Windermere Hotelier Milking Every Bit of 'Bownessie' Hoopla
newsandstar - The hotelier had thought he and colleague Andrew Tighe were alone on the lake when, out of the blue, he suddenly realised something powerful was going past him.
Early morning conditions couldn’t have been calmer – with waters mirror-like – as the managing director of Windermere’s Langdale Chase Hotel continued his training for an English Channel swim, accompanied by Mr Tighe in a rowing boat.
“We were going across the deeps, the deepest part of the lake,” he recalls.
“It was really calm. Then, all of a sudden, I felt something go past the back of my legs. It felt like a cruiser had gone past.
“Suddenly, this wave then lifted me up. I stopped and asked ‘what the hell was that? Get me out of here’.”
Mr Tighe, the Langdale’s general manager, feared for his friend as the follow-up ‘bow wave’ rose.
He said: “Looking back at that morning it is all a bit surreal. I was most concerned about Thomas. I didn’t know what it was.”
The whole experience, between 6.45am and 7am on July 29, 2009, lasted about 30 seconds.
After the drama unfolded, the lake went back to being completely flat – with the men confused as to what had just happened.
At first, Mr Noblett, 48, thought a submarine had passed him – with the Ministry of Defence perhaps doing some kind of secret testing. He described the feeling as “awful”.
It was only after another colleague at the hotel overheard them talking afterwards, that the realisation that it could be something else struck.
“We didn’t know what it could be. We were chatting about it in the kitchen and our chef said there was a report of something being sighted in the lake,” said Mr Tighe, 35.
Their experience, along with other sightings, have left the pair convinced there is something in the waters.
“One hundred per cent. There is something in there,” Mr Tighe said.
His colleague added: “We were non-believers beforehand. We didn’t give it a thought before. I was more concerned that a pike would bite me.”
Speculation as to whether Cumbria could have its own Loch Ness monster-type creature in Windermere has grown in the past week after a photograph emerged of what looks to be a four-humped creature in the water.
It was spotted by Tom Pickles and Sarah Harrington, who were kayaking across the water. They captured the image on a camera phone.
Theirs is thought to be the eighth report of so-called Bownessie being seen in the past five years.
Mr Noblett, who has swam in Windermere hundreds of times, believes this latest sighting adds weight to what he and his colleague have been saying since 2009, adding: “We’re quite pleased about it. It shows we were not using this as self-publicity for the hotel, area or the lake.”
Sporadic sightings of the creature have been made since the 1950s.
Various descriptions have seen its size range from anywhere between 25ft and 70ft and of being snake-like in appearance.
Although there is the old Nessie theory of the creature being something prehistoric that has somehow survived in the lake, both Mr Noblett and Mr Tighe believe the creature is most likely to be a giant eel.
Other theories are that the “monster” could be a giant catfish or a large pike with the creature feeding off char
Since their experience, the hotel bosses have worked with north east-based psychic Dean “Midas” Maynard on trying to unearth evidence about what is lurking in the waters.
Today they will join him on a boat conducting a sonar search of the lake to see if they can spot Bownessie or any more clues about its existence, using 3D imaging equipment.
Another boat search with more passengers joining them will be carried out tomorrow.
But, with Windermere 10.5 miles long, one mile wide and plunging to 220ft at its deepest point, with various caves and shelves, Mr Noblett, who has been at the Langdale 20 years after working in Bermuda, Dubai and London, admits the search is the proverbial needle in a haystack.
Whatever they do or don’t discover, however, his view about whether there is a creature in the water will not change.
And the businessman has information that there are others who have has possible sightings, but haven’t wanted to speak out about them.
He added: “Some have said they are glad we have brought it up. One sailor has said it was like a side of meat turning over and going underneath. He didn’t want to tell anybody in case he was ridiculed.
“You’re always going to get two camps in whatever you do in life. The ones who don’t believe will boo-hoo everything. If they haven’t experienced it themselves, they will say it is an old wives’ tale.”
Many of those who are believers or have spotted something suspicious and believe there is something in the water are people who are completely serious about the lake.
“That has made our experience a little more concrete,” Mr Noblett said.
Dan Nield, 30, an operations supervisor with Windermere Lake Cruises, will be among those on the boat searching the lake tomorrow.
He admits the speculation about what may be in the lake is interesting, but is a sceptical of whether there is a “monster” in there.
“Everyone loves a mystery. It would be nice if there was something out there, but I’m a sceptic,” said Mr Nield, who spends his working day on the lake.
“Some have said there are big catfish in there. They can grow as big as a couple of metres in length. Others have said it could be a string of otters. It’s interesting. The picture that came out last week surprised me. Lots of people have been asking about it, but whether it brings more tourists to the area, I don’t know. I wouldn’t think it would do tourism any harm.”
There’s no doubting that the intrigue surrounding what may lurk beneath the waters of Windermere could be lucrative.
A whole industry has spawned from the mystery at Loch Ness, with a visitor centre, souvenir shops, television documentaries and even a Hollywood film staring Ted Danson.
Cumbria Tourism bosses, whose headquarters are on the shores of the lake, say they are as keen as anyone to establish “whether the Bownessie phenomenon is fact or fiction”.
A spokesman added: “The truth is Windermere and Bowness are incredibly popular destinations and don’t need gimmicks to get people to visit.
“Nonetheless, at the start of the tourism year, it doesn’t do the industry any harm to have this kind of profile around the world.”
Mr Noblett believes Bownessie could become a visitor attraction.
“It will attract a different type of visitor. You are going to get people who say we don’t need any more tourist attractions here. They are the non-believers,” he said.
“But it can only help the businesses and the infrastructure of Cumbria. This is a happy story versus the catastrophes of the last couple of years in west Cumbria.
“People think Cumbria is an island. When the bridge went down in Workington they thought they couldn’t get in. It’s just the British way of thinking.”
Mr Tighe, the Langdale’s general manager for the past four-and-a-half years, also believes interest in what may be in the lake his high and added: “Most of our guests are interested.”
Executives at Windermere Lake Cruises, whose boats ferry people to stops up and down the lake, are not convinced Bownessie exists, but believe passengers will enjoy trying to spot it. They are offering a golden ticket prize of a year’s free cruises for anyone who captures a picture of the beast from one of their boats.
wtop - Frankenfish with claws? Lobsters. Yes, lobsters have been seen in the fresh waters of the Potomac River.
The lobsters have been seen at Leesylvania State Park.
"It's definitely something you don't see everyday," says Kendra McMurray who saw them over the weekend.
"The odd thing is they were in perfect formation, lined up on the sand along with blue crabs and huge clams. It was puzzling to say the least.
"There were some feisty crabs out there, and at least one of the lobsters were still living when we approached them. My main concern was that their claws were free," McMurray tells WTOP in an e-mail.
Virginia state biologists say somebody is obviously releasing the saltwater crustaceans into the water.
Park rangers tell InsideNova it's a Chinese custom to release crustaceans back into the water after the new year.
The lobsters, likely released live, died once they were put in the water.
State biologists say there's concern the lobsters could carry parasites that would survive and cause disease in the river.
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Cheetah military robot can outrun human beings
tgdaily - Boston Dynamics is working on two new robots for DARPA - one agile humanoid and one designed to outpace the fastest human runners.
The Cheetah robot is modeled on its namesake, with four legs, a flexible spine and an articulated head and neck - it may or may not have a tail, says the company.
The company says that not only will it be faster than any human being, but that it will be faster than any existing legged robot too. It will be able to make tight turns and accelerate rapidly - 'starting and stopping on a dime', the company says.
Based on the same control software and mechanical and electric systems as the company's other robots, Boston says the robot will be able to use momentum to bridge gaps, for example throwing or swinging itself from one set of handholds or footholds to the next.
Meanwhile, the humanoid Atlas robot will get about mainly on two legs, although it will also be able to use its hands for support and balance.
"Unlike Honda's Asimo and most other humanoid robots you've seen, Atlas will walk just like a man, using a head-to-toe walking motion, long strides and dynamic transfer of weight on each step, says Rob Playter, Atlas principal investigator and vice president of engineering.
"We have already achieved some advanced behavior in Petman, an anthropomorphic robot we developed for the Army, so Atlas can get a leg up on the problem by leveraging the Petman results."
The company says that both robots will have applications beyond the military, such as in emergency response situations and advanced agriculture.
