; Phantoms and Monsters: Pulse of the Paranormal

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Video: Triangular Shaped UFO / OVNI - Luque, Paraguay - 3/26/2010




Click for video

Residents of the city of Luque witnessed a strange luminous object late at night. It was soon reported as a UFO. Startled, they described the event and displayed the recording.



inexplicata - According to their story, the sighting involved a large object with several lights whose colors changed constantly.

Raul Torres explained that his sister informed him of the object's manifestation. He went outside for a look and realized that it was an object moving slowly across the skies, with lights that changed colors.

"It wasn't your ordinary star. It moved and then remained still," added Selva Torres. "Its bright flashes, and its colors, impressed us all. Many of us here were watching."

NOTE: I just wish people would stop using the 'X-Files' theme on these videos. Anyway, it's not the best quality video but depicts some interesting movement from this object. Luque is near the national capital Asuncion in central Paraguay...Lon

Video: Triangular Shaped UFO / OVNI - Luque, Paraguay - 3/26/2010

Monday, March 29, 2010

Terrified Katie 'Jordan' Price Selling Her Haunted Mansion


NOTW - Terrified Jordan is selling off her mansion...because a pair of ghosts are putting the willies up her.

The glamour queen has told pals she's had enough of the spooky woman who appears upstairs and a scary ghoul that hogs her sunbed.

But she's not thinking of calling Ghostbusters.

Instead the reality TV star - real name Katie Price - is phoning her estate agent to put the £2.5 million home on the market. She currently shares the "haunted house" with her very own Slimer, Alex Reid.

Last night, a close friend of the reality TV star revealed: "Katie wants out of there quickly as she's convinced it's haunted by a pair of ghosts.

"She feels like she's being driven out of her own home by spirits - she's had enough."

Jordan, 31, reckons the first ghoul is an old lady who lives on the upper floors of the Surrey estate in Woldingham, which she previously shared with ex-husband Peter Andre.

The pal went on: "Even Alex has told her he's seen the ghost. They're convinced there's an old lady upstairs. You can't tell them otherwise."

The second ghost, who they think is a man, haunts the sunbed Jordan had installed to keep her looking bronzed. The source added: "Katie has a sunbed room near the bottom of the house and she believes it's haunted by a ghost.

"She's seen shadows on a regular basis. A few weeks ago she thought the ghoul had tampered with the sunbed and she can't get that out of her head."

And as a result, the star of What Katie Did Next is desperate to leave the house, despite redecorating recently.

She even called in psychic Sally Morgan to investigate to goulish goings-on.

The friend said: "Katie's put up with them for as long as she could and now the time has come to move out.

"The house was once the site of a retirement home so there may have been a lot of deaths.

"In her head she's absolutely certain what's going on and she doesn't care what people have to say about it."

Jordan bought the house in June 2008. It is set in 1.5 acres of land and includes a swimming pool, triple garage, gym, and a marble staircase. But pals believe Jordan is really being haunted by her former flame Peter Andre and doesn't like to be reminded of his presence at the house.

One said: "Deep down she hates being reminded of Pete on a daily basis. Despite what she says, she misses him.

"It's sad really. She keeps talking about these ghosts, but it's as if she's haunted by the memory of her and Peter."

Sounds like you need an EXorcism, Katie.

Terrified Katie 'Jordan' Price Selling Her Haunted Mansion

Strange Night in Saskatchewan

MUFON witness report - Kisbey, Saskatchewan, Canada - (unedited except for spelling corrections): I need to be taken seriously right now I am not crazy or a liar just because people did not see it does not mean it did not happen..

It was May 3 2008 I'm pretty sure. It was about 2:00 in the morning I was at my fiances moms farm near Kisbey in south east Saskatchewan. I was out late with a buddy sitting on the deck it was a nice warm clear night a good night to just sit back and look at the stars while we talked about our alien theories and what not..Anyways at around 2:00 we noticed a set of lights out in the field behind the house they were about 600 700 yards away and very low to the ground from what we could see. We stared at them for about 10 mins trying to figure out what they were they appeared to be moving in a circular motion and flashing in a pattern from left to right. We decided to get a better view so we walked up to a near by hill and crouched down but when we did all other lights around faded out of sight except for the rotating lights, At first we thought it was a semi on a dirt road but It just sat there and was far to long to be a semi at such a far distance. So we decided to walk back to the house as we got back onto the deck we saw a bright flash of light shoot off into the sky the light looked like it came from the object in the field, The light looked kinda like a flare but it was in the shape of what looked like Pac-Man it only lasted a few seconds and then faded and at about that time we started to hear twigs snapping in the trees all around the house and what sounded like light foot steps in the tall grass we went inside and grabbed a flashlight, when we got outside we walked close to the treeline looking for whatever was in the bushes and then out of nowhere our flashlight died but we kept going I didn't want to but I didn't want to seem like a baby in front of my buddy anyways every time we got close to the tree line we would hear a sound on the opposite side of us when we went towards the sound it would move to another part of the tree line almost like there was multiple creatures in the bush and they would make noise anytime we got close to one so that we couldn't see it. we did this for about a half hour by the time we got back to the deck it was almost 3:30am we were already scared. My buddy came up with a little test to see if we were alone he is very smart and clever in his mind but what he would do is yell out "If you can understand me snap a twig" and sure enough we heard a loud snap come from the trees I jumped and said a few bad words. Then we decided to try another test we went to one side of the yard and ran to the other side as we did we heard something crash through the bushes toward us as if it was eager to follow us but it stayed in the bushes We were so scared that in mid run we turned on a dime and ran towards the house in fear we went back on to the deck and sat for a min to catch our breath and analyze in our heads what we just heard after a few mins we decided to walk down the ramp behind the house that led around the house to the driveway as we got to the corner of the house we saw something standing in the driveway we could not see its face but it just stood there. We stared at it for about 30 seconds or so when we heard a low whine noise come from behind us we turned to look but found nothing when we looked back to see the creature standing in the driveway it was gone. (the creature was about 6 foot 3 or so it had long arms and a round head but had no clothing from what we could see.)anyways as I was saying I was scared I really wanted to go inside so we decided to go inside. We walked towards the house we had our backs toward the house staring at the driveway when out of nowhere we heard what sounded like a loud gust of wind that slammed a bush near the front door right up against the house and it was loud I did a full 360 jump when we looked at the bush it was pretty much pressed up against the house I was shaking so bad I had to sit down. When I was on the ground my buddy was in front of me talking to me as I looked up at him I saw a large black shadow on the roof looking down at us as I told him to look it darted away it was really fast, I got up and we ran to the back of the house to see what it was but there was nothing at about that time we noticed a large object in the shape of a triangle move across the sky above the house it had 3 lights on it one on each corner but there was no sound we could feel a slight vibration on the ground but yet no sound, It moved very slow about 10 miles an hour then all of a sudden a bright light illuminated the yard and it sped of heading south at an incredible speed then it was gone. A strong sulpher smell filled the air In total shock we went inside and down to my buddy room so that we could regroup and get our minds straight so we could figure out what just happened we did not sleep for the rest of the night we were to scared. About 3 nights later my buddy woke up gasping for air and it was loud enough to wake me and I was in another room I went to see if he was okay he said he could not remember his dream but it felt like something was pressing really hard on his chest and then once again the strong sulpher smell filled the room but only for about 2 mins. After that for about 3 weeks we had weird dreams constantly smelled sulpher and seen weird lights in the sky almost every night.. I had one dream that was exactly the same for 2 nights in a row I dreamed that I was abducted and taken to a strange place where I was stuck with a needle like object in the corner of my eye I could not speak, scream, or move then everything would go black and Id wake up. When I would wake up it would be morning but it felt like I only slept for a few mins.

