Phantoms and Monsters

Fallen Soldiers Fight On At Culloden
Fortean / Alternative News: UFO Near Commercial Flights, Drive-In Volcano and Giant Anaconda Update
Dead Birds Spark Conspiracy Theories...Though, Not That Uncommon

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 03:41 PM PST

NOTE: As I sit here struggling with a kidney stone, I decided to post a previous article from November 2007...Lon

Scottish Paranormal say they have unearthed unexplained phenomena at the site where staff say visitors have reported hearing battle cries and marching, some 261 years after the bloody battle where Government forces defeated Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite army.

And now the team, whose poltergeist probes are in greater demand at Hallowe'en, is already planning follow-up visits to the scene of the bloody battle because "spirits are not performing seals" and they want to build up more evidence of any ghostly goings-on.

It would lend weight to the numbers of people, both local and visitors, who have told of strange noises or apparitions at creepy Culloden moor.

Culloden Battlefield visitor centre manager Deirdre Smyth said residents have reported seeing a large ghostly bird that apparently inhabits the area and was first sighted on the eve of the battle on April 15, 1746, by Lord George Murray who was the Jacobite commander. Described as a huge black bird, it is called the Great Scree of Culloden Moor and legend has it that anyone who sees the Great Scree will have bad luck.

Deirdre told the Highland News: "We have had stories of people seeing or hearing strange things. Whether they really have or not I don't know, but it is a very atmospheric place, especially when it's misty.

"Local people have also reported seeing a giant bird rising from the field – it's called the Great Scree of Culloden. Others have also said that when they were kids they wouldn't walk in the field at night."

Scottish Paranormal, which carries out its ghoul hunting on a voluntary basis, recently descended on Culloden to see if the ground of the final clash between the Jacobites and the Hanoverians in the 1745 Jacobite rising, left a supernatural presence in their wake.

Although it was just a preliminary visit, the team was satisfied that there was enough unexplained activity to warrant further investigations after the New Year.

Andrea Byrne, Scottish Paranormal's administration and PR manager, told the Highland News: "All of us are Scottish and we have a passion about being Scottish and have an interest in its history.

"So as well as monitoring private houses and other places such as Mary King's Close in Edinburgh, we like to carry out projects at historical sites, and that's why we went to Culloden.

"The majority of hauntings are classed as what's called residual energy. This is where a traumatic experience or battle happened in a particular area and that trauma or that experience is embedded on that area and like a record, it repeats itself again and again.

"In Culloden, there was a seriously traumatic event which saw a lot of deaths.

"While there, we spoke to the staff and they told us that sometimes visitors had heard the battle cries and the marching of the soldiers. It is as if the march and the battle is getting played over and over again. This happens more towards the anniversary of the battle which lends credence to it being residual energy."

The team, the majority of whom are based in Fife, measured activity at Culloden with a selection of monitoring equipment. This included digital voice recorders that look for any audible phenomena such as white noise or electronic voice phenomena; temperature data loggers looking for any unusual fluctuations in temperature; temperature probes to locate and confirm cold spots; electro-magentic field detectors used due to the belief that paranormal entities emit an electromagnetic field; and digital camcorders to record any incidents.

During the investigation, the team noticed signs they normally connect with a paranormal activity Andrea Byrne said: "One of the anomalies we found was the temperature and humidity. When we were walking along the main path to locations, we were getting a regular temperature, and the humidity was staying the same. But the moment we got to where the English or Scottish soldiers were buried the temperature changed dramatically, and was not consistent with the weather. It was fluctuating up and down.

"We could not come up with a logical explanation for a change in the temperature. So there could have possibly been paranormal reason behind it."

She went on to add they used dowsing rods to see if there were any "energy lines", also known as ley lines, which are of interest to paranormal investigators.

One was found to exist at a 56-degree angle at the Well of the Dead, which Andrea described as "extremely interesting" because if the line is drawn on a map and extended in a line at 56 degrees, it would meet the Cumberland's Stone 1.5 miles away. This stone was from where the Duke of Cumberland, nicknamed the Butcher of Culloden, commanded the battle.

