Phantoms and Monsters |  |
- Just the Facts? Amazing Randi's Partner Arrested, Banff Bigfoot 'Credible' and Eating Obama
- This Week on 'Beyond the Edge' Radio: Halloween Expert Lesley Pratt Bannatyne
- Ross County, Ohio Bigfoot Encounters / Cryptid Fest
| Just the Facts? Amazing Randi's Partner Arrested, Banff Bigfoot 'Credible' and Eating Obama Posted: 16 Sep 2011 12:02 PM PDT  James Randi's Partner Arrested for Identity Theft Skeptic James 'The Amazing' Randi is renowned as a scourge of paranormal frauds and hoaxers, but it just may be that identity theft isn't one of his areas of expertise. Federal authorities have arrested his partner of more than two decades, 'Jose Luis Alvarez', saying that his identity was stolen from a man in New York some 24 years ago: Alvarez, who purportedly is 43, was charged with stealing a New York man's date of birth and Social Security number in 1987 to obtain a U.S. passport. A grand jury indicted Alvarez on Wednesday on a charge of passport fraud, Jose Luis Alvareza crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and aggravated identity theft, which automatically tacks two years in prison onto any other sentence. More immediately pressing for Randi, and Alvarez's attorneys, is securing Alvarez' release from the Broward Main Jail. Prosecutors have said they will seek to have him held without bond. A courtroom showdown is set for next Wednesday, when a judge will consider arguments for and against bail. For Alvarez to be released, he may have to reveal his true identity, which would be tantamount to an admission of guilt. "He's in an interesting box," said Jeffrey Neiman, a former federal prosecutor who is now a defense attorney based in Fort Lauderdale. "I can't imagine a magistrate judge giving a bond without knowing who it is they are giving the bond to." Interestingly, when asked by a reporter if he knew about the alleged identity theft, Randi responded by saying his lawyers had told him "not to comment on our knowledge or lack of knowledge." The irony in this arrest (beyond the alleged fraudster being the Amazing Randi's partner) is that Alvarez first came to public notice when he pretended to be a channeler of the spirit 'Carlos' in Randi's much-vaunted (not least, by Randi himself) 'sting' for Australian television in 1988. So far there has been no official comment from the James Randi Educational Foundation about Alavarez's arrest. - sun-sentinel ********** Banff-area Bigfoot reports 'credible' says 'Finding Bigfoot' Reports of hairy encounters with Bigfoot-like creatures in the Banff area are on the rise. Earlier this month, crews from Discovery's Animal Planet show, Finding Bigfoot, visited the mountainous region after seeing photos and video from the Sylvanic group claiming a colony of unidentified primates lives near the border between Banff and Kootenay National Park. The show features a group of four seasoned members from the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization. Executive producer Keith Hoffman said many claims sent in are rejected but not those of Sylvanic, a group seeking definitive proof of the Bigfoot species. "We haven't ruled out their claims, if we didn't think they were credible we wouldn't have gone," Hoffman said. "What we found was that numerous other people have had encounters ... they were called together in a town hall meeting." Sylvanic head Todd Standing said he expected the researchers would find people with sightings similar to his, noting he has come within about 65 metres of the creatures. "Some of the sightings are four years old ... to go through them all would be a lifetime's work," he said. Hoffman could not give a definitive answer on whether Bigfoots actually live near Banff, but encouraged people to follow along with the show and submit their own encounter claims. - metronews ********** Kecksburg, PA festival features historic event If you are looking for an interesting event to attend this weekend, head over to the Kecksburg Old Fashion and UFO Festival that will be held on the grounds of the volunteer fire department. The event will feature lots of fun activities, food and entertainment and will also features displays and exhibits on Bigfoot and the famous Kecksburg UFO incident. The festival grounds will be open from 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. ********** Bigfoot Trackin'
********** Sentence for a plan to eat Obama: 5 years A career criminal who threatened to kill and eat President Obama won't be going out to dine anytime soon. Gregory Dale Brockman, 33, was serving a three-year sentence for burglary in Jan. 2010 when he wrote letters to the Secret Service detailing his culinary plans. According to court papers, in his missive postmarked Jan. 19, 2010, from a Chester prison, he also described how he would precede his meal with the sexual assault of first lady Michelle Obama and then "skin her alive." He added that after killing the president, he planned to "cut his meat from his bones and put them in the oven," then "sit down at the table and start eating." In an interview with Secret Service agents a few weeks later, Brockman admitted writing the letter to calm himself