Trilogy of Terror

Trilogy of Terror is a 1975 three part television horror thriller film. The film, which starred Karen Black in the four lead roles of each chapter, including roles as twin sisters, was originally a failed pilot for a horror anthology television series. All three segments are based on unrelated short stories, with film titles being the names for the film's main character, played by Black. The third one is my favorite, giving me chills down to my bone and the fear of Tiki dolls. I wrote about the first two but the third one deserves to be watched, especially if you haven’t seen it.
Segment 1: JulieChad and Eddie are university students who admire their English teacher, Julie Eldrich. During one class, Chad is distracted by Julie's low cut shirt and begins to daydream about her. Eddie discourages Chad against becoming romantically involved with teachers. Later that evening, when Julie is undressing alone in her room, Chad is seen watching through a window. The next day at university, Chad asks Julie out on a date, and after initially refusing, accepts Chad's offer. Basically, during the date, Chad spikes Julie’s drink, drives them to a motel, takes sexually provocative pictures of her and blackmails her into continuing their affair. After several weeks of being threatened, Julie announces "The game is over". Julie then asks Chad, "Did you really think that dull, little mind of yours could possibly have conceived any of the rather dramatic experiences we've shared? Why do you think you suddenly had the overwhelming desire to see what I looked like under 'all those clothes?' Don't feel bad, I always get bored after a while." Chad realises his own drink has been poisoned. Chad dies, and Julie drags his body into the darkroom where she sets fire to the offending photographs. Chad's death is later reported in local media as a house fire. Julie adds the newspaper story to a scrapbook containing students who met similar fates. Suddenly, there is a knock at the door, and another student in need of a tutor enters.

Segment 2: Millicent and ThereseA tale of two sisters, one being the prudish Millicent with curly brown hair and large glasses, and the easy going Therese with long blonde hair. Millicent is determined that Therese is evil, and plants a voodoo device to kill her. When Millicent's friend Dr. Ramsey enters the house, he finds Therese dead on her bedroom floor with the doll next to her. After speaking with the family doctor, Dr. Ramsey reveals that it was Millicent acting in a blonde wig and make-up in a dual personality manner.

Segment 3: Amelia

1950's Science Fiction/Horror Classics

You know these movies and probably seen them. These are five of the original 1950’s classic horror flicks that may have scared you when you were a kid; well maybe some of you that are around my age. Most were made before I was born and some are in black and white, others in color. I used to watch them when I was a young girl, late night with my friends, and with a bowl of popcorn. It was our midnight horror flick tradition that we did almost every weekend. All have had remakes that may or may not have live up to the intensity of the original. I just wrote a reader digest version of each movie with a video of the trailer added on.

The ThingThe Thing is a 1951 movie which centers around a shape-shifting alien that infiltrates an Antarctic scientific research station and kills the Norwegian research team deployed there. A nearby American research team investigates the incident and is in turn attacked by the alien. Remake: 1982


Invasion of the Body Snatchers
In this 1956 movie the story focuses on a local doctor, who finds a rash of patients accusing their loved ones of being impostors and that the townspeople are being replaced by reproductions grown from plantlike pods. These pods are perfect physical duplicates that kill and dispose of their human victims and can be distinguished from normal people by their total lack of emotion. The pod people secretly spread more pods to replace the entire human race. Remake: 1978


Them
This 1954 film begins with New Mexico State Police Sergeant investigating the disappearance of a vacationing FBI agent and his wife. Their little girl was found wandering the desert in a state of shock and not speaking. The family’s trailer was found pulled into pieces by some great force, with a single strange track near the wreckage. These unusual track grab the attention of a father/daughter team of entomologists from the Department of Agriculture. A doctor arrives and has the little girl smell the contents of a vial of formic acid, which brings her out of shock and causes her to start screaming "Them! Them!" After returning to the trailor, the group encounters a patrol of soldier ants, mutated by atomic radiation to the size of automobiles. Remake: 2006


The BlobThe Blob is a 1958 movie about an amorphous creature from outer space which lands on Earth encased in a meteor. After making a meal of an elderly man, nurse and doctor, this jelly-like substance or “Blob”, continues to consume any living beings in its path. Remake: 1988


The Fly
The 1958 movie a Canadian scientist, has invented a teleportation device and after many setbacks including the family cat, he finds success in transporting a small rodent which appeared unharmed from the process. Confident in the machine's abilities, he now attempts to transport himself. The first time works, but, unknown to him a fly enters the cabin with him on his second attempt, and the two are jumbled together. The scientist emerges as a half-man, half-fly hybrid, a human with a fly's head, leg and arm/claw. After his wife finds out what happened, she tries to find the “fly with a white head” to reverse the process. He does return back to normal but realizes that his mind is being overtaken by that of the fly he asks his wife to end his suffering by killing him with a heavy machine press. Later, after his wife is arrested for his murder, we see her son and the Inspector looking in a spider web, where they see a tiny creature with the scientist’s head and arms with the body of a fly, shrieking, “Help me! Help me!” as it is about to be eaten by a large spider. Remake: 1986


The House on Haunted Hill
This 1959 movie, House on Haunted Hill is the story of five people invited to stay the night in a haunted house by an eccentric millionaire, who is throwing the "party" for his fourth wife, with the stipulation that the power will be out and all doors will be locked at midnight, allowing no accessible escape. Anyone who stays in the house for the entire night, given that they are still alive, will each receive $10,000. After spending a horrifing night of murder, mayhem and trickory in the house, they think that the trauma in finally over and they can leave, but the real horror is revealed. With a terrifying look on his face, the millionaire announces to them that the ghosts are finally coming for them. Remake: 1999


Here is a list of more 1950's horror flicks.