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Gravedigger Stole Body Parts To Make Ashtray Pipe
hungzai - Police say a gravedigger stole body parts - including a skull and a thigh bone - from a broken casket at a church cemetery and took them home to make an ashtray.
“While he was digging a grave, a casket was broken open, so (investigators) believe he took the body parts to make an ashtray and a pipe,” Police Lt. Kevin O’Brien told the Sentinel Enterprise of Fitchburg, MA.
Police discovered the theft when they went to his apartment Wednesday after his wife complained that her husband, Keith Chartrand, killed her dog. She said she found the body parts among his belongings.
Police charged Chartrand, 30, with removing a body from a grave and cruelty to animals.
Fitchburg District Court Judge Arthur Haley III ordered Chartrand held on $50,000 bail at a court hearing on Wednesday where Chartrand told the judge the charges against him was “bogus.”
Chartrand’s lawyer, Martin Maynard, did not immediately return a call to The Associated Press on Thursday.
The Rev. Edward Chalmers of St. Bernard’s Cemetery said he believed the remains probably were taken from an older part of the cemetery where many graves did not have vaults.
dailyexaminer - Along with a beautiful, heritage-listed location and a renowned collection of artworks, it seems Grafton Regional Gallery can now boast another drawcard – its very own resident ghost.
Members of the Queensland Paranormal Research and Analysis Group (QPRAG) recently conducted a night time paranormal investigation at the gallery's historic Prentice House in Fitzroy St based on reports from visitors and volunteers of ghostly occurrences there over the years.
After going over hours of data collected on the night from video cameras, digital voice recorders and electromagnetic field (EMF) meters, the results are in and the team believe they have found strong evidence of paranormal activity.
“Our conclusion is the gallery is rated a Category: 2 (Paranormal Activity captured but no visual evidence),” said Chris, one of the investigation team leaders.
This means the data gathered by the group ticked many of the boxes indicating paranormal activity, except for the holy grail of ghost-hunting – capturing an apparition on video or camera.
However, what the team did get were several digital sound recordings containing what they believe is Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP), which is unexplained recorded sounds or voices.
The team sent these recordings to The Daily Examiner.
One of the recordings contains a male-sounding voice clearly and commandingly saying “go!”, while another contains what also sounds like a male voice saying something unintelligible.
These recordings turned-up on digital sound recorders placed near the gallery's staircase, which became a focal point of the overall investigation.
The team has ruled-out these voices coming from its own members, with the recordings being made either during a lock-out period on the night when the entire team was waiting outside the gallery, or in the case of one recording, during a period where two members were inside, but sitting in complete silence.
Along with the voices, Chris said several unexplained bangs and scrapes were recorded; irregular EMF activity (which is believed by ghost-hunters to indicate paranormal activity) was noted, and; two video cameras positioned inside the gallery were inexplicably turned off while recording, despite having plenty of battery power left.
The power switch on one of these cameras was actually found to have been physically turned to the “off” position, but no one was anywhere near the camera at the time.
Chris said a combination of these incidents, and others, led the team to the conclusion there was indeed paranormal activity at the gallery.
She also said the gallery investigation had proven to be one of the team's most eventful.
“Now that we've reviewed all the data, I think it's probably one of the best ones; it's the most we've ever picked-up in one night,” she said.
“That's the thing – you can be on a site for three hours and not pick-up anything, but with the gallery, we've got at least half-a-dozen things which are questionable – we have no explanation for them.”
Chris said the South-East Queensland-based QPRAG team was keen to return to Grafton soon and had its sights set on historic Schaeffer House, which is said to boast a ghostly tale or two of its own.
To celebrate the QPRAG team's findings, youngsters will soon get a chance to do some ghost-hunting of their own at the gallery, with day-time children's ghost tours to be held during the April school holidays.
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Tasmanian Mental Asylum's Haunted Reputation
abc.net.auIn the Tasmanian town of New Norfolk stories about apparitions, strange sudden smells and unearthly happenings at the site of the former mental asylum have been circulating the local community and more recently the internet.
A former mental health hospital, Willow Court has unofficially become a drawcard for people who believe in the supernatural.
Now the Derwent Valley Council is determined to find out once and for all if there is any truth to the stories.
Councillors recently voted in favour of a paranormal investigation in at least two of the wards still standing.
A team of three from the Australian Paranormal Investigation Unit are now planning a two or three night stay in ward C and Alonnah that once housed the criminally insane.
Decommissioned by the Tasmanian Government in the 1990s, some of the wards have been knocked down to make way for development. Others are still empty - trashed by vandals.
Glenn Hevey, Nick Jarvis and Aiden Sullivan have long held an interest in Willow Court and the supernatural.
"I've loved it all my life," former New Norfolk boy Nick Jarvis said.
"What spurred my interest even more was the paranormal side of Willow Court and almost on a daily basis I've been getting reports of people seeing things and hearing things."
Three years ago, the three young men decided to get serious and set up the Australian Paranormal Investigations Unit.
They contacted the local Derwent Valley Council and the small team of ghost busters were given official council approval to investigate three wards that once housed the criminally insane.
"We went through the appropriate channels went through council, the committee endorsed it and it was voted on and approved. So it was a long process and we're pretty happy to be in that position," Mr Jarvis said.
The three men are certain there is a spiritual presence at the site, but believe it or not they have never had the camera when a spirit has appeared.
"When I was driving down the main avenue here at Willow Court, I was driving over some of the speed humps and the headlights shone on a white apparition figure," Mr Jarvis said.
This time they are determined to record a presence.
"We've got voice recorders to capture electronic voice phenomena, including static or stray noises. We've got electromagnetic field metres to hopefully capture any presences. We've got cameras, and we've got temp guns which we use with temperature readings to work out if there are any temperature spikes or drops," Mr Jarvis said.
Sceptic Leyon Parker wishes the team luck, but holds little hope for success.
"I think it's a waste of time," he said.
"I suppose people can choose to waste their time any way they like. If these people want to waste their time looking for ghosts that don't exist it's not my job to tell them they shouldn't do that."
To be convinced he says he would need "photographic evidence, there would have to be electronic recordings of some sort, the clearer the better, probably accompanying eyewitness accounts and it would certainly help if there was a sceptical mind there at the time this occurred".
There are some people in Tasmania hoping no such evidence is found, in fact they would prefer if Willow Court's history as an asylum for the state's mentally ill was not dragged up.
Locals have never been keen to admit having a relative at Willow Court, a family secret often considered more sensitive than a person's convict ancestry.
For that reason there are some councillors who are against a paranormal investigation.
Barry Lathey believes the asylum's more recent past should be left alone.
"I think this site is a bit too close to the people that were incarcerated in here and I think it would have, or may have, an adverse affect on their families," he said.
Former Mayor Tony Nicholson worked at Willow Court many years ago.
With strong memories of the patients, he believes the supernatural investigation is disrespectful.
But the ghost busters say finding a spiritual presence at Willow Court could silence the sceptics and have economic spinoffs for the area.
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Haunted Costa Rica
thecostaricanerws - During the last few years, there has been an increased interest in ghost hunting, both in the United States and worldwide. Shows such as Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State and Ghost Adventures-to name just three-have sparked a flurry of spirit seekers to visit locations reputed to be inhabited by people who have traveled over to “the other side.” Costa Ricans-expats and locals alike- also seem to have caught the ghost-hunting bug. So the question arises: Where can you find haunted locations in Costa Rica?
Perhaps the best-known location for paranormal activity is located within the shadow of Irazu Volcano. Some 38 miles from San Jose, near Cartago, is the Sanatorio Carlos Duran. Driving from Cartago, as you head toward Irazu, follow the road to the left which heads to Prusia and you will find it there. Dr. Duran felt that the location and the climate would make a perfect place to treat patients stricken with tuberculosis and leprosy and so, in 1915, he built the hospital.
Throughout the years, the sanatorium/hospital was transformed from a medical facility to an insane asylum and, for a time, also served as an orphanage. However, the Colossus of Costa Rica, as Irazu is known locally, decided in 1973 that Dr. Duran’s hospital had run out of time. The 1973 volcanic eruption forced the hospital to close once and for all-at least for the living.
Residents in and around Cartago have long reported spectral encounters throughout the hospital grounds. Ghost Hunters International, a spinoff of the popular Ghost Hunters show on the American SyFy channel, made Dr. Duran’s sanatorium one of two Costa Rican locales that were investigated. Encounters range from sounds, feelings of sadness, shadow images, and items being tossed out of the patient’s rooms. One of the more persistent stories is that of an image of a nun who is seen on the grounds. Perhaps she is tending the sick in the next world, much as she did in this one.