down. According to court papers, he told the agents he was upset about the war in Afghanistan, marijuana prohibition, and underfunding of public schools. Brockman also mentioned how he was fascinated by renowned cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed 17 people and consumed several of the victims. When asked, the former Carbon County resident told the federal agents he still intended to hurt the president and would act on those thoughts if he were released from prison. In his letters Brockman also threatened to sexually assault Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and kill former President George W. Bush, said U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger. On Thursday, Brockman was sentenced to five years in prison. He'll serve that after finishing out his term in Chester and another five-year term for threatening George W. Bush in 2008. The sentences, Memeger said, will run consecutively. - philly  | ||
| This Week on 'Beyond the Edge' Radio: Halloween Expert Lesley Pratt Bannatyne Posted: 16 Sep 2011 11:01 AM PDT  Halloween comes a bit early to BTE Radio as we welcome one of the world's foremost experts on Halloween - Lesley Pratt Bannatyne  Bannatyne has shared her knowledge on television specials for Nickelodeon and the History Channel ("The Haunted History of Halloween," "The Real Story of Halloween"), with Time Magazine, Slate, National Geographic, and has given talks at venues as diverse as the 2000 Halloween Convergence in New Orleans and the St. Louis Art Museum. She contributed the Halloween article to World Book Encyclopedia. Most recently, she, with many compatriots, held the Guinness World Record for "Largest Halloween Gathering," from October 2007-09. Bannatyne is also a freelance journalist who's covered stories ranging from druids in Somerville, Massachusetts to relief workers in Bolivia. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wheaton College in Massachusetts with a bachelor's degree in English.  Lesley has written five book on Halloween ranging from a children's book, Witches Night Before Halloween, to her latest book Halloween Nation which shows the holiday through the eyes of its celebrants. Lesley's website is www.Iskullhalloween.com. So tune in this week for a few tricks and lots of treats as we take a look at Eric's favorite holiday Halloween and we welcome Lesley Pratt Bannatyne to the show!  To listen live and chat during the show, go to Beyond the Edge Radio - click on the Listen Live tab in the menu bar and you can sign up for a chat room name - then click the Tune In button to listen to the show live - Sunday nights at 08:00 PM ET  | ||
| Ross County, Ohio Bigfoot Encounters / Cryptid Fest Posted: 16 Sep 2011 10:11 AM PDT  Sharon Lee of The Bigfoot Field Reporter has posted an interview with a woman in Londonderry, Ohio (Ross County) who has a Bigfoot living near her home. Go to Sharon's blog and download the links...it's a very interesting account. I have posted 3 BFRO documented sightings from Ross County, Ohio below: YEAR: 2002 SEASON: Winter MONTH: December DATE: 1 STATE: Ohio COUNTY: Ross County LOCATION DETAILS: The closest road is State Route 772 and State Route 50. There is a mountain called Coppers Mountain. NEAREST TOWN: Bainbridge NEAREST ROAD: State Route 772 OBSERVED: I was hunting in the area and was coming back down the trail when I looked up and saw something in the trail walking into the woods and looking up the trunk of a tree. I walked closer to see what it was and there was a creature about seven to eight feet tall standing and it was staring me down. I thought it was going to attack me. I was frozen with fear. It just stood there so I started to walk in the other direction when it let out a screeching howl. I stopped and my heart was racing and I couldn't breath. I turned back around and it was about 20 feet from me. I got the idea to slowly put my gun on the ground to show I wasn't going to mean it harm. The creature started to walk towards me so I stood very still. It looked at me with big brown eyes. It started to walk away and I tried to follow but it started running too fast. ALSO NOTICED: Yes, there was howling, whistles, screams and moans. There was a terrible smell like a rotting carcass or garbage. It had brown shaggy hair. There was hair covering the face but I could see its eyes and partially open mouth. TIME AND CONDITIONS: It was around 3:30 PM and it was cold out. ENVIRONMENT: Very wooded. Near a large pond about 15 to 20 feet wide and 10 feet deep. There was a cattle farm nearby about 1/2 a mile down the trail. Follow-up investigation report: **** Follow up investigation was done by B.C. of Ohio **** I went to the home of the 17-year-old boy who made this report. He lives out in the sticks with his family in a trailer with the woods just a few steps from their front door. I talked to his parents to make sure it was okay since he is only 17. They said okay but didn't believe he had seen a Bigfoot…according to the father they do not exist…however they were friendly. I interviewed the boy and went over much of the original report. He claimed that while hunting alone he was headed for home in the