by Richard A. Lovett
An as yet undiscovered planet might be orbiting at the dark fringes of the solar system, according to new research.
Too far out to be easily spotted by telescopes, the potential unseen planet appears to be making its presence felt by disturbing the orbits of so-called Kuiper belt objects, said Rodney Gomes, an astronomer at the National Observatory of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro.
Kuiper belt objects are small icy bodies—including some dwarf planets—that lie beyond the orbit of Neptune.
Once considered the ninth planet in our system, the dwarf planet Pluto, for example, is one of the largest Kuiper belt objects, at about 1,400 miles (2,300 kilometers) wide. Dozens of the other objects are hundreds of miles across, and more are being discovered every year.
(See "Three New 'Plutos'? Possible Dwarf Planets Found.")
What's intriguing, Gomes said, is that, according to his new calculations, about a half dozen Kuiper belt objects—including the remote body known as Sedna—are in strange orbits compared to where they should be, based on existing solar system models. (Related: "Pluto Neighbor Gets Downsized.")
The objects' unexpected orbits have a few possible explanations, said Gomes, who presented his findings Tuesday at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Timberline Lodge, Oregon.
"But I think the easiest one is a planetary-mass solar companion"—a planet that orbits very far out from the sun but that's massive enough to be having gravitational effects on Kuiper belt objects.
Mystery Planet a Captured Rogue?
For the new work, Gomes analyzed the orbits of 92 Kuiper belt objects, then compared his results to computer models of how the bodies should be distributed, with and without an additional planet.
If there's no distant world, Gomes concludes, the models don't produce the highly elongated orbits we see for six of the objects.
How big exactly the planetary body might be isn't clear, but there are a lot of possibilities, Gomes added.
Based on his calculations, Gomes thinks a Neptune-size world, about four times bigger than Earth, orbiting 140 billion miles (225 billion kilometers) away from the sun—about 1,500 times farther than Earth—would do the trick.
But so would a Mars-size object—roughly half Earth's size—in a highly elongated orbit that would occasionally bring the body sweeping to within 5 billion miles (8 billion kilometers) of the sun.
[Click here to read full article]
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Miami Police Shoot, Kill Man Eating Another Man’s Face
Miami police are still tight-lipped about the man they shot and killed on the MacArthur Causeway Saturday afternoon, but new details back claims they had no choice: the naked man they shot was trying to chew the face off another naked man, and refused to obey police orders to stop his grisly meal, which one source now claims included his victim’s nose and eyeballs.
Surveillance video taken from security cameras at the nearby Miami Herald building show a police officer arrive on the scene, appear to be startled by the spectacle of two naked men lying on the street, and draw his service weapon. It appears that the officer shot one of the men, but it was difficult to tell in the video.
The bizarre shooting happened shortly after 2 p.m., when police responded to a 911 call about two naked men fighting on a bike path along the Causeway, which was packed with traffic on a busy holiday weekend.
[Click here to read full article]
Surveillance video taken from security cameras at the nearby Miami Herald building show a police officer arrive on the scene, appear to be startled by the spectacle of two naked men lying on the street, and draw his service weapon. It appears that the officer shot one of the men, but it was difficult to tell in the video.
The bizarre shooting happened shortly after 2 p.m., when police responded to a 911 call about two naked men fighting on a bike path along the Causeway, which was packed with traffic on a busy holiday weekend.
[Click here to read full article]
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Rakshasa, Evil Shapeshifter
Source: Phantoms & Monsters Blog
Some mythical creatures have their origin in tradition and tales from the distant past. However, each culture is associated with a multitude of interesting and odd creatures, many of these beings are humanoids. One of these legendary humanoids is the Rakshasa.
Statue of a Rakshasa
The Rakshasa are a race of humanoid beings in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. They are seen as a type of goblin or evil spirit. They are not equal in evil traits, but have been classified into four subraces:
Ak'chazar - These rakshasa have the heads of white tigers and are skinnier than common breed. They are unusually powerful spellcasters and specialize in necromantic magic. To use their necromantic powers to their full potential the Ak'chazar often use graveyards or old battlefields as their headquarters. When working on one of their dark schemes they often let their undead do the physical work while they stay behind the scenes themselves.
Naityan - These are shapeshifters with the ability to utilize different supernatural combat styles based on their current forms.
Naztharune - Naztharune have the heads of black tigers and are covered in black fur. They have few magical powers but compensate by being strong fighters, specializing in assassination. They lack most Rakshasa's need to be the leader of any organisation that they are part of, often working for other Rakshasa.
Zakyas - Zakyas resemble standard rakshasas, but rather than focusing on sorcery, they are skilled melee combatants and weapon masters. They use their weak magical powers to supplement their martial prowess.
The great ten-headed demon Ravana, enemy of Lord Ram, was a Rakshasa king
According to the legend, Rakshasas emerged from Brahma's foot. The Vishnu Purana also makes them descendants of Kasyapa and Khasa, a daughter of Daksha, through their son Rakshas; and the Ramayana states that when Brahma created the waters, he formed certain beings to guard them who were called Rakshasas. It is thought that the Rakshasas of the epic poems were the rude barbarian races of India who were subdued by the Aryans.
The Rakshasas are described in the Ramayana: "the Rakshasas sleeping in the houses were of every shape and form. Some of them disgusted the eye, while some were beautiful to look upon. Some had long arms and frightful shapes; some were very fat and some were very lean; some were mere dwarfs and some were prodigiously tall. Some had only one eye and others only one ear. Some had monstrous bellies, hanging breasts, long projecting teeth, and crooked thighs; whilst others were exceedingly beautiful to behold and clothed in great splendour. Some had two legs, some three legs, and some four legs. Some had the heads of serpents, some the heads of donkeys, some the heads of horses, and some the heads of elephants."
Many traditional Hindus believe these creature are indeed real and that it feeds on human flesh. They are shape changers and magicians, and often appear in the forms of humans, dogs, and large birds. They can make themselves invisible and can not enter a home without being invited. In the popular lore, Rakshasas are demons and fiends who haunt cemeteries, disturb sacrifices, harass priests, possess and devour human beings, and vex and afflict mankind in all sorts of ways. They are said to drink blood and preferred to attack infants and pregnant women.
Rakshasas are most powerful in the evening, particularly during the dark period of the new moon, but they are dispelled by the rising sun. Most powerful among them is their king, the 10-headed Ravana. Putana, a female demon, is well known for her attempt to kill the infant Krishna by offering him milk from her poisoned breast; she was, however, sucked to death by the god.
They usually disturbed the sacrifices, and tortured the priests. Rakshasas are known to carry away beautiful women to whom they were attracted. The Rakshasas, male or female, were ugly in appearance, but they could assume any form they pleased with the powers they possessed. Occasionally they would serve as rank-and-file soldiers in the service of a warlord. There are epic tales of certain members of the race who rose to prominence, some of them as heroes, most of them as villains.
Most weapons don't work against these creatures. But all Rakshasas have a common weakness; that any crossbow blessed by a priest will kill them instantly. In addition there is said that a dagger of pure brass has the ability to slay it.
Some mythical creatures have their origin in tradition and tales from the distant past. However, each culture is associated with a multitude of interesting and odd creatures, many of these beings are humanoids. One of these legendary humanoids is the Rakshasa.
The Rakshasa are a race of humanoid beings in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. They are seen as a type of goblin or evil spirit. They are not equal in evil traits, but have been classified into four subraces:
Ak'chazar - These rakshasa have the heads of white tigers and are skinnier than common breed. They are unusually powerful spellcasters and specialize in necromantic magic. To use their necromantic powers to their full potential the Ak'chazar often use graveyards or old battlefields as their headquarters. When working on one of their dark schemes they often let their undead do the physical work while they stay behind the scenes themselves.
Naityan - These are shapeshifters with the ability to utilize different supernatural combat styles based on their current forms.
Naztharune - Naztharune have the heads of black tigers and are covered in black fur. They have few magical powers but compensate by being strong fighters, specializing in assassination. They lack most Rakshasa's need to be the leader of any organisation that they are part of, often working for other Rakshasa.
Zakyas - Zakyas resemble standard rakshasas, but rather than focusing on sorcery, they are skilled melee combatants and weapon masters. They use their weak magical powers to supplement their martial prowess.
The great ten-headed demon Ravana, enemy of Lord Ram, was a Rakshasa king
According to the legend, Rakshasas emerged from Brahma's foot. The Vishnu Purana also makes them descendants of Kasyapa and Khasa, a daughter of Daksha, through their son Rakshas; and the Ramayana states that when Brahma created the waters, he formed certain beings to guard them who were called Rakshasas. It is thought that the Rakshasas of the epic poems were the rude barbarian races of India who were subdued by the Aryans.
The Rakshasas are described in the Ramayana: "the Rakshasas sleeping in the houses were of every shape and form. Some of them disgusted the eye, while some were beautiful to look upon. Some had long arms and frightful shapes; some were very fat and some were very lean; some were mere dwarfs and some were prodigiously tall. Some had only one eye and others only one ear. Some had monstrous bellies, hanging breasts, long projecting teeth, and crooked thighs; whilst others were exceedingly beautiful to behold and clothed in great splendour. Some had two legs, some three legs, and some four legs. Some had the heads of serpents, some the heads of donkeys, some the heads of horses, and some the heads of elephants."
Many traditional Hindus believe these creature are indeed real and that it feeds on human flesh. They are shape changers and magicians, and often appear in the forms of humans, dogs, and large birds. They can make themselves invisible and can not enter a home without being invited. In the popular lore, Rakshasas are demons and fiends who haunt cemeteries, disturb sacrifices, harass priests, possess and devour human beings, and vex and afflict mankind in all sorts of ways. They are said to drink blood and preferred to attack infants and pregnant women.
Rakshasas are most powerful in the evening, particularly during the dark period of the new moon, but they are dispelled by the rising sun. Most powerful among them is their king, the 10-headed Ravana. Putana, a female demon, is well known for her attempt to kill the infant Krishna by offering him milk from her poisoned breast; she was, however, sucked to death by the god.