The town of Cartago is also home to a famous ghost tale. In Parque Central, Cartago, you can visit Las Ruinas de la Parroquia -a spot where churches, of one type or another, have stood since 1575. Legend has it that in the 1800s, a young priest fell in love with his sister-in-law and had a scandalous affair. The affair was discovered by his brother, the mayor, who killed the priest in a jealous rage. Soon after the murder, the original church was destroyed during the earthquake of 1841. It was then rebuilt and almost immediately after completion, it was destroyed again in the quake of 1910. An earthquake continually halted all attempts at reconstruction of the church, prompting the townsfolk of Cartago to give up on reconstruction, deducing that the grounds were evil and haunted. Although only the outer walls of the building remain, visitors tell of a headless spirit who continues to roam the church grounds.
The other site, which the Ghost Hunters International team investigated, is San Lucas Island. Though inhabited by various indigenous groups since roughly 1000 A.D., the island is best known for its infamous prison. Prior to its construction in 1873, under the orders of Tomás Miguel Guardia Gutiérre, it was used by the Spanish as an internment camp for natives who were subsequently killed at the site of their ancestor’s burial grounds.
During its tenure, San Lucas had a reputation as both one of the most dreaded prisons in Central America and as the final destination of some of the most horrific criminals in Costa Rica. Murderers and rapists were intermingled with political prisoners and, as might be expected, many perished. There are countless stories of torture and of the suffering of those sentenced there. Among the many ghostly encounters recorded is that of a nurse who was reportedly raped and killed by the prisoners while she was treating them. It is said her ghost can be found in one of the holding cells which has two drawings of a woman-allegedly made with her own blood.
San Lucas is now a national park and there are several tour companies offering the adventurous the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the ancients and of the ghost hunters.
For those seeking a more inviting location to check out the paranormal, a visit to the beach at Playa Grande is recommended. Rumored to be an ancient burial and ceremonial site of one of the long forgotten tribes who lived in the region, Ticos and non-Ticos alike have reported various ghostly encounters. At the very least, there is the sun, the sand, and the ocean which can certainly compensate for a lack of paranormal activity.
Costa Rica also has its’ own version of the banshee. Although she is known throughout much of Central and South America, La Llorona (the Crier) has a unique Costa Rican identity. Maria, (the Crier’s name) apparently got involved with someone while she was married and had his child. In despair, she is said to have thrown the baby into the river before taking her own life. She wanders the length and breadth of Costa Rica, usually near water, looking for her lost child and crying a warning to those thinking of having an affair.
Ghost hunting in paradise? Why not? It’s just another facet to explore in this green and beautiful land of Pura Vida.
I came across several interesting stories recently while reading about Jewish mysticism and rituals. I decided to look further and discovered references to the 'Dybbuk'. To my surprise, much of what is described in Judaism and the Kabbalah in relation to spirits and possession correlates directly and more precise to the spirit rescue work that I have recently undertaken. I would like to share some of this with you...
A dybbuk (pronounced "dih-buk") is the term for a wandering soul that attaches itself to a living person and controls that person's behavior to accomplish a task. The word "dybbuk" is the Hebrew word for "cleaving" or "clinging," and having a dybbuk is not always a bad thing for the human host...though, in most instances this is not the case.
In the Roman Catholic view, a person can succumb to a demon or devil that takes over their body, and the only cure is an exorcism to drive the demon out. In the Jewish faith there is no belief in demonic possession though there can be a possession of a living person by the soul of one who has left the body, but not the world. This soul is seeking a body to possess in order to take care of unfinished business.
In the Old Testament of the Bible, a bad spirit is described as attaching itself to King Saul, the first chieftain of the ancient tribes of Israel. Later, the prophet Elijah is possessed by the spirit of a dead man in an attempt to persuade the prophet into maneuvering the King into a war.
According to ancient Hebrew tradition, demons are beings not much different than humans but were created in the twilight of creation after the humans and right before the end of creation. They are neither of our world, nor of the other world, but a part of both.
The concept of the transmigration of souls developed and found serious followers during the Dark Ages, and by the 12th century it became an established part of the Kabbalah. The 16th century schools of mysticism embraced it. When Hasidism developed, the belief took final hold.
The first form is the Gilgul, which is the Hebrew word for 'rolling,' but means, in this context, the transmigration of the soul. Generally, it is represented as a natural sequence in the life of the soul and simply enters the body at birth, just as the infant is about to leave the mother's body, and prepares to live whatever normal life span has been allotted to it.
The second form of transmigration is the Dybbuk, a disembodied spirit possessing a living body that belongs to another soul. The earliest description was that they may be nonhuman demons...later it was assumed they were the spirits of persons who have died. The dybbuk may be the soul of a sinner, who wishes to escape the just punishment given to it by the 'angels of the grave' who seek to beat them, or to avoid another form of soul punishment...which is wandering the earth. A dybbuk may seek revenge for some evil that was done to it while it lived. The dybbuk may be lost and enter a body simply in order to find a rabbi who would be able send it on it's way. The living host may or may not know that a dybbuk is occupying their body. There may be torment towards the host but this depends on the intent of the possessing soul.
The third form is the Ibbur. The Hebrew translation of the word means 'impregnation.' Ibbur is the most positive form of possession, and probably the most complicated. It happens when a righteous soul decides to occupy a living person's body for a time, and joins, or spiritually 'impregnates' the existing soul. Ibbur is always temporary, and the living person may or may not know that it has taken place. Many times the living person has given consent for the Ibbur since it is always benevolent. The departed soul seeks to complete an important task, to fulfill a promise, or to perform a Mitzva (a religious duty) that can only be accomplished in the flesh.
If the dybbuk is able to encounter a rabbi while possessing a living host, then an exorcism ritual can be performed. The Jewish exorcism ritual is performed by a rabbi who has mastered practical Kabbalah. The point of the exorcism is to heal the person being possessed and the spirit doing the possessing. This is a stark contrast to the Roman Catholic exorcism that is intended to drive away the offending spirit or demon. The intent is to heal the soul that's possessing and heal the person. The ceremony is done on behalf of both.
In some cases, there is a positive aspect to a dybbuk. On occassion a spirit will seek out a person in a time of need to help. This second type of possession is called 'sod ha'ibbur,' which is Hebrew for 'mystery impregnation.' This is a good possession simply because this is a spirit guide. The spirit of someone who has struggled and overcome what you have struggled with and can't overcome will be lent to you from the spirit world to possess and stimulate you, and help you overcome misfortune and what it has been able to in its lifetime. When it's tasks are done and you've managed to achieve what you need in your life, it leaves you.
Some people reach high pinnacles of achievement and they may fall into deep depression. This can be explained as the loss of that spirit. There's a sense of loss, and it's misinterpreted as depression. If the person eventually realizes that, they can be thankful that they had a spirit guide to help them. They need to continue to lift up their own spirit for the remainder of their life.
The concept of dybbuk recognizes that our physical world and the spiritual world can intertwine for both positive and negative reasons. If those intersecting reasons are negative, there is a healing process to mend the collision so both the possessor and the possessed can move on.
NOTE: There have also been times when a dybbuk can haunt or infest an inanimate object, for example the Dibbuk Box, a supposed haunted wine box that has brought terror and regret to several owners over the years...Lon
The Destination Truth team will be searching for Ireland's infamous Banshee in a four-hour live event on St. Patrick's Day, Thursday March 17 at 7/6c.
The Banshee, from the Irish bean-sídhe ("woman of the síde" or "woman of the fairy mounds") is a female spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld. Her Scottish counterpart is the bean shìth.
According to tradition, the Banshee can only cry for five major Irish families: the O'Neills, the O'Briens, the O'Connors, the O'Gradys and the Kavanaghs. Intermarriage has since extended this select list. Individuals have described the Irish Banshee in numerous ways. Many describe this mythical creature as a young, beautiful woman. Then, there are some that describe the Banshee as a matron. In some tales, the figure who first appears to be a Banshee is later revealed to be the Irish battle goddess, the Morrígan. The hag may also appear as a washer-woman who cleans the blood stained clothes of those who are about to die. Although not always visible, her mourning call is heard, usually at night when someone is about to die and usually near woodlands. The Banshee may also appear in a variety of other forms, such as that of a crow, hare and weasel, most any animal associated in Ireland with witchcraft. Banshees are frequently described as dressed in white or grey, often having long, fair hair which they brush with a silver comb.