late winter afternoon when he smelled something like garbage when rounding a bend in the trail. He then saw a large creature with its arms around a tree looking up. At first he thought it was a bear until it turned toward him rather stiffly. He described it again seven feet tall, shaggy brown hair, massive build, hair covering face, but he could see its eyes and partially open mouth. When we visited the area, we reenacted relative positions and it was 25 feet or so from him to the creature. They glared at each other for a few minutes or so. When I remarked as to a few minutes being a real long time he remained steadfast but admitted he didn't look at his watch. When he went to remove his rifle from his shoulder it growled with a menace and he stopped. At that point it looked behind itself towards the trail in the other direction. The boy took this opportunity to lay his gun on the ground and when he looked up it was coming his way and ran by him and veered off in the woods to its left at a very sharp angle. He said he ran after it a ways to see where it was going but it had disappeared. ----- YEAR: 2002 SEASON: Fall MONTH: September DATE: 7 STATE: Ohio COUNTY: Ross County LOCATION DETAILS: Near and around Lake Jackson. Also several howls in the area around Hay Hollow. The SCARY HOLLOW (my name for it) is located on top of Hay Hollow. EXACTLY located across from (NW Line Of Sight) from old white church. NEAREST TOWN: Waverly NEAREST ROAD: OH-335 OBSERVED: I've been an avid outdoorsman in the Pike and Ross county areas for years. (Bow Hunting) On many, many occassions I have heard the growls, screams, holwls, and drum-like beatings; mostly in the early morning hours between (1am and 3am). Several times I have observed "something" moving across the edge of my vision, and when I tried to find tracks, or make a determination as to what actually occured; the only thing that I could find was scratch marks high up on trees. Since there are no grizzly bears in that particular area, it was easy to guess what made these tears in solid wood. INCIDENT: Near Lake Jackson (SE of Waverly): My friends and I were hunting/camping beside an old gravel pit surrounded by high cliffs and ponds. During the late evening hours we all smelled a peculiar "wet dog/skunk" odor emmanating from across the small pond. My best friend and I armed ourselves (feral dog do roam the area) and proceeded to the other side of the pond. There is a small dike that runs from one side to the other. Halfway across the dike there was a series of frightening growls coming from the edge of the treeline. Immediatley after bushes and medium size trees were being violently shaken, as if in a warning for us to stay away. (We took the advice and retreated back to our side of the pond) The rest of the night was spent listening to soft moaning, somtimes howls, and on one occassion rocksw and tree limbs sailed across the pond towards us. The next morning we once again armed ourselves and checked out the area across the pond. There were no trail-signs, no hair, nothing that would indicate a track. (And-I am a decent enough tracker). Throughout the next few years I returned to that area many times, and always had this very keen sense that I was being watched. Sometimes to the point that my hair would stand on end. There are still certain deep hollows (600' deep) that I ABSOLUTELY) will not go into. In one particular hollow; everytime I go down into it, there seems to be a sense that I am in danger. A survey of the area was startling: The hollows; which range from 25' to 900' deep, run along the entire region into WV and parts of PA. One could litteraly walk state to state, and never emerge into sunlight. I have since moved from Ohio to Wyoming. and I am sure the locals (many of whom have substantiaed my thoughts on this) still hear the screams and wolf-like howls. ALSO NOTICED: In the bottom of a certain hollow; it always seems like I was being hunted, or warned by some sense. My gut instinct was always of HIGH ALERT when I went down this hollow. There was a prevailing sense that my life was in danger if I stuck around. I armed myself a few times and retuned to this hollow with the intention of seeing what was scaring me so bad. In all cases; my intution would kick into high gear the moment I got about 25% of the way into it. OTHER WITNESSES: Yes-at times while camping; but mostly when by myself bow hunting OTHER STORIES: Many, many, many times. All the local have tales of their own. Many wont say anything for fear of being labled "crazy", or somehing. TIME AND CONDITIONS: Both Day and Night ENVIRONMENT: Dense trees, large hills, ponds, less travelled roads. Bottom of hollows are mostly sunlight straved, dead leaves, and musty odors. Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Jeremy Caldwell: The area in question is extremely rural and very unique. Deep, rocky ravines scar the landscape, and fresh water streams and ponds are everywhere. There is a large sand dune that makes you forget you're in southeast Ohio. I grew up in this county, and have heard the stories about this particular area. Friends of mine would sometimes attempt to camp out near Jackson Lake. They would often tell stories of "ghost" sounds and other strange happenings at night in this area. Not until reading this report and speaking to this witness did the memories of this place return. I have no reason to discredit the witness' report. The sounds and behavior reported are hallmarks for sasquatch intimidation techniques. About BFRO Investigator Jeremy Caldwell: Jeremy is an avid outdoorsmen. He's spent his entire life hunting and camping in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Southern Ohio. Jeremy has an intense love for wildlife and to date has raised and tamed wild ducks, geese, raccoons, coyotes and wolves. ----- YEAR: 1980 SEASON: Summer MONTH: July STATE: Ohio COUNTY: Ross County LOCATION DETAILS: Southeast of Clarksburg, Ohio towards Chillicothe, NEAREST TOWN: Clarksburg NEAREST ROAD: Browns Chapel Rd OBSERVED: I remember the year well enough. It was in the summer of 1980. The reason I remember that so clearly, is because all of the talk that summer was about the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens. I'm not sure of the month of the sighting, but I know it was later in the summer, after the eruption. My father, cousin and I were wading Deer Creek fishing for smallmouth bass. We had waded up the creek approximately one mile or so, and we were heading back down the creek to the car. I had stepped out of the creek, for a few minutes, and my father and cousing were a little ways ahead of me. I stepped back into the creek, and headed down the creek towards them. We were keeping a pretty steady pace, with my father in front, my cousin second and myself in the rear. I remember my cousin asking me what the hell I had just stepped in because of a horrid smell that suddenly filled his nostrils. I laughed and said that I had stepped in some mud along the creek bank. "Mud doesn't smell like that" he replied, then I smelled what he was talking about and he was right. This smell was indescribable. The closest way I could hope to describe it would be to say that it smelled like a mixture of something that had been decaying in the sun covered in rotten eggs. It was after our brief conversation about the smell that I noticed my dad had stopped walking and was not fishing, but looking ahead concentrating on something along the left bank. "What the hell is that?" he asked, more to my cousin than to me. My cousin looked for a moment and replied, "A dead snag" meaning an old dead tree. I looked up the bank trying to see what my father was looking at. Just then I saw it. I too thought it was a tree, but as I looked at it closer I could see hair moving in the slight breeze along it's side and head. It was a reddish/brown color and not extremely long, but long enough that I could see it moving. The creature was standing amid some brush that was growing along the creek, and was visible from just above the waist to the top of it's head. It was very tall, my guess would be about 8 feet high or so. I was 12 at the time, and it was definetely the strangest thing I had ever seen. My father suddenly tensed up and in a very desperate voice, said something I won't repeat here, followed by "That's bigfoot!" Just then, whatever was standing on that bank turned it's head, and looked straight down the creek at us. We scrambled up the right hand bank as fast as we could and started out across the field to the car. To this day, my cousin still says he saw something but doesn't know what he saw. I didn't know what it was either, but to me it just looked like a very hairy, slightly stooped man, especially when it looked towards us. I do know one thing though. I'll never forget it. ALSO NOTICED: I do remember one thing. The bank that I had stepped out onto was soft. I sank maybe two to three inches in the mud. I had taken maybe three steps in the mud and my left leg sank to the depth of just above my knee. I didn't think too much about it until after we seen what we did. OTHER WITNESSES: My father and my cousin. We were all wading and fishing. OTHER STORIES: My father went to work the following Monday and told his foreman what he had seen. Of course the foreman asked him what he had been drinking prior to the incident. My father had drank nothing before the incident. It was funny though. The same foreman came to work on Tuesday, and told my father that he didn't have any doubts anymore. It seems the forman's son and the son's girlfriend were riding horses on Sunday, the day following our sighting, right along the same area of our encounter. when the horses suddenly spooked and threw the riders off and bolted out across a field. The creek that we were fishing in, is the tailwater to that lake. I don't remember any more details about it other than that, except to say that the foreman's son was very puzzled by a strange smell and the fact that the horses threw them off, when they had riden horses there several times before without incident. TIME AND CONDITIONS: The weather was clear and slightly breezy. It was around noon or a little after. ENVIRONMENT: Kind of brushy, along a creek. The water wasn't real deep where we saw it. In fact it almost looked as though it were looking in the water in