They usually disturbed the sacrifices, and tortured the priests. Rakshasas are known to carry away beautiful women to whom they were attracted. The Rakshasas, male or female, were ugly in appearance, but they could assume any form they pleased with the powers they possessed. Occasionally they would serve as rank-and-file soldiers in the service of a warlord. There are epic tales of certain members of the race who rose to prominence, some of them as heroes, most of them as villains.
Most weapons don't work against these creatures. But all Rakshasas have a common weakness; that any crossbow blessed by a priest will kill them instantly. In addition there is said that a dagger of pure brass has the ability to slay it.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Tikbalang, the Demon Horse
Source: Phantoms & Monsters Blog
Some mythical creatures have their origin in tradition and tales from the distant past. However, each culture is associated with a multitude of interesting and odd creatures, many of these beings are humanoids. One of these legendary humanoids is the Tikbalang.
The Tikbalang (many different spellings are used - translates as 'demon horse') is a creature of Philippine folklore said to lurk in the mountains and forests of the Philippines. It is generally described as a tall, bony humanoid creature with disproportionately long limbs, to the point that its knees reach above its head when it squats down. It has the head and feet of an animal, most commonly a horse. It has been compared to the half-man, half-horse centaur from Greek mythology. It travels at night to rape female mortals who will then give birth to more Tikbalang. It is sometimes believed to be a transformation of an aborted fetus which has been sent to earth from limbo.
Picture of a Tikbalang
Tikbalangs are very playful with people, and they usually make a person imagine things that aren't real. Sometimes a Tikbalang will drive a person crazy. Legends say that when rain falls while the sun is shining, a pair of Tikbalangs are being wed. Since horses only arrived in the Philippine archipelago during the Spanish invasion, there is a theory that the image of a half-horse, half-man creature was propagated by the conquistadors to keep the natives afraid of the night. There are stories claiming that the Tikbalang are actually half-bird, half-man creatures, much like the Japanese Tengu.
A traveler who finds himself lost and suspects that a Tikbalang is leading him astray may counteract it by wearing his shirt inside out. Another countermeasure is to verbally ask permission to pass by, or to avoid making too much noise while in the woods so as not to offend or disturb the Tikbalang.
Folklore says that one can tame a Tikbalang and compel it to be one's servant by plucking three golden hairs from its mane. There are also stories where a Tikbalang asks its intended prey a riddle. Someone who manages to answer correctly will be rewarded with a pot of gold.
Other legends depict the Tikbalang as a monster of the night, with eyes that glow red. This version of the Tikbalang casts it as a fearsome creature, a real danger to people. It is believed that when it is angered - and it is easily angered - it stomps on people with its hooves until they die. In these tales, the Tikbalang is always accompanied by the stench of burning hair and smokes great big cigars.
It is said that delirious town folk who have stumbled their way into town after long absences tell of how an apparation resembling a Tikbalang pushed and slapped them, often knocking them over and not allowing them to right themselves; all the while shaking with nervous, childish giggling. People say that the cessation of resistance or protest will suddenly lead a victim to find themselves alone in the woods, plunged into darkness; the sun long set. The path home, recalled by the few who return after a disappearance, is hampered by a severe sense of disorientation and a forest that seems to curl in on itself repeatedly.
Some mythical creatures have their origin in tradition and tales from the distant past. However, each culture is associated with a multitude of interesting and odd creatures, many of these beings are humanoids. One of these legendary humanoids is the Tikbalang.
The Tikbalang (many different spellings are used - translates as 'demon horse') is a creature of Philippine folklore said to lurk in the mountains and forests of the Philippines. It is generally described as a tall, bony humanoid creature with disproportionately long limbs, to the point that its knees reach above its head when it squats down. It has the head and feet of an animal, most commonly a horse. It has been compared to the half-man, half-horse centaur from Greek mythology. It travels at night to rape female mortals who will then give birth to more Tikbalang. It is sometimes believed to be a transformation of an aborted fetus which has been sent to earth from limbo.
Tikbalangs are very playful with people, and they usually make a person imagine things that aren't real. Sometimes a Tikbalang will drive a person crazy. Legends say that when rain falls while the sun is shining, a pair of Tikbalangs are being wed. Since horses only arrived in the Philippine archipelago during the Spanish invasion, there is a theory that the image of a half-horse, half-man creature was propagated by the conquistadors to keep the natives afraid of the night. There are stories claiming that the Tikbalang are actually half-bird, half-man creatures, much like the Japanese Tengu.
A traveler who finds himself lost and suspects that a Tikbalang is leading him astray may counteract it by wearing his shirt inside out. Another countermeasure is to verbally ask permission to pass by, or to avoid making too much noise while in the woods so as not to offend or disturb the Tikbalang.
Folklore says that one can tame a Tikbalang and compel it to be one's servant by plucking three golden hairs from its mane. There are also stories where a Tikbalang asks its intended prey a riddle. Someone who manages to answer correctly will be rewarded with a pot of gold.
Other legends depict the Tikbalang as a monster of the night, with eyes that glow red. This version of the Tikbalang casts it as a fearsome creature, a real danger to people. It is believed that when it is angered - and it is easily angered - it stomps on people with its hooves until they die. In these tales, the Tikbalang is always accompanied by the stench of burning hair and smokes great big cigars.
It is said that delirious town folk who have stumbled their way into town after long absences tell of how an apparation resembling a Tikbalang pushed and slapped them, often knocking them over and not allowing them to right themselves; all the while shaking with nervous, childish giggling. People say that the cessation of resistance or protest will suddenly lead a victim to find themselves alone in the woods, plunged into darkness; the sun long set. The path home, recalled by the few who return after a disappearance, is hampered by a severe sense of disorientation and a forest that seems to curl in on itself repeatedly.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Tiyanak, the Demon Child
Source: Phantoms & Monsters Blog
Some mythical creatures have their origin in tradition and tales from the distant past. However, each culture is associated with a multitude of interesting and odd creatures, many of these beings are humanoids. One of these legendary humanoids is the tiyanak.
Tiyanak (Demon Child) or impakto are creatures which, in Philippine mythology, imitate the form of a child. It usually takes the form of a newborn baby and cries like one in the jungle to attract unwary travelers. Once it is picked up by the victim, it reverts to its true form and attacks the victim. Aside from slashing victims, the tiyanak also delights in leading travelers astray or in kidnapping children.
Painting of a Tiyanak
Some say the tiyanak are babies who died before receiving baptism rites. After death, they go to a place known as Limbo, a chamber of Hell where unbaptized dead people fall into and transform into evil spirits. These phantoms return into the mortal realm in the form of goblins to eat living victims. The tiyanak can also be the offspring between a demon and a human or an aborted fetus, which comes to life to take revenge on its mother.
There are several versions of Tiyanak physical descriptions and activity. This mythical creature are also sometimes related to a Malaysian folkloric creature called Pontianak which is, according to Malay folklore, a woman who died during delivery or childbirth.
The Pontianak - in Malay folklore, it usually announces its presence through baby cries or assumes the form of a beautiful lady and frightens or kills those unlucky enough to come too close. It disguises itself as a beautiful young woman mainly to attract its victim (usually male). Its presence can sometimes be detected by a nice floral fragrance, followed by an awful stench afterward
According to folklore, one can bewilder the creature and break loose from the enchantment of its cries by turning his clothes inside out. The legend has it that Tiyanaks find this method laughable and would just leave the victim alone. Some say that repellents like garlic and the rosary can also drive the tiyanak away.
Some mythical creatures have their origin in tradition and tales from the distant past. However, each culture is associated with a multitude of interesting and odd creatures, many of these beings are humanoids. One of these legendary humanoids is the tiyanak.
Tiyanak (Demon Child) or impakto are creatures which, in Philippine mythology, imitate the form of a child. It usually takes the form of a newborn baby and cries like one in the jungle to attract unwary travelers. Once it is picked up by the victim, it reverts to its true form and attacks the victim. Aside from slashing victims, the tiyanak also delights in leading travelers astray or in kidnapping children.
Some say the tiyanak are babies who died before receiving baptism rites. After death, they go to a place known as Limbo, a chamber of Hell where unbaptized dead people fall into and transform into evil spirits. These phantoms return into the mortal realm in the form of goblins to eat living victims. The tiyanak can also be the offspring between a demon and a human or an aborted fetus, which comes to life to take revenge on its mother.
There are several versions of Tiyanak physical descriptions and activity. This mythical creature are also sometimes related to a Malaysian folkloric creature called Pontianak which is, according to Malay folklore, a woman who died during delivery or childbirth.
The Pontianak - in Malay folklore, it usually announces its presence through baby cries or assumes the form of a beautiful lady and frightens or kills those unlucky enough to come too close. It disguises itself as a beautiful young woman mainly to attract its victim (usually male). Its presence can sometimes be detected by a nice floral fragrance, followed by an awful stench afterward
According to folklore, one can bewilder the creature and break loose from the enchantment of its cries by turning his clothes inside out. The legend has it that Tiyanaks find this method laughable and would just leave the victim alone. Some say that repellents like garlic and the rosary can also drive the tiyanak away.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Genderuwo, Evil Seductor
Source: Phantoms & Monsters Blog
Some mythical creatures have their origin in tradition and tales from the distant past. However, each culture is associated with a multitude of interesting and odd creatures, many of these beings are humanoids. One of these legendary humanoids is the Genderuwo.
Genderuwa (from the Java language: 'Genderuwo') is a Javanese myth about a type of the jinn or spirit that can manifest into human-like apes, big and stout with reddish black color, his body covered with thick hair. Genderuwa are most widely known in Java, Indonesia. Sundanese people call it "Gandaruwo" and the Javanese people generally call it "Gendruwo".
Picture of a Genderuwo
They are said to dwell in large trees that are shaded or damp corners of deserted buildings. According to myth, this creature resides in forest areas such as Teak Forest Nature Reserve Danalaya, Slogohimo district and in the White Weak, Purwosari, Girimulyo in Kulon Progo.