In 1437, King James I of Scotland was approached by an Irish seeress or banshee who foretold his murder at the instigation of the Earl of Atholl. This is an example of the banshee in human form. There are records of several human banshees or prophetesses attending the great houses of Ireland and the courts of local Irish kings.
The Irish Banshee, according to the people of Ireland, may come in the form of one of many different animals. This is partly due to the fact that the actual female version of the Banshee is not always seen in that form, however, several animals have been said to emit the same sounds as the mythical creature makes when forewarning of tragedy. This sound is called the "Mourning Call". In some cases, no animal or female figure is seen, but the call can be heard coming from the dark, mysterious depths of the forests located throughout Ireland.
The Banshee of Ireland is a very interesting legend. All throughout history, there have been accounts regarding the sightings of this mythical creature. Is she real? There is no physical evidence apart from witness accounts and tales passed from one generation to another, but for those in Ireland, this is a very real mythical creature. For the rest of us, it is truly one of the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries.
The term banshee is an anglicisation of the Irish bean sídhe or bean sí, or the Scots Gaelicbean shìth, – both meaning “woman of the fairy mounds” or “woman of peace”
One of the Banshee Legends
There was an Irish gentleman who had a beautiful daughter, strong and healthy, and a splendid horsewoman. She always followed the hounds, and her appearance at the hunt attracted unbounded admiration, as no one rode so well or looked so beautiful.
One evening there was a ball after the hunt, and the young girl moved through the dance with the grace of a fairy queen.
But that same night a voice came close to the father's window, as if the face were laid close to the glass, and he heard a mournful lamentation and a cry; and the words rang out on the air--"In three weeks death; in three weeks the grave--dead--dead--dead!"
Three times the voice came, and three times he heard the words; but though it. was bright moonlight, and he looked from the window over all the park, no form was to be seen.
Next day, his daughter showed symptoms of fever, and exactly in three weeks, as the Ban-Sidhe had prophesied, the beautiful girl lay dead.
The night before her death soft music was heard outside the house, though no word was spoken by the spirit-voice, and the family said the form of a woman crouched beneath a tree, with a mantle covering her head, was distinctly visible. But on approaching, the phantom disappeared, though the soft, low music of the lamentation continued till dawn.
Then the angel of death entered the house with soundless feet, and he breathed upon the beautiful face of the young girl, and she rested in the sleep of the dead, beneath the dark shadows of his wings.
Thus the prophecy of the Banshee came true, according to the time foretold by the spirit-voice.
Ireland's Infamous Banshee - Destination Truth Live : New Season
Join Josh's team and special guests as they search for Ireland's infamous banshee in a four hour live event on St. Patrick's Day. Thursday March 17 at 7/6c.
In about the middle of the nineteenth century lived the Reverend Charles Bunworth of Co. Cork. Mr. Bunworth became deathly ill. His wife was not too worried because it looked like his health was improving.
A servant of the household knew his master was going to die. He heard the dreaded wail along with several others. He tells his story;
“As I came through the glen at Ballybeg, she was along with me screeching and keening, and clapping her hands, by my side every step of the way, with her long white hair falling about her shoulders, and I could hear her repeat the master’s name every now and then as plain as ever I heard it. When I came to the old abbey, she parted from me there, and turned into the pigeon field next to the berrin ground, and folding her cloak about her, down she sat under the tree that was struck by lightning, and began keening so bitterly that it went through one’s heart to hear it.
Mrs. Bunworth dismissed this as superstition because her husband's health was getting better.
A few nights later a low moaning accompanied by the sound of clapping was heard outside of Mr. Bunworth’s window. Two men visiting the house immediately ran outside to find the source of the sound. They found nothing and heard only silence. Meanwhile the people still in the house kept hearing the wailing and moaning and clapping. This continued for hours. All the while Mr. Bunworth began slipping away. He was dead by the morning.
This just goes to show you that once someone has heard a banshee, death is not far behind.
Why the Legends?
It is believed that the myth of the Banshee developed due to the Irish tradition of the lament; women would sing a lament for the dead at funerals, and for some in the village, this song would carry through the air and become the first signal that someone had died.
These funeral singers were known as “keeners”, and their services were highly prized. From the natural honoring of the dead, the legend of the Banshee began.
As time passed, the myth of the wailing Irish spirit became more colorful and supernatural.
Kirkland AFB is in the area of the black circle. The witnesses observed the craft NE of their location toward Sandia Peak which is represented in the area of the red square
Hello,
I stumbled across your site while researching Kirtland Air Force Base, and read the account of a UFO sighting over Sandia Peak. My husband and I witnessed an object eerily similar to the object described. Prior to contacting you, I went over the details with my husband to make sure the details I provide are accurate.
My husband is active duty military and at that point we had been stationed here for 3 years. I am a night owl/insomniac and spend a lot of time outside both late night and early morning. The front porch faces SE but the large opening on the porch provides a very clear view of the NE.
Many evenings I would sit and watch the planes come in to land at the airport and had a pretty good idea of how long it takes to get from the mountain. In addition, eventually I would hear it and see the wing tip lights as well as the main light would appear to get brighter than smaller as the plane turned towards the airport. My husband on the other hand, has quite a bit more experience with flight, he is a crew member on the c-130’s. He can tell distance airplane/helo type just from sound flight pattern, etc.
Anyhow, my husband nor I remember the exact date but we have guestimated the first week of December due to the fact we had put our Christmas lights up that week and had been outside often in the evenings. On this particular night sometime between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. My husband and I were outside admiring and discussing the decorations, and determining whether we needed to purchase more, when I noticed a bright light exactly between the two lights on the peak. Initially, I thought it was a plane and didn’t pay much attention to it, glancing at it every now and then as my husband and I talked. Finally, I interrupted my husband saying, look at that light it isn’t moving. Now at this point, this was the first he had seen and it shrugged it off as a plane. I then explained that I had been watching it while we were talking and it had not moved at all in the past 2-4 minutes. So he proceeds to talk to me but I’m now focused on this light and ignoring him which draws his attention back to the light. We continued to watch the light for approximately 10 minutes and it did not move. It was a clear night and the shadow of the mountain peak was clearly visible in reference to the object along with the two lights on the peak. There was clearly no horizontal or vertical movement. There was no sound, no additional lights associated with the object. It did appear to twinkle but that may have been my eyes trying to focus because it was a very subtle flicker. I finally was to cold and decided to go inside, the object was still there.
This is the first experience I have had since I have lived here, and I must say I have no idea what I seen that night. My husband also cannot come up with an explanation. Though this isn’t his first time experiencing UFO’s. His first time was with a crew of 7 flying over Afghanistan.
I wonder if the object my husband and I saw is the same object. I cannot be sure what the object was that night but I do know that this base is a strange place to live.
Thank You,
S&C
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The inquiry was made in reference to this post:
MUFON CMS - Albuquerque, NM - 12/5/2010 - unedited: About 3:45 or 4:00 a.m. on 12/5/2010 I opened the sliding glass door on the north side of our house to let my dogs out to relieve themselves and out of the corner of my right eye I saw a bright white light so I turned to face it and observed what appeared to be a very bright, circular white light above the horizon of the Sandia Mtns. In the background of sky there are in fact two bright yellowish lights that are visible every night; both on the crest of the Sandias and apart from one another and this light was "centered" and above them and the sight of it appeared to be a triangle with the yellow lights of Sandia Crest on the left and the light of the Sandia Peak Tram house on the right forming the "base" of the triangle along the Sandia Crest and the bright light forming the peak of the triangle at the top. I started to dismiss my initial sighting of the light as the moment when an aircraft turned on it's landing lights and I must have seen it as it was moving towards me.... so I waited to see if it would turn toward the south to Albuquerque International or westward to Double Eagle. It seemed peculiar to me that it was taking entirely too long for any "aircraft" to reach me; the night was perfectly quiet, there was no jet engine noise or prop noise, there were no strobe lights or red and green wingtip lights, no automobile noises to muffle the sounds that should have been there. I looked closely at the white light and observed that it seemed to flicker somewhat along the edges and "wobble" side to side and up and down, but it certainly was not getting any closer to my location... it was just up in the sky shining brightly... hovering as it were and then as I watched the light IT WENT OUT! It just vanished completely from my sight! The night was still perfectly quiet and there were no sounds, and there were no strobes or red and green wingtip lights that I could observe, and no competing automobile noises as I listened for some jet engine noise or propellers beating the air like a helicopter or airplane would. There was no sound. I was stumped. I didn't know what I had seen and I certainly couldn't identify it either. As my dogs were coming back in I couldn't help looking toward the Sandia Mountains for one final look and just as suddenly as it had disappeared, it REAPPEARED in the very same area it was before!! Wow!! It was there, I didn't imagine it. Where had it gone and where did it come from? It was now clear to me that there was a very real, very curious event indeed going on and I was a witness to it. I observed the same behavior as before but then as I watched the light rotated from pointing straight toward me to my left and faced to the north. It remained there and looked like a cone. A cone of white light with the smaller end facing south and the wider end facing north. I am not sure how long it remained this way, it got dimmer and bright again and again and as I was observing the "cone" of bright light the entire cone rotated back to it's left and faced westward again. It continued to brighten and dim somewhat for several minutes I started to think it was similar to the lights over Phoenix, but only one light here, and then, as I watched, it just went off like someone flipped a switch; and as I looked at the place where the incredibly bright white light used to be, there was now what appeared to be a glowing "ember" that was colored yellow and grew steadily smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared completely and I saw it no more.
