Wales is Britain's Most Haunted
There's something strange going on in Wales – Welsh ghost are on the increase.
Welsh police forces received an unlucky 13 reports of supernatural spirits spooking homes last year, up from only two Welsh ghost incidents in 2010.
Ghosts have been spotted in bedrooms and gardens in Wales, peeping through curtains, and moving objects around their haunted homes.
One frightened caller in Pembroke told police they saw a ghost’s face in a pile of cushions.
A person from Denbigh told police they were assaulted by a ghost, while another caller reported being “grabbed” by a ghastly spirit.
In one spine-chilling report to Dyfed Powys Police, a Haverfordwest caller reported seeing their dad as a ghost.
And one caller’s son in Llandrindod Wells had a touch of the sixth sense after seeing a ghost in their garden.
The spooky sightings were among a total of 34 ghost sightings reported to police forces in Wales since 2002.
Welsh supernatural tour guide Jim Cowan was unsurprised by the sightings, saying Wales is considered one of the most haunted countries in the world.
The 47-year-old, who organises ghost walks as part of Wales History and Hauntings, said: “There are more sightings and reports of ghosts in Wales then anywhere else in the British Isles.
“There are all kinds of theories abounding and there are several leading experts on the whole idea of the supernatural who all recognise Wales appears to be one of the most haunted countries in the world.”
The paranormal activity has been revealed through Freedom of Information requests to Wales’ police forces. Gwent Police did not respond to the request for information.
North Wales Police received the largest number of ghost sighting reports in Wales, with a total of 17 calls between 2006 and this year.
Officers in South Wales Police have been called out to deal with 10 sightings of ghostly paranormal activity between 2007 and 2011.
Those fearing visits from the afterlife may be concerned to learn that officers were called to five ghoulish incidents last year – an increase of two from figures released in 2010.
Among the weird and wonderful sightings reported to the force since 2007, there have been three reports made to police in Cardiff, four in Swansea, one in Bridgend and one in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Dyfed Powys Police have received seven reports of ghost sightings between 2002 and 2011.
One spooked caller from Llanelli reported seeing a ghost peeping through the curtains, while one person in Pembroke said they saw a ghost’s face in a pile of cushions.
Last year South Wales Police revealed the force had received three reports of zombies and two of werewolves being spotted in neighbourhoods. There were also two sightings of vampires and six sightings of witches.
Superintendent Tony Smith said: “South Wales Police does get the odd weird and wonderful call, but residents and visitors needn’t worry about a supernatural invasion just yet. At the moment, we’re still in the business of keeping South Wales safe from crime rather than zombies or werewolves.” - Wales Online
NOTE: We've investigated several hauntings in South Wales at SRI...it definitely has a lot of paranormal activity, especially in the Llanelli area. Lon
The Appearance of Evil: Apparitions of Spirits in Wales
The Spirit World Of Wales - Including Ghosts, Spectral Animals, Household Fairies, The Devil In Wales And Angelic Spirits (Folklore History Series)
Among the Spirits
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Remember this? Ayds (not AIDS) weight reduction plan
Click for video - Ayds Commercial
Check out the video...these were big in the 50s and 60's. I remember my mother using Ayds. I 'snuck' one...tasted like rancid fudge IMO. Lon
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A Century of American Icons: 100 Products and Slogans from the 20th-Century Consumer Culture
Full-Color Vintage Advertising Illustrations CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Clip Art)
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Mysterious boom heard in Oklahoma
People living in Guthrie have been reporting a mysterious noise around town.
Those who have heard it say it’s an unnerving boom.
“Just a loud one time boom,” said Lucy Swanson.
“I heard something pretty loud and a little bit disturbing,” said Justin Fortney.
The descriptions are similar, but no one knows where it’s coming from.
It was heard twice Wednesday around 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
“It was very loud, very noticeable, and it shook the house just slightly,” said Swanson.
Police dispatchers say the officer responding to the blast heard it from his patrol car but couldn’t find a source.
“You hear it, and you want to kind of call your friends and family and say, ‘Did you hear that? That was gigantic! What just exploded?’,” said Fortney.
It’s nothing new to Mayor Chuck Burtcher. He says he first received calls from about the boom three months ago.
Everyone seems to have their own theory behind the boom.
“I know there’s oil field exploration. That’s the easiest explanation I had for that,” said the Mayor.
Others say rumors are others in town might have gun ranges. People say it’s possible a transformer blew up.
However, people say the sound is too close to town to be oil field testing, which is miles on the outskirts of town, and OG&E says no transformers have blown recently.
For now, the sound that shakes Guthrie remains nameless. - Video at KFOR
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THANKS!