This entity is believed to communicate and make direct contact with humans. Various legends say that Genderuwo can change the appearance of its physical form to follow someone or to entice people. The Genderuwo creature is believed to be idle and dissolute, has the tendency to tease people, especially women and children. Genderuwo is sometimes happy slapping a women's rump, caressing her body while she slept, or even to switch women’s undergarments to others. Genderuwo occasionally appear in the form of furry little creatures that can grow in an instant. Genderuwo also like to throw stones at people’s houses at night. The Genderuwo is known to tempt lonely wifes when husbands leave or those that become widowed. Sometimes, Genderuwo have sexual relationships with these women in order impregnate them and produce more Genderuwo.
According to legend, The Genderuwo has a very strong ability to attract women. Genderuwo's sexual game is said to be unusual and that women feel often satisfied and extend extraordinary favors. Genderuwos have very strong libidos and possess seduction skills far superior to men.
There is a legend that states Genderuwo can enter and remain happy in the womb of a woman if an intimate relationship forms between the woman and the Genderuwo and that the desire never wains until one dies...which is usually the woman. At that point, the Genderuwo moves on to his next sexual conquest. There is little a woman can do to deter the advances of this creature.
The Genderuwa myth has been widely used in many modern entertainment media forms, mainly in horror films from Indonesia and Malaysia where Javanese communities still practice the beliefs and culture of Java. An Indonesian man who seems to possess an unusual knack for seducing women of all ages is seen as a Genderuwa and considered to be touched by evil and capable of committing horrible acts.
Some mythical creatures have their origin in tradition and tales from the distant past. However, each culture is associated with a multitude of interesting and odd creatures, many of these beings are humanoids. One of these legendary humanoids is the Genderuwo.
Genderuwa (from the Java language: 'Genderuwo') is a Javanese myth about a type of the jinn or spirit that can manifest into human-like apes, big and stout with reddish black color, his body covered with thick hair. Genderuwa are most widely known in Java, Indonesia. Sundanese people call it "Gandaruwo" and the Javanese people generally call it "Gendruwo".
They are said to dwell in large trees that are shaded or damp corners of deserted buildings. According to myth, this creature resides in forest areas such as Teak Forest Nature Reserve Danalaya, Slogohimo district and in the White Weak, Purwosari, Girimulyo in Kulon Progo.
This entity is believed to communicate and make direct contact with humans. Various legends say that Genderuwo can change the appearance of its physical form to follow someone or to entice people. The Genderuwo creature is believed to be idle and dissolute, has the tendency to tease people, especially women and children. Genderuwo is sometimes happy slapping a women's rump, caressing her body while she slept, or even to switch women’s undergarments to others. Genderuwo occasionally appear in the form of furry little creatures that can grow in an instant. Genderuwo also like to throw stones at people’s houses at night. The Genderuwo is known to tempt lonely wifes when husbands leave or those that become widowed. Sometimes, Genderuwo have sexual relationships with these women in order impregnate them and produce more Genderuwo.
According to legend, The Genderuwo has a very strong ability to attract women. Genderuwo's sexual game is said to be unusual and that women feel often satisfied and extend extraordinary favors. Genderuwos have very strong libidos and possess seduction skills far superior to men.
There is a legend that states Genderuwo can enter and remain happy in the womb of a woman if an intimate relationship forms between the woman and the Genderuwo and that the desire never wains until one dies...which is usually the woman. At that point, the Genderuwo moves on to his next sexual conquest. There is little a woman can do to deter the advances of this creature.
The Genderuwa myth has been widely used in many modern entertainment media forms, mainly in horror films from Indonesia and Malaysia where Javanese communities still practice the beliefs and culture of Java. An Indonesian man who seems to possess an unusual knack for seducing women of all ages is seen as a Genderuwa and considered to be touched by evil and capable of committing horrible acts.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Ebu Gogo, The Flores Island Hobbit
Source: Phantoms & Monsters Blog
Some mythical creatures have their origin in tradition and tales from the distant past. However, each culture is associated with a multitude of interesting and odd creatures, many of these beings are humanoids. One of these legendary humanoids is the Ebu Gogo.
Ebu Gogo are a group of human-like creatures that appear in the mythology of the people of the island of Flores, Indonesia. In the Nage language of central Flores, ebu means 'grandmother' and gogo means 'he who eats anything'.
Drawing of a Ebu Gogo
The Ebu Gogo are described as small, nasty people with a voracious appetite that sometimes included the devouring of the occasional human baby. Ebu Gogo have hair covered bodies, longish arms, big bellies and protruding ears. They were said to walk awkwardly and could be heard murmuring in their own language and were said to be capable of mimicking human speech. When they could tolerate the Ebu Gogo no more the Flores islanders drove the small people in the direction of the caves, perhaps near Liang Bau or perhaps they burned the survivors alive. In any case, these stories were probably told to keep truculent Flores children in line in much the same fashion as some western fairy tales are told.
Indonesian culture just like any other has folklore about ghosts, little people and mysterious beings. Word of mouth folktales are handed down from generation to generation. Indonesian village people would talk of an ape-like creature that walks like a man.
Some scientists believe that the Ebu Gogo folklore maybe a shared cultural memory of Homo floresiensis but there is no solid evidence to support that theory. However, legends have the Ebu Gogo disappearing about 400 years ago at the time of the arrival of the Dutch and Portuguese explorers. Scientists working on the Homo floresiensis find have also referred to the Ebu Gogo as 'Hobbits'.
From October 2004 - telegraph - Richard Roberts, discoverer of the 'Hobbit', says local tales suggest the species could still exist.
When I was back in Flores earlier this month we heard the most amazing tales of little, hairy people, whom they called Ebu Gogo - Ebu meaning grandmother and Gogo meaning 'he who eats anything'. The tales contained the most fabulous details - so detailed that you'd imagine there had to be a grain of truth in them.
One of the village elders told us that the Ebu Gogo ate everything raw, including vegetables, fruits, meat and, if they got the chance, even human meat.
When food was served to them they also ate the plates, made of pumpkin - the original guests from hell (or heaven, if you don't like washing up and don't mind replacing your dinner set every week).
The villagers say that the Ebu Gogo raided their crops, which they tolerated, but decided to chase them away when the Ebu Gogo stole - and ate - one of their babies.
They ran away with the baby to their cave which was at the foot of the local volcano, some tens of metres up a cliff face. The villagers offered them bales of dry grass as fodder, which they gratefully accepted.
A few days later, the villagers went back with a burning bale of grass which they tossed into the cave. Out ran the Ebu Gogo, singed but not fried, and were last seen heading west, in the direction of Liang Bua, where we found the Hobbit, as it happens.
When my colleague Gert van den Bergh first heard these stories a decade ago, which several of the villages around the volcano recount with only very minor changes in detail, he thought them no better than leprechaun tales until we unearthed the Hobbit. (I much prefer Ebu as the name of our find but my colleague Mike Morwood was insistent on Hobbit.)
The anatomical details in the legends are equally fascinating. They are described as about a metre tall, with long hair, pot bellies, ears that slightly stick out, a slightly awkward gait, and longish arms and fingers - both confirmed by our further finds this year.
They [the Ebu Gogo] murmured at each other and could repeat words [spoken by villagers] verbatim. For example, to 'here's some food', they would reply 'here's some food'. They could climb slender-girthed trees but, here's the rub, were never seen holding stone tools or anything similar, whereas we have lots of sophisticated artefacts in the H. floresiensis levels at Liang Bua. That's the only inconsistency with the Liang Bua evidence.
The women Ebu Gogo had extremely pendulous breasts, so long that they would throw them over their shoulders, which must have been quite a sight in full flight.
We did ask the villagers if they ever interbred with the Ebu Gogo. They vigorously denied this, but said that the women of Labuan Baju (a village at the far western end of Flores, better known as LBJ) had rather long breasts, so they must have done.
Poor LBJ must be the butt of jokes in Flores, rather like the Irish and Tasmanians.
A local eruption at Liang Bua (in western Flores) may have wiped out local hobbits around 12,000 years ago, but they could well have persisted much later in other parts of the island. The villagers said that the last hobbit was seen just before the village moved location, farther from the volcano, not long before the Dutch colonists settled in that part of central Flores, in the 19th century.
Do the Ebu Gogo still exist? It would be a hoot to search the last pockets of rainforest on the island. Not many such pockets exist, but who knows. At the very least, searching again for that lava cave, or others like it, should be done, because remains of hair only a few hundred years old, would surely survive, snagged on the cave walls or incorporated in deposits, and would be ideal for ancient DNA analyses.
Interestingly, we did find lumps of dirt with black hair in them this year in the Hobbit levels, but don't know yet if they're human or something else. We're getting DNA testing done, which we hope will be instructive.
Some mythical creatures have their origin in tradition and tales from the distant past. However, each culture is associated with a multitude of interesting and odd creatures, many of these beings are humanoids. One of these legendary humanoids is the Ebu Gogo.
Ebu Gogo are a group of human-like creatures that appear in the mythology of the people of the island of Flores, Indonesia. In the Nage language of central Flores, ebu means 'grandmother' and gogo means 'he who eats anything'.
The Ebu Gogo are described as small, nasty people with a voracious appetite that sometimes included the devouring of the occasional human baby. Ebu Gogo have hair covered bodies, longish arms, big bellies and protruding ears. They were said to walk awkwardly and could be heard murmuring in their own language and were said to be capable of mimicking human speech. When they could tolerate the Ebu Gogo no more the Flores islanders drove the small people in the direction of the caves, perhaps near Liang Bau or perhaps they burned the survivors alive. In any case, these stories were probably told to keep truculent Flores children in line in much the same fashion as some western fairy tales are told.
Indonesian culture just like any other has folklore about ghosts, little people and mysterious beings. Word of mouth folktales are handed down from generation to generation. Indonesian village people would talk of an ape-like creature that walks like a man.