To this day we still see strange lights in the sky others have witnessed it as well but I will never forget that night ever It was the most frightening thing I have ever gone through....

Strange Night in Saskatchewan

Nazis on the Moon?


ironsky - Photographs leaked to the Internet last week taken by the Cassiopeia probe on the so-called dark side of the Moon have stirred up considerable controversy among both astronomers and conspiracy theorists. The photos reveal a structure in the Schroedinger crater near the southern lunar polar region; official sources have failed to provide an explanation for it. Scientists are baffled by the discovery, and numerous UFO and conspiracy researchers have interpreted it to prove the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence.

The photographs in question are indistinct, due in part to the orbital distance of the probe and interference from ionised moon dust hanging in clouds above the crater floor, but a regular shape can be discerned in them, located slightly to the side of a circular crater approximately 1.5 kilometres in diameter, itself situated inside a larger, irregular depression. This is not the first time that regular objects have been visible on pictures taken in space. Indeed, parallels have already been drawn to the infamous face and pyramids found in the Cydonia region of Mars. Astronomers disagree, however, whether the Lunar Swastika is an actual structure or an optical illusion.

Hindus, Aliens or Nazis?

The lunar discovery is especially intriguing thanks to its extraordinary shape. The anomaly is clearly shaped like the swastika, a symbol used, among others, by the National Socialists in the 1930’s and 1940’s, leading to numerous conclusions that the structure is attributable to Nazis who fled to the Moon after the Second World War. At the same time, in India where the swastika is still in use as the symbol of prosperity, happiness and good luck, hundreds of thousands of Hindus have embarked on pilgrimages all over the country. The internationally famous UFO researcher Martin Krauss disagrees. “It is a sign from Alfa Centaurians who brought life to Earth four million years ago,” he said, “which they left on the Moon to remind us of their visit.”

NASA: Weather Balloon

In an official NASA announcement, NASA spokesperson Roslyn Villacorta stated that the alleged observations were due to a signal disturbance resulting from a weather balloon aligned between the satellite Cassiopeia and the groundside receiver. “Weather balloons are known to mess with probe signals,” she said in a press conference held at the Houston space center yesterday. “It is a freak coincidence that the erroneous signal formed a swastika shape, known all over the world as a strongly controversial symbol.”

Nazis on the Moon Already in 1945?

The Romanian scientist Radovan Tomovici, who has studied conspiracy theories for decades, disagrees. “For over 70 years, it has been common knowledge that the Nazis had a research programme overseen by Hans Kammler during the war, with the goal of conquest and control of orbital space,” he says. “It seems that Kammler, who mysteriously vanished shortly before the end of the war, and his team were successful. We’re in trouble now,” Tomovici adds.

Nazis on the Moon?


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Saturday, March 27, 2010

The Strange History of the Culbertson Mansion and Carriage House

news-tribune - Joellen Bye admits she was not the best student growing up. But, after accepting a job at the Culbertson Mansion in 1977, she read everything she could get her hands on about New Albany’s most famous landmark and those who occupied it.

“It sparked my interest,” she said of spending her days in the mansion. “It turned on my switch. I’ve learned more here than I could ever learn in school.”

The history lessons can be found on every floor of the Culbertson Mansion, which was built in 1867 by William S. Culbertson for $120,000.

The house has seen many owners and changes since Culbertson and his family roamed the hallways. The house sold at auction in 1899 for $7,100. During the course of the past century, it belonged to the American Legion, was almost torn down in favor of a gas station and eventually became a state historic site in 1976.

Bye has been working at the mansion for 33 years and knows it as if it was one of her children. She became site manager of the facility in 1995.

The house will open April 1 for public tours. Recently Bye spoke about the mansion, its history and the ongoing restoration.

QUESTION: What do you love about the Culbertson Mansion?

JOELLEN BYE: It’s hard to explain. I’ve seen it change over the years and have been part of that. Before the restoration, everything was really plain. There is something about this place. It has its own personality. It’s more than a house. It gets to you.

Q: Do people take this place for granted?

BYE: I hear it from people who visit the house. I would say 90 percent of them say they have lived here all of their life and this is the first time they have toured the home. They don’t think about it.

Q: What do you love about your job?

BYE: There is so much ... but I would say the ongoing restoration project. Some things we kind of stumbled into. We had no idea the painted design was under all of that wallpaper. Just to be part of it and see it happen, that’s been exciting.

Q: What frustrates you about the job?

BYE: I guess lack of funds. If it wasn’t for the friends’ group, none of the interior restoration would be done. All the money they raise with the haunted house and other projects goes right back into the house. The friends’ group is so important.

Q: What is left to renovate in the mansion?

BYE: The first floor is completely finished. We are currently on the second floor and it is partially complete. We haven’t started the third floor yet. I think the worst part is behind us. The state recently paid for a new copper roof, repainted the exterior and put in new walkways. In 2000, they put in a new climate control system.

Q: What is it that people might not know about the mansion?

BYE: If they came as third-graders, the ceiling was painted white, and the restoration project had not got going. The house has changed through the years.

Q: OK, is the house haunted?

BYE: That has always been a hot topic. I have seen and heard things that I cannot explain. We are not ghost hunters or ghost crazy people. We have ghost hunters who approach us about setting up cameras at night and doing their thing, but we always have to tell them no for insurance and liability reasons.

Q: So, you have seen things you can’t explain?

BYE: Yes. There are the typical things ... maybe you hear a door shut or it may sound like someone is walking upstairs when there is no one up there. My office is in the basement and at night, if I am here alone, I can hear things. We know something is here, but we have never confirmed it.

Q: What about the future of the home?

BYE: I hope we can start being open year-round. Last year we were scheduled to, but had funding cut at the last minute. We hope all third-graders continue to come to tour the mansion [as part of studying Indiana history]. And we will continue to focus on the ongoing restoration.
________________________

THE CULBERTSON MANSION & CARRIAGE HOUSE

Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site is located in New Albany, Indiana by the Ohio River. It was the home of William Culbertson, who was once the richest man in Indiana. Built in 1867 at a cost of $120,000, this French Second Empire-style mansion has 25-rooms within 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2), and was completed in November 1869. It was designed by James T. Banes, a local architect. Features within the three-story edifice include hand-painted ceilings and walls, frescoed ceilings, carved rosewood cantilevered staircase, marble fireplaces, wallpaper of fabric-quality, and crystal chandeliers. The tin roof was imported from Scotland. The displays within the mansion feature the Culbertson family and the restoration of the building. The rooms on the tour are the formal parlors, dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchen, and laundry room.

In its heyday, a railroad ran behind the house (Culbertson had sold land to the railroad), and a streetcar ran from his house towards downtown New Albany.

The Culbertson Mansion’s Carriage House originally served a dual purpose in the 1800’s: to house the Culbertson’s horse and buggy below and servants in the quarters above. One autumn night in 1888 lightning struck the Carriage House, causing a fire that torched most of the interior and killed all living things inside.

The new servants refused to live in the Carriage House, claiming the place was haunted by the souls of those who perished in the fire. The tragic building remained an empty shell until the early 1930’s when it was reconstructed and transformed into a rental property by the McDonalds. The Webb family moved into the house in the spring of 1933. Dr. Harold Webb, a well established doctor and dentist from out of state wanted to settle down in a smaller town and start his own in-house practice, using the Carriage House as his home and office.


Business was great and life had returned to the once unfortunate building. Little did they know something dark and sinister lurked below. The Webb children started to tell stories of a dark man entering their rooms at night through the walls.