Once again, I want to thank those readers who have been loyal to 'Phantoms & Monsters'. The eBook 'Phantoms & Monsters: Cryptid Encounters' has garnered a lot of interest and favorable feedback. As previously mentioned, I hope to publish another eBook on Kindle this year. The next edition will include additional personal encounters submitted to me over the years and will cover a variety of paranormal subjects. I look forward to an interesting year...Lon
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UFO Reports Update
My friend and colleague Rick Phillips forwarded a few links of interest...check it out. Amazing to see just one medium sized town in perspective - NINE 2012 Asheville, North Carolina UFO Reports Via Mufon and Two `Proofs' Of `Blink Of An Eye UFO-Sky Phenomena'
A few of Rick Phillip's eBooks
The MythRepresentation Of UFOlogy
Important UFO Sightings Of The 2000s - The 2008 Stephenville UFO Events (The Heavy Stuff)
Beyond The Great Beyond
The Slippery Slope Of Now And Real - The Phenomenology Of Actualization
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'You're not getting out of here...'
A woman accused of trying to kill her 74-year-old mother by pushing her back into their burning Lakeside home after setting fire to the residence on New Year's Day pleaded not guilty Friday to attempted murder, arson, elder abuse, dissuading a witness and other charges.
Neomi Lynn Rodriguez, 41, was ordered held on $1.5 million bail over the objection of prosecutor C.J. Mody, who urged that no bail be set.
Mody said the defendant, who faces 12 1/2 years in prison if convicted, was arrested two days prior to the Jan. 1 fire after she called the Sheriff's Department to say she was having hallucinations from being under the influence of methamphetamine. Rodriguez was released from custody 10 to 12 hours later, and authorities were again called to the home about 4 p.m. Tuesday.
"This is obviously a sad and tragic case where a 74-year-old mother lost her house -- her house was burned down -- she could have been seriously hurt or injured, and we felt that no bail was appropriate in this case," Mody told reporters.
Mody said the victim -- identified as Kazuko Martinez -- was in bed Tuesday afternoon when she got up and noticed her daughter's bedroom was on fire.
As the mother tried to leave, her daughter grabbed her and tried to push her into the burning bedroom, but she was able to resist and proceeded toward the front door, the prosecutor said.
Mody alleged that the defendant tackled her mother and said, "You're not getting out of here." Rodriguez used a tablecloth to try to bind her mother to a dining room table, but the older woman was able to break free, the prosecutor alleged. Rodriguez also ripped the phone out of her mother's hand when she tried to call 911, according to Mody, who said neighbors heard the victim's screams and were able to get her away from the burning house.
The defendant tried to stop the neighbors from using garden hoses to put out the fire, the prosecutor alleged.
Both mother and daughter were treated for smoke inhalation.
Judge Charles Ervin said Rodriguez was on misdemeanor probation and had previously failed to appear in court on six occasions.
Rodriguez faces misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and being under the influence of a controlled substance stemming from the Dec. 30 incident. She will be back in court Jan. 10 for a readiness conference and Jan. 17 for a preliminary hearing. - CBS8
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North Korea Prepares to Open Economy?
Pyongyang may be preparing to open up its economy. A report in a prominent newspaper claims the regime has enlisted the aid of German economic and legal experts to lay the groundwork for foreign investment in North Korean companies. The move could be made as soon as this year.
On New Year's Day, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for a "radical" economic renewal for his country and an end to decades of conflict with South Korea. Now, a German media report says he is moving quickly to fulfill at least the first pledge.
According to an article to be published on Saturday by the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the communist regime in Pyongyang is preparing to open up the country's economy to foreign investors. Moreover, it has enlisted the assistance of German economists and lawyers to lay the groundwork for the move.
"There is a master plan," one of the economists involved in the plan told the paper. "They want to open up this year." The FAZ did not identify the economist, but noted that he works at a respected German university and that he had advised other governments in Asia in the past.
The economist told the paper that the country is primarily interested in modernizing its laws relating to foreign investment. However, North Korea is not intending to follow the Chinese model, which called for the creation of special economic zones for foreign investors, the economist told the FAZ. "Rather, they are interested in the Vietnamese model, in which specific companies were chosen as recipients of investments," the source said.
Signs of Change
Such a move would be revolutionionary for North Korea, which has long been largely cut off from the rest of the world by virtue of its heavy-handed regime. The country's economy is in a shambles as a result. But since Kim Jong Un took over from his late father just over a year ago, there have been signs of change.
His New Year's address was the most obvious indication that he is prepared to embark on a path different from the one followed by his father, Kim Jong Il. Indeed, even holding such an address was a departure; it marked the first such speech by a North Korean leader since Kim Il Sung held the last one in 1994.
Furthermore, Kim was surprisingly open about the poor economic situation in which his country finds itself. He pledged renewal, indicating that it would largely be dependent on continued technological advancement. He also highlighted last month's rocket launch, saying it was a boost for "national self-esteem."
Still, even as the FAZ reports that there are many in the country's leadership who are in favor of opening up the country to investments from Japanese, South Korean and Western companies, the professor the paper cites notes that it is far from a done deal.
"The military in North Korea," he told the paper, "will not want to give up power." He added that it is by no means clear whether Kim's reform efforts will be able to overcome military resistance. - Spiegal