The Ford Theatre and Lincoln's Ghost

Not far from the Mall where the Smithsonian Museums are located is the Ford Theatre. We planned on touring the Ford Theatre after spending most of the day in the museums seeing all the historical exhibits and paintings. You walk through the main doors and are ushered into the theatre area where you are asked to be seated. After all the tourists are seated, a man came onto the stage and gave us a brief history of the theatre.

The building was built in 1833 and was originally a house of worship. In 1861, John T. Ford bought the place and had it renovated into a theater which was originally called Ford’s Athenaeum. Then in 1862 a fire destroyed the place, it was rebuilt, and then opened a year later, and was called Ford’s New Theatre. On April 14, 1865, just three days after General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House; President Lincoln was shot while enjoying a performance with his wife Mary Todd Lincoln.  President Lincoln died some hours later, across the street in an apartment.  John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor in the theatre, snuck up behind Lincoln and coldly put a bullet in the back of his head at point blank range. After stabbing Henry Rathbone, who was also in the box with the Lincolns along with his fiancee Clara Harris, he jumped onto the stage and shouted, “Sic semper tyrannis”, but some thought he said “The South is avenged”, and then escaped out the back door of the theatre. Lincoln’s body was taken to the Petersen House, a boarding house across the street, and put on a bed that wasn’t long enough for him. Clara Harris and Henry Rathbone escorted Mrs. Lincoln to the boarding house where Henry passed out from the blood loss of the stab wound. All through the night and early morning the physicians worked hard to save Lincoln but with no avail. At 7:22 am on April 15, 1865, Lincoln died at the age of 56 from external and internal hemorrhaging. Aft
er the assassination, the government took over the theater and it saw many owners since then. After a lengthy restoration period, the Ford Theatre today is an active theater presenting various types of plays and musicals, and offering tours with a bit of history thrown in.

After the history lesson, we are then ushered into the basement where the historical artifacts are exhibited. On display are many items relating to the assassination, including the Derringer pistol used to kill Lincoln, Booth’s diary, the original door to Lincoln’s theatre box, his coat (minus the bloodstain pieces), the blood stained pillow from his deathbed, statues of Lincoln, and several portraits of President Lincoln. This was truly a fascinating place to visit, and at times you feel like someone unseen might be watching you.

Is the Ford Theatre haunted? Many say it is haunted not only by Lincoln’s ghost, but Mary Todd Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth’s ghosts as well. Many of the witnesses have seen and heard the entire tragic event played out even to this day. The sounds of disembodied footsteps rushing the balcony box can be heard, and then followed by a loud gunshot and screams. Some have seen Mary Todd Lincoln’s ghost shortly afterwards leaning over the railing, pointing towards the stage and yelling “He killed the president”. Abraham Lincoln’s apparition has been seen by some in various places of the theater especially in the booth where he was killed. Others have reported seeing the ghost of Booth and feeling that he is haunting one particular part of the stage. Some of the actors that have stood on the left center of the stage have reported a cold spot, becoming nauseous, and having uncontrollable tremors causing them to shake and mess up their lines. Booth’s ghost has been seen running across the stage on numerous occasions, perhaps the exact area that he ran to make his escape.

The Petersen House has seen its fair share of paranormal activity too. Strange noises, voices, footsteps can be heard along with the ghost of Abraham Lincoln himself. His spirit has also been seen at his grave site in Springfield, Illinois and on many occasions, at the White House. Some say the Lincoln reported having a frightening vision of seeing his body, lying in state at the White House, ten days before he was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre. Maybe that is why Lincoln’s spirit has been witnessed by many hanging around the White House. It's too bad that we didn’t have the time to tour the Petersen House because it would have been a nice finish to the incredible tour.

The Wonders of Sedona, Arizona

There are two cities, besides Phoenix and its surrounding cities, my husband and I have considered retiring in. Those cities are Prescott or Sedona, Arizona. Prescott has that old historical feel to it and Sedona has the most unique feel to it. I will do a blog on Prescott in the future but this blog is all about the stunning red rocks and uplifting energy of Sedona.

In Sedona, Arizona the heavens are a remarkable blue and the earth is a rich red. It is a center of activity of new age thinking where people come seeking serenity, and escape from a hectic way of life. Could it be the beautiful colors, the heat, beauty, or just the whole experience?

Sedona is named after Sedona Miller Schnebly (1877-1950), the wife of the city’s first postmaster, who was celebrated for her hospitality and industriousness. It is the best place for spiritual renewal inspiring all types of people, and has been called a cathedral without walls. One of the most popular wedding spots is called Cathedral Rock which is a beautiful backdrop for photos, and may attract people for more of a mysterious reason. There are the vortexes, the powerful centers of converging energy, which are responsible for putting Sedona on the metaphysical map. You can't see or hear or even smell a vortex, but many people claim they can feel one. Some say it's like gentle waves going through their bodies or something rushing through them like a tremor. Many believe that those who become sensitive to this energy from the Earth can benefit from the subtle metaphysical changes it generates. A vortex is an enhanced energy location that makes it easier to do prayer, meditation, or mind/body healing and can be an awe-inspiring site to help you put together new incites. Some think that where energy lines converge, opposites like the spiritual and material worlds often attract. In Sedona's lands there are many doorways to the spirits where the streams between the two worlds are thin. In areas where an Arizona Cypress and an Arizona Sycamore’s trunks have grown around each other, some feel that this is a portal for those spirits. These spots are said to be scattered throughout Sedona. A witness was taking a tour, all of a sudden felt an energy coming up his leg, into his spine, and to his head, while standing near the two trees. People have had paranormal experiences like seeing spirits, hearing voices, strange noises, and being touched by unseen hands. Are these vortexes in Sedona and other places throughout the world just new age hype or is there something very real going on in these places? There is not a way to measure scientific vortex energy but lack of proof doesn't discourage the believers.