NOTE: the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque, NM have a history of UFO sightings and other strange incidents. Below, I have posted some examples...Lon
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Incidents Around Albuquerque / Manzano Base, NM
NOTE: I received the following information from a reader:
Lon
Re: your recent article: Photos: UFO Lights Morphing / Readers Respond to Grapevine Canyon, CA Sighting, I may have something else for you.
This first part wasn't my personal experience, but I was listening to Coast to Coast am on Friday Night when Ian Punnett was hosting Open Lines for George Noory. The first caller, a man named James from 'New Mexico,' (whom I believe was probably from Albuquerque, based on much of what he said he saw), said that a black, rectangular shaped 'aircraft' overflew the Sandia Crest summit from west to east, at the very top of the Sandia Mountain range, which is located in Albuquerque. It then headed out towards Edgewood, a small town on the East side of the Sandia Mountains, approximately 25 miles or so from Albuquerque. At this point, all the power where the TV and radio towers are located on the summit, the Summit Restaurant, and a 'small' residential area, went out for a period of time.
He didn't say anything else, and no one else called in to verify this sighting. So I don't know if anyone saw anything else, or how long the power was out. But I do know that if those towers were without power, then essentially, Albuquerque was without a communication network, since many of the cell phone and other communication-related towers are up on the summit, as well. That's TV, radio, telephone, Internet and Cable at least. EVERYTHING was down for a period of time. No doubt there's redundancy, but that is some powerful equipment, and when they go out, the grid winks out and locks up. I've seen it happen standing on 9 Mile Hill on the West side of Albuquerque when the lights of the entire city winked out one section at a time like a wave. During that particular incident, the WHOLE city was affected. No traffic lights, few back-up power generators (though many more now, which is why the power outage seemed restricted to a 'small' area), and even the hospitals had a difficult time functioning.
I lived in Albuquerque twice, once for 10 years, and later on again for 6 years, so I'm very familiar with the Sandia Mountains and that entire area. I am also aware that the military portion of the Albuquerque Sunport, takes up the section of the runway that abutts the Manzano Mountains and is east of the air traffic control tower.
Although from my understanding, it has always been considered fictitious, at one time there was another Air Force Base at the foot of the Manzano Mountains (though I suspect it's still there, based on the proliferation of sightings, even since it was supposed to have been closed down), south of the Sandias on the south side of Interstate 40 (the old Route 66). My father was stationed at Manzano AFB in 1965, right before he 'retired.' I can assure you it was there, since I was on it several times, and it was supposedly used to house ... various things, including a few top secret programs/projects, one which involved experimental and possibly other types of (i.e. back-engineered) craft. It's now rumored that the Roswell disc or parts of it (including... J-rod) were at various times located in some of the hangers and inside a false mountain at Manzano.
Btw, in case you haven't heard of it, Manzano Air Force Base was located to the East of Sandia Army Base which took up the SW portion of the base from the Wyoming Gate, heading south, and which is located on the North side of all 3 bases, as was Sandia Army Hospital, which has also, since been closed down. Because my father was in the Air Force, we lived in base housing off of Perimeter Drive located on the West side of Sandia Army Base, just south of the Louisiana Gate; our back fence was located to the North of the edge of the military portion of the airport runway from where my mother and I often watched various supposedly top secret military aircraft maneuvers from the early to late evening.
A side note: My mother was also ex-Navy, as well as a cryptographer, though I have no 'official' confirmation that she was with Naval Intelligence, I can only assume that she based what she told me about some being experimental craft, some not from this earth, on many things she and my father were involved were over the years. Regarding what we saw landing and taking-off from the military airport, although It became more difficult to see as the evening wore on, more often than not I COULD see shapes of craft which were either outlined by lights or had other visible means of delineating the silhouettes. Several times I also saw a triangle-shaped craft which appeared black against the evening sky and had a light at each point of the triangle. Again, experimental US military? Back-engineered? Don't know. They didn't say.
Other points of which you may or may not be aware: Sandia National Laboratories and Kirtland Air Force Base are located in Albuquerque. Los Alamos National Labs is located approximately 60 miles to the NW of Albuquerque. Dulce/Archuleta Mesa is located in Northern New Mexico, on the Colorado border. There have always been sightings in New Mexico, especially Albuquerque. I've seen many myself. Just recently a young boy on one of the Native American Reservations near Albuquerque was attacked in a parked car by something he claimed was an alien. Whatever the creature was, it grabbed him, leaving claw marks down the boy's arms. Fortunately, his father and a sibling, I believe, heard him yelling, and showed up just in time to scare the creature off. They don't know what it was, but it wasn't anything they'd ever seen and it appeared reptilian/alien.
Additionally, Albuquerque seems to be the headquarters, or at least very large and critical centers for several military projects, like Project Pegasus, Project Talent and others. If you haven't heard Andrew Basiago's interview with George Noory on Coast to Coast Exopolitics.com, you might want to check out the video (video has since been removed), with his premiere interview being done by Alfred Lambremont Webre of Exoplitics.com. Note this article, too, if you haven't already read it: Web Bot: Andrew Basiago is predicted “planetary level” whistleblower for Mars life and time travel
I know how much work it takes to do the research for these newsletters and the blog. I applaud your dedication.
Blessings and Peace,
Kat
NOTE: the video below was from a recent MUFON witness report...Lon
Click for video
______________________ Below is the official description of this facility
MANZANO BASE
Click image for larger version
The Armed Forces Special Weapons Command constucted two operational sites after World War II. One was known as Site Able, located in the foothills of the Manzano Mountains, just east of Sandia Base. The other base was Site Baker near Kileen, Texas. Construction on Site Able started in 1946, with the first operational facilities activated on 04 April 1950. Although activated in 1950, construction on the major facilities wasn't finished until 1961. On 22 February 1952, Site Able was renamed Manzano Base, and operated by the Air Force, while Site Baker was renamed Kileen Base and turned over to the US Army.
Portions of America's nuclear stockpile was stored in Manzano (the Spanish word for apple) Mountain for 40 years, and nuclear weapons are now secured in a modern underground complex at Kirtland Air Force Base. A presidential emergency relocation center was built deep inside Manzano Mountain as a command post for President Eisenhower. It retained this function until the advent of thermonuclear weapons, by which time it was no longer regarded as a survivable site.
In the early 1700s explorers visiting a small village on the eastern edge of these mountains discovered very old manzanos (apple trees), a tree not native to this country. No one knows where these trees came from, but the name stayed with the region.
Construction began in June 1947, and the facility became operational in April 1950. Under the top-secret project designated Operation Water Supply, construction crews carved out tunnels and blast-proof underground steel vaults to protect the small stockpile of atomic weapons. The first weapons stored at Manzano were the Mark 5, a first-generation atomic device which required assembly. The weapons were stored without plutonium, in reinforced concrete and steel bunkers throughout Manzano. Inside the complex, steel gates protected a hallway containing four chambers guarded with heavy safe door. Each vault stored a protective container called a birdcage, each of which enclosed enough plutonium for a single atomic warhead.