Noises were heard underneath the house. Sounds of clanging chains, screams and horrible smells would come up through the floor. Dr. Webb and his wife dismissed the children’s stories at first, but they could not dispute the sounds and smells coming from the rooms downstairs.

Although Dr. Webb investigated the lower level repeatedly, he claimed to find no evidence of anything unusual, assuring the family everything was as it should be. But the children’s stories of a nightly visitor continued, as did the horrible sounds and odors. During this time the strange goings-on began to take their toll on the good doctor’s mental state. Webb became increasingly agitated and angry, losing most of his patients because of the unpleasant experiences they had in the office. Several of Dr. Webb’s patients went missing and an investigation of the Webb office was initiated by the local police.

On September 29th, 1934, one of Dr. Webb’s few remaining patients arrived for an appointment but found the doors locked and the place abandoned. After a few days of no activity a police warrant was issued to investigate. What the police found was horrendous; the Webb family had been slaughtered.

Each room of the house was littered with the remains of victims who suffered unspeakable deaths; a daughter was found repeatedly stabbed, his son was skinned, and his wife brutally beaten. Perhaps, the most shocking of all was what lied beneath the living quarters. A full search of the house revealed an even more macabre and mysterious scene.

The basement level of the house held secret passages and hidden rooms. Webb used these areas for his own evil practices, torturing patients and using them for his twisted experiments. The bones and remains of the patients were everywhere, some so disfigured the police began to question if they were even human.

After the investigation the house was boarded up and remained vacant for nearly three decades.

During the days of the American Legion ownership from 1946 to 1964, the Carriage house was restored then reopened for parties and musical events. The staff and attendees reported several unusual occurrences: electrical problems, missing items, strange sounds after hours and mysterious figures moving from room to room.

Even current staff and volunteers of the Mansion have reported strange happenings in the Carriage House over the years. A few have even refused to work in the building.

In 1987 the Friends of the Culbertson Mansion started using the Carriage House for an annual haunted attraction. Every year thousands of visitors pass through those ill-fated doors. Some never make it to the end.

Sources:
www.hauntedculbertson.org
news-tribune.net
www.culbertsonmansion.us
www.indianamuseum.org


The Strange History of the Culbertson Mansion and Carriage House

Calling the Dead at the Borden House


southcoasttoday - It's midnight, and Christopher Moon is hunched over his laptop computer in the cold, dark basement of the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast.

He says he is listening to the voices of the dead.

Initially, there are no surprises. Moon first heard the voices earlier that night, two floors up, in the bedroom where Abigail Durfee Gray Borden was hacked to death with a hatchet in August of 1892. Now, he is playing back the audio of that session so he and a room of paranormal investigators can hone in on not only what was said, but who said it.

The words are choppy and abrasive to the ear as they are blasted from a set of speakers, but everyone is in rapt attention. The group hears static, white noise and occasional fragments from local radio stations, all picked up by a wooden, cigar box-like machine adorned with knobs and packed with wires — a device Moon calls the Telephone to the Dead.

But every few seconds, between and over all the noise, throaty voices, almost urgent in their clarity and speed, spout specific answers to direct questions. The voices are distinct, consistent and almost jolting in the way they stand out from the clatter.

A few minutes into the playback, Moon picks up on something no one heard during the real-time recording: a woman's voice, seemingly soaked in fear and desperation, making a plea.

Moon widens his eyes and scratches his red beard, realizing what he has captured. Then he rewinds the tape a few seconds back and plays the voice again. A couple of people gasp and nod their heads; one woman covers her mouth. By the time Moon plays the clip for the fifth time, the message is clear to all in the room.

"Help me," the voice implores. "Help me."

'DON'T TURN YOUR BACK'

Moon — editor of "Haunted Times," a widely read paranormal magazine — and his Colorado-based team have amassed a rich collection of photos, videos and audio recordings during dozens of investigations that they say prove the historic Borden home is filled with spirits.

Ranked by the Travel Channel as the world's creepiest destination, the Borden home continues to attract ghost seekers and history buffs more than a century after the gruesome ax-murders of Andrew Borden, a wealthy city businessman, and his wife, Abigail. Lizzie Borden, Andrew's daughter and Abigail's step-daughter, was brought to trial for the killings. She was promptly acquitted and the case was never solved.

Out of all the supposedly haunted locations Moon says he has investigated in recent years, 92 Second St. ranks "easily in the top three." The 36-year-old former heavy metal musician uses technology to prove, as he puts it, the existence of ghosts, including electromagnetic field detectors, white noise machines, digital cameras and voice recorders.

Like many people who work or have stayed overnight at the house, Moon also claims he has experienced other unexplainable things without the aid of electronic equipment.

His first night as a guest, Moon was resting in a second-floor bedroom when he says he heard a voice warn, "Don't turn your back." Several hours later, he was jarred awake by a choking feeling, as if someone was trying to strangle him. In the morning, he discovered what appeared to be a rope burn around his neck. Moon attributes the attack unequivocally to Andrew Borden. And although he still investigates regularly at the house, he goes elsewhere when it's time to sleep.

"I believe he died not only angry, bitter and evil, but so brutally, that when he was released from his body, he attracted more negativity," Moon says of Andrew Borden, who sustained 11 blows to the head.

Andrew Borden, the miserly, affluent patriarch of the Borden family, is the dominant spirit in the house, Moon says. His energy turns up in photos of the sitting room sofa, an exact replica of the one on which his body was found. And his deep, stern voice, tinged with a slight Fall River accent, frequently interrupts Telephone to the Dead sessions, often with swears and warnings to "get out."

Moon says his evidence suggests that Andrew Borden was not only tightfisted, but cold and abusive to his daughters.

"Andrew Borden was one of the most sick, disgusting men who ever lived," Moon tells a group gathered in the home's basement for Ghost Hunter's University, a two-day crash course into the world of paranormal investigations.

Moon and his crew — including his parents, Dennis and Paulette Huff — return to the Borden home several times a year. The seasoned investigators claim the strength of Andrew Borden's spirit is unmatched by any other they know. They are drawn to the home.

"It's rare that a spirit has that much energy and ability," Moon tells The Fall River Spirit. "Aside from the obvious question, which is why, the bigger question is how does Andrew have the power when 99 percent of the spirits we encounter don't?"

CRACKING THE CASE


Lizzie Borden didn't do it. At least, she wasn't directly responsible for the deaths of her father and step-mother, according to the "Haunted Times" group. Moon claims he learned that with help from his telephone to the spirit world, which souls on the "other side" speak through by manipulating radio waves. Thomas Edison started work on such a device before his death, Moon says.

Investigations at the house have led Moon's team to conclude that William Borden, believed by some to be Andrew Borden's illegitimate son, committed the crime. Fall River native Lewis Peterson, who knew Lizzie Borden in his childhood, professed the spinster's innocence to Hathaway Publishing in 1997, suggesting that William Borden was not only related to Andrew Borden, but guilty of his murder. The story was later reprinted in "The Hatchet: Journal of Lizzie Borden Studies."

"One of the advantages of our technology is that we can hear out of their own mouths what took place," Moon says. "Some of that information is cryptic in ways, but we have found out that Lizzie never swung the ax."

Lizzie Borden wasn't entirely innocent, Moon says. She planned the killings, securing her freedom by having someone else do the dirty work. She was determined to seek an end to the "hateful things that had happened to her."

Other conclusions the "Haunted Times" crew has drawn raise more questions than answers. Evidence collected from the spirits suggests that Andrew Borden might have been killed outside the home and that his body was later moved to the sofa, says Dina Everling, director of marketing for "Haunted Times."