No one knows how long these vortexes have been around but it seems their powers may have drawn people there over 100 years ago. According to the experts, the Sinagua once settled in the cliffs just right outside Sedona and lived there for over 400 years before disappearing mysteriously. Montezuma castle is the site where these cliff dwellers lived. It was first thought of being built by the Aztec, Montezuma, but that turned out to not be correct. The 5 story cliff dwelling is remarkable, well preserved, built over 100 years ago and cleverly wedged in the rock, high above Oak Creek, which runs through Sedona. Historians can only speculate that they build so high because the spot offered protection from the elements, or maybe it was the mysterious energy of Sedona. Another group of Sinagua people to establish their own community called Tuzigoot, which stood 20 miles from Montezuma's Castle. Their shelters were also built from the natural resources found in the area. With all their clever building techniques the mystery still remains why these possibly intelligent Sinaguans suddenly disappeared in the 1400's. Some feel that they may have used up their natural resources or maybe a plague or disease wiped them out, but since there is no written record, no one knows.

The sense of peace and serenity, the improvement of psychic abilities, the easy friendliness of the people, the complete and utter beauty of the surrounding red rocks, are some of the reasons people are drawn to Sedona. I personally feel the tranquility and calmness every time I visit there. It is definitely a place all should visit.

Beauty from Above

It still amazes me how beautiful the universe is beyond our realm of site. It's like a wondrous masterpiece that is brought to us by telescopes, shuttles and satellite images. Someone took the time to put together a couple of videos of our universe's natural paintings, so please enjoy.

Mysteries of the Smithsonian

After leaving Virginia and spending a day at Monticello, our 2005 trip took us to Washington DC. We had three days there and decided to take one full day to visit most of the Smithsonian museums. You actually need two or more days to see everything these amazing museums hold. I found out that there are so many fascinating stories for each item and their significance, also the journey they took to find their final resting place at each of the museums. Here are just some of the stories behind the treasures.

The Smithsonian in Washington DC is the biggest museum complex in the world. It houses an astonishing 142 million items in 16 buildings around the US capitol. It is not surprising that there a numerous exhibits that hold intense stories and puzzling mysteries. Some of the biggest stories come from one of the smallest branches of the museum, the National Postal Museum. What this museum holds it not for the timid, the Hope Diamond, a priceless gem that is said to have a devastating effect on anyone that comes in contact with it. The diamond was given to the institution by Harry Winston, who was a jeweler in New York City. He decided to donate the gem to the institution in November of 1958 and mailed it to them, via registered mail. Winston had insured the diamond for a million dollars for its overnight trip from New York to Washington DC. It came by train to the mail station and James Todd was the mail carrier was assigned to deliver the Hope Diamond to the institution. He picked up the gem and delivered it to the National History Museum. Some people were surprised on how this precious gem was delivered, but Harry Winston said that is how he sends all his gems. This gem has had a legendary history, passing over 300 years from adventurers, to European Kings, and to wealthy collectors. The legend says that after the French adventurer who quickly removed it from the 17th century statue in India was mauled by a pack of wild dogs. Then when it was passed to King Louie the VXI of France, he lost his head. A 20th century American socialite wore it constantly and two of her children died while her husband went insane. As for James Todd, the mailman, within a year after delivering the Hope Diamond to the institution, his leg was crushed by a truck, his wife died of a heart attack, his dog died after being strangled on his leash, and James' house partially burned down. The curse devastated James life but it hasn't stopped the diamond from becoming the most popular attraction of the Smithsonian Museum. Also found in the National Postal Museum is a large group of the nations postal collection. In a safe is where a charred postcard is kept locked away and holds a strong and an interesting, sad tale. It was mailed from Germany in 1937 to an address in New York City and was written by Dein to his dearest friend, Hans. Dien sent the letter air mail on the Hindenburg which took off on May 6, 1937 from Germany. This pride of Nazi Germany was more than 800 feet long, and was four times the length of today Boeing 747. It crossed the Atlantic at 82 mph and contained 7 million cubic feet of explosive hydrogen gas. The arrival of the Hindenburg was delayed in Lakehurst New Jersey because of a thunder and lightening storm, but after it stopped, the Hindenburg caption decided to try and land. As it was coming in and someone noticed what appeared as a flash of light that appeared in seconds and realized that it was a fire. The Hindenburg went up in seconds with some of the passengers jumping out of it about 300 feet above ground. Of the 97 crew and passengers on board, 35 perished along with one person on the ground. What was amazing was that Hans postcard did survive the massive inferno. Hans upon receiving the postcard realized its significance and donated it to the museum. National Postal Museum holds many other treasures and stories equally as interesting.