On 11 April 1950 a B-29 aircraft departed from Kirtland Air Force Base [Albuquerque, NM] at 9:38 PM and crashed into a mountain on Manzano Base approximately three minutes later killing the crew of thirteen. Detonators were installed in the bomb on board the aircraft. The bomb case was demolished ans some high explosive (HE) material burned in the gasoline fire. Other pieces of unburned HE were scattered throughout the wreckage. Four spare detonators in their carrying case were recovered undamaged. There were no contamination or recovery problems. The recovered components of the weapon were returned to the Atomic Energy Commission. Both the weapon and the capsule of nuclear material were on board the aircraft but the capsule was not inserted for safety reasons.
The Manzano Nuclear Weapons Storage Area was surrounded by a barbed double-fenceline (one of which was electrified) beyond which the concrete bunker entrances which span the base of the mountain range are visible.
In June 1992, the Manzano WSA was deactivated, including deactivation of the Perimeter Intrusion Detection and Alarm System, and Phillips Laboratory assumed responsibility for its maintenance. SNL continues to provide minimum security, although the Perimeter Intrusion Detection and Alarm System was deactivated with the termination of the main mission in 1992. Some of the old tunnels and vaults in the Manzanos still serve as storage. The Manzano WSA is currently being used in part for storage of a variety of items such as furniture and document boxes.
Source: www.globalsecurity.org
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Six Bodies From Roswell Crash Recovered By Sandia Army Base Team
.....there were two crash sites. One southwest of Corona, New Mexico and the second site at Pelona Peak, south of Datil, New Mexico.
The crash involved two extraterrestrial aircraft. The Corona site was found a day later by an archaeology team. This team reported the crash site to the Lincoln County Sheriff's department. A deputy arrived the next day and summoned a state police officer. One live entity [EBE] was found hiding behind a rock. The entity was given water but declined food. The entity was later transferred to Los Alamos.
The information eventually went to Roswell Army Air Field. The site was examined and all evidence was removed. The bodies were taken to Los Alamos National Laboratory because they had a freezing system that allowed the bodies to remain frozen for research. The craft was taken to Roswell and then onto Wright Field, Ohio.
The second site was not discovered until August 1949 by two ranchers. They reported their findings several days later to the sheriff of Catron County, New Mexico. Because of the remote location, it took the sheriff several days to make his way to the crash site. Once at the site, the sheriff took photographs and then drove back to Datil.
Sandia Army Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico was then notified. A recovery team from Sandia took custody of all evidence, including six bodies. The bodies were taken to Sandia Base, but later transferred to Los Alamos.
The live entity established communications with us and provided us with a location of his home planet. The entity remained alive until 1952, when he died. But before his death, he provided us with a full explanation of the items found inside the two crafts. One item was a communication device. The entity was allowed to make contact with his planet.
Somehow, I never knew this information, but a meeting date was set for April 1964 near Alamogordo New Mexico. The Aliens landed and retrieved the bodies of their dead comrades. Information was exchanged. Communication was in English. The aliens had a translation device.
In 1965, we had an exchange program with the aliens. We carefully selected 12 military personnel; ten men and two women. They were trained, vetted and carefully removed from the military system. The 12 were skilled in various specialities.
Near the northern part of the Nevada Test Site, the aliens landed and the 12 Americans left. One entity was left on Earth. The original plan was for our 12 people to stay 10 years and then return to Earth.
But something went wrong. The 12 remained until 1978, when they were returned to the same location in Nevada. Seven men and one woman returned. Two died on the alien's home planet. Four others decided to remain, according to the returnees. Of the eight that returned, all have died. The last survivor died in 2002.
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Large Unknown 'Animal' Attacks Boy
May, 2008 - A 5-year-old boy hiking with his family near Sandia Peak, New Mexico, has survived an attack from an unidentified species of large animal, a spokesman for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish said Sunday, May 18, 2008.
Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White said the family was hiking near the popular Balsam Glade area on the Sandia Mountains, when the boy ran ahead of his parents. It happened on the east side of the Sandia Mountains around 7 p.m. Saturday.
A sheriff’s department report identified the boy as Jose Salazar Jr. of Albuqureque, New Mexico.
The boy’s parents saw the animal emerge from the brush and start dragging away their child, White said. The father then chased the animal, which let go of his son.
White said the animal was a mountain lion, but Ross Morgan, a spokesman for Game and Fish, said dogs trained to track mountain lions picked up no scent in the area Saturday night or Sunday.
Officials said they don’t know what kind of animal attacked the boy. They’re looking at the tracks in the area to find out if it was a cougar, mountain lion, or bear.
“The animal had the kid and was dragging him down the side of the hill. When the father jumped over there, the animal ran off,” said Ross Morgan, who works for the Department of Game and Fish.
“The dad described it as a short, stocky, dark brown animal,” Morgan said.
Morgan said hikers in the area Sunday were told about the attack, but the news did not deter them from hiking.
The Department of Game and Fish is warning people to be careful if they’re in the mountains.
Some people visiting the mountains on Sunday said they are aware of the dangers and are prepared for what could come their way.
“We have to expect that we’re going to come across animals,” visitor Rich Weiner said. “We’re in their habitat.”
But others who spend time in the Sandia Mountains, like David Czaplewski, said news of the attack has them shaken up.
“It’s shocking and kind of scary,” Czaplewski said. “We’re making sure we’re keeping track of where everyone is and looking around.”
Officials said everyone who is visiting the mountains should be extra careful, so they don’t become the next victim.
The boy suffered puncture wounds (bite marks) to his head, neck and back. He was in serious condition at University of New Mexico Hospital on Saturday, White said.
A hospital spokeswoman said Sunday the family declined to make the boy’s condition public.
NOTE: it was later determined that this was not a mountain lion attack. There was never a follow up to this incident. New Mexico authorities, as well as local police, have refused to release any information. The victim and his family have also declined to talk. In the two years since this attack no other similar incidents have been reported....Lon
dailymail - A seven-year-old boy in Serbia is attracting worldwide attention after his family claim he is magnetic.
To prove their claim, the family paraded the boy in front of an camera crew, with a variety of objects stuck to his chest.
The boy, called Bogdan, seemed unfazed by the attention - nor did he seem to mind having a variety of cutlery stuck to his body.
The footage ended up on MSNBC, where reporter Al Stirrett said Bodgan did indeed have a unique ability.
Mr Stirrett told MailOnline that the family did not offer their last name, possibly because of the age of the boy.
Nevertheless, they're happy to show off Bodgan's ability - which they claim he has had since birth.
The footage shows Bogdan first with a variety of cutlery attached to him, then a TV remote control is added to his body.
They say the objects stay there until Bogdan removes them by hand.
Bizarrely, it's not just metal that seems to be attracted to the youngster. China plates and bowls seem to adhere themselves to Bogdan's chest as well.
Any feelings that Bogdan might be nothing more than a sticky little boy are dispelled when a large and heavy frying pan is stuck to his body.
The family say Bogdan is not allowed to go near anything electrical, such as a television or a computer, because his alleged magnetism turns them off.
The good news, however4, is that he will never lose the TV remote control.
NJ - One was a little boy, dead by age 2, his body laid to rest on a gently sloping hill in Perth Amboy.
The other was a man who lived 70 years longer. Joseph Lamela died in 1977, his final resting place a granite mausoleum in Woodbridge.
Strangers in life, the two are entwined in death, their remains stolen from separate cemeteries in recent months for use in what authorities say could be the rituals of a religious cult.
The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office asked for the public’s help today in finding those responsible for the macabre thefts at Catholic cemeteries little more than two miles apart.
In a statement, a spokesman for Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said the unidentified grave-robbers may be involved in a "non-traditional religious practice." The spokesman, Jim O’Neill, declined to elaborate.
Some religious sects use human remains in ceremonies. Several practitioners of one such religion, Palo Mayombe, were convicted in 2004 of robbing graves in two Newark cemeteries. In that case, authorities recovered the remains of at least nine people.
The thefts under investigation now were discovered nearly three months apart at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Perth Amboy and Most Holy Rosary Cemetery in the Fords section of Woodbridge. Both are operated by the Diocese of Metuchen.
Joanne Ward, a spokeswoman for the diocese, joined police in asking anyone with information to come forward. In a statement, she said officials with the diocese and the individual parishes were "deeply saddened" by the acts of desecration.