Andrew Borden still forcefully stands watch over his home, but Moon claims to have found evidence of other spirits in the dwelling, including Abby Borden, Bridget Sullivan — the Bordens' maid — and a few children who are believed to have died in a well down the street.

Lizzie Borden has "moved on," Moon says.

"She comes back from time to time, though."

SKEPTICS WELCOME


While on a break from the most recent investigation at the Borden house, someone shows Lee-Ann Wilber a photo he took in the room where Abby Borden was slain. The photo is filled with orbs — little white circles that some believe are the energy of spirits.

"OK, I know that's not dust because I just Dysoned in there," says Wilber, owner of the bed and breakfast.

Sometimes, orbs simply are dust or moisture and nothing more. Moon says he encourages people to think sensibly when they delve into the paranormal and rule out all possible explanations before assuming something is of another world.

"The only thing worse than a hard-headed skeptic is the true believer," he tells the Ghost Hunter's University class crowded in the basement one recent March evening. "Be rational."

Moon knows that paranormal investigations can be hard for some people to grasp. Skeptics regularly attend his seminars and investigations, and he's fine with that, so long as they are open-minded.

Wilber, who believes there has been legitimate spirit activity at the house, enjoys hosting the "Haunted Times" crew every few months. "I wouldn't invite them back if I didn't," she says as Max, her black cat, darts under the dining room table.

As for the team's conclusions about what really happened 118 years ago?

"Everyone who comes in seems to find something different," Wilber says, acknowledging with a smile that she has heard some "out there" theories. "I always stick with the facts. If people do ask for experiences, I can only offer my personal ones."

NATIONAL ATTENTION

Lizzie Dickson wasn't named after Lizzie Borden, but she is reminded of Fall River's most infamous woman quite often.

"There's a guy at work who sings the song to me every week," Dickson says with a groan.

By song, Dickson means the well-known rhyme that pins Lizzie Borden down as the killer.

After arriving at the Borden home for the first time on a Friday afternoon, Dickson and her boyfriend, Joe Samalis, both of Shrewsbury, wait in the sitting room, not knowing what to expect from Ghost Hunter's University, which they have heard so much about. Their spur-of-the-moment trip has landed them in the John Morse bedroom, where Abby Borden was killed. Visitors usually book rooms well in advance, but there happened to be an unexpected vacancy when the couple called earlier in the week.

"It was something we always wanted to do," Samalis says.

Dickson's thoughts turn to spending the night in a purportedly haunted bedroom and she says she is nervous.

"She's going to stick to me like white on rice," Samalis says of his girlfriend.

"No, like super glue," Dickson clarifies. She breathes in, smiles and shakes her head, motioning to Samalis. "I hope nobody tries to poke me tonight — except him."

Later that night, Dickson volunteers to stand in the spot where Abby Borden was killed. Moon stands in front of her, asking her to breathe deep, close her eyes and tell him how she feels.

"Anxious," Dickson says, before becoming light-headed and stumbling backward. Huff, Moon's mother and a psychic, comforts Dickson and tells her to "let go" of the energy.

Samalis, an electrical engineer, says he is skeptical, but after receiving what he calls a sign from his late father several years ago, he believes in something more. He contends that the afterlife probably isn't as spooky or outrageous as Hollywood portrays it, though.

Other investigation attendees come from farther afield. Two men and two women from Saratoga, N.Y., on a return trip, say they have no doubts that the house is haunted. And Kris Bronson of Chicago brought along a pink suitcase full of her own investigative equipment, having experienced activity in the house before.

"The whole place makes me feel kind of nervous," she says.

The Borden home certainly isn't the only place to find spirits, says Moon, who spends most of the year on the road, conducting similar investigations at homes and historic sites.

"Everyone has a ghost story," Moon says. "There's paranormal activity throughout the country and the world. As long as people have been alive, there have been ghosts."

Calling the Dead at the Borden House

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Haunted History of Cooperstown, NY and the Otesaga Hotel


thedailystar - Cooperstown....normal or paranormal?

That is the question investigators are asking about mysterious activities reported at the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown.

Members of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) are staying at the resort hotel on Otsego Lake for two weeks and filming an episode for ``Ghost Hunters,'' Britt Griffith, tech manager, said Wednesday.

KJ McCormick, an investigator, agreed that being on the TAPS team is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

``I'm just passionate about the paranormal,'' he said. McCormick, a wood and steel worker who lives in Boulder, Colo., said he joined TAPS about a month ago, and this visit is his first to Cooperstown.

``We're trying to bring some validity to the reports of activity in the hotel,'' McCormick said. ``I love the Otesaga _ this is a great hotel. ... I love the creaking floors and the large rooms with tall ceilings.''

The team and crews arrived Monday, Griffith said, and some residents have noticed their van with ``TAPS'' lettered on the black exterior and inquired about their visit.

``Everybody has a ghost story in this town,'' Griffith said.

Griffith said the production process involves setting up recording equipment at ``hot spots'' where activities have been reported.

Jim Johnson, of Fly Creek, who helped organized a ghost hunters' symposium at the Otesaga in January, said he has been visiting the TAPS team this week.

``It's very exciting,'' said Johnson, a member of the Otsego County Board of Representatives. ``It's great for the community. It's great for the Otesaga _ it's going to be fun to find out what they end up finding.''
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BRIEF HISTORY OF COOPERSTOWN, NY

William Cooper, father of the American novelist, settled Cooperstown in the late eighteenth century. Then as now the area's main industry was agriculture, an activity residents of the area would like to preserve.

Many of James Fenimore Cooper's novels were set in and around Cooperstown and celebrate its magnificent wooded hills surrounding the aesthetic centerpiece, Lake Otsego, which Cooper dubbed the "Glimmerglass." Due to its very special attributes, the Otsego area evolved into a summer retreat by the middle of the 19th century. Various estates and houses were built and many still exist today. It was during this time that the Clark family began its ongoing philanthropic interest in the Cooperstown community. Their commitment and foresight provided much of the foundation of the current economy.

The Otesaga Hotel was built on the shore of beautiful Otsego Lake in 1911. Now recognized as a "Historic Hotel of America," the Otesaga is the gracious keystone of tourism in the area.

Cooperstown is central quarters for the New York State Historical Association, with thousands of members across the state and country. The offices of the Association, a non-governmental educational organization, are in Fenimore House Museum, a mile from the center of town. The Association operates school-based statewide educational programs, and produces publications, including two quarterlies, New York History and Heritage. It hosts the Cooperstown Graduate Program in Museum Studies, with alumni in museums around the country and abroad. It also administers two separate museums, The Farmers' Museum, established in 1943, and Fenimore House Museum, which opened its doors in 1945, built on the site of a James Fenimore Cooper residence, Fenimore Farm. The Museums attract over 100,000 visitors annually.

In addition, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum currently attracts 300,000 visitors each year. Arguably Cooperstown's most famous icon, The Hall of Fame, established in 1939, is located on Main Street as is the equally famous Doubleday Field.
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HAUNTING EXPERIENCES AT THE OTESAGA HOTEL AND COOPERSTOWN, NY

Legend has it that sounds of ghostly children have been heard running up and down the third floor hallway of the Otesaga Resort Hotel.

This is just one story that has been told about the historic landmark. According to Cooperstown Candlelight Ghost Tour guide Bruce Markusen, the Otesaga has a long history of hauntings.

Markusen says there has been paranormal activity on the ground floor, first floor, third floor and fifth floor of the hotel. Some people believe the phenomenon is connected to the history of the hotel, says Markusen.

From 1920 until 1954, the hotel was also a private girl’s school known as the Knox School for Girls.

