Creating a virtual cancer

Creating a virtual cancer

One Step Beyond: Sacred Mushroom

One Step Beyond: Sacred Mushroom: "

Here we present "Sacred Mushroom" an (in)famous and rarely repeated episode of One Step Beyond which looks at a magic Mexican mushroom that might give extra sensory powers. Hailing from a more innocent age (1961 to be exact) they leap straight in, start stuffing down these mushrooms and doing tests to see if their minds have been expanded beyond the limits of the human capability.

As well as an eye-opening, period piece (which feels very much like faked, documentary slipped into a film just before some terrible supernatural beastie is launched at the screen), the key figure here is Andrija Puharich who was the man who discovered Uri Geller, did CIA-sponsored ESP research at the Stanford Research Institute and is intimately connected with the mystery of The Nine. He has been described as an éminence grise looming largely behind a lot of the wildest claims of the last 50 years. I mention him in passing in Darklore 4 and will be returning to him in the near future.

Are you now ready? Are you sure? Well OK, then carry on:

Source

Hat tip

"

(via spiderlashes)

(via spiderlashes): "

(via spiderlashes)

"

Leopard enjoys a ride in a car

Leopard enjoys a ride in a car: "

"

5 Scary Places and the Legends Behind Them

5 Scary Places and the Legends Behind Them: "

There are more haunted places and scary stories around the world than you can shake a stick at. Here are a few you might not be familiar with already.

The Haunted Tunnel

Moonville, Ohio was once a thriving mining town with a population that peaked at about 100 people. Nearby is a railroad tunnel that is purported to be haunted by any of the four people who died there. The most famous is a railroad brakeman who had too much to drink and tried to stop a train, but was hit in March of 1859. The train wheels mangled his leg and he died of his injuries within days. The other deaths were a miner who was trapped in a collapsed mine, a woman who was crossing the railroad trestle when a train passed, and a fellow who crossed the tracks after a train, but didn’t see another portion of the train that had become detached and was still moving in the same direction. Several accounts exist of people who see the brakeman near the tunnel, swinging a light in an attempt to stop the train, or see the woman who died in 1905 walking beside the tracks. Railroad workers occasionally see a semi-transparent man being hit, and sometimes they hear screams, but no solid body is hit during those events.

Devil’s Town

Djavolja Varos translates to English as Devil’s Town, and is located between Devil’s Gully and Hell’s Gully in Serbia. This area has hundreds of stone towers made of volcanic stone that rise when the surrounding soil is washed away. They only last a few hundred years, so the landscape changes and this led to the legend of demons fighting each other. The story goes that the devil placed a curse on the local waters and those who drank it forgot their ancestry. This led to a wedding between brother and sister. A fairy tried to stop the marriage, but the couple refused. The fairy was left with no choice but to turn them into stone, along with all the wedding guests. The legend is fed by the presence of mineral springs in the area, one that is used for medicinal purposes and another that produces red water. Acoustics play a part in the haunting as well. When the wind whips around the stone towers, you can hear eerie whistles, howls, cries, and squeaks. Image by Geologicharka.

The Curse of English Cave

A cave runs under Benton Park in St. Louis, but no one can find a way in. The main entrance to English Cave, named after its first owner, was sealed up 100 years ago after it was found that water was draining in to it from Benton Park. In the early days of St. Louis, several businesses tried to use the cave and failed. Ezra English used it for storage for his brewery. He opened a beer garden attraction in 1849, which was also the year a cholera epidemic his St. Louis. The city even opened a new graveyard for cholera victims nearby. The cave attraction fizzled. In 1887, news owners tried a mushroom farm, which went out of business in two years. A winery used the cave in 1897, but that business didn’t last long, either. Was the cave cursed? Legend has it that English Cave was the hiding place of two Native American lovers who fled there to avoid the tribal war chief, to whom the woman was promised in marriage. The chief and his warriors kept vigil outside the cave, until the couple inside died of starvation. Many years later, white explorers found two skeletons in the cave. Some say the ghosts of the couple are the real reason no business can thrive in English Cave.

The Haunted Bridge

An old stone bridge called Packhorse Bridge in the northeastern Welsh village of Caergwrle is the scene of this ghostly photograph. Locals say this is the ghost of “Squire Yonge”. However, this term turns up in Chaucer as well as Arthurian literature, and means young squire, which could refer to any number of people. The bridge was built in the 17th century. Nearby Caergwrle Castle was mostly completed by 1282, the final castle built before Wales lost its independent to England. The retreating Welsh filled in the well and sabotaged the castle in order to reduce its value to the English. It is mostly in ruins now. See more spooky night pictures of the bridge.