However, Andrea said that the dowsing rods may have moved at this location because there may be water underneath the well.

The group then went on to nearby Clava Cairns to carry out more investigations, but they did not find much there of an untoward nature. They had also not heard any paranormal stories relating to the location. The investigation team is now due to return to Culloden Battlefield in the New Year.

She added: "We find a single visit to a location does not build up enough evidence to say there is paranormal activity going on or not. Spirits are not performing seals, they don't just appear when you want them to or when you happen to be there. We have go back to locations to build up the evidence."

As well as checking out historic sites, the investigators who include a medium and describe themselves as being "highly skilled" in the field, are called in to probe private homes whose residents believe are haunted.

And when they can't find a logical explanation for the ghoulish activity, they set out to prove it is the supernatural making things go bump in the night. They have even discovered a poltergeist or two in their time.

Andrea explained: "In general, we carry out these investigations because we have got a belief in life after death and in proving that or otherwise.

"Because we have got knowledge in the field, we go out to private houses and help the public to understand what's going on. We always look for the logical explanation first, and if we can't find one then we look for proof of anything paranormal."

She claims they recently stumbled upon a poltergeist in a private house in Craigmillar, Edinburgh.

"The majority of poltergeists we find are in private houses", she explained. So far, we have not carried out any investigations in private houses in the North. However, we hope that will change as we now have a new investigator based outside Elgin and she is contacting housing associations and other organisations in the area to let them know we are here if people are experiencing anything unusual in their homes."

Fortean / Alternative News: UFO Near Commercial Flights, Drive-In Volcano and Giant Anaconda Update

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 12:21 PM PST

Reader Captures Image of UFO in Nashville Commercial Flight Corridor

"Here is strange and slow moving anomalous light that I recorded back in July. This object moved directly through the forward flight path of two commercial planes that night. I am at a total loss of understanding... with respect to their potentially reckless presence, which they seem to exhibit within flight corridors. The object was at an apparent altitude of 2,000 ft., was at an angular distance of 4 to 5,000 ft., with est. speed of 60-80 mph. The object veered out of the flight lane... stopped... then turned the lights out. Time: 9:42pm... Observed time: 79 sec. - west Nashville, Tennessee"

Thanks to Gary Mansfield for sending the report and for using the image!

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Saudis Suspect Vulture in Custody a Mossad Agent

israelnationalnews - Saudi Arabian security forces have captured a vulture that was carrying a global positioning satellite (GPS) transmitter and a ring etched with the words "Tel Aviv University." They suspect the bird of spying for Israel, Maariv-NRG reported Tuesday. The GPS and ring were connected to the bird as part of an long-term project by Israeli scientists that follows vultures' location and altitude for research purposes.

The arrest of the vulture - whose identification code is R65 - comes several weeks after an Egyptian official voiced the suspicion that a shark that attacked tourists off the Sinai shore was also acting on behalf of Mossad. The incidents may reflect a growing irrational hysteria among Arabs surrounding Israel's military prowess and the efficacy of its intelligence services, possibly fueled by the Stuxnet virus' success..

Maariv said that the R65 was caught near the home of a sheikh in the community of Hayel in Saudi Arabia. The words "Tel Aviv University" etched in English on a ring clasped to its leg, and especially the transmitter, caused the finders to suspect espionage and alert the security forces.

Ohad Hatzofe, bird ecologist for the Nature and Parks Authority, said that the vulture story has been making the rounds in Arabic internet sites, including Al-Jazeera forums and Arabic military forums. "The subject is receiving great publicity and it is important that Saudi authorities understand that it is not true. There is also an international treaty of nature protection professionals, that forbids doing things like this," he added.

The researchers said that seven vultures that were marked in Israel in the last few years reached Saudi Arabia. Transmissions from four of them have ceased and they are presumed dead. One vulture - beside R65 - is still alive and flying around Saudi Arabia, after spending the winter in Sudan.