According to a former cocktail waitress, she would sometimes hear a low monotone voice slowly calling her name while working in the Glimmerglass Room. She said other staff would hear their names called as well. A security officer says he can hear people walking above him on the second and third floors. He says he also hears a music box between the second and third floors.

Ghostly sightings have also taken place at the Farmers’ Museum, where several tales are told during the ``Things that go Bump in the Night’’ guided, lantern- lit tours held in October.

The Christ Episcopal Church Graveyard

No account of haunted happenings in a small town would be complete without the inclusion of the local cemetery. At the corner of Church and River streets lies the Christ Episcopal Church cemetery, which houses the remains of many of the famous members of the acclaimed Cooper and Pomeroy families. The historic burial site includes tombs for the two most famed members of the Cooper family—legendary American author James Fenimore Cooper and town founder William Cooper. One of the saddest elements of the graveyard is the presence of a cluster of smaller gravestones; they indicate the burial plots of the Pomeroy children, many of whom who died at young ages. There is also a sinister element to the graveyard. The cemetery features a headstone for the infamous Ann Low Cary Cooper Clarke, who once placed a curse on nearby Hyde Hall.

According to a ghostly story associated with the graveyard, one of the men in the Cooper clan found an eerie way to interact with a 20th century resident of Cooperstown. The incident occurred in the late 1980s, when a young girl and her friends paid a social visit to the Christ Church cemetery. One of the girl’s friends, showing a lack of respect for the sacred nature of the burial ground, decided to lean up against one of the gravestones. Sure enough, the aging, loosened gravestone toppled over, falling directly on top of one of the girl’s legs.

Given the weight of the gravestone, her friends were unable to lift it from her leg and quickly ran to seek help. With extra manpower successfully found, the group finally succeeded in extricating the stone and enabling the girl to sit up. Relieved that the weight had been lifted, the girl took notice of the epitaph etched into the stone. The name featured on the stone was that of a Cooper family member, the oddly named Marmaduke Cooper. The girl then took note of the birth date engraved on the stone. The date startled the girl. It was not only Marmaduke Cooper’s birth date, but hers as well! Was this a case of ghostly intervention or merely an eerie coincidence? Either way, the episode left the girl more than a little chilled.

The strange incident took place in a section of the graveyard that is regarded as the focal point of the Christ Church cemetery. In fact, a metal banister sets the Cooper-Pomeroy tract of the graveyard apart from the rest of the cemetery; all of the graves and above-ground tombs in this parcel belong to members of the two families, with one notable and strange exception.

The deviation in graveyard rules came about, at least indirectly, because of the virtuous life lived by Hannah Cooper. One of the daughters of Judge William Cooper, Hannah was a beloved member of the Cooperstown community. The young Hannah earned a reputation as so innocent and wholesome that she became favored by all generations of Cooperstown’s social hierarchy. Tragically, Hannah did not survive past her early twenties. In 1800, she suffered a severe fall while riding on horseback; the injuries resulted in her death at the age of 23.

Hannah’s many admirers included Richard Cary, a colonel in the United States Army who once served as an aide to George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Despite the difference in their ages, the older Cary became a close friend to Hannah. Several years after her death, Cary himself became seriously ill. On his deathbed, Cary made a special request of the Cooper family. He asked that his burial plot be included in the partitioned segment of the Christ Church graveyard, right next to the tomb that housed Hannah’s remains. A religious man with feelings of guilt, Cary had a very specific reason for the request. By being buried next to someone as pure and exemplary as Hannah, Colonel Cary believed that he could literally ride her spirit’s skirt tails into heaven. "She was the best woman I ever knew," said Cary, according to James Fenimore Cooper’s grandson in his book, Legends and Traditions of a Northern County, "and my only chance of getting into heaven is on her skirts." So impressed by the sincerity of the request and his respect for Hannah, the Cooper family decided to make an exception for a non-family member. They allowed Cary to be buried directly to the right of Hannah, presumably (or at least hopefully) facilitating his entrance into heaven.

Other members of the Cooperstown community were not afforded the same privilege as Colonel Cary. The vast majority of Cooperstown citizens, even those respected as doctors or community leaders, were not permitted inclusion in the specially enclosed section of the cemetery, unless they were born or married into the Cooper and Pomeroy clans. In addition, no black members of local society, whether free or slave, could be included in the preferred burial location. African Americans who had lived in Cooperstown were relegated to the less desirable parcel of ground located in the southeast corner of the graveyard, along with the other "commoners" who once resided in the village.

The exclusion of African Americans from the Cooper-Pomeroy burial lot may account for the ghostly tradition of the Christ Church graveyard. According to the legend, those who find themselves in the graveyard at the midnight hour will encounter the ghosts of one or more of the Cooper family slaves. It may just be that the spirits of the slaves, rejected in death as they were during their human lives by the color of their skin and their lack of social stature, continue to look for a rightful place to call their home in the afterlife.

The Old Stone Wall on River Street

Both local residents and visitors to the village of Cooperstown will notice a stone wall on the west side of River Street. The retaining wall, located near the home known as Greencrest, runs adjacent to the edge of Cooper Park. The wall, thick enough to sit on, occasionally provides tired visitors with a place to rest. It also provides local residents with a most unusual story.

Throughout much of the 20th century, those who walked the path of River Street noticed a strange tendency of the wall. Under normal conditions, the wall appeared to be straight, built flush against the grassy edges of Cooper Park. At other times, the stones of the wall tended to bulge out toward the street, giving the wall an uneven, buckling appearance. On occasion, the stones bulged out so much that they gave passersby the impression that the wall was about to collapse.

In the early 1960s, some Cooperstown residents found their curiosity so roused by the buckling wall that they decided to conduct their own investigation. They broke through the wall, in an attempt to find a structural reason for the flawed tendency of the wall. Expecting to find a logical reason for the problem, the locals instead made a ghastly discovery. Behind the wall, they uncovered a buried skeleton of a Native American—a great Mohawk chief—along with an array of pipes, weapons, and other artifacts.

The residents should have known better about the wall; if they had read some of the local history written by Ralph Birdsall and James Fenimore Cooper—the grandson of the legendary author—they would have heard the stories about how previous, thinner walls on River Street had supposedly been kicked down by the skeleton. After one of the older, flimsier walls had toppled over, residents saw the skeleton sitting behind the remains. The problems with the weaker walls eventually led to the construction of a sturdier one (the one that was investigated in the sixties), which didn’t fall over completely but instead showed the tendency to buckle over time.

The initial discovery of the skeleton, which was made by William Cooper in the late 18th century, led to the determination that the remains were that of a great Mohawk chief. Based upon the writings of more than one historian, local tradition offered the following ghostly theory: the spirit of the buried chief, resentful of the white man’s intrusion on Native American soil, was expressing his anger by furiously kicking at the wall.

Beyond the possibility of paranormal activity, the presence of the Native American skeleton proved unusual for several other reasons. Locals wondered why a Mohawk Indian chief would have been buried behind a wall, instead of a more traditional ground plot? And why he would have been buried on the west side of River Street, instead of toward the east side, closer to the Susquehanna River, where most of the Indian graves were known to exist? In addition, the locals took note of the strange positioning of the skeleton. It was not lying down, or even standing up, as one might expect to find in unearthing the remains of a typical grave. Instead, the locals found the skeleton in a hunched position, with its chin pressed up against its knees and its hands touching his shinbones. It was the most uncomfortable of positions, one that would be difficult to maintain for a live human being. Even for an unfeeling corpse, it seemed like a cruel fate to be buried in such a painful pose for over a century.

