “whether the government is telling us the truth or pulling a fast one to save Obama’s lousy presidency.” On Facebook, a little over 2,000 people somewhat ambiguously “liked” a page called “Osama bin Laden NOT DEAD.” The posters on the wall seem to mostly think it was a ploy to get Obama reelected.

Osama bin Laden was already dead

A more palatable theory for those who want to believe both that bin Laden is dead and that the U.S. government is perpetrating a vast fraud, this one actually has been around for years. The gist of it is that bin Laden died of kidney failure or was killed by U.S. troops in Tora Bora and that his body has been frozen for a decade, held as a trump card that two different administrations have been waiting to play. Different people give different reasons for why Obama would play the card now, 17 months before the election. Some say to bolster his flagging ratings, others to distract attention from his birth certificate issue. Urging everyone to buy gold, one blogger claims bin Laden's death was faked in order to distract the public while Obama stole everyone's pensions to pay for the national debt. Iran's intelligence minister, Heidar Moslehi, also saying bin Laden had been dead for years, claimed that the terrorist’s killing was a hoax meant to distract people from an Islamic awakening.

No Women in the Situation Room

While not exactly a conspiracy theory, this at least qualifies as a bit of unexplained intrigue: One Hasidic Jewish newspaper appears to be boldly proposing that no women were with the president and other security chiefs in the Situation Room during the raid on bin Laden’s compound. Most people are familiar with the now-ubiquitous photograph, which rocketed to the top of flikr within days of being released, showing Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and other administration honchos in the Situation Room. Well, the Brooklyn-based Hasidic newspaper Der Zeitung Photoshopped Hillary Clinton and administration official Audrey Tomason out of the photo. The paper had no comment on its photo, but many conjectured that the picture was doctored either because of editors’ concerns about immodesty or desire not to show women in positions of power. - Yahoo

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Real paranormal sleuth on fakery in film, TV

Like the morons who ignore a zoo’s warning sign not to tease the animals — then end up regretting it when a tiger jumps the moat and mauls them good and plenty — those who wake the dead for fun and profit should see their own destruction coming a mile away.

So when a fiction film like “Grave Encounters” (which recently screened at the Tribeca Film Festival) shows you raw footage of an exploitation-minded group of paranormal investigators locking themselves inside an insane asylum during the “peak hours of dead time,” there’s genuine pleasure to be had from watching them slowly lose it as they’re stalked by spooks.

Flip channels on any given night, and you’ll come across at least one “Reality TV” program that follows paranormal investigators (of wildly inconsistent skill and sincerity). They bait and bully the dead, run around with night vision cameras like a group of laser tag nerds on a company-sponsored outing, and generally get all jumpy when the slightest thing goes bump in the night. So we thought it would be fun to invite a sober and responsible real-life paranormal investigator to see “Grave Encounters” — and we were right!

Readers may remember Dan Sturges from this scaredy cat reporter’s October 2010 visit to a Sturges Paranormal (www.sturgesparanormal.com) investigation of Manhattan’s genuinely haunted Merchant’s House Museum.

Chelsea Now: How often do occult rituals unleash paranormal activity upon a shape-shifting insane asylum, resulting in the gruesome deaths of all inside?

Sturges: Never.

CN: Really…not even occasionally?

Sturges: Never.

CN: As horror movies go, what did you think of “Grave Encounters”?

Sturges: It was pretty good. I loved the concept of spoofing the current crop of paranormal shows and then picking off the cast members one by one. The Vicious Brothers did a great job — but being young filmmakers, they’ll learn that they don’t have to throw the kitchen sink at you. The movie could have done with a little editing. Instead of ten pretty scary bits, why not have five really scary bits?

CN: How are those ghost hunting TV shows regarded by paranormal researchers?

Sturges: I get a kick out of them. Some are good, and some are just plain ridiculous. They give just a small look into what happens on an actual investigation, minus the creepy music. I have met most of the people on these shows, and all are really great, nice people who know how to conduct a proper investigation. These are entertainment shows, not science documentaries. The people who take this field serious, the real parapsychologists and field investigators, for the most part, find these shows amusing — and probably a little helpful. I know I have stolen an EVP question or two!

CN: Electronic Voice Phenomena; supposed ghostly voices picked up on digital or analog recording devices.

Sturges: I liked that they showed an analog recorder to use for capturing EVP. They gave the TV explanations of the equipment, which is cool I guess, because that’s who they were spoofing. The other stuff, residual and intelligent hauntings, they were correct about. They showed the night vision camera shots because it’s what the TV shows use. They use night vision because it’s a lot scarier than just having the lights on. Any true investigator will tell you that you don’t need to turn out the lights. How else are you going to see what’s going on if you’re in the dark? I’d rather not be tripping over or bumping into things all night long.

CN: The “Grave Encounters” crew was seen paying witnesses to give false testimony and faking stuff. Is that standard practice in the world of Reality TV?

Sturges: I do think there is a lot of re-creating going on. Anyone with a good eye can easily spot something fishy. These shows have to deliver, otherwise they get canceled. Could you really imagine people tuning into a show that has its cast sitting in a room for hours at a time and nothing happens? Welcome to the world of paranormal investigations. - ChelseaNow