The National Museum of Natural History attracts nearly 10 million each year. Everything about it is gigantic from the soaring rotunda to the elephant underneath which is the world's largest stuff mammal. The biggest monster mystery there is the giant squid. It is an elusive creature because no one has ever seen a living giant squid in its natural habitat. The one at the museum washed ashore near Boston in 1980, and when they stretched it out, they found that they had a small female, and the feeding tentacles were 28 feet long. There have been a couple of records of them being up to 60 feet in length and are deadly killing machines. When they shoot out those tentacles, pray is then brought to its mouth which contains a huge beak. It also has big massive eyes known to scare any sailor that came across its path. This museum holds the biggest collection of priced fish, about 8 million specimens, the largest in the world. Creatures have been collected from every ocean for over 100 years and can be found here having grown to unworldly shapes and sizes. Here you will find one of the strangest and oldest creatures on earth, a Coelacanth fish. This fish is showing the beginnings of arms and legs and some say is the missing link. This museum is also the home of the largest collection of dinosaurs. They used computer animation to recreate a five ton triceratops, bringing it back to life and its full sculptured of bones are on display.

In the Anthropology Department of this museum, there are thousands of human skulls in drawers and bones are stacked almost to the ceiling. This is the final resting place for some 30,000 human specimens from around the world and across the ages. On a slab lays the body of a well preserved mummy, all of 5 feet 5 inches, right down to his linen socks. He was an accidental mummy and was preserved by the electrolytes in the water near where he was buried, which slowed down his decaying.

The National Museum of American History houses the original star spangle banner flag that is being slowly restored by careful seamstress. During the War of 1812, the flag was flown at Fort McHenry, and was where Francis Scott Key saw it blowing at the top of the flagpole and inspired him to write “The Star Spangle Banner”. Over the next 100 years the flag was rarely displayed with pieces cut out of it, for various reasons. The first piece cut out was the 15th star and given to a defender of fort McHenry. His widow had requested a piece of the flag to bury with her husband. Today they are not trying to repair the flag but preserve it, even with the missing star, for future generations of Americans. Also in the National Museum of American History, the President’s room houses the uniform worn by George Washington, the desk used by Thomas Jefferson to write the Decoration of Independence, and a section on assassinations displaying Abraham Lincoln's hat. Many more items held, owned and used by our past presidents can be viewed in the President’s Room.

The National Air and Space Museum is where exceptional moments in aviation history come to life. The first manned flight, the first lunar landing, and the first plane to break the sound barrier, can all be found there. An interesting display of Amelia Earhart's collection can be seen, showing her leather flying suit, goggles and two way radio.

Perhaps the biggest mystery of the Smithsonian is why it came to be in the first place. The Smithsonian has many collections of bones but in the Smithsonian Institution Building, also known as The Castle, lays the special remains of human bones sealed in a crypt. They belong to James Smithson who made it all possible. James was a troubled British scientist and the last person you would expect to be responsible for such a huge American institution. In his hand written will, it stated that his humble fortune was to be donated to the American people. No one knew why because he did not know anyone in the United States and never once set foot in America. He died in 1829 in Italy far from home and even farther from America. His estate was turned into gold sovereign, put on a boat and travel across the Atlantic to Washington. His gold sovereign was melted down and turned into 2 dollar gold coins. It added up to be more than 250,000 of them, which was a very serious sum in those days. John Quincy Adams wanted an observatory while others wanted various types of museums and at the end it turned out to be all of those things. The mystery still remains to why Smithson left his fortune to a country he had never seen. He believed that by giving a gift that would increase knowledge would make life better for all humanity.

If you ever get to visit Washington DC, don’t forget to put the Smithsonian Museums on your ‘must see’ list. Give yourself enough time to see as much of the exhibits as you can and a whole day on just the paintings alone. There are so many more stories about the many unique and wondrous items that are in the rooms of each of the Smithsonian Museums, these were just a few. Paranormal activity has also been reported from those seeing apparitions, to unusual noises, unseen footsteps and eerie voices. Perhaps some of the past owners can’t give up their precious items.

(I have to mention the Travel Channel’s documentary on the Smithsonian for providing me with much of my information.)

Where Do These Get Started?

There has been so many folklore or urban legends that have been spread around from person to person, and from generation to generation. What about those stories told about death, murder, and ghosts in movies that a supposed to be real, and subliminal messages in certain songs? There are movies like “The Haunting in Connecticut” or “Amityville Horror” that are supposed to be based on true stories and proven to be hoaxes, but there are other types of folklore that have been spread around as well. These stories happened behind the scenes or during filming of a movie, or while recording a song. Some of these stories are told of subliminal messages hidden in songs and can be heard if the song is played backwards. These stories end up bigger than anyone expected causing controversy and even spreading like wildfires. Who starts these rumors and how do they get out of hand? Here are just a few examples:

Urban legends:
Let’s start with the biggest stories or rumors told, an urban legend. An urban legend is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them. The term is often used to mean something related to an "apocryphal story." Like all folklore, urban legends are not necessarily false, but they are often distorted, exaggerated, or sensationalized over time. Urban legends are sometimes repeated in news stories and, in recent years, distributed by e-mail. People frequently allege that such tales happened to a "friend of a friend" so often, in fact, that "friend of a friend," has become a commonly used term when recounting this type of story. There are many people that believe these stories to be true, even to this day.

The Blair Witch Project:
This was a low-budget American horror film released in 1999. The story is depicted as a documentary pieced together from amateur footage. The film tells the story of three young student filmmakers (Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams) who are believed to have gone into the Black Hills of Burkittsville, Maryland to film a documentary about a local legend known as the Blair Witch. The three students never came back. The spectator is told that neither the students nor their bodies were ever found, although their video and sound equipment (along with most of the footage they shot) were discovered a year later. So many people believed this to be a true story that many enadated Brukittsville in search of the three students and the legendary Blair Witch. It was found out later, after the movie made millions of dollars, that it was not a true documentary but a mockumentary instead.