Having noticed the unusual squatting position of the skeleton, some local residents adopted another theory that would become part of the Cooperstown legend. According to the legend, the locals speculated that the skeleton was actually pushing the stones of the wall outward in order to achieve a more comfortable place of rest. They believed that the deceased Mohawk chief, unhappy with the way he had been buried, was somehow using his bony thighs and calves to move the stones of the wall, thereby creating a more passable amount of leg room behind the wall.

Another legend also developed. According to this alternate story, the unfortunate manner of burial had motivated the Indian chief to tears. The flow of tears, especially over long periods of time, interacted badly with the mortar located between the stones. The unexpected moisture created by the ghostly tears did not allow the mortar to set properly, thus causing the wall to bulge awkwardly.

Given the emphasis that Cooperstown places on history, it might have seemed logical for the skeleton and the artifacts to make their way to one of the local museums. Yet, that did not happen. In fact, opinions vary as to what actually did happen to the skeleton and the artifacts. Some contend that the local residents either sold or gave the artifacts to another museum, one outside of Cooperstown. Others contend differently. They say that the local residents, feeling fearful over their discovery of a ghostly presence behind the wall and their unintended desecration of sacred ground, decided to return the skeleton and the artifacts to their place of burial and then seal up the disrupted segment of the wall. Given the two contrasting stories, no one seems to know for sure whether the skeleton is still buried behind the wall.

After the 1960s discovery, an unexpected development took place. The wall seemed to return to a state of normalcy. It no longer bulged or buckled as it had in past years, at least not to the point of being visible to the naked eye. This observation has let to still another theory. Some contend that the local residents returned the skeleton to its burial place, but actually changed its positioning so as to make it more comfortable. Perhaps they laid the skeleton on its back, giving it a much more restful posture. If that’s the case, the Mohawk Indian chief would have no reason to push its bones outward.

Whatever the case, this much appears to be true. The walk down the west side of River Street remains a bit uneasy for some folks in Cooperstown—at least those who believe in the power of ghosts and the legends of skeletons that move on their own.

Sources:
www.cooperstownchamber.org
www.cooperstownny.org
www.ghostofcooperstown.com
www.thedailystar.com
www.coopercrier.com
www.cooperstownghost.com


Haunted History of Cooperstown, NY and the Otesaga Hotel
7EW5JGWC5CBU

Island in Bay of Bengal Vanishes Into Sea

New Moore Island has completely eroded away due to rising seas. This photo is from 2009

bbc - A tiny island claimed for years by India and Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal has disappeared beneath the rising seas, scientists in India say.

The uninhabited territory south of the Hariabhanga river was known as New Moore Island to the Indians and South Talpatti Island to the Bangladeshis.

Recent satellites images show the whole island under water, says the School of Oceanographic Studies in Calcutta.

Its scientists say other nearby islands could also vanish as sea levels rise.

Beneath the waves

The BBC's Chris Morris in Delhi says there has never been a permanent settlement on the now-vanished island, which even in its heyday was never more than two metres (about six feet) above sea level.

In the past, however, the territorial dispute led to visits by Indian naval vessels and the temporary deployment of a contingent from the country's Border Security Force.

"What these two countries could not achieve from years of talking, has been resolved by global warming," said Professor Sugata Hazra of the School of Oceanographic Studies at Jadavpur University in Calcutta.

Anyone wishing to visit now, he observed, would have to think of travelling by submarine.

Professor Hazra said his studies revealed that sea levels in this part of the Bay of Bengal have risen much faster over the past decade than they had done in the previous 15 years.

And he predicts that in the coming decade other islands in the Sundarbans delta region will follow New Moore, or South Talpatti, beneath the waves.

"We will have ever larger numbers of people displaced from the Sunderbans as more island areas come under water," Prof Hazra said.

Island in Bay of Bengal Vanishes Into Sea

Peruvian Woman Claims Insemination By Pink Amazonian River Dolphin



inexplicata - Perú: Woman Inseminated by the “Bufeo Colorado”?

[Stories such are this are often found in the Latin American tabloid press – but in an age when we freely admit the possibility of insemination by “space aliens”, who can deny the likelihood, however slim, that “river elementals” are up to no good? – SC]

This time, the legend comes to us from Mazán.

A woman identified as Reyna Yumbato Huamán, 28, claimed having been made pregnant by a pink dolphin found in the Amazonian rivers and known as the “bufeo” (pronounced: boo-fay-oh) The woman traveled from the region of San Jose in the district of Mazán to the Loreto Regional Hospital, where she was admitted due to complications with the pregnancy. She said that she has three children that caused her no problems during gestation, unlike the current one, which developed with intense pain, accompanied by dreams in which she allegedly sees the “bufeo”.

The staff gynecologist, Beder Camacho, says that this case was a “threatened abortion” and that “bufeo legend” is clinically impossible. The woman, he says, received treatment and no longer has any problems.

It is said that when the Bufeo Colorado falls in love with a girl, it adopts the appearance of a very handsome man and appears at a party where he can find his beloved and woo her. Once the girl has been ensnared, he lavishes attention upon her, visits her every night and leaves before daybreak, giving her presents. Within a short period of time, the girl longs to be by the riverside all the time, to the extent of throwing herself into the water to be with the Bufeo Colorado forever.
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THE LEGEND OF THE PINK DOLPHIN

osita was a young indigenous girl of 18, who lived in a house near the banks of the mighty Amazon River. Every day she went to the river to get water to bring back to her family’s home. One evening at dusk while fetching water, she departed from her usual habit and stood on the river bank watching the river current as the sun set, seemingly hypnotized by the moving water.

Reassured by the calm current and the secluded bank, she undressed, taking off her dress and dove into the river for a refreshing swim. The constant stream of the water flowing round her body distracted hear and she failed to notice another pair of eyes secretly watching her from the river bank.

Suddenly, she shivered, overcome by the weird feeling that someone was watching her. A young man standing on the muddy bank, smiled and stared brazenly at her naked body. She became embarrassed when she saw he was not averting his eyes but looking into her eyes as if they knew each other. Spontaneously, as if controlled by a sinister force, she stood up from the water exposing her naked body and walked towards him. Her feet moved in small, constant steps, pulling her towards the man whose magnetism she could not resist and whose enchantment forced her to fall into his arms, kissing him.

Rosita whispered to the stranger, “Who are you and where are you from?” The man replied, “I am a fisherman from the river,” all the while maintaining eye contact with her. “I would like to be with you always. What is your answer, my beauty?”

“Yes,” she replied as if hypnotized. They spent the night together, in passionate embrace, making love the entire night.

From that night forward, they met every evening at sunset, and spent the night together under the shinning stars and in the secrecy of the dark night, making love.

Finally, her father confronted her about where she was at night. Although she was a simple and shy girl, she replied bravely to her father, with the force of a woman in love, “I am in love with a fisherman. We are both in love and we are going to get married.”

The father never seeing his young daughter react in such a way, agreed to meet the fisherman and talk with him. Later that night, the young fisherman came to Rosita's home and asked her father for permission to marry his daughter. Knowing that his daughter was in love with the mysterious fisherman, her father reluctantly agreed and allowed the young fisherman to sleep with his daughter in their hut.

As time when on, the young fisherman slept with Rosita every night, but mysteriously left every morning before first light and returned only after dusk. However one morning, Rosita’s lover did not leave before sunrise as he always had previously and remained sleeping in her bed after sunrise. Rosita awoke that fateful morning, feeling a strange wet body at her side. She opened her eyes and was shocked at what she saw in her bed and screamed loudly.