Some scientists believe that the Ebu Gogo folklore maybe a shared cultural memory of Homo floresiensis but there is no solid evidence to support that theory. However, legends have the Ebu Gogo disappearing about 400 years ago at the time of the arrival of the Dutch and Portuguese explorers. Scientists working on the Homo floresiensis find have also referred to the Ebu Gogo as 'Hobbits'.
From October 2004 - telegraph - Richard Roberts, discoverer of the 'Hobbit', says local tales suggest the species could still exist.
When I was back in Flores earlier this month we heard the most amazing tales of little, hairy people, whom they called Ebu Gogo - Ebu meaning grandmother and Gogo meaning 'he who eats anything'. The tales contained the most fabulous details - so detailed that you'd imagine there had to be a grain of truth in them.
One of the village elders told us that the Ebu Gogo ate everything raw, including vegetables, fruits, meat and, if they got the chance, even human meat.
When food was served to them they also ate the plates, made of pumpkin - the original guests from hell (or heaven, if you don't like washing up and don't mind replacing your dinner set every week).
The villagers say that the Ebu Gogo raided their crops, which they tolerated, but decided to chase them away when the Ebu Gogo stole - and ate - one of their babies.
They ran away with the baby to their cave which was at the foot of the local volcano, some tens of metres up a cliff face. The villagers offered them bales of dry grass as fodder, which they gratefully accepted.
A few days later, the villagers went back with a burning bale of grass which they tossed into the cave. Out ran the Ebu Gogo, singed but not fried, and were last seen heading west, in the direction of Liang Bua, where we found the Hobbit, as it happens.
When my colleague Gert van den Bergh first heard these stories a decade ago, which several of the villages around the volcano recount with only very minor changes in detail, he thought them no better than leprechaun tales until we unearthed the Hobbit. (I much prefer Ebu as the name of our find but my colleague Mike Morwood was insistent on Hobbit.)
The anatomical details in the legends are equally fascinating. They are described as about a metre tall, with long hair, pot bellies, ears that slightly stick out, a slightly awkward gait, and longish arms and fingers - both confirmed by our further finds this year.
They [the Ebu Gogo] murmured at each other and could repeat words [spoken by villagers] verbatim. For example, to 'here's some food', they would reply 'here's some food'. They could climb slender-girthed trees but, here's the rub, were never seen holding stone tools or anything similar, whereas we have lots of sophisticated artefacts in the H. floresiensis levels at Liang Bua. That's the only inconsistency with the Liang Bua evidence.
The women Ebu Gogo had extremely pendulous breasts, so long that they would throw them over their shoulders, which must have been quite a sight in full flight.
We did ask the villagers if they ever interbred with the Ebu Gogo. They vigorously denied this, but said that the women of Labuan Baju (a village at the far western end of Flores, better known as LBJ) had rather long breasts, so they must have done.
Poor LBJ must be the butt of jokes in Flores, rather like the Irish and Tasmanians.
A local eruption at Liang Bua (in western Flores) may have wiped out local hobbits around 12,000 years ago, but they could well have persisted much later in other parts of the island. The villagers said that the last hobbit was seen just before the village moved location, farther from the volcano, not long before the Dutch colonists settled in that part of central Flores, in the 19th century.
Do the Ebu Gogo still exist? It would be a hoot to search the last pockets of rainforest on the island. Not many such pockets exist, but who knows. At the very least, searching again for that lava cave, or others like it, should be done, because remains of hair only a few hundred years old, would surely survive, snagged on the cave walls or incorporated in deposits, and would be ideal for ancient DNA analyses.
Interestingly, we did find lumps of dirt with black hair in them this year in the Hobbit levels, but don't know yet if they're human or something else. We're getting DNA testing done, which we hope will be instructive.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Thai police arrest Brit with foetuses for black magic
Six human foetuses which had been roasted and covered in gold leaf as part of a black magic ritual have been seized from a British citizen in Bangkok, Thai police said Friday.
Chow Hok Kuen, 28, who is of Taiwanese origin, was arrested with the grisly haul in the city's Chinatown on Thursday, police said. The corpses had been packed into luggage and were set to be smuggled to Taiwan.
The suspect bought the foetuses several days ago from a Taiwanese man in Thailand for 200,000 baht ($6,500) and planned to sell them in Taiwan for up to six times that amount, police said. The origin of the foetuses was unclear.
"He said he planned to sell the foetuses to clients who believe they will make them lucky and rich," said Colonel Wiwat Kamchamnan of Bangkok police.
The man faces one year in prison and a 2,000 baht fine for possession of the foetuses.
In Thai black magic rituals, also observed among some Chinese communities, preserved foetuses are believed to bring good fortune to the owner and are often kept in shrines within homes or businesses.
[Click here to read full article]
Chow Hok Kuen, 28, who is of Taiwanese origin, was arrested with the grisly haul in the city's Chinatown on Thursday, police said. The corpses had been packed into luggage and were set to be smuggled to Taiwan.
The suspect bought the foetuses several days ago from a Taiwanese man in Thailand for 200,000 baht ($6,500) and planned to sell them in Taiwan for up to six times that amount, police said. The origin of the foetuses was unclear.
"He said he planned to sell the foetuses to clients who believe they will make them lucky and rich," said Colonel Wiwat Kamchamnan of Bangkok police.
The man faces one year in prison and a 2,000 baht fine for possession of the foetuses.
In Thai black magic rituals, also observed among some Chinese communities, preserved foetuses are believed to bring good fortune to the owner and are often kept in shrines within homes or businesses.
[Click here to read full article]
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Mythological creature caught by US soldiers in Laos?
by Oregon Chang
Recently I embarked on a spiritual enlightenment trip to Laos. It was an eye opener, at the very least. I did not forget to put in some R&R too; it was at one of those tourist trap shops where I noticed this poster as seen in the photo above.
"What is this?" I asked my local associate who was showing me the delightful sights and sounds of Laos.
"This, is what is known as the Naga, a legendary creature from Laos," she replied.
"Surely, you can't be serious," I asked. "This, whether its a fish or snake, is huge!"
She smiled and explained to me that this photo was taken in the 1970s, by a group of US army soldiers who were training in the area. They caught a Naga in the Mekong River near Nong Khai. Once believed to be a legendary mythical creature, now it has passed from legend into reality.
This photo become famously known as the "Queen of Nagas seized by American Army at Mekhong River, Laos Military Base". It was said to be taken on June 27, 1973 with the length of 7.80 meters.
This piqued my interest. I had to find out more.
The Naga refers to a snake, serpent or dragon-like creature prevalent in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. It is also especially mentioned in many South East Asian cultures, mainly Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.
The people of Laos especially fear and respect this creature; they even hold annual sacrifices to the Naga. This is for protection and safety while they transverse the Mekong river.
Adding to their belief that such a creature actually exists are the Naga Fireballs phenomena. This phenomenon occurs mostly around late October every year. A series of "fireball lights" rise from the Mekong River into the night sky. This is a similar effect to the St Elmo's Fire or Will O' the Wisp phenomena.
[The Will-o'-the-wisp phenomenon]
So are the legends true? Was a Naga really caught by soliders as seen in the photo? A quick investigation reveals that this photo was not faked, but more likely a photo or a normal oarfish.
This is a photo of some people holding up a dead oarfish I found on the internet. Notice the similarities?
Further research reveals that the photograph is actually that taken by USN LT DeeDee Van Wormer, of an oarfish found in late 1996 by US Navy SEAL trainees on the coast of Coronado, California.
This is a picture of the news report accompanying the actual photograph.
So the legend has been debunked. But how did a picture taken in the USA in 1996 become known as a famous photo said to be taken in Laos in 1973?
My research brought me to this article A Big Fish Tale written by Trevor Ranges. He surmised that an enterprising entrepreneur in Laos or Thailand probably chanced upon this photo on the internet and siezed the opportunity to use it for financial gain. The story and photo, coupled with the locals' strong beliefs in the creature, fueled the legend and so it grew.
There you have it. A legend debunked through simple investigation on the Internet. I mentioned my findings to my Laos associate.
She replied, "Well, even if its not a Naga in the photo, we still strongly believe that the Naga still resides in the river and we must respect it."
As a Master of the Paranormal, I would choose to believe that some creature must exists in the waters of the Mekong, otherwise there would not be such firm beliefs from the locals.
Whether its existence can be proven or not remains to be seen.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Orang-utan who gnawed off own hand to escape trap recovers
An orphaned orang-utan who was forced to gnaw off its own hand to escape from a snare is now recovering after life-saving surgery.
Pelangsi lived off nothing but rainwater for 10 days before chewing off his own hand in a desperate bid to escape.
Thankfully the orphan was eventually rescued by the team at International Animal Rescue in Indonesia.
Pelangsi now could be released back into the wild in just a few months after a five-hour operation to amputate his damaged hand and arm.
Karmele Llano Sanchez, Veterinary Director at International Animal Rescue Indonesia, said Pelangsi was looking alert and eating.
"Pelangsi was clearly young and fit before getting trapped in the snare," he said.
"While it is a tragedy that he has lost his limb this is far better than him losing his life through septicaemia.
"There is no reason why he shouldn't return to the wild and fend for himself again.
"He's a wild orang-utan so finds it quite stressful to be in captivity, he tries to hide under the foliage in his cage whenever we approach him with darts and the blowpipe to sedate him."
Alan Knight, the charity's chief executive, said Pelangsi's story reflected the plight of many orang-utans in Borneo.
"He was driven from the forest when it was destroyed to make room for a palm oil plantation," he said.
"He was forced into an area where wildlife and humans are competing for space and food.
"Unfortunately we came too late to save his damaged hand but we certainly saved his life."
[Click here to read full article]
Pelangsi lived off nothing but rainwater for 10 days before chewing off his own hand in a desperate bid to escape.
Thankfully the orphan was eventually rescued by the team at International Animal Rescue in Indonesia.