hopes of catching a fish or something. Follow-up investigation report: The witness said it was hard to notice the creature until it moved its head in there direction. Once it moved they became frightened and quickly left the area. Follow up Field Investigation by B.C. of Ohio. The witness and I set up a day for an on the site interview. The father agreed to join us and we walked to the site on Saturday, January 3rd, 2004. He was more aware of where the location was and led the whole way. About a mile from our car we came to the area and I took several pictures. The father related that they were all fishing and wading deer creek on a hot summer afternoon. He left the water and walked into the woods, probably to relieve himself. He noticed a very foul odor which he described as rotting flesh in the sun, only worst. He saw a crane fly over the creek but it did not land, then out of the corner of his eye he saw something big in the creek. It was watching the boys who were fishing upstream. Its height was estimated to be extremely tall-10-12 feet and extremely bulky-800-900 pounds-it was hairy all over except for face which seemed dark. It was on two feet and appeared like a giant man figure. The father moved to get back to the boys and it turned and looked at him, its head was enormous-he went back to the boys about 50 yards upstream and told them-its a f------ Bigfoot lets get out of here. The boys then saw it and they all climbed the steep bank of the creek and started back to their car a half mile away or so. The father told the boys not to run as animals can sense fear. At one point they turned around to look and it had stepped up onto the high bank and was watching them as they walked away. The father described color as brown with gray tips and the hair was moving in the breeze. The cousin to this day will not talk about the incident. Both (edited) and his dad were happy to discuss this with someone who did not belittle them. It was not an easy walk to this site, I will forward photos when I get film developed. One more thing its face was described as more human than apelike. ********** Cryptid Fest Another opportunity for Rick Dyer to tell the world that the government stole his Bigfoot Click for video ATOKA, OK -- The quest for big foot has taken trackers across America. The mysterious monster was first reportedly seen in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. The most famous siting was recorded in 1967 by Rodger Patterson in Crescent City, California. Now, the hunt for Bigfoot is on in Texoma and it brought enthusiasts out to McGee Creek state park on Saturday for "Cryptid fest". Tracker with BigFootTracker.com, Rick Dyer says, "It started with us finding the body in 2008 and then the government took it." Tracker Jeremy Ware says, after finding the body in a forest of Pennsylvania, tracking the monster became their life, "This is something we do everyday, you know this is not something we just do for fun." Author Nick Redfern travels the world in search of strange creatures and he comes to Texoma seeking Bigfoot. Redfern says, "I think there's a genuine Bigfoot phenomenon. The big question is, what is it? Some people view it as a type of ape that science hasn't classified yet, but other people take it to be a paranormal thing, like a ghost and that explains why we don't catch him." Despite the mystery, Redfern says an important part of being a tracker is to rely on scientific methods. Redfern says, "for the most part you need to be in a location where these things are being seen and if we find evidence like hair samples or tracks." Trackers say, there's an unusual amount of Bigfoot activity in McGee Creek Park. Some say it's due to the forest, other say, it's the water. Trackers Nick Redfern and Ken Gerhard took us deep into the woods, following what were believed to be tracks. Moments before arriving, trackers claim to have spotted something in the distance. Gerhard then attached a camera to a tree in hopes of catching a glimpse of the elusive creatures. Gerhard says, "I attach the camera right here and then when something passes by, the inferred light will detect the motion and snap a picture." The camera was set to take photos throughout the night and trackers can only hope its evidence will be as compelling as Patterson's. - kxii  Spirit Rescue International™ Providing no-cost professional spiritual help, personal support and guidance Take the first step towards genuine peace of mind  Look for the SPIRIT RESCUE INTERNATIONAL Exclusive in the Halloween Edition of HAUNTED MAGAZINE  The Spirit Rescue International™ Haunted Help Forum *Join Our Group On Facebook*  Join Eric Altman and Lon Strickler each Sunday at 8 PM ET as we go Beyond the Edge!  Astral Perceptions - Discussing ultraterrestrial and multidimensional phenomena and the proficiency of remote viewing The Social - Paranormal Network  A NETWORK OF INVESTIGATORS, ENTHUSIASTS AND THOSE SEEKING THE TRUTH THROUGH PARANORMAL EDUCATION AND DISCUSSION  ANOMALIST BOOKS Works on maverick science, unexplained mysteries, unorthodox theories, strange talents, and unexpected discoveries. 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