NOTE: what do you expect from people that see a jinn in every corner and consider goats beautiful...Lon

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World's Only Drive-In Volcano

torontosun - Beware the powers that churn in the bowels of the earth. Steaming, roiling, bubbling, boiling -- and stinking to high heaven.

On the charming island of St. Lucia, which was formed from volcanic activity thousands of years ago, you can visit the world's only drive-in volcano in the little town of Soufriere.

Still bubbling away, the semi-active volcano gives a fascinating insight into the violent geology of the Caribbean Rim. Visitors can drive right up for a close look into the dark grey bubbling pit, which blew it's top off 39,000 years ago.

You can arrive by taxi -- or even take a fishing boat for a more scenic view -- and join one of several guided tours that take visitors along the wooded pathway to the inside pit. It's amazing, but be prepared to put up with the noxious odour of hydrogen sulphide so strong it would put a rotten egg to shame.

Yet, it's that same ingredient that area spas make use of in hot spring baths and volcanic mud facials, which apparently soothe body aches and pains, rejuvenate the skin and ease other aliments -- even hangovers.

Recently "Jake," from TV's The Bachelor, came to the island for a volcanic mud bath before he proposed to his lady at one of the island's dream resorts.

Standing at the centre of the volcano, try to forget the smell and just imagine the incredible forces within the earth, where pools of volcanic mud boil at 100 C.

"If anyone fell in there, they would surely be barbecued," said our good-natured tour guide, Tamancia Francois, who grew up on the island.

There are times, she told us, that the volcano becomes more active, especially around a full moon.

"You can tell because all activity stops. The birds leave, animals flee and tremors will begin," Francois said, adding there is no real danger as scientists constantly monitor seismic activity and can tell well in advance when -- and if -- it is necessary to clear the area.

While there, take a hike along the lush wooded pathways that lead from the centre. A little mountain stream trickles by, steamy-hot from the volcanic earth below. At the entrance you might be bombarded by friendly locals who want to sell souvenirs -- beads made from coconut shells or pretty sun dresses.

The island of St. Lucia is hot and the visit to this incredible volcano is even hotter, so dress in light cool clothing use a sun hat or sun umbrella. It's a great idea to end your trek with a refreshing swim at one of several waterfalls in the area.

Also near Soufriere are the spectacular Pitons -- two steep dormant volcanic spires that rise out of the sea. Popular with climbers, these primeval twin peaks top 600 metres and are St. Lucia's most famous landmark and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Warner Tacumama Expedition Update

The Warner's have returned from their travels (Mike to North America) and (Greg to South America) where they continued their research into the their discoveries that solve the riddle of the 'giant anaconda'; now known as the Black Boa or Yacumama.

Amazingly, both Mike and Greg encountered new, contemporary reports of the Black Boa which will be released soon.

However, here is the link to Mike's Full Disclosure video Part 2 as promised in Part 1.

Thank you all for your support and kind emails as we draw closer to solving this mystery with conclusive scientific data from our ground expedition. As always, your donations are appreciated and will form an important role in completing this fascinating voyage of discovery.

Kind regards

Mike & Greg Warner

Warner Amazon Expedition

Click for video

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Kentucky Chupacabra Identified as a Hairless Raccoon

wkyt - Some people thought it might be the legendary chupacabra.

But scientists say a strange animal shot to death in Nelson County last month was actually something else.

After running some tests, biologists have confirmed the animal was actually a hairless raccoon, something they say is becoming more common in Kentucky.

The chupacabra has been a mystery since 1995. According to legend, it's a dog-like creature rumored to attack livestock.

Dead Birds Spark Conspiracy Theories...Though, Not That Uncommon

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 08:16 AM PST

csmonitor - The lead detective in the case of the raining birds loaded her car with boxes of the dead creatures on Monday, taking them for shipment to a national laboratory in the hope that tests would reveal why thousands of birds suddenly fell from the sky upon the small town of Beebe, Ark.