Pelangsi now could be released back into the wild in just a few months after a five-hour operation to amputate his damaged hand and arm.
Karmele Llano Sanchez, Veterinary Director at International Animal Rescue Indonesia, said Pelangsi was looking alert and eating.
"Pelangsi was clearly young and fit before getting trapped in the snare," he said.
"While it is a tragedy that he has lost his limb this is far better than him losing his life through septicaemia.
"There is no reason why he shouldn't return to the wild and fend for himself again.
"He's a wild orang-utan so finds it quite stressful to be in captivity, he tries to hide under the foliage in his cage whenever we approach him with darts and the blowpipe to sedate him."
Alan Knight, the charity's chief executive, said Pelangsi's story reflected the plight of many orang-utans in Borneo.
"He was driven from the forest when it was destroyed to make room for a palm oil plantation," he said.
"He was forced into an area where wildlife and humans are competing for space and food.
"Unfortunately we came too late to save his damaged hand but we certainly saved his life."
[Click here to read full article]
Monday, May 21, 2012
'Witch' housemaid controlled family for 20 years
An Indonesian housemaid controlled a Saudi family for nearly 20 years by forcing them to follow her orders through magic before she was arrested by the Gulf Kingdom’s feared religious police.
The father finally decided to resort to the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice after his family plunged into more health problems and his children and wife “blindly” listened to the maid.
Commission members asked the father to bring his daughter, who appeared to be the worst affected by the magic spell, Sharq Arabic language newspaper said in a report from the western town of Madina.
After a spiritual treatment session, the girl woke up from an apparent trance and told Commission members that she knows about the magic work.
“She led them to a tree near her house and told them the maid had buried magic stuff there…they dug under the tree and found needles, threads, keys, lockets and other items which belong to the family,” it said.
“They took them to the Commission centre, where experts dismantled their effect…the maid was arrested while the family started to return to normal.”
[Click here to read full article]
The father finally decided to resort to the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice after his family plunged into more health problems and his children and wife “blindly” listened to the maid.
Commission members asked the father to bring his daughter, who appeared to be the worst affected by the magic spell, Sharq Arabic language newspaper said in a report from the western town of Madina.
After a spiritual treatment session, the girl woke up from an apparent trance and told Commission members that she knows about the magic work.
“She led them to a tree near her house and told them the maid had buried magic stuff there…they dug under the tree and found needles, threads, keys, lockets and other items which belong to the family,” it said.
“They took them to the Commission centre, where experts dismantled their effect…the maid was arrested while the family started to return to normal.”
[Click here to read full article]
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Lawyer Claims Time Travel Coverup
Lawyer Andrew Basiago says he has a long history of traveling back in time, and he's been sharing his story with researchers the world over with his shocking allegations. In addition to speaking about subjects ranging from John Titor to his own witnessing of Lincoln's assassination, Basiago recently entered the news circuit once again after claiming that Barack Obama had once teleported to Mars in a secret CIA project operating out of a community college in California.
The Seattle Attorney says he was involved in a project when he was only seven years old called "Project Pegasus" to explore then recent developments in time traveling technology. His own involvement in the project, he says, was partially because children are more likely to adapt well to the effects of time travel. He additionally says the technology involved in the project is powerful enough to transform the face of transportation if only it would be unlocked.
The principles behind the time travel technology are allegedly based on tech recovered by government agents who raided the personal notes kept in the New Yorker hotel by Nikola Tesla where he died in July of 1943.
[Click here to read full article]
The Seattle Attorney says he was involved in a project when he was only seven years old called "Project Pegasus" to explore then recent developments in time traveling technology. His own involvement in the project, he says, was partially because children are more likely to adapt well to the effects of time travel. He additionally says the technology involved in the project is powerful enough to transform the face of transportation if only it would be unlocked.
The principles behind the time travel technology are allegedly based on tech recovered by government agents who raided the personal notes kept in the New Yorker hotel by Nikola Tesla where he died in July of 1943.
[Click here to read full article]
Friday, May 18, 2012
The Universe's Most Troubling Paradoxes
The universe seems like a chaotic place. Rules seem to guide a flow of random chances with even known universal laws occasionally overruling and rejecting one another. And on top of all of that the human race has put before itself the task of understanding everything. But somewhere along its journey it's come up with some extremely chilling theories about life the universe and everything.
Of course one of the first problems that arises when examining the universe is the Fermi Paradox. Contrary to the label often placed on the Paradox, there are no final conclusions to be drawn from it - only more questions. It was originally a response to the "silentium universi" or silence of the universe.
When Frank Drake of the University of California, Santa Cruz observed the potential for life existing elsewhere in the universe as very likely through a series of mathematical equations. The Fermi Paradox begged the question, "Why doesn't SETI observe more apparently artificial radio signals?" The conclusions are far from complete to say the least, but are nonetheless often erroneously used as evidence to suggest there is no life elsewhere in the universe.
[Click here to read full article]
Of course one of the first problems that arises when examining the universe is the Fermi Paradox. Contrary to the label often placed on the Paradox, there are no final conclusions to be drawn from it - only more questions. It was originally a response to the "silentium universi" or silence of the universe.
When Frank Drake of the University of California, Santa Cruz observed the potential for life existing elsewhere in the universe as very likely through a series of mathematical equations. The Fermi Paradox begged the question, "Why doesn't SETI observe more apparently artificial radio signals?" The conclusions are far from complete to say the least, but are nonetheless often erroneously used as evidence to suggest there is no life elsewhere in the universe.
[Click here to read full article]
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The Mystery of Time Slips
By Tim Swartz
Time is a funny thing. There never seems to be enough -- yet there is an infinite amount. Time slips through moment upon second into eternity past; yet present, to begin the future.
Time is thought to be unstoppable in its relentless push towards the future. Humans perceive themselves as bound up in time as an insect in amber. Forever imprisoned and forced to reconcile with the regularity and inevitability of change. The past is gone -- the present, fleeting -- and the future is unknown. Or is it?
If a Merseyside policeman by the name of Frank was asked, he may have an entirely different opinion on the subject of time.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in July of 1996, Frank and his wife, Carol was visiting Liverpool's Bold Street area for some shopping. At Central Station, the pair split up; Carol went to Dillons Bookshop and Frank went to HMV to look for a CD he wanted. As he walked up the incline near the Lyceum Post Office/Café building that lead onto Bold Street, Frank suddenly noticed he had entered a strange "oasis of quietness."
Suddenly, a small box van that looked like something out of the 1950s sped across his path, honking its horn as it narrowly missed him. Frank noticed the name on the van's side: "Caplan's." When he looked down, the confused policeman saw that he was unexpectedly standing in the road. The off-duty policeman crossed the road and saw that Dillons Book Store now had "Cripps" over its entrances. More confused, he looked in to see not books, but women's handbags and shoes.
Looking around, Frank realized people were dressed in clothes that appeared to be from the 1940s. Suddenly, he spotted a young girl in her early 20's dressed in a lime-colored sleeveless top. The handbag she was carrying had a popular brand name on it, which reassured the policeman that maybe he was still partly in 1996. It was a paradox, but he was relieved, and he followed the girl into Cripps.
As the pair went inside, Frank watched in amazement as the interior of the building completely changed in a flash to that of Dillons Bookshop of 1996. The girl turned to leave and Frank lightly grasped the girl's arm to attract attention and said, "Did you see that?"
She replied, "Yeah! I thought it was a clothes shop. I was going to look around, but it's a bookshop."
It was later determined that Cripps and Caplan's were businesses based in Liverpool during the 1950s. Whether these businesses were based in the locations specified in the story has not been confirmed. 1
Frank's experience is not that unusual in the realm of strange phenomenon. There is even a name given to such events -- time slips.
A time slip is an event where it appears that some other era has briefly intruded on the present. A time slip seems to be spontaneous in nature and localization, but there are places on the planet that seem to be more prone than others to time slip events. As well, some people may be more inclined to experience time slips than others. If time then is the unmovable force that physicists say it is, why do some people have experiences that seem to flaunt this concept?
[Click here to read full article]
Time is a funny thing. There never seems to be enough -- yet there is an infinite amount. Time slips through moment upon second into eternity past; yet present, to begin the future.
Time is thought to be unstoppable in its relentless push towards the future. Humans perceive themselves as bound up in time as an insect in amber. Forever imprisoned and forced to reconcile with the regularity and inevitability of change. The past is gone -- the present, fleeting -- and the future is unknown. Or is it?
If a Merseyside policeman by the name of Frank was asked, he may have an entirely different opinion on the subject of time.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in July of 1996, Frank and his wife, Carol was visiting Liverpool's Bold Street area for some shopping. At Central Station, the pair split up; Carol went to Dillons Bookshop and Frank went to HMV to look for a CD he wanted. As he walked up the incline near the Lyceum Post Office/Café building that lead onto Bold Street, Frank suddenly noticed he had entered a strange "oasis of quietness."
Suddenly, a small box van that looked like something out of the 1950s sped across his path, honking its horn as it narrowly missed him. Frank noticed the name on the van's side: "Caplan's." When he looked down, the confused policeman saw that he was unexpectedly standing in the road. The off-duty policeman crossed the road and saw that Dillons Book Store now had "Cripps" over its entrances. More confused, he looked in to see not books, but women's handbags and shoes.
Looking around, Frank realized people were dressed in clothes that appeared to be from the 1940s. Suddenly, he spotted a young girl in her early 20's dressed in a lime-colored sleeveless top. The handbag she was carrying had a popular brand name on it, which reassured the policeman that maybe he was still partly in 1996. It was a paradox, but he was relieved, and he followed the girl into Cripps.
As the pair went inside, Frank watched in amazement as the interior of the building completely changed in a flash to that of Dillons Bookshop of 1996. The girl turned to leave and Frank lightly grasped the girl's arm to attract attention and said, "Did you see that?"
She replied, "Yeah! I thought it was a clothes shop. I was going to look around, but it's a bookshop."