Fisher’s Ghost

Every November, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia holds the Festival of Fisher’s Ghost. Frederick Fisher was a local businessman who had been in and out of prison. His neighbor George Worrall held power of attorney over Fisher’s property while he was incarcerated. On the night of June 17, 1826, Worrall announced that Fisher had fled to England to avoid more legal trouble. Worrall soon disposed of Fisher’s assets, and the suspicious citizenry had him arrested. Worrall blamed four other men, who were also arrested. But where was the evidence? The legend is that farmer John Farley saw the ghost of Fisher sitting on a bridge, pointing to an area where his body was subsequently found. The ghostly story was not used as evidence in the trial, but Fisher’s body was recovered on October 25th, and Worrall was convicted of the murder and hanged. The story was made into a movie in 1924.

"

The Quick Seven: Seven Haunted Objects

The Quick Seven: Seven Haunted Objects: "

As promised, we’re back to our Halloween-related posts here on the Q10. Haunted objects have long been the subject of many a horror tale – haunted vehicles (Christine, of course), haunted dolls (the dreaded Chucky, among others) and haunted clowns (that creepy toy in Poltergeist, ugh). But haunted objects exist in real life, too – at least, they do if you believe these seven stories. Here are a few inanimate objects that might just be a little more animated than we think.

1. Robert the Doll. I personally find all dolls to be more than a little bit creepy, but Robert is certainly spookier than most. Robert has been around since at least 1896 and belonged to a little boy (who grew up to be famous artist Robert Eugene Otto) in Key West. The two of them were as thick as thieves and the little boy often chatted with his doll – but, servants and family members said, Robert the Doll often talked back. Neighbors claimed they saw Robert move to different windows of the house when they knew no one was inside; entire rooms were trashed and the little boy, seemingly terrified, would claim that Robert had done it. The boy eventually inherited his parents’ house, and in 1972, he died and another family bought it. The family had a little girl who discovered Robert in the attic and was terrified of it, claiming even 30 years later that the doll was alive and wanted to kill her. These days Robert resides at the Martello Gallery-Key West Art and Historical Museum. If you want a picture of him, you have to ask – a slight tilt of his head means yes. If you don’t get the tilt and take a picture anyway, beware – Robert will curse you. I haven’t been there to verify this, but supposedly there are letters in the Museum from people apologizing for taking pictures of Robert or for not believing in his powers. Has anyone seen Robert in person?

2. The Haunted Mirror at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Even though Marilyn Monroe has been dead for nearly 50 years, you can still see her at the Hollywood Roosevelt… at least, if you believe the stories. Marilyn lived at the Roosevelt a couple of different times during her life, and especially loved Suite 1200. At some point the mirror from Suite 1200 moved to the manager’s office, and when a housekeeper was cleaning it one day, she got quite a fright – a beautiful blonde woman was staring right back at her. Not one to shy away from publicity, the Roosevelt moved the mirror to a public area so guests could experience Miss Monroe as well. And supposedly they have – lots of people have reported seeing her image. But that makes sense – the Roosevelt has cleverly decided to hang a portrait right next to it.

3. The Haunted Mirror at the Myrtles Plantation. Our own Miss Cellania wrote about the Myrtles earlier this week. If you’re looking for a spooky read, you should definitely click on over.

4. Annabelle the Haunted Doll. I’ve always thought Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls looked particularly evil, and here’s my proof. Raggedy Ann was given to a little girl named Donna in the ‘70s, and she and her family immediately began to notice strange things. The doll would seemingly repose itself when no one was looking, and once it was even found in a kneeling position. When Donna tried to replicate the pose with the doll, she couldn’t – it was too soft to stay in that position and would just fall over. Childish writing began to appear on the walls and the family got scared. They found a medium and held a séance, where they found out that a little girl named Annabelle had once lived there, long before the apartment building was there, and wanted to play with them. Even worse things began to happen afterward – Donna’s father received inexplicable burn marks on his chest and everyone in the house began having nightmares. You can read a really detailed account of the whole thing here, but suffice it to say, Donna and her family got rid of Annabelle the Doll. It’s now in an occult museum; she apparently makes new “friends” every day.

5. Haunted Wedding Dress. At the historic Baker Mansion in Altoona, Pa., there lives a wedding dress that sits in a display case and moves all by itself. The story goes something like this: In the mid-1800s, Anna Baker got engaged to one of her father’s employees. She bought her wedding dress and was secretly making preparations when her father caught on, fired the man and had him sent away. She never married and the dress went unused. When the Blair County Historical Society bought the mansion, they found the dress displayed it under glass. Apparently Anna thought she would finally get some use out of the dress, because ever since then, it’s been moving and swaying of its own accord from behind the glass. The Historical Society pooh-poohed it, saying that some of the floorboards under the display case were loose, so when people came near the case would be slightly disturbed, making the gown appear to move. But at least one story says that the Society caught it moving on its security cameras when no one else was in the room, and that’s why it’s no longer on display at the Baker Mansion.