Three Men And A Baby:
This one was a huge story that even hit the news media and other entertainment shows and got way out of hand. In the scene where Jack Holden's mother visits the house and is playing with the baby, you can see in the window there's a human figure in a top hat, appearing to be hiding partially behind the curtain. Supposedly the legend states that the human figure was the ghost of a boy that had shot himself and died in the house. But that turned out not to be true. The figure was a prop left by accident on set, of a stand up cardboard cutout of Jack used for a commercial. You see it again later in the film, as Jack stands right next to it. I still have the newspaper article, from the Phoenix local paper, of the story, tucked away in my VCR copy of the movie.

The Wizard of Oz:
This was another story shown over and over on the news. Directly after the Tin Man scene, as they skip toward Oz and singing "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" song, unexpected movements are seen in the forest background. Rumor has it that a munchkin or stage hand suffered from depression, rumored to be because of a romance that went bad, and hung himself in the back drop. In reality, there were many birds put into the scene to give it a taste of reality, and the unexplained movements were caused by a crane's spread wings. In another rumor, it was told that a large number of eerie harmonies can be heard when playing the movie alongside Pink Floyd’s "Dark Side of the Moon" album.

Ohio Players "Love Rollercoaster":
In the background, during a music portion of the song, a scream can be heard. This scream was supposedly a terrified or torturous scream where rumors had it was the murder of a woman caught on the recording. Some have said that it was the album "Honey's" cover model, and caused by the manager. Others state it was an anonymous murder in the next room. The truth was that the guitar soloist made a screaming noise on his guitar. The band agreed to a vow of silence, due to the fact that the urban legend boosted the record sales.

Backmasking/subliminal messages:
(taken from Wikipedia)
Many songs, especially those from the 1960’s and 1970’s, have been rumored to have hidden messages done with backmasking. Backmasking (also known as backward masking) is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward onto a track that is meant to be played forward. Backmasking is a deliberate process, whereas a message found through phonetic reversal may be unintentional.Backmasking was popularized by The Beatles, who used backward vocals and instrumentation on their 1966 album Revolver. Artists have since used backmasking for artistic, comedic, and satiric effect, on both analog and digital recordings. The technique has also been used to censor words or phrases for "clean" releases of songs. There are rumors that the Beatles were involved in the spread of backmasking both as a recording technique and as the center of a controversy. This all came about in 1969, when WKNR-FM DJ Russ Gibb received a phone call from a student at Eastern Michigan University who identified himself as "Tom". The caller asked Gibb about a rumor that Beatle Paul McCartney had died, and claimed that the Beatles song "Revolution 9" contained a backward message confirming the rumor. Gibb played the song backwards on his turntable, and heard "Turn me on, dead man … turn me on, dead man … turn me on, dead man". Gibb began telling his listeners about what he called "The Great Cover-up", and to the original clue were added various others, including the alleged backmasked message "Paul is a dead man, miss him, miss him, miss him", in "I'm So Tired". The "Paul is dead" rumor popularized the idea of backmasking in popular music. Following Gibb's show, many more songs were found to contain audible phrases when reversed. Initially, the search was done mostly by fans of rock music, but in the late 1970s, during the rise of the Christian right in the United States, fundamentalist Christian groups began to claim that backmasked messages could bypass the conscious mind and reach the subconscious, where they would be unknowingly accepted by the listener. In 1981, Christian DJ Michael Mills began stating on Christian radio programs that Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" contained hidden messages that were heard by the subconscious. In early 1982, the Praise the Lord Network's Paul Crouch hosted a show with self-described neuroscientist William Yarroll, who argued that rock stars were cooperating with the Church of Satan to place hidden subliminal messages on records. Also in 1982, fundamentalist Christian pastor Gary Greenwald held public lectures on dangers of backmasking, along with at least one mass record-smashing. During the same year, thirty North Carolina teenagers, led by their pastor, claimed that singers had been possessed by Satan, who used their voices to create backward messages, and held a record-burning at their church. Allegations of demonic backmasking were also made by social psychologists, parents, and critics of rock music, as well as the Parents Music Resource Center (formed in 1985), which accused Led Zeppelin of using backmasking to promote Satanism. On the April 28, 1982 edition of the CBS Evening News, Dan Rather discussed the finding of possible backmasked messages, and played reversed sections of songs by Led Zeppelin, Electric Light Orchestra and Styx.

These are only a few of the stories of movie ghosts, or haunting screams, and even subliminal messages found when songs are played backwards. Some of the movies and songs even made a hefty profit when the rumors came out. It just makes you wonder who really starts those crazy stories?

More Paranormal Videos

I have been so busy with my new Grand-daughter and Mike's new job has kept him very busy too, so I am adding some paranormal videos for your enjoyment. I tried to find the more interesting ones. Whether they are real or not, I just don't know. I am working on a few articles to add here soon.

Chihuahuas: Spirit Guides

Through local legends, the ancestor of the Chihuahua breed was greatly believed to have been found in 1850 in the old ruins near Casa Grandes. These ruins are found in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, where the breed gets it name. There are many different theories about the origin of the Chihuahua. One theory is that Chihuahuas are descended from the Techichi, a companion dog preferred by the Toltecs. Thought to have hunted in packs, the Techichi can be traced as far back as the ninth century and thought to be the Chihuahua’s native Mexican ancestor. Remains of dogs closely similar, but slightly larger than the average Chihuahua, have been found in such places as the Great Pyramid of Cholula, with these remains dating as far back as the 2nd century BC, and predating the Ancient Mayans. After the Toltecs were conquered by the Aztecs, it was thought that the early ancestor of the Chihuahua was offered as a sacrifice during religious ceremonies. The Aztecs would cremate and bury the dog with its deceased owners believing that they would act as a spirit guide for the souls of the dead. Legends were told that the blue/black coated Chihuahuas were revered as a sacred and strong religious symbol. The Chihuahuas with red coats were given the responsibility and burden of accompanying the sins of the dead by having them thrown upon a funeral pyre as part of that burden.