It was later determined that Cripps and Caplan's were businesses based in Liverpool during the 1950s. Whether these businesses were based in the locations specified in the story has not been confirmed. 1
Frank's experience is not that unusual in the realm of strange phenomenon. There is even a name given to such events -- time slips.
A time slip is an event where it appears that some other era has briefly intruded on the present. A time slip seems to be spontaneous in nature and localization, but there are places on the planet that seem to be more prone than others to time slip events. As well, some people may be more inclined to experience time slips than others. If time then is the unmovable force that physicists say it is, why do some people have experiences that seem to flaunt this concept?
[Click here to read full article]
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
In Bhutan, friendly phalluses painted on houses scare off evil spirits
In the tiny landlocked Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, the unique aesthetic tradition of painting erect penises on architecture — a tradition that has persisted for over 500 years — is finally receiving attention on a global scale. Yes, from the mountains to the valleys, Bhutan is covered with disembodied doodles.
But unfortunately for Bhutanese lovers of painting wiggling penises on the sides of their homes, foreign prudishness and the strictures of globalisation threaten to quash this virile art form. Join as we bask in the glory of Bhutan's public members. The following is arguably not safe for work, unless you're currently employed in Bhutan.
A few months ago, we ran a piece on the most phallic destinations on planet Earth. Following said post, several readers wrote in wondering why Bhutan was not included among those tumescent locales. Forsooth, gentle inquirers. There are penile places, and then there are veritable penile wonderlands — Bhutan is the latter. As the health journal Der Urologe elaborates, the symbol gained popularity thanks to a womanizing monk with a unique means of battling supernatural evil:
For most foreigners, the omnipresence of depictions of phalli, always erected and often ejaculating on many walls of traditional houses is a stunning impression.The popularity of these displays goes back to the "Holy Madman" Drukpa Kunley (1455-1529) who made generous use of his penis to fight demons, convert women to Buddhism and mock the religious establishment. Although there is a vast written and oral tradition on the religious and historical significance of the phallus-symbol, for most Bhutanese today it merely means a sign of good luck and an instrument to ward off evil spirits.
[Click here to read full article]
But unfortunately for Bhutanese lovers of painting wiggling penises on the sides of their homes, foreign prudishness and the strictures of globalisation threaten to quash this virile art form. Join as we bask in the glory of Bhutan's public members. The following is arguably not safe for work, unless you're currently employed in Bhutan.
A few months ago, we ran a piece on the most phallic destinations on planet Earth. Following said post, several readers wrote in wondering why Bhutan was not included among those tumescent locales. Forsooth, gentle inquirers. There are penile places, and then there are veritable penile wonderlands — Bhutan is the latter. As the health journal Der Urologe elaborates, the symbol gained popularity thanks to a womanizing monk with a unique means of battling supernatural evil:
For most foreigners, the omnipresence of depictions of phalli, always erected and often ejaculating on many walls of traditional houses is a stunning impression.The popularity of these displays goes back to the "Holy Madman" Drukpa Kunley (1455-1529) who made generous use of his penis to fight demons, convert women to Buddhism and mock the religious establishment. Although there is a vast written and oral tradition on the religious and historical significance of the phallus-symbol, for most Bhutanese today it merely means a sign of good luck and an instrument to ward off evil spirits.
[Click here to read full article]
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
‘Sylvester Stallone’ spotted in 16th century painting
There's always something new to discover in Vatican City. Anthony Zonfrell, 20, a visitor to the holy city did a double take when he saw Sylvester Stallone in one of Raphael's masterpieces.
OK, so it wasn't really Stallone. But the man who brought to life "Rocky," "Rambo" -- and is reprising his role in "The Expendables 2" this summer -- does bear more than a passing resemblance to an unnamed onlooker in a 1511 painting of Pope Gregory IX approving the Vatical Decretals.
Note the cheekbones. Note the heavy eyelids. Note the nose, the hair, the chiseled chin. Heck, everything about the holy man in the painting looks like Sly.
It's interesting to note that Stallone is himself a painter.
Of course, this isn't the first time a current celebrity was thought to resemble someone from way back when. Some wonder if Jack Black and Paul Revere are one and the same. A year or so ago, somebody discovered an old photo of a Civil War soldier who looked a lot like Nicolas Cage.
In an interview with David Letterman, Cage acknowledged the similarities, but insisted that he wasn't a time traveler from the 19th century.
Stallone's publicist had no comment.
[Click here to read full article]
OK, so it wasn't really Stallone. But the man who brought to life "Rocky," "Rambo" -- and is reprising his role in "The Expendables 2" this summer -- does bear more than a passing resemblance to an unnamed onlooker in a 1511 painting of Pope Gregory IX approving the Vatical Decretals.
It's interesting to note that Stallone is himself a painter.
Of course, this isn't the first time a current celebrity was thought to resemble someone from way back when. Some wonder if Jack Black and Paul Revere are one and the same. A year or so ago, somebody discovered an old photo of a Civil War soldier who looked a lot like Nicolas Cage.
In an interview with David Letterman, Cage acknowledged the similarities, but insisted that he wasn't a time traveler from the 19th century.
Stallone's publicist had no comment.
[Click here to read full article]
Monday, May 14, 2012
Mystery 'pulsating winged being' filmed
A video has appeared online showing a glowing figure with wings appearing briefly on CCTV footage.
The video shows an unremarkable street in Indonesia when out of nowhere an unidentified winged figure bathed in light suddenly drops down on the right-hand side and then quickly disappears. Moments later a number of people ( assumed to be security guards ) rush over to see what's happening. The exact origins of the footage remain unclear with some speculating that it could be a viral advertisement for an upcoming movie or video game.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Was the “UFO” seen in Chongqing,China five days ago actually the angry ghost of Mao Zedong?
Question by J.Alfred Prufrock:
Was the “UFO” seen in Chongqing,China five days ago actually the angry ghost of Mao Zedong?
I think there’s a strong possibility that it is(although it could also be a dragon).Perhaps the giant,glowing spirit of Mao,disgusted with the continuing liberalization of the Chinese economy,had come back to China to warn his fellow workers about the oppressive genocidal economic system known as capitalism?
Should I attempt to ask him via my ouija board?
[Click here to read full article]
Was the “UFO” seen in Chongqing,China five days ago actually the angry ghost of Mao Zedong?
I think there’s a strong possibility that it is(although it could also be a dragon).Perhaps the giant,glowing spirit of Mao,disgusted with the continuing liberalization of the Chinese economy,had come back to China to warn his fellow workers about the oppressive genocidal economic system known as capitalism?
Should I attempt to ask him via my ouija board?
[Click here to read full article]
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Police raid smurf concert
Police raided a theatre performance in Saudi Arabia where schoolkids had dressed up as the Smurf's because the music was un-Islamic.
The raid happened in the city of Taif after complaints about the religious music that was being played to accompany the performance by the kids aged between five and nine.
The Saudi Arabian newspaper "El Sharq" said that the anti-Smurf action by the police took place in front of a performance in front of around 2000 primary school children.
It said that the police raid had not gone down well with the audience who had protested loudly.
Although not illegal to play music in public many Saudis regard it as unIslamic.
[Click here to read full article]
The raid happened in the city of Taif after complaints about the religious music that was being played to accompany the performance by the kids aged between five and nine.
The Saudi Arabian newspaper "El Sharq" said that the anti-Smurf action by the police took place in front of a performance in front of around 2000 primary school children.
It said that the police raid had not gone down well with the audience who had protested loudly.
Although not illegal to play music in public many Saudis regard it as unIslamic.
[Click here to read full article]
Friday, May 11, 2012
Ghosts in Asia: To Haunt or Not to Haunt?
by Courtney Mroch
I asked Annie of FootTracker if she’d be interested in doing a guest blog. I noticed a pattern in some of her comments on my posts. After reading her post, “Proper” Way to Enter a Hotel Room, my suspicions were confirmed: We share an interest in ghosts and the paranormal. However, she appreciates a different cultural perspective of it. That’s what I asked if she’d be interested in guest blogging about. To my delight, she was!
Snuggling on the couch after work, holding a bowl of popcorn in my right hand, grabbing a pillow with my left hand, while enjoying shows like Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State, Destination Truth, and Celebrity Ghost Stories, has been my favorite weekly activities for some time now. The shows signify an era when people are able to watch the paranormal activities right in the comfort of their house without worries. Furthermore, the shows also created some buzz for the haunted destinations that many businesses and hotels probably appreciated too.
But do we share the same passion and interest across the world? Let’s take a closer look.
1. Many scary movies from Japan have negative impressions about the supernatural. “Ju-on: The Grudge” perhaps is the best example of such movie: A house that looks so normal, just like any other location, has relations to many deaths and disappearances. Their legends, religion, and media, may have influenced the belief that having ghosts in their own house is unlucky, or rather creepy. Because paranormal activities and ghosts are often associated with unexplained death or car accidents, it is rumored to be part of the reason why government put on exclamation road signs at certain locations (talked about by a Japanese television show).
[Click here to read full article]
I asked Annie of FootTracker if she’d be interested in doing a guest blog. I noticed a pattern in some of her comments on my posts. After reading her post, “Proper” Way to Enter a Hotel Room, my suspicions were confirmed: We share an interest in ghosts and the paranormal. However, she appreciates a different cultural perspective of it. That’s what I asked if she’d be interested in guest blogging about. To my delight, she was!
Snuggling on the couch after work, holding a bowl of popcorn in my right hand, grabbing a pillow with my left hand, while enjoying shows like Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State, Destination Truth, and Celebrity Ghost Stories, has been my favorite weekly activities for some time now. The shows signify an era when people are able to watch the paranormal activities right in the comfort of their house without worries. Furthermore, the shows also created some buzz for the haunted destinations that many businesses and hotels probably appreciated too.
But do we share the same passion and interest across the world? Let’s take a closer look.