Her father heard her scream and rushed into the room with his shotgun to help his daughter. Incredibly, there was a pink river dolphin in Rosita's bed and it was trying to get away, but could not. Far from the water, the pink dolphin fell to the floor, helplessly, unable to escape. Shocked, the father reached for his shotgun and shot the pink dolphin in the head, ending the dolphin's life.

After that day, the young fisherman never returned and was never seen again. Rosita was heart-broken that her lover had abandoned her. Worse, she soon realized that he had gotten her pregnant and that she would soon bear the mysterious fisherman's baby.

Tragedy again struck when Rosita died during child birth. Despite her best effort, the midwife that attended Rosita could not save her life. However the baby lived, and to the shock of everyone, the baby was not human, but instead a baby dolphin. It seems that, in reality, the mysterious fisherman was not human, but rather a “Bufeo Colorado,” a pink dolphin who had the ability to transform himself into a human at night and had seduced Rosita.

Native girls be advised! If a mysterious and seductive fisherman appears to you by the river after dusk, do not let yourself be deceived by his appearance. He is the “Bufeo Colorado,” a magical being who can transform himself into a human at night and only wants to steal the heart and soul of an innocent young girl.

Source: www.amazon-indians.org

Peruvian Woman Claims Insemination By Pink Amazonian River Dolphin

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

'Gable Film' Revealed As Hoax...MonsterQuest Ends It's Run


MonsterQuest's statement for this evening's broadcast of 'AMERICA’S WOLFMAN'

History says that a large and wolf-like beast is the stuff of legend, but recently uncovered film footage and new witnesses say something frightening is out there. MonsterQuest heads into the dark, isolated forests of the Midwest to search for this creature and analyzes the evidence to finally end this mystery.


Personally, I believe that there is a cryptid wolf-like creature in the northern midwest based on the eyewitness accounts I have seen and investigated. Tonight's presentation did prove one thing....the 'Gable Film' is a hoax. Yes, the truth was finally revealed after all the speculation. Honestly, I don't know what motivates people to create hoaxes and it irritates the hell out if me each time one is uncovered.

Nonetheless, one's person's cheap thrills does not change my feelings about this cryptid. There may not be a 'Michigan Dogman' on film but, IMO, there is an unknown creature roaming somewhere in the area.

Honestly, this MonsterQuest production was one of the best in the entire series. It included fact based evidence (include debunking a hoax) and restrained from using ridiculous conjecture and time filler. I suppose they were saving the best for last...this episode marked the end of the MonsterQuest series.

The producer of MonsterQuest, Doug Hajicek, passed along a statement to Cryptomundo today:

Dear MonsterQuest Fans,

Like many of you, I am a bit saddened by the official cancellation of MonsterQuest. However, we will continue to produce similar programming in the future as opportunities arise.

Cryptozoology will always be passion for me personally.

The official end of MonsterQuest did not happen because of any lack of topics or for lack of viewers. The Network has decided to go another direction to assure their future as a powerful force in television. We are extremely happy to have been part of the successful growth of the History Channel.

I am forever grateful to Loren Coleman and everyone at Cryptomundo. I also thank the hundreds of researchers, scientists and the courageous witnesses we had a chance to work with over the last four years.

It was an amazing run for the topic of Cryptozoology in prime time.

I am sincerely humbled by the opportunity to have created so much programming on this fascinating topic.

Sincerely,
Doug Hajicek
Producer/ Creator/ MonsterQuest
Whitewolf Entertainment Inc.


MonsterQuest did bring cryptozoology into the homes of many people who had little idea what the study of 'perceived nonexistent animals' was. That said and for various reasons, I also feel the series ran it's course. Maybe in the future, more in-depth productions will evolve from the spectre of MonsterQuest...Lon

'Gable Film' Revealed As Hoax...MonsterQuest Ends It's Run

Monday, March 22, 2010

Jaime Maussan's 'Metepec Creature' Confirmed a Hoax


alcione - A “Veterinary Assistant” featured in the whole Metepec Creature brouhaha, “Ángel Palacios Núñez”, is, according to Alejandro Franz, in fact Urso Moreno Ruíz, nephew of Mario Moreno, and a taxidermist.

More importantly, Urso Ruíz apparently confessed in an Internet forum he indeed hoaxed the creature, which is indeed just a squirrel-monkey:


Click for video

“It’s just the corpse of a skinned squirrel-monkey. I took its ears out and involved it with all the hair and fluids of all animals I could find, then I dried it. All samples they take of it will come out as being of different animals.”

Of course, we already knew it was a skinned squirrel-monkey:

He goes on:

“Mr Mario quickly sold it to Maussán for 300.000 pesos [U$23,000], as you can see after four years they still can’t realize it’s a hoax.”

And tries to defend himself:

“I must say I didn’t claim it was real. That was Maussán who claimed it was real. He believed it. All the show was a hoax that got out of control, but after four years I’m happy to see one of my creations going around the world and through many scientists and tests and they still haven’t figured out what it is. I may have fooled science! LOL”

Franz warns that, contrary to what Urso Ruíz claims, he did claim in video that the creature was “a strange animal”. Lies. Franz further accuses Maussán, Mario Moreno and Marco Salazar of creating this whole fraud from the beginning. It’s indeed interesting they should go with DNA testing right away, which is not their usual practice with such “finds” at all. It’s as if they knew the results would be inconclusive.

Of course, from the beginning people noticed it looked exactly like a skinned monkey. People also know very well Maussán is part of Ufology’s Hall of Shame.

So people had every reason not to believe the story. Reason, apparently, is something the History Channel’s MonsterQuest team lacks.

But then, reason is something that may be relative. Money and ratings can make everything relative, one would guess. How much money did all those involved, knowingly or not, make from this hoax?

NOTE: once again, we learn the Jaime Maussan is full of shit and 'MonsterQuest' (again) fell for 'less that accurate' information. Honestly, I used to give Maussan some credence but some of his antics in the past few years have completely turned my respect for him 180 degrees. MUFON and other paranormal organizations need to reconsider their use of his 'expertise' and presentations at any future conventions...Lon
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BUZZ ALDRIN DENIES ALIENS ARRIVED ON EARTH

Buzz Aldrin was interviewed on WFAN today (talking about 'Dancing With The Stars' 3/22/10)...later into the interview, he subsequently denied that aliens have every landed on earth. Was this just PR or is he being coy?

Buzz Aldrin on WFAN. There is a download link there also WFAN.com

Jaime Maussan's 'Metepec Creature' Confirmed a Hoax

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Big Cat Tales: From the Appalachians to the Swamps

Cryptid cat sightings are a worldwide phenomena. For decades, there have been accounts of large black cats roaming the countryside of Great Britain. As well, recent mutilations of horses and livestock in Australia have prompted fear that undocumented large cats also dwell on the continent.

Over the past few years, there has been an increased number of large cat sightings recorded throughout the eastern United States. Most descriptions have been similar to those of cougars or panther-like creatures, large muscular felines with long tails. Though, many of the reports proved to be that of a large feral cat or an oversized pet.

Before European settlers set foot in North America, the native Cherokee tribes of Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia spoke of the fearsome Wampus Cat (also called the Ewah) that roamed the land. This was said to be the result of a woman who had disguised herself in the skin of a mountain lion and spied on the men of the tribe as they sat around the campfire telling sacred stories on a hunting trip. When the woman was discovered, the tribe's medicine man punished her by transforming her into a half-woman, half-cat. Supposedly, this creature still lives.

In the early 19th century, the Wampus Cat was reported to roam the Southern bottomlands and described as ". . . an impossibly hideous critter said to have the head of a man, the body of a wildcat only larger, and the soul of a demon." The Wampus Cat was known to lurk along murky river bottoms and feast upon hapless hunters, fishermen and travelers and anybody else who wandered too far away from civilization. Wampus Cat stories and sightings became less and less frequent after the War Between the States.