A second theory is that the Chihuahua dog originated from Europe and was brought to American around 1520’s. Another theory is that the dogs descended from China and were transported to America on Chinese trader ships. This theory follows the assumption that the Chinese favored small dogs to which the Chihuahua fits the description. Whatever the origin may be, there is one fact, the Chihuahua was associated with Mexico and were discovered by American travelers. In 1880 the Chihuahua dogs were brought to the United States and thought of as exotic pets.

The word “Chihuahua” means arid, sandy place. Today’s Chihuahuas are much smaller than its ancestors, and in 1904 the breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club as a purebred breed. The Chihuahua dogs remains a popular breed to this day.

My Chihuahua's name is Booger (shown in the picture above). He is a larger of the breed, weighing 15 pounds and has the typical temperament of a Chihuahua. He is a joy to have around and glad we decided to keep him when he was given to us 7 years ago.

Are There Ghosts Amongst the Wax?

To me, one of the creepiest places to do a paranormal investigation would be in a wax museum. Having all those truly realistic wax figures staring at you, is creepy enough during the day, but at night with the lights off, yikes. I have been to Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas and always had the feeling that I was being watched by the eerie eyes of the wax figures, especially in the Chamber of Horrors. You are just waiting for one of those wax figures to come alive and grab you. There are several Madame Tussauds Wax Museums throughout the world such as Hollywood, New York, Washington DC, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, and London, England. Even though all the museums have had reports of ghostly activity, I will focus on the original place in London.

Filled with the famous living and a number of ghosts, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is definitely the place to visit. The place has a long and diverse history and saw its beginning in France, in the 1700's. Marie Tussaud learned her wax modeling arts from Dr. Philippe Curtius, a physician and skilled wax modeler for whom her mother was housekeeper. Upon his death, Marie inherited his vast collection of wax models and by 1836 the first home of Madame Tussauds Wax Museum was established. The chamber of horrors became the first and most popular attraction. Despite success, Marie Tussaud was viewed by many for being unhappy and a penny pincher. She died in 1850 but her legacy lived on by her sons. The business continued to prosper and by 1884 her grandsons have moved it to its current location, the building they erected on Marylebone Road. The stories of paranormal occurrences that cling to the attractions and its many exhibits are why many paranormal teams, even Most Haunted, come to investigate this place. When the last visitors leave for the night, the Regents Park area is said to come alive with paranormal activity. Ghostly figures appear from the shadows and are known to intimidate anyone that gets in their way. Although the reports go back decades, no one knows who or why they remain in that area. A cinema once stood on the site of Tussauds before WWII, but was destroyed during the blitz on September of 1940. One of the areas once stood a planetarium before converting into what is now known as the Star Dome. A particularly nasty entity has made its home there and is seen dressed in 1930's style clothing, with its attacks being a terrifying one. When this tall, dark and threatening spirit is seen, he seems to freeze people with unequivocal fear. The most terrifying attraction area is the Chamber of Horrors and in the 1800's people were offered money to spend the night down there. The spirit of an 18th century raggedy dressed man is said to walk in that area and believed to be a highway man. The story goes that he either stayed in that area or may have been killed there over 300 years ago. The spirit of a young boy has been also witnessed in that area and said to be filled with fear and dread about a war. Some supposed he was killed in a blitz and may not realize that he is dead. With the many apparitions, footsteps and sudden drop in temperature, Madame Tussauds of London is a very scary place indeed. Perhaps, there are many ghosts amongst the wax.

TV Classic: Lost in Space

Phrases like, “Danger Will Robinson” and “were doomed, doomed, doomed” were uttered by the characters in the 1965 TV show, Lost in Space. I couldn’t wait every week to see what was going to happen to the Robinson family, its handsome pilot Don West, the funny Dr. Zachary Smith and their always helpful robot. Each week, I waited to see if they fought off the creatures that attacked them from the previous show’s cliffhanger.

Taken from Wikipedia:
Lost in Space is a science fiction TV series that ran for three seasons, airing between September 15, 1965 and March 6, 1968. The first season was shot with black and white film, the rest in color. In 1998.. The show focused on the Robinson family and Jonathan Harris as Dr. Zachary Smith, whose cowardly character provides the comic relief of the show.

The series is a space-age adaptation of the novel Swiss Family Robinson. The astronaut family Robinson, accompanied by a military pilot and a robot, set out to colonize Alpha Centauri from overpopulated Earth. Their 1997 mission is immediately sabotaged by Dr. Zachary Smith, who slips aboard the spaceship Jupiter 2 and reprograms the robot to destroy the ship and crew. Smith is trapped aboard, saving himself by prematurely reviving the crew from suspended animation. They save the ship, but consequent damage leaves them lost in space. Eventually they crash on an alien world, later identified as Priplanis, where they must survive a host of adventures. Smith (whom Allen intended to kill) remains through the series as a source of comedic cowardice and villainy, exploiting the forgiving (or forgetful) nature of the Robinsons.
At the start of the second season, the repaired Jupiter 2 launches again, but after two episodes the Robinsons crash on another planet and spend the season there. In the third season, they travel to other worlds in attempt to return to Earth or to settle Alpha Centauri. The show delivered a visual assault of special effects, explosions, monstrous aliens, spaceships, and exotic sets and costumes drenched in the bright, primary colors that were typical of early color television.