The first theft was discovered Nov. 28, when a visitor at St. Mary’s noticed an open grave and contacted police, O’Neill said. Investigators soon learned the remains of the 2-year-old boy had been removed.
Then on Feb. 15, a passerby at Most Holy Rosary Cemetery noticed a granite mausoleum had been disturbed. Authorities found one of the crypt’s two occupants, a 72-year-old man, had been taken.
The names of the victims were not released. In Lamela’s case, a reporter in the cemetery discovered a damaged mausoleum and reached out to family members by phone. Kathleen Lamela, a resident of Somerset, confirmed Joseph Lamela’s remains had been stolen. She said the family would have no comment.
The remains of Bertha Lamela, Joseph Lamela’s wife, remained undisturbed in the crypt. Bertha Lamela died in 2000.
Chunks of granite, apparently dislodged during the break-in, remained on the ground beside the crypt. Several decorative pieces were chipped or broken.
Word of the grave-robbing drew Louis Panigrosso to the Woodbridge cemetery from his home in Brick. In the 1970s, he said, his parents’ mausoleum had been vandalized, a statue stolen from the interior.
"I heard about this and decided to take a ride up here to check," Panigrosso said. He was relieved to find the crypt untouched.
In the Perth Amboy cemetery, the graves rest along a gentle hill that backs to the city’s high school. One grave — that of a 2-year-old boy who died more than 40 years ago — had fresh dirt atop it. It could not be determined if the grave was the one desecrated.
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Have a death-wish? Visit these cities.....
mediadump - If you are traveling alone or decide to backpack to a faraway place with your friends, there are some locations you should be weary of. These cities have been mentioned by top news and crime sites with some pretty shocking statistics.
10 - Bangkok, Thailand
Thailand is the #1 producer of opium and heroin in the world. A major transit for those drugs is the capital Bangkok. Therefore making it unsafe. Last year they had, 20,000 assaults, 13,500 burglaries, and 5,000 murders. That ranks top in south East Asia. The violence and crime due to social unrest makes Bangkok top 10 for sure.
9 - Guatemala City, Guatemala
The government is very corrupt, they get paid off every day by the drug lords. Guatemala City is a hot spot in South America for drug smugglers, and foreign mobs. There is a high crime rate in this capital city, and many tourists are victims of armed robbery, rape and even murder. Do not walk the streets at night, and forget about your wallet and jewelry.
8 - Baghdad, Iraq
It doesn't matter who you are, you're not safe in Iraq. It is a ruined nation that is rattled with crime and violence. A lot of despair in Baghdad. Since the war started in 2003, the US has been in Iraq which has led to a civil war. More than 650,000 civilians have died. Hussein has destroyed this countries reputation. Al-Qaeda and Kurdish rebels and criminals are involved in violence that goes on every day. Explosives and mines are a constant threat, as are suicide bombers who have killed thousands. Kidnappings and random killings happen every day. Since the US got there in 2003, millions of Iraqis have fled to other countries and millions more in Iraq remains displaced. Nuclear devices to poison the people there and the inherent gunfire killing civilians everyday makes Baghdad truly hell on earth.
7 - Grozny, Chechnya, Russia
There is more Russian Mafia in this place than police. This city is not run by government officials, but by gangsters. A Russian is murdered here every 20 minutes. That's almost 85 murders a day. Sure there is 100's of millions of people in Russia, but that's an astonishing stat. Prostitution and drug trafficking run by the Russian crime syndicate or definitely real in this place. Kidnappings and rapes, just to name a handful of tests you will face when you visit here. Chechnya is absolutely a third world city. Foreigners should think twice before visiting here.
6 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
If you're planning on traveling to Brazil, think twice. It is not a matter of where your mugged it is when. When you get off the plane in Rio, they hand you a pamphlet that tells people they should have no jewelry any wallet policy when they walk around. Crime rates have soared over the past 2 yrs. A drug cartel, called the Piranhas, resides in Rio, and they are responsible for many murders and abductions. There were 8000 murders in Rio last year, that is close to 20 murders a day. Most of the murders happen in the poverty stricken areas, but the city as a whole is growing in severe poverty problems.
5 - Bogota, Colombia
Bogota is the main port for drugs and guns coming up from Colombia to Panama. People get murdered in plain daylight every day. Forget going out at night. You need to be packing heat. It beats most South American cities by far. I think that carrying a machete around on your back, is a very good way to avoid a mugging. It's also easily explained to immigration, as long as there's some jungle around. Speaking the local language and knowing a little about fighting is a good idea, just in case. I would avoid Bogota if traveling to South America.
4 - Cape Town, South Africa
Murder and robbery stats have been very high for many years in Cape Town. In one year they had 71,500 sexual offenses, 18,400 burglaries and 13,900 business robberies. There are approximately 50 murders a day in South Africa and more than 1/2 of those murders are in Cape Town. The city is in a huge recession making robberies very common. Cape Town is in a great state of poverty, making crime a part of the peoples everyday life. Going out at night is not advised.
3 - Mogadishu, Somalia
It is really hard to find statistical information on this city, but I know I've seen it on the top of many lists. Even with no data to report on this city, the governments warning to travel here is extremely high. Mogadishu has one of the highest terrorist populations in the world. There is an ongoing civil war going on in Somalia's capital, which poses a huge risk to anyone traveling there. Hundreds of people are wounded every day in Mogadishu's empty streets. No one knows how many people are actually killed there, but the numbers would be outrageous. Looting, prowling, kidnapping, gunfire, etc... makes Mogadishu one of the top 3 most dangerous cities.
2 - Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
This place has a serious problem with robbery, kidnapping, sexual assault and drug-related crimes. 120 killings per 100,000 residents. Ciudad Juarez is located just across the USA border. It has 1.5 million people and a really bad reputation. Recently drug Cartels have started a war against one another, making it very dangerous for travelers. This place is violent. They are the number two city in the world for murders, most of them drug-related. 50% of all murders in Mexico come from Ciudad Juarez.
1 - Caracas, Venezuela
Latin America is by far the most dangerous place in the world. If you searched dangerous places on the internet, you would find at least 20 South American countries on the list. With drug cartels, and poverty, Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, ranks the highest for murder and crime in the world. Per 100,000 people this city has the highest rate of murders, kidnappings, and rapes in 2009. 130 murders and 537 reported kidnappings. They have nicknamed the city the murder capital of the world. Not to mention Venezuela is the world leader in drug trafficking mainly cocaine. The country has increased its poverty level since the 1970's 300%. In the last 5 yrs. Caracas has topped the list for homicides by population. You better be a mobster if you plan on visiting Caracas.
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Snakebites: a growing, global threat
A cryptic shape glides across the forest floor, searching, tasting the air, hunting for its next victim.
Over 2m-long, this predator packs a powerful punch; a venom capable of killing up to five people with a single bite.
This ability makes the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, like many species of venomous snake, among the most feared and maligned of all creatures.
New research suggests that the problem of snakes accidentally biting people could be worse than previously thought, with deadly consequences for both snakes and their human victims.
The latest estimates suggest that around 5.5 million people are bitten by snakes each year, resulting in around 400,000 amputations, and between 20-125,000 human deaths.
But these estimates are unlikely to represent the true scale of the problem, one that experts fear is causing a neglected, and potentially growing global health issue.
Efforts are now underway to try learn more about the issue, mitigate its impacts, and find ways that snakes and people can more peacefully coexist. Continue reading at Snakebites: a growing, global threat
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Uprisings Have Spread to North Korea
chosun - The North Korean Army's Guard Command, a military unit tasked with protecting leader Kim Jong-il, is hiding scores of tanks in Pyongyang to quell any popular uprising, Radio Free Asia claimed Tuesday.
The U.S.-funded radio station quoted a defector from Pyongyang as saying, "There is a battalion of about 50 tanks from the Guard Command in the Taedong River area in eastern Pyongyang. They stage a field exercise about once a year."
He said the tanks used to move only at the night to escape public notice. "All are hidden underground. I heard from families of officers of the tank battalion that there are also tanks in an underground near Moranbong," a hill in downtown Pyongyang.
Kim Kwang-jin, another defector who works for the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, said there used to be a battalion of tanks in an underground area beneath the Kumsusan Assembly Hall while Kim Il-sung was alive, but he was unsure whether it is still there.
The tanks are ready to move in response to riots or demonstrations, the radio station speculated.
Jong Su-chol (45), a former North Korean Army officer, said, "Major weapons and elite troops of the Guard Command are deployed in Pyongyang. The command is also armed with missiles."