Old American South books and newspapers state that "Wampus" was a name used for an unknown monster cat as well as other mystery animals. The word catawampus (cattywampus), which means "Cater-Cornered; slant wise, or Evil; malicious" in the American Heritage Dictionary, seems to be a neutral piece of evidence.

In 2008, a reader from Knoxville responded to an inquiry I made concerning the Wampus Cat and other mysterious large cats:

“During the school year, my girlfriend lives in Strong Hall on the University of Tennessee campus. One night while we were at her place, I was talking about how I was walking back to my dorm (Greve Hall) with a friend of mine. I was beside him, but very slightly ahead. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw what appeared to be a man in a black cloak walk up to my friend and sort of lean into him, almost like he was going to put his hand on my friend's shoulder. Only when his hand fell on my friend's shoulder, he simply disappeared. I will admit that during this time I was a bit tired from studying for an exam, and my friend says he felt nothing, but that's neither here nor there.”

“After telling my girlfriend this story, she told me that during the first week of school she looked out her ground-floor window toward the corner of 16th and Cumberland, and saw what appeared to be a human-sized cat walking on its hind legs, with glowing eyes. I don't remember the details she gave me, as far as how long it was there or how long she saw it.”

“It should be noted that my girlfriend is from Minnesota and I have no reason to believe she would try to trick me by reading about the Wampus Cat and then trying to pretend she saw it. We're very close and I have no reason to believe she would lie to me.”


Granted, this could have been a dorm party induced phantom, but I think the writer was serious. There are recent accounts of large cat sightings in the south that have an unusual twist.

A few years ago, an unknown predator mauled a pit bull and killed two puppies in Brunswick County, North Carolina and residents fear it's the same animal that killed three dogs in September 2007. The county's animal control agency investigated the animal's tracks, droppings and other clues but couldn't determine what attacked the dogs. Locals call the unknown animal the 'Beast of Bolivia'. Some residents and experts said the predator may have been a wayward panther or cougar, or even a wolf because 3-inch paw tracks were found at the scene. There have been no reports of noise during the attacks which seems strange since this is a residential area. As well, the beast has never been seen.


In an earlier incident, a man was taking pictures of alligators in the North Santee River in South Carolina with a digital camera. Later when he returned home and looked at the images, he realized there was a black panther watching him. He stated that he never witnessed or heard the animal for the entire time he was at the river.

For years there have been stories of Black Florida Panthers prowling in our wilderness, but there's never been any official record they exist.

A rare Black Bobcat was captured and researchers at the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary say they now know what people were referring to when they said they saw the panther.

"For years, people here in Florida have talked about Black Florida Panthers. First of all, Florida Panthers are basically a Cougar. There has never ever been a Black Cougar or a Florida Panther ever found. No record of them, no pictures, no hides, no skins, nothing. but still we hear these stories of black cats that lurk in the wilds of Florida. Maybe we have kind of found that missing piece of the puzzle and we now know what everybody's been talking about when they say, 'I saw a Black Panther in the wild.' But really they saw a Black Bobcat."

The sanctuary has been working with the state to run DNA and blood tests. They want to make sure there's official documentation that the Black Bobcat exists... even if the Black Panther does not. The sanctuary has returned the Black Bobcat to the wild.
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MORE ON THE LEGENDS


The mountains of Tennessee, from the hills of Kentucky and West Virginia , are dotted with country folks whose occupations range from farmers to coal miners. Many of these country folks have tales of the paranormal, ranging from coal miner ghosts to legends of the Indians.

Jinx Johnston is one of those country people who had a true encounter of a famous legend. The legend of the Wampus Cat. Jinx was a robust man. He stood about 6 feet high and weighed around 200 pounds. He was the type of man that could not scare very easily. The camp fire would cast eerie shadows on the faces of his audience as he began to tell his story of the Wampus Cat. The following is his story...

"There was an old woman who lived by herself in the hills of West Virginia. Townfolk swore she was a witch. People would complain their cattle would be hexed and other farm animals would come up missing. They all blamed the old woman because she lived like a hermit. Supposedly, she would turn herself into a cat and hide until someone would open the door. She would dart into the house and wait for her victims to fall asleep. She would cast a deeper sleeping spell on the farmer and then she would slip out of the window to steal a farm animal. The witch was so good at what she was doing, she was never caught."

"One day, the townfolks decided they had grown tired of their livestock coming up missing or dead. They devised a plan to catch the witch in her own act. She snuck into an unsuspecting house and placed the whole family under her spell. She jumped out the window as she had always done and went straight for a cow or sheep. Uncle Jinx always changed the animal this woman was after. The old woman, still in her cat form, went to the barn. She began chanting spells to change herself back into human form. Before it was completed, several people jumped out and surprised her. The poor old woman never had the chance to complete the transformation. It left her half woman and half cat. A ghastly creature to the eye sight. The creature howled with fright and broke down the door. She ran off into the night, never to be seen again. Jinx Johnston said time is important for a witch if she was changing back from an animal to a human again. The spell she had cast upon herself could never be reversed or fixed. The witch was doomed to be the Wampus Cat for the rest of her life."

"On nights when the moon is high, and the wind is blowing hard, you can see this creature. It walks upright like a human but has the body of a large cat. It howls and supposedly still stalks the hills of West Virginia. This creature is said to stalk farm animals but prefers young children the best."

Jinx would always finish his story by telling his audience how he used to go raccoon hunting. He and his 'coon' dogs would be out looking for raccoons to tree. The moon would always be bright in the sky and the howls of the Wampus cat would ring in his ears. One night, the dogs were way ahead of him. He kept hollering for them to return but they never did. The robust man went on to tell how he tripped over something and his rifle went flying out of his hands. He smelled an awful smell. He said it smelled like a skunk and a wet dog. He looked up and saw this hideous creature. Saliva dripping from its fangs, and yellow eyes that glowed in the dark, and a howl that nearly brought him out of his skin. Jinx looked for his rifle but it was lost in the dark. He got up and slowly backed away from the creature. He turned around and ran as fast as he could towards home. Jinx told how he could feel and smell its breath on his neck. He bolted inside his house and slammed the door. He reached for his Bible and began reading out loud. The Wampus Cat howled at his words. Finally, just as the sun peeked over the hill, the Wampus Cat left. He said this was the reason he stopped treeing raccoons at night. Jinx's fear of the Wampus Cat was greater than chasing a raccoon up a tree.

The second version of the Legend of the Wampus Cat begins this way. According to an old Indian legend, the Wampus Cat was created. It was said a young Indian woman did not trust her husband. It was custom for the men of the Indian tribe to hunt while the women did things around the encampments. The women were forbidden to hunt. One night, she placed the hide of a mountain cat on her body. She snuck out to spy on her husband to see what he did on his hunting trips. As the hunters gathered around their camp fires, the woman watched them. She became fascinated with the stories and the magic that was presented to the men of the Indian tribe. The poor woman was caught and for her crime, she was transformed into what is known as the Wampus Cat. The woman was doomed to be forever half woman and half mountain cat. The ghost of the Wampus Cat is still said to walk the hills of Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. On full moons, you can see the Wampus Cat howling. Is she howling because of her grave mistake and wishes to be transformed back to her humanly body?

If there were no legends, the world would be much duller. Many people consider the Bigfoot or Sasquatch a myth. I’d say just as many people consider the hairy hominid a fact.

Sources:
www.essortment.com
en.wikipedia.org
www.americanfolklore.net
www2.mcdowellnews.com
www.godchecker.com


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