1. Many scary movies from Japan have negative impressions about the supernatural. “Ju-on: The Grudge” perhaps is the best example of such movie: A house that looks so normal, just like any other location, has relations to many deaths and disappearances. Their legends, religion, and media, may have influenced the belief that having ghosts in their own house is unlucky, or rather creepy. Because paranormal activities and ghosts are often associated with unexplained death or car accidents, it is rumored to be part of the reason why government put on exclamation road signs at certain locations (talked about by a Japanese television show).
[Click here to read full article]
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Dolphins Dying in Record Numbers: Peru, China, India, and Gulf of Mexico
Scientists say they are investigating the mysterious deaths of 877 dolphins washed ashore in Peru this year. More than 80% of those dolphins were found in an advanced state of decomposition, making it difficult to study their deaths.
The porpoises and dolphin carcasses have washed up in a 220-kilometer (137-mile) area from Punta Aguja to Lambayeque, in the north of the country. Marine experts say the most likely cause is some sort of virus, but environmentalists claim sound waves from seismic oil exploration are to blame. The head of a local fisherman’s association said that he estimated more than 3,000 dolphins had died so far this year, based on what he saw in the water and on beaches.
The dolphin deaths in Peru are mark the third set of high-profile strandings in about two months. In February, 179 dolphins –108 of which were dead — washed ashore in Cape Cod, in eastern United States. Marine biologists are still trying to determine the cause of those deaths. In early March, amateur video taken from a beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, showed more than 30 dolphins on shore. In that instance, all dolphins were safely returned to the sea.
In the fourth such incident in the past month, an eight-ft-long dead dolphin was washed ashore at Bandra Bandstand in Mumbai on the west coast of India. A humpback whale was found dead at Diveagar coast in Raigad last week. This came after two whales of the same species were found beached at Uran and off Priyadarshini Park, Napean Sea Road, on March 29 and March 31.
[Click here to read full article]
The porpoises and dolphin carcasses have washed up in a 220-kilometer (137-mile) area from Punta Aguja to Lambayeque, in the north of the country. Marine experts say the most likely cause is some sort of virus, but environmentalists claim sound waves from seismic oil exploration are to blame. The head of a local fisherman’s association said that he estimated more than 3,000 dolphins had died so far this year, based on what he saw in the water and on beaches.
The dolphin deaths in Peru are mark the third set of high-profile strandings in about two months. In February, 179 dolphins –108 of which were dead — washed ashore in Cape Cod, in eastern United States. Marine biologists are still trying to determine the cause of those deaths. In early March, amateur video taken from a beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, showed more than 30 dolphins on shore. In that instance, all dolphins were safely returned to the sea.
In the fourth such incident in the past month, an eight-ft-long dead dolphin was washed ashore at Bandra Bandstand in Mumbai on the west coast of India. A humpback whale was found dead at Diveagar coast in Raigad last week. This came after two whales of the same species were found beached at Uran and off Priyadarshini Park, Napean Sea Road, on March 29 and March 31.
[Click here to read full article]
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Could this virus cure cancer?
Australian scientists are leading a global charge to combat one of the world's worst killers with a surprising secret weapon - the common cold.
It's a tempting idea and one on the cutting edge of a new medical research field called oncolytic virotherapy. Could the common cold cure cancer?
Except that the idea is not really new at all. The classical Greek physician Hippocrates is often credited with the saying: ''Give me the power to create a fever and I shall cure any disease.''
More than 2500 years later modern scientists, including a team from the University of Newcastle, are proving the theory has merit.
Common viruses have become the latest weapon against cancer, with a small Australian biotechnology group one of the leaders in the field.
The idea has been around for some time. Not only did the classical Greeks make the observation but there have been a couple of instances of cancer patients entering spontaneous remission after exposure to certain viruses in the last century.
[Click here to read full article]
It's a tempting idea and one on the cutting edge of a new medical research field called oncolytic virotherapy. Could the common cold cure cancer?
Except that the idea is not really new at all. The classical Greek physician Hippocrates is often credited with the saying: ''Give me the power to create a fever and I shall cure any disease.''
More than 2500 years later modern scientists, including a team from the University of Newcastle, are proving the theory has merit.
Common viruses have become the latest weapon against cancer, with a small Australian biotechnology group one of the leaders in the field.
The idea has been around for some time. Not only did the classical Greeks make the observation but there have been a couple of instances of cancer patients entering spontaneous remission after exposure to certain viruses in the last century.
[Click here to read full article]
Monday, May 7, 2012
The Professor That Disproved Reality
Eventually, in the narrative of the artificial intelligence singularity, computers become so advanced that desktop PCs are able to process with incredible speed beyond the collective brain-power of every man, woman, and child who ever lived. And if this were the case, a proposal known as "simulation theory" suggests that the chances of being a product of one of these simulations is almost guaranteed. So how did one Oxford University Professor call everything in reality into question?
The paper at the center of the controversy is titled "Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?" Nick Bostrom, award winning Swedish Philosopher and professor may have come dangerously close to disproving reality as we know it. Circulated in 2003, the paper goes down the rabbit hole to suggest that we are not, as many have taken for granted, in a physical world governed by immutable laws that transcend the fabric of the universe dictated by forces unknown at its periphery.
Instead, it puts forward the following three possible scenarios given today's already emerging technological trends. First, it says it is quite possible that the human race will inevitably go extinct before it achieves a "posthuman" stage where artificial intelligence is able to improve upon itself in a Ray Kurzweil style AI singularity. If that is not the case, it suggests the idea that some factor in the human race's future will prevent more than a handful of advanced computer simulations of its own past from being built.
And the final scenario it puts forward is the most shocking of all - that we are currently living in an environment generated entirely by a computer. And that's not all. According to the paper, even our very minds may be simply byproducts of the computer simulation. It states that rather than a mere possibility, the likelihood of our being made from information is surprisingly high.
[Click here to read full article]
The paper at the center of the controversy is titled "Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?" Nick Bostrom, award winning Swedish Philosopher and professor may have come dangerously close to disproving reality as we know it. Circulated in 2003, the paper goes down the rabbit hole to suggest that we are not, as many have taken for granted, in a physical world governed by immutable laws that transcend the fabric of the universe dictated by forces unknown at its periphery.
Instead, it puts forward the following three possible scenarios given today's already emerging technological trends. First, it says it is quite possible that the human race will inevitably go extinct before it achieves a "posthuman" stage where artificial intelligence is able to improve upon itself in a Ray Kurzweil style AI singularity. If that is not the case, it suggests the idea that some factor in the human race's future will prevent more than a handful of advanced computer simulations of its own past from being built.
And the final scenario it puts forward is the most shocking of all - that we are currently living in an environment generated entirely by a computer. And that's not all. According to the paper, even our very minds may be simply byproducts of the computer simulation. It states that rather than a mere possibility, the likelihood of our being made from information is surprisingly high.
[Click here to read full article]
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Did Nasa satellite capture giant UFO surfing the hellish surface of the sun?
A strange object flying close to the sun looks unnervingly like a huge, metallic 'mothership' familiar from Hollywood blockbusters.
UFO fan site News Gather said: 'An unusually shaped, gigantic UFO was spotted on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and posted in a video on YouTube.'
The picture was released by Nasa's sun-watching Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, known as SOHO - and has become an immediate cult hit on the internet.
UFO fan site Gather News said: ‘An unusually shaped, gigantic UFO was spotted on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and posted in a video on YouTube.
An enlargement of the object makes the enormously large UFO look like a ship straight out of a Hollywood movie
‘The unidentified flying object, which bears no resemblance to anything ever spotted near the Sun, somehow manages to withstand the blazing heat thrown off by solar flare activity and the incredibly high temperatures emanating from nuclear fusion generated on the surface of the star. What is it?' asked the site.
UFO fans on YouTube have been highly enthusiastic about the object, with many claiming it as a definite 'spot'.
SOHO, the Solar & Heliospheric Observatory, is a satellite built to study the Sun from its deep core to the outer corona and the solar wind.
SOHO was launched on December 2, 1995.
The twelve instruments on board SOHO communicate with large radio dishes around the world which form NASA's Deep Space Network are used for data downlink and commanding.
‘The video shows what looks like a metallic, jointed spaceship with a gigantic extension, perhaps a boom arm, anchored off its lower end.
'An enlargement of the object makes the enormously large UFO look like a ship straight out of a Hollywood movie.'
[Click here to read full article]
UFO fan site News Gather said: 'An unusually shaped, gigantic UFO was spotted on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and posted in a video on YouTube.'
The picture was released by Nasa's sun-watching Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, known as SOHO - and has become an immediate cult hit on the internet.
UFO fan site Gather News said: ‘An unusually shaped, gigantic UFO was spotted on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and posted in a video on YouTube.
‘The unidentified flying object, which bears no resemblance to anything ever spotted near the Sun, somehow manages to withstand the blazing heat thrown off by solar flare activity and the incredibly high temperatures emanating from nuclear fusion generated on the surface of the star. What is it?' asked the site.
UFO fans on YouTube have been highly enthusiastic about the object, with many claiming it as a definite 'spot'.
SOHO, the Solar & Heliospheric Observatory, is a satellite built to study the Sun from its deep core to the outer corona and the solar wind.
SOHO was launched on December 2, 1995.
The twelve instruments on board SOHO communicate with large radio dishes around the world which form NASA's Deep Space Network are used for data downlink and commanding.
‘The video shows what looks like a metallic, jointed spaceship with a gigantic extension, perhaps a boom arm, anchored off its lower end.
'An enlargement of the object makes the enormously large UFO look like a ship straight out of a Hollywood movie.'
[Click here to read full article]
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Psychic Phenomena: Common Sense Questions that Require Answers
Why are the investigations into the strange happenings that we are shown on TV always done at night? With of course the artificial spooky conditions and lighting thrown in and NEVER total adequate video/audio coverage of the full area under so-called investigation? And why is it impossible for the viewer of the programs to make sense of the recordings of the spooks’ voices without the presenters (so-called investigators) having to reveal what exactly the voice recording says?
How do the spirits or whatever know the location or time to find the mediums or deceased's family so the messaging/conversing/contacting can take place?