In the middle of the New Year revelry, as many as 3,000 red-winged blackbirds, common grackles, and European starlings – which often flock together in winter – rained out of the skies, a seemingly Hitchcock-esque phenomenon that scared local residents and prompted concerns about a possible toxic event.

"This was very traumatic for a lot of people. It was very scary," says Arkansas state ornithologist Karen Rowe, talking via cellphone while on her way to ship the birds' bodies to an ornithology lab at the University of Wisconson-Madison. "There were a lot of people who ... witnessed the birds falling from the sky, and since it was New Year's Eve night, it lent some questions to whether there was foul play."

Early tests on the birds showed no toxic gases trapped in their feathers, though biologists found some physical trauma indicative of being hit by hail or lightning. Still, a bird die-off of this magnitude is unusual. Among the possible explanations: People shooting off fireworks in the area flushed a large roost of birds out of treetops, causing them to fly into either a hail storm or a lightning strike.

Beebe's blackbird population is large enough so that the US Department of Agriculture has in the past attempted large-scale scarecrow techniques to move large flocks out of the area. Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, the USDA gave up those efforts a few years ago.

In 1973, several hundred ducks dropped from the sky near Stuttgart, Ark., known as "The Duck Capital of the World," victims of a sudden storm. In another case, biologists found hundreds of what Ms. Rowe calls "perfectly good," but dead, pelicans in the middle of the woods. While the pelicans showed no outward signs of injury or singe marks, necropsies showed they'd been hit by lightning.

The Arkansas bird mystery seemed especially freaky because it happened all at once and on a night when large numbers of people were outside watching fireworks or traveling home from New Year's Eve parties. Dead birds littered roads, front yards, and rooftops.

Not all of Beebe's residents were alarmed. "Every house cat in Beebe had a New Year's present of delicious blackbird," says Rowe.

Biologists estimate that between 1,000 and 3,000 birds fell over Beebe on New Year's.

Adding to the mystery is an apparent fish kill 125 miles away in the same state. A day before the bird die-off, a tugboat operator near Ozark, Ark., spotted thousands of dead drum fish floating in the Arkansas River. Biologists say the two events are probably not related and suggest that the fish kill – a much more common event than a bird rain – is likely linked to a disease that affected only one species.

Life in Beebe began to resume a sense of normalcy by the end of the weekend, Rowe says.

"The good thing was that it was a single event, it didn't occur again, and once all the birds were cleaned up and nothing else was wrong, most people were comforted," she says.

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LET'S GET APOCALYPTIC...

Here are a few Bible verses about birds, in terms of the end of the world:

Ezekiel 38:20

The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground.

Hosea 4

Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: "There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are swept away ..."

Zephaniah 1:3

"I will sweep away both men and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. The wicked will have only heaps of rubble when I cut off man from the face of the earth," declares the LORD.

Revelation 19:17

And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God" ...

Revelation 19:21

But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh...

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NOW FOR THE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS...

Yes, the conspiracy theories are already percolating around the dead birds and fish?

As expected, Alex Jones and other conspiracy theorists were blaming the government, especially the most likely culprit being HAARP (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program). HAARP is an experimental program conducting research into the ionospheric applications of high atmospheric technological applications, including missile detection, radio transmission, etc.

Much of the attention directed at HAARP has been drawn to the program's IRI (ionospheric research instrument), which is capable of "exciting" certain areas of the atmosphere. The ionosphere, full of electrons, heavily influences the Earth's electricity and radio transmission. And so HAARP's research with the IRI has given rise to comparisons to Nikola Tesla's Death Ray, causing many conspiracy theorists to believe that the IRI can cause earthquakes, storms, power outages, and on and on.

Click for video

Click for video

NOTE: Bird and fish kills are really not that uncommon...but our penchant towards conspiracy seems to take precedent after unusual events. I'm not saying that all conspiracy theories are bogus but common sense needs to enter the conversation before wild speculation...Lon

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