The Storyline: In 1997, the Earth suffers from overpopulation and natural resource depletion. Professor John Robinson (Guy Williams), his wife, Maureen (June Lockhart), their children, Judy (Marta Kristen), Penny (Angela Cartwright), Will (Billy Mumy) and their friend and pilot, Major Don West (Mark Goddard), are chosen to travel on the Jupiter 2 to Alpha Centauri to search for a habitable planet for mankind to colonize.

After the Robinsons are placed in suspended animation, but before the launch, foreign agent Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris) sneaks aboard on a sabotage mission. He reprograms the ship's robot (voiced by Dick Tufeld) to destroy the ship shortly after it leaves Earth. He becomes trapped during launch, however, and his extra weight throws the Jupiter 2 off course, causing it to encounter a meteor storm. The robot's rampage causes the ship to become lost.

The Robinsons are often placed in danger by Smith, who is by turns a villain or an indigent. In the second and third seasons, Smith's role assumes a less evil overtone - although he continues to display many character defects. In "The Time Merchant", Smith travels back in time to before the Jupiter 2 launch, changing his fate. He learns that without his weight altering the ship's course, it would be destroyed. In an act of redemption, Smith elects to remain on board, thus saving the Robinsons' lives.

Allen produced a series pilot, "No Place to Hide." After CBS accepted the series the characters Smith and the Robot were added. The ship was redesigned with a second deck, and named the Jupiter 2. (It had been the Gemini 12.) For budget considerations, a good part of the pilot episode was reworked into the early series episodes. According to Lockhart, the show was intended to be called "Space Family Robinson", but Disney would not release the copyright. CBS was also offered Star Trek at around the same time, but it was turned down in favor of Lost In Space.

The first season emphasized adventure. It chronicled the daily adventures that a pioneer family might well experience if marooned on an alien world. These included dealing with dangerous native plants and animals, and off-world visitors. In the first season, only the special effects shots were filmed in color, in anticipation of reusing shots in color.

During the first two seasons, episodes concluded in a "live action freeze" anticipating the following week, with the cliff-hanger, "To be continued next week!." There was little ongoing plot continuity between episodes, except in larger goals; for example, to get enough fuel to leave the planet. For the third season, the episode would conclude and then a "teaser" for "next week's exciting adventure!" would show highlights from the next episode just before the closing credits began.

After cancellation, the show was successful in reruns, and syndication for many years, most recently on FX and Sci-Fi Channel.

Stylistically, the series was of high quality, featuring what was expected for space travel at the time; eye-catching silver, tapered space-suits, laser guns and spectacular props and sets. We all know that in 1997 this never happened.

In 1998,Lost in Space was made into a feature-length motion picture, starring William Hurt, Mimi Rogers, Heather Graham, Matt LeBlanc, Gary Oldman, Jack Johnson, and Lacey Chabert. Instead of it being 1997 future like the show, for obvious reasons, the movie featured the year 2058 and had basically the same storyline as the show. Well, it started out that way, then got real weird and lost its appeal. The show, however, will always remain a favorite of mine when I was a young girl.

What's Lurking Around Williamsburg?

Governors Palace

One of the places we visited while in Virginia in 2005 was Colonial Williamsburg. The temperature was hot with the humidity even worse. I am from a dry desert state so the humidity was hard to deal with but I hung in there. If my 83 years old uncle could handle it, then so shall I. Williamsburg was an amazing place to visit with so much history in its many buildings and grounds, and is worth a visit.

Williamsburg was mostly a wooded area during the time of the English colonists in Jamestown, in the area known as the Colony of Virginia, in 1607. It was located in the territory of the Native American group known as the Powhatan Confederacy. In 1638 people started to settle in Williamsburg but it was known as Middle Plantation and was located on the high ground between the James and York rivers. Jamestown was the original capital of Virginia Colony but was plagued with mosquitoes and burned down. Governor William Berkeley regained control and took over Middle Plantation as a temporary location while Jamestown was being rebuilt. Four years later in 1698 the Statehouse in Jamestown burned down again causing the Governor to take over Middle Plantation once again. In 1699 the colonial capital was permanently moved to Middle Plantation and was renamed Williamsburg in honor as King William III of England. In 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, the capital of Virginia was moved from Williamsburg to Richmond. The Governor feared that the location of Williamsburg might make it vulnerable to British attack. Williamsburg did see its share of war battles especially during the spring of 1862. The Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, 1862, saw the defenders successful in delaying Union forces long enough for the confederates to reach the outer protection of Richmond. Many souls were lost during this time. Williamsburg, also known as Colonial Williamsburg has the College of William & Mary, the second oldest university in the United States, and Eastern State Hospital, the first known mental hospital, nearby. Nowadays, Colonial Williamsburg enjoys many tourists wandering though its historical buildings and grounds, learning about its history and colonists that called this place home.