Why don't the psychics get the messages/information from the departed or from wherever properly from the outset? Why the need to ask more questions for a more detailed message?
Why don’t the psychics interrogate the spirits during the contacts about what they do on the “other side” to keep busy and about the details and circumstances on the “other side” and to obtain answers also to questions like those posed here?
Where does the idiotic idea come from that the spirits of some dead are still roaming around on this earthly plane because they don’t realize they have physically died and hence need
assistance from mediums to pass on further? Spirits can’t be SO utterly stupid!!! Nobody can be so dumb that you will not realize after a while that you must be dead. Didn’t they at least at some stage see their dead physical bodies being separate from their new “spiritual” existence?
[Click here to read full article]
How do the spirits or whatever know the location or time to find the mediums or deceased's family so the messaging/conversing/contacting can take place?
Why don't the psychics get the messages/information from the departed or from wherever properly from the outset? Why the need to ask more questions for a more detailed message?
Why don’t the psychics interrogate the spirits during the contacts about what they do on the “other side” to keep busy and about the details and circumstances on the “other side” and to obtain answers also to questions like those posed here?
Where does the idiotic idea come from that the spirits of some dead are still roaming around on this earthly plane because they don’t realize they have physically died and hence need
assistance from mediums to pass on further? Spirits can’t be SO utterly stupid!!! Nobody can be so dumb that you will not realize after a while that you must be dead. Didn’t they at least at some stage see their dead physical bodies being separate from their new “spiritual” existence?
[Click here to read full article]
Friday, May 4, 2012
UFO spotted on Google Maps Singapore?
by Joan Seth
Recently, a reader who wish to be known as SpidermanX, sent us some screenshot of Google Maps street views of Joo Chiat, asking us to take a look and determine its authenticity.
Apparently, somebody had discovered a UFO being shown in the screenshots and had posted them to STOMP.
This is the original Google Map Street View Image. The UFO is circled in red.
This is an enlargement of the UFO.
Without any further information or evidence, its hard to determine the truth behind this UFO. One thing we can be certain is that this images have not been edited in anyway by SpidermanX. Asia Paranormal had checked Google Maps and that particular street view does still contain the UFO.
We were unable to determine when did Google take this street view and uploaded it online. Thus, sadly, Asia Paranormal has to conclude that this case remains unexplained.
Recently, a reader who wish to be known as SpidermanX, sent us some screenshot of Google Maps street views of Joo Chiat, asking us to take a look and determine its authenticity.
Apparently, somebody had discovered a UFO being shown in the screenshots and had posted them to STOMP.
Without any further information or evidence, its hard to determine the truth behind this UFO. One thing we can be certain is that this images have not been edited in anyway by SpidermanX. Asia Paranormal had checked Google Maps and that particular street view does still contain the UFO.
We were unable to determine when did Google take this street view and uploaded it online. Thus, sadly, Asia Paranormal has to conclude that this case remains unexplained.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
What happens when you die?
Alongside the age old question regarding the meaning of life, what happens when you die is another one of those, seemingly unanswerable, questions most of us will ask ourselves at various points throughout our lives. The reason for such a morbid question couldn’t be simpler; it’s going to happen to each and every single one of us.
Death is something we share with everyone and every living thing. We are born, we live, and we die. To understand what happens when you die, we must first understand what death is. The dictionary definition of death is as concise at it is stark: The end of life; the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism. In times gone by, the end of life was determined to be when a person stopped breathing or when they no longer had a pulse.
This resulted in many instances of people being declared dead when they were not, with some “miraculously” coming back from the dead – and others being buried alive. More recently, end of life has been determined to be when brain function has ceased. When your brain is gone, you are gone so to speak. So, your brain has ceased functioning, you’ve stopped breathing and you have no pulse. To put it bluntly, you are dead. What happens now?
[Click here to read full article]
Death is something we share with everyone and every living thing. We are born, we live, and we die. To understand what happens when you die, we must first understand what death is. The dictionary definition of death is as concise at it is stark: The end of life; the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism. In times gone by, the end of life was determined to be when a person stopped breathing or when they no longer had a pulse.
This resulted in many instances of people being declared dead when they were not, with some “miraculously” coming back from the dead – and others being buried alive. More recently, end of life has been determined to be when brain function has ceased. When your brain is gone, you are gone so to speak. So, your brain has ceased functioning, you’ve stopped breathing and you have no pulse. To put it bluntly, you are dead. What happens now?
[Click here to read full article]
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Gateway To Hell: Israeli Scientists Explore Twins Cave For Ancient Door To Underworld
It's an ancient legend: Located in scattered areas of Earth are openings, doorways, gates, if you will, to some unseen underworld, also variously referred to as hell, Hades and Dante's Inferno.
Researchers exploring the famous Twins Cave outside of Jerusalem have uncovered evidence of some pagan rituals, dating back to the Roman Empire, that suggest people may have believed the cave was a portal to this underworld.
Bar-Ilan University archaeologists found 42 clay lamps -- dating to the late Roman period -- in a 70-foot-long vertical shaft inside the cave. It's speculated that the lamps may have been used in ancient rituals between the 2nd and 4th century C.E., to supposedly guide the Greek goddess Demeter into Hades to search for her missing daughter.
"In the ancient world, it's tricky -- if not dangerous -- to try to assume that we know what the people really thought," said Daniel Schowalter, a professor of religion and classics at Carthage College in Wisconsin.
"Even if there were rituals going on at the site, associated with the underworld, people probably knew that it was just a cave," Schowalter told The Huffington Post.
The idea of some mysterious, menacing dark world of the dead has been written about for as long as humans have speculated about it. Even still, Schowalter says most people don't understand the difference between the terms hell and Hades.
"It's called the realm of Hades, where Hades is the king," he said. "In Greek and Roman conceptions, it's a different understanding than what Christians later developed in terms of hell as a place of punishment.
"Hades was the world of the dead -- the place where the dead lived. The expectation was that when you died, you passed into a different form of life."
Schowalter is the co-director of an excavation site of a Roman temple in northern Israel. He explains the early belief that when you died, "you went to live in the place of the dead, which is the underworld, a kind of shadowy place, which did not necessarily involve punishment, and you weren't sent there because you were bad. It's just where dead people went."
But how would one actually reach this mysterious underworld realm?
According to the online edition of Israel's Haaretz, "dark, deep pits or caves were considered gateways to hell and were often used for rituals dedicated to pagan gods."
[Click here to read full article]
Researchers exploring the famous Twins Cave outside of Jerusalem have uncovered evidence of some pagan rituals, dating back to the Roman Empire, that suggest people may have believed the cave was a portal to this underworld.
Bar-Ilan University archaeologists found 42 clay lamps -- dating to the late Roman period -- in a 70-foot-long vertical shaft inside the cave. It's speculated that the lamps may have been used in ancient rituals between the 2nd and 4th century C.E., to supposedly guide the Greek goddess Demeter into Hades to search for her missing daughter.
"In the ancient world, it's tricky -- if not dangerous -- to try to assume that we know what the people really thought," said Daniel Schowalter, a professor of religion and classics at Carthage College in Wisconsin.
"Even if there were rituals going on at the site, associated with the underworld, people probably knew that it was just a cave," Schowalter told The Huffington Post.
The idea of some mysterious, menacing dark world of the dead has been written about for as long as humans have speculated about it. Even still, Schowalter says most people don't understand the difference between the terms hell and Hades.
"It's called the realm of Hades, where Hades is the king," he said. "In Greek and Roman conceptions, it's a different understanding than what Christians later developed in terms of hell as a place of punishment.
"Hades was the world of the dead -- the place where the dead lived. The expectation was that when you died, you passed into a different form of life."
Schowalter is the co-director of an excavation site of a Roman temple in northern Israel. He explains the early belief that when you died, "you went to live in the place of the dead, which is the underworld, a kind of shadowy place, which did not necessarily involve punishment, and you weren't sent there because you were bad. It's just where dead people went."
But how would one actually reach this mysterious underworld realm?
According to the online edition of Israel's Haaretz, "dark, deep pits or caves were considered gateways to hell and were often used for rituals dedicated to pagan gods."
[Click here to read full article]
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Did a UFO cause the Pakistan 737 air crash?
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the cause of the Bhoja Air Boeing 737 crash in Pakistan last Friday may have been a UFO sighting by the pilot.
A Russian news report on the crash posted on YouTube incorporates footage of three mysterious lights moving in formation, leading to speculation in the UFO community that blame for the tragic accident may lie with an extra-terrestrial craft.
There are rumours that the pilot may have been buzzed by the object and complained to the control tower at Islamabad airport as he made his approach, according to Gather News.
The official line, however, is that the passenger jet’s fuel tanks exploded mid-air during a heavy thunderstorm, killing all 127 people on board.
In a mayday call made moments before the disaster, the pilot of the stricken jet reported a fuel tank had caught fire and that the plane was out of control.
He asked controllers at Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto international airport for help as he prepared for an emergency landing, saying he could see the roofs of homes but not the runway.
Wreckage from the 32-year-old jet, which first saw service with British Airways, was scattered across a wide area in fields about three miles from the airport.
[Click here to read full article]
A Russian news report on the crash posted on YouTube incorporates footage of three mysterious lights moving in formation, leading to speculation in the UFO community that blame for the tragic accident may lie with an extra-terrestrial craft.
There are rumours that the pilot may have been buzzed by the object and complained to the control tower at Islamabad airport as he made his approach, according to Gather News.
The official line, however, is that the passenger jet’s fuel tanks exploded mid-air during a heavy thunderstorm, killing all 127 people on board.
In a mayday call made moments before the disaster, the pilot of the stricken jet reported a fuel tank had caught fire and that the plane was out of control.
He asked controllers at Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto international airport for help as he prepared for an emergency landing, saying he could see the roofs of homes but not the runway.
Wreckage from the 32-year-old jet, which first saw service with British Airways, was scattered across a wide area in fields about three miles from the airport.
[Click here to read full article]