6. Haunted Chairs. Not just one, but two haunted chairs furnish the Gothic Ballroom of Belcourt Castle in Newport, R.I. The Castle is open to tours, and people who have come to view this gorgeous mansion have reported feeling chills and a strange energy when they get near two chairs in particular. The word is that if you’re daring enough to actually try sitting in one of the chairs, you’ll get a definite feeling of resistance and may even end up on your butt on the floor. There’s supposedly a documented case of just that happening, but I sure can’t find it. If you live nearby, you should check out the current ghost tour at Belcourt and let us know if the hype is true. (That’s the Ballroom in the picture.)

7. Haunted Painting. I’ve purposely avoided mentioning “haunted” items on eBay, because anyone can throw something out there and claim it’s haunted. But this one seems to have garnered a lot of press, so I’m going to include it. Artist Bill Stoneham painted “Hands Resist Him” in 1972 and then lost track of it after a gallery show (it had been purchased by actor John Marley, who played the dude that found the horse’s head in his bed in The Godfather). Fast forward many years, where a family found the painting abandoned at a dumpster behind a brewery and wondered why anyone would throw out such cool art. They took it home, and shortly thereafter, the four-year-old daughter of the family announced to her mom and dad that the children in the painting were fighting. They then recorded the painting over a period of several nights and thought the figures were, in fact, moving, and decided that they didn’t really need the painting in their house anymore. They sold it on eBay, accompanied by their story, for $1025.00. Bill Stoneham later surfaced and said that he remembered that the owner of the gallery that originally showed the painting died shortly after the show, as did a Los Angeles Times critic who reviewed it.

There are plenty of other “haunted” items out there, but when it comes to things like, “Haunted Barney Doll” or “Haunted Grilled Cheese” I have to draw the line. But do you know of any other famously haunted objects that I missed?

"

Judge Napolitano on Forced Vaccinations in Massachusetts (Video)

Judge Napolitano on Forced Vaccinations in Massachusetts (Video): "Judge Andrew Napolitano comments on the completely unconstitutional bill in Massachusetts that will allow the governor to declare an emergency and 'allow' police to force their way into your homes to vaccinate you. As Gerald Celente has said, has the Second American Revolution begun? Source: youtube.com"

'Boar hair' girl baffles doctors

'Boar hair' girl baffles doctors: "A six-year-old girl has baffled doctors after her skin apparently turned into boar hide. Until just a few months ago she had just a small birthmark on her back.

But the hairy hide has grown and grown and now it covers Li Xiaoyuan's entire back and is starting to grow on her arms and face. The schoolgirl, from Fengkai, southern China, is under near constant medical supervision as doctors try to work out what's wrong.

Her dad Li Yan said: 'Doctors told us it was just a birthmark even when it started spreading but now it covers half her body.



'None of the other children want to play with her – they are really mean.' Mum Li Jiang added: 'It breaks our hearts to see her suffer like this.'

Surgeon Dr Lou Zhongquan of Zhaoqing City Dermatological Hospital believes the youngster may be suffering from a rare hereditary disease that has sent normal moles out of control.

He said: 'If they were smaller we could use laser treatment. But even if we removed these with surgery there is a very strong chance of post surgery haemorrhage.'

"

35 Years of the World’s Best Microscope Photography

35 Years of the World’s Best Microscope Photography: "

Wired: 35 Years of the World’s Best Microscope Photography

Related posts:

1. How do you prove photography to a blind man?
2. The photography of Gretchen Drew
3. The photography of Jason King

"

Everything is OK, Your Government is in Control

Everything is OK, Your Government is in Control: "

"

Ghost of a Chance...

This was posted via http://peeringthrough.blogspot.com/2009/10/ghost-of-chance.html -

Ghost of a Chance...: "

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article6856134.ece

Without getting into a morality argument in the Roman Polanski saga, I am perplexed with the timing of his recent detainment in Zurich. These charges are WELL known, have been haunting him and his victim for some 32 years. Aside from not reentering the U.S., Roman is a HIGH profile world traveler...he very well could have been picked up by just about any Government in the World at any time if there had been an 'Okay' from the powers that be.

Polanski's infamous 'Deal with the Devil'; the sacrificial exchange of his wife and unborn child for directorial success and power is a theory that has existed in the dark recesses of conspiracy circles for many years. Is it possible that the dark powers that have held Polanski's marker since 1969 have finally decided to collect? Is it even more possible that the reason this Faustian drama is going to come to an end here and now is directly related to block the completion and release of the heralded director's upcoming film, 'The Ghost'?

Based directly on the novel of the same name by Brit journalist/author Robert Harris, 'The Ghost' deals with a fictionalized former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; explosive evidence is uncovered by a ghost-writer hired to write the Prime Minister's memoirs which would implicate him of International War crimes committed during the War with Iraq.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_(novel)

Did Polanski cross the line desiring to bring this story to the public? An egotistical slap-in-the-face to the dark powers that made him who he has been, and kept him safe from prosecution all these many years. I could see this story not siting well within the Secret Commonwealth...

"