The guard is reportedly so well equipped and trained that it could immediately put down a military coup.
N.Korean Protesters Demand Food and Electricity
Small pockets of unrest are appearing in North Korea as the repressive regime staggers under international sanctions and the fallout from a botched currency reform, sources say. On Feb. 14, two days before leader Kim Jong-il's birthday, scores of people in Jongju, Yongchon and Sonchon in North Pyongan Province caused a commotion, shouting, "Give us fire [electricity] and rice! "
A North Korean source said people fashioned makeshift megaphones out of newspapers and shouted, "We can't live! Give us fire! Give us rice!" "At first, there were only one or two people, but as time went by more and more came out of their houses and joined in the shouting," the source added.
The State Security Department investigated this incident but failed to identify the people who started the commotion when they met with a wall of silence.
"When such an incident took place in the past, people used to report their neighbors to the security forces, but now they're covering for each other," the source said.
Aberfan is a small village in south Wales. In the 1960s, many of those living there worked at a nearby colliery that had been built to exploit the large amount of high-quality coal in the area. Although some of the waste from the mining operation had been stored underground, much of it had been piled on the steep hillsides surrounding the village. Throughout October 1966 heavy rain lashed down on the area and seeped into the porous sandstone of the hills. Unfortunately, no one realised that the water was then flowing into several hidden springs and slowly transforming the pit waste into soft slurry.
Just after nine o'clock on the morning of 21 October, the side of the hill subsided and half a million tonnes of debris started to move rapidly towards the village. Although some of the material came to a halt on the lower parts of the hill, much of it slid into Aberfan and smashed into the village school. A handful of children were pulled out alive during the first hour or so of the rescue effort, but no other survivors emerged. One hundred and thirty-nine schoolchildren and five teachers lost their lives in the tragedy. Continue reading at Can dreams predict the future?
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MUFON CMS - Mendoza, Argentina - 5/3/2010 - unedited: I was driving the route 101 of Mendoza, Argentina, with 2 friends, near a town called Pareditas (8 miles away), the moon was rising so we stopped to take some pictures of it. I took 4 or 5 pictures and then we get back on the road. When we arrived home, we saw a green shape almost the size of the moon, near it, in the first photograph. It was very noticeable, and with good quality, a shadow slashing the green bulbs in halfs. In all the pictures the bulb appears in different positions. We couldnt find any explanation for that, not a flearing, a reflection or object created from the human being could show such colors and shape, over a huge field were no one lives.
I didnt contact anyone else about this, and don´t know exactly what to do as I believe my pictures are a valuable source of information to share with the world.
Looking forward for a response, so i can send you the photographs.
Photographer Fernando Demian Arcuri.
San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina.
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Chinese man dies after 3-day web gaming binge
A Chinese man in his 30s has died after a three-day gaming binge at an Internet cafe outside Beijing, during which he did not sleep and barely ate, state-run media reported Tuesday.
The incident highlighted the country's ongoing battle to stamp out Internet addiction, which affects tens of millions of Chinese, according to researchers.
The man, who was not identified, slipped into a coma this week in the cafe on the outskirts of the capital and was rushed to a nearby clinic, where he died shortly after, the Beijing Times said.
He had spent more than 10,000 yuan ($1,500) over the past month on Internet gaming, and had barely moved from his computer for a three-day period, the report said.
Police confiscated several computers as part of their investigation but have ruled out murder and thus far have not detained the operators of the small cafe, which only had about a half-dozen terminals, it added.
The number of teenage Internet addicts in China has risen to 33 million, according to state media reports citing Chinese researchers.
Concerns over Internet addiction have spurred a new industry, with unlicensed web "boot camps" springing up around China.
The government has also taken a series of measures to cope with the problem. Authorities recently ordered online video game operators to allow parents to monitor their children's playing sessions or even put in place a total ban.
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Big Cat Fears in Greater Manchester
wigantoday - Police are investigating a series of animal mutilations, which could be the work of a panther.
The partially-eaten bodies of three adult swans and two dead lambs were found at Three Sisters Recreation Area on Golborne Road, Golborne, and at an adjoining farm.
The discovery comes a fortnight after at number of civil servants from the DWP’s benefits call centre at nearby Griffin House, in Bryn, told of seeing a panther-like animal sunning itself in a tree, and on the roof of a building from their office windows.
Police today would not comment directly on the claims that a potentially dangerous wild animal is stalking the site.
However, officers from Bamfurlong Police Station are known to have interviewed Julie Fairclough, who first spotted the big cat, specifically about her shock sighting.
A spokesman for Wigan Police said: “On Friday, February 11, police were called to Golborne Road, Wigan, following reports two lambs had been found dead.
“At just after 10am on Sunday, February 13, police were called to the Three Sisters Recreation area following reports three swans had been found dead.
“Officers from the Ashton-in-Makerfield Neighbourhood Policing Team, the Hindley Neighbourhood Policing Team and the division’s wildlife crime officer are supporting inquiries being made by the Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust Ranger Service.”
A spokesman for Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, which manages the Three Sisters site, said: “We can confirm that three swans have been found dead since Sunday. We have been liaising with the police and are investigating the matter.
“We have contacted experts to help us identify the type of animal that may have carried out these attacks.”
Mrs Fairclough, who has completed 30 years service for the DWP, said today that she was pleased that the police were taking the issue seriously.
But she made a plea that if a big cat is at large on the sprawling Three Sisters site, it must not be shot.
She wants experts to mount a humane operation to have it captured safely, and then released into a zoo park.
Mrs Fairclough, of Hindley, plus half a dozen of her colleagues at the DWP, spotted the mysterious black beast from their office windows.
The creature was observed for some time at about 150 yards away, at one point climbing a tree and settling in to survey its unlikely territory.
It then jumped on to a wall and a roof, before disappearing into the undergrowth.
Three Sisters, formerly a colliery site named after three now-flattened volcano-shaped pit rucks, connects with open land as far away as Bickershaw and Abram.
Mrs Fairclough said: “I’ve got a tom cat called Oliver who weighs in at a stone and four pounds, so I know the difference between a big pet and this amazing animal.’’
But Wigan Leisure Trust’s countryside manager Graham Workman, who was once called out by police after reports of a lion stalking through the undergrowth of Worthington Lakes, still believes the six benefits staff were mistaken.
Three Sisters wardens fear that the attacks could be the result of lurcher-owners illegally training their dogs to hunt – or a large dog fox.
Mr Workman warned: “Animals seen at that type of range with the naked eye can be very difficult to identify accurately.’
“Animals like this have to be registered with the local authority under the Dangerous Wild Animals legislation, but there are none registered here, so there are none that were living legally in captivity here in the borough or the surrounds.
“I believe that the staff have seen, literally, a big domestic black cat, and the perspectives have been playing tricks on them.
“I have been over there in the snow many times this winter.
“I have never seen any tracks that could suggest we have a creature anywhere near that size ranging around Three Sisters.”
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"Why haven't we been back?"
MTV - Everybody knows that man last set foot on the moon in 1972. The brand-new trailer for "Apollo 18," which premiered Friday on Apple.com, asks the question: "Why haven't we been back?"
From director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego and producer Timur Bekmambetov, the trailer for "Apollo 18" mixes what appears to be archival footage of early space shuttle launches with "Paranormal Activity" -style "found footage" of a secret 1973 mission to the lunar surface, supposedly kept hidden from the public because of what the astronauts discovered.
"In the years following [Apollo 17] there was unconfirmed intelligence of an 18th mission," the trailer reads. "No evidence has ever been found. Until now."
Although not made explicit, the "Cloverfield" -style flick showcases several alarming incidents in its trailer, including a number of shots where it's clear the astronauts are not alone on the seemingly barren and deserted satellite. One particularly jarring shot shows one of the astronauts infected to the point of possession; another shows several non-human footprints in the gray lunar dust.
Conspiracy theories aside, and depending on your perspective, there actually was an Apollo 18 mission. Launched in 1975, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was a joint mission between US and Russian forces, officially and symbolically ending the great space race of the preceding decade.
The alternate history story is the English language debut of Spanish auteur Lopez-Gallego. Released by Dimension Films, "Apollo 18" will hit theaters April 22.
Hans Rosling takes a massive amount of data on the correlation between income and lifespan over 200 years and manages to make it come to life in a way that is way more interesting than that description sounds.