Many of the employees, workers, reenators and tourist have also report other activities around Williamsburg of the paranormal kind. Apparently there are many ghosts that are still hanging around either repeating the same actions over and over, or trying to get the attention of the living. In the Carter’s Grove Plantation, spirits from the 17th century colonists killed in an Indian massacre are seen roaming the grounds. On the Colonial grounds, an apparition of a slave has been reported wandering around looking for his family. He likes to make an appearance at the nearby hotels and bangs on the doors hoping to find his long lost family. The maze behind the Governors Mansion seems to be haunted by a civil war soldier while the wall in the front of the mansion has the ghost of an escape insane patient from the mental institution that was nearby. The Governor’s Palace Green and another house nearby have a ghost of a young woman witnessed by several people. She has been seen dressed like she was attending a ball. In the Kings Arms Tavern, the regulars have reported a female ghost who likes to haunt the place. They think she is from the 1700’s and her name is Irma and her presence is usually heard and felt as supposed to being seen. Irma is usually heard whispering to the staff and blowing out candles because some believe she may have died because of a fallen candle. In the Magazine building a tidy ghost is seen walking up the stairs putting his gun away. In the Peyton Randolph House there are many stories of ghostly sightings while The Mill seems to be haunted by the many spirits of the victims of a serial killer. The College of William and Mary also has its share of ghostly activity. In the Brafferton Building the sounds of screams, crying, footsteps, drums and the sighting of an apparition of a young boy have been reported. The story goes that the building was used to house many Indians after the massacre of the colonists in the 1700’s. The young Indian boys were taken away from their families and forced to live amongst the other colonists as if they belonged, leaving their families in agony. Another story is of a young boy that liked to escape his room every night to run on the fields, and was found mysteriously dead. This could explain the apparition of a boy running on the soccer field late at night. Another college building is Tucker Hall were the ghost of a girl that committed suicide in 1980 can be seen roaming the halls and dorm rooms. The Williamsburg Theatre was once the home of the Wade family. This building has the ghost of a Union soldier wandering its halls looking for his Confederate brother who died in the home. They say that his guilt might be why this wary soldier’s spirit will not leave the theatre. The Presidents House or Wren Building is a place haunted by a French soldier from the Revolutionary War. This building was used as a makeshift hospital for all the wounded soldiers. There is also an unknown spirit that seems to be haunting the place. Many believe that it is the ghost of the mystery person whose bones were found buried in the walls.

Today, Colonial Williamsburg is largest tourist attraction in Virginia and is the cornerstone of the Historic Triangle with Jamestown and Yorktown. Next time you visit, take the ghost tour and see what unseen beings are living there still.

Governor's Palace Green

Brafferton Building

Peyton Randolph House

The Magazine (My daughter, Uncle & Me) 2005

Animal Ghosts: My Dog Dusty

I have had many dogs throughout my life but none were in it longer than Dusty, our golden retriever. When she came into our lives, she was only eight weeks old, tiny and feisty. After having her a year, we decided that she needed a friend so we got Shadow from the humane society. Shadow was a four month old black lab/chow mix. Her and Dusty played together and even teased each other. They were buddies. Several months after Shadow turned 11 years, she was diagnosed with liver cancer. We were devastated and knew she had to be put down. My son and I moved her right inside the door, where she just laid down in pain. The vet injected her and within seconds, she was gone. I held her paw while Andy went outside to be with Dusty. At this time, we had two other dogs, Booger, our Chihuahua, and Molly, our American Cocker. We kept them in our bedroom while the vet removed Shadow’s body. The two younger dogs looked all over for Shadow, while Dusty just seemed to be depressed. We had built a storage/poker room for my husband who had installed an air conditioning unit and cooler for the room. Dusty spent most of her time there especially in the summer. In the wall of the room was a small dog door, a perfect size for Booger and Molly to run in and out through. Dusty managed to get through that door every time there was a thunderstorm. She was a 70 pound dog but didn’t let the size of the door bother her when she was scared and wanted to come inside. She did lift the flap many times in a day, peeking in to see if we were there. The poor thing was now 13 years old, had arthritis and cancer growths on her back, when we noticed her lying around panting hard and not eating. I tried to get her in my car to take her to the vet but if a 70 pound dog doesn’t want to get in your car, she won’t! I called a mobile vet on Friday for him to come to the house on Monday to see if she needed to be put down. Six months after Shadow died, my hubby found Dusty’s body in the storage room. She had died over night not waiting for the vet to diagnose her, leaving on her on accord. Shortly afterwards I kept hearing movement in the storage room and the dog door flat being opened. The other two dogs were in my bedroom so I found it to be a bit odd because I swear I heard the flap open, then shut. For many days and nights after Dusty’s death, I continued to hear noises and even felt her presence whenever I stepped outside. The strangest thing I found was the newly killed pigeon shortly after her death. Dusty would constantly grab pigeons out of mid air, play with them, then kill them, and eventually ate them. I like to believe that the dead pigeon was a sign she was just fine and still with us. It’s been over two years and I still feel like she is out in our back yard playing and chasing pigeons.

There have been many reports of animal ghosts, most of which were dogs, cats, horses and birds. Accounts of animal spirits have been told for decades. These ghosts seem to hang out in places they lived for a long period of time. Some have reported not only seeing their deceased animal but hearing and feeling them too. The theory is that dog spirits watch over its previous owners maybe even offering protection. Cat spirits, however, have been thought of as a demonic presence or a sign that some major disaster is going to happen. Many animal spirits have been seen in historic places such as Gettysburg or the Whaley House. Spirit horses along with its ghost rider have been reported on the battlefields by many eyewitnesses. The Whaley House in San Diego appears to have a ghost dog that runs down the hallway into the dining room. These ghosts seem to be residual haunts, repeating the same thing over and over. There are many stories about ghost Animals, I have linked some of them for you along with websites that have animal ghosts photos.

http://www.ghostresearch.org/articles/animal.html

http://paranormal.about.com/library/bltales_animalghosts.htm

http://www.angelsghosts.com/animal_ghost_pictures.html

http://theshadowlands.net/ghost/animal.htm