The Incredible Blog

Voynich Manuscript Overview

2012-02-14T18:43:00.006-07:00

The Voynich Manuscript is one of the most 'searched for' unexplained phenomenon. The following information is taken from the book jacket flyleaf of

The MOST MYSTERIOUS MANUSCRIPT: The Voynich “Roger Bacon” Cipher Manuscript edited by Robert S. Brumbaugh 1978 Southern Illinois University Press

THE VOYNICH “ROGER BACON” MANUSCRIPT SECRETS – presumably magical or scientific and possibly containing a formula for an Elixir of Life – continue to defy deciphering efforts after almost four centuries, as this amazing history shows.

Bought about 1586 for a very high price by the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II, who had a keen interest in magic and science, the Voynich manuscript consists of some 200 pages, with many unusual botanical and astronomical illustrations. The work was thought to be that of Roger Bacon, the thirteenth-century English philosopher, who had a reputation for being a magician, and whom legend credited with discovery of an Elixir of Life.

The writing, presumably in cipher, defied reading by Rudolph’s’ scholars, and the manuscript passed in the eighteenth century from Prague to Rome, where it continued to defy attempts at decipherment. In 1912 it was bought and brought to America by Wilfrid Voynich, a rare-book dealer, and in spite of Voynich’s generosity in supplying photocopies to professional paleographers, military intelligence experts, botanists and the like, the text remained unread until 1921.

The modern history of the manuscript is not much clearer, as this account of the attempts to solve its mysteries shows, In the 1960s the manuscript was acquired by the Yale Beinecke Rare Book Library (Beinecke MS 48) through the gift of Hans P. Kraus, the legendary rare-book dealer, who bought it following the death of Mrs. Edith Voynich. Robert S. Brumbaugh, a philosopher at Yale who had served in military intelligence during World War II, became interested in it, and began what has turned out to be nearly ten years of scholarly effort, the involvement of a group of scholars – who are kept abreast of developments by a “Voynich Newsletter” – and the employment of sophisticated tools and techniques in an attempt to unlock the secrets of the cipher.

In the course of his investigations Professor Brumbaug brought together a collection of articles tracing the history of “the world’s most mysterious manuscript” the Voynich ‘Roger Bacon’ cipher, which form the basis for the present book.

Brumbaugh himself in 1972 identified the “alphabet” used in the cipher and read plant and star labels, but the results where the alphabet was applied to the text proper were unexpected and still unexplained. However, a good deal has been learned about the manuscript’s provenance, Brumbaugh reveals, and efforts to transcribe and decipher the manuscript continue.

The manuscript’s importance, needless to say, lies in what it can tell us about medieval science, numerology, botany, medicine, philosophy, linguistics, cryptography, astronomy, and cosmology.

Curses & Superstitions

2012-02-06T07:51:00.004-07:00

355 years ago a cursed kimono torched the city of Tokyo burning three-quarters of it to the ground. A Japanese priest was attempting to exorcise an evil force from the garment that had been owned by three teenage girls consecutively. In the presence of the girls' fathers, the priest attempted to cremate the kimono.

As it caught fire a raging wind appeared and whipped the blaze into a frenzy, as if a wicked spirit had been released and was taking charge of the flames. The surrounding paper and wood buildings were mere kindling as over the next two days the firs destroyed 1,200 tradesman's houses, 770 samurai residences, 9,000 shops, 350 temples and shrings, 500 palaces, Edo Castle and 61 bridges.

Do curses really exist? What to do? What to do?

Many of us develop good luck charms or rituals:

Artist Paul Klee had to have at least seven cats around him before he would pick up his paint brush.
French writer Voltaire would only step out of his house left foot first. He was terrified to leave leading with his right foot.
Transportation tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt had the legs of his bed placed in dishes of salt
English author Thomas De Quincey washed and polished every coin he handled.
Winston Churchill petted black cats for good luck
German poet Schiller could not work unless he was surrounded by piles of rotten apples

25 lb Emerald Fraud???

2012-01-30T08:07:00.003-07:00

I like how Susan Lazaruk of The Province puts it: "The giant “emerald” had so many red flags, it might as well have been a ruby."

There were absolutely no bids on this apparently largest cut emerald that went up for auction in Kelowna over the weekend. Tsk. Tsk. Seems like the man promoting it was arrested for fraud in Ontario. But he still insists the gem is genuine as does the gemologist who appraised it; though the latter did admit he had been coloured - it's still an actual emerald. Makes me wonder what the fraud charges were for.

Read more here and here.

The Ultimate Prison Escape

2012-01-27T19:15:00.005-07:00

One of my favorite mysteries from Almanac of the Infamous happened in 1815 Prussia when an imprisoned convict literally de-materialized in front of his fellow inmates. The only thing he left behind was the clanking sound of his empty shackles and handcuffs as they hit the floor.

The disappearing prisoner was a man named Diderici. He was a servant to Army Captain Fritz Alswanger. When the Captain died of apoplexy Diderici began impersonating him and living the high life. The dead man's paychecks were cashed instead of canceled and the servant courted many high society ladies before he was caught out and incarcerated.

While serving time in Weichselmunde prison, with it's twenty foot high walls, Diderici was occasionally let out into the yard to walk in circles with the other prisoners for exercise. All of the inmates were manacled together, chains dragging while they trudged around.

One day, in the middle of a line of men, Diderici began to fade away. He became more and more ghostly until he had completely vanished. The empty cuffs clanked to the ground.

Gigantic Emerald Weighs 25 lbs

2012-01-17T08:18:00.004-07:00

Could be yours - if you have a few million dollars sitting around in petty cash. The soon-to-be world famous gemstone, Teodora (Gift of God), goes to auction later this January in Kelowna, BC. It's the fifth largest emerald in the world but the largest cut emerald.

In occult history the emerald (not the Teodora, it's too large) can cure eye diseases when placed over the organ - sapphires also work. From the mid 1300s comes a recipe for a remedy against the Black Plague using one sixth of a drachm of each pearls, jargoons, emeralds and coral. Emeralds are recommended for amulets to be used by children to prevent epilepsy, by women to drive off fears and evil spirits.

This beautiful green gem also is credited with strengthening the memory, giving knowledge of the future, revealing adultery and increasing wealth.

And my favorite emerald of all; The Emerald Tablet of Hermes - which very simplified says AS ABOVE SO BELOW

But back to Teodora - Read more about this fascinating gemstone here where I stole the picture from.

"Now I Happened to Myself"

2011-11-28T09:36:00.005-07:00

Came across this great quote from Carl Jung speaking about an experience he had at the age of twelve years old.

"Suddenly I had the overwhelming experience of having just emerged from a dense cloud. I knew all at once: Now I am myself! It was as if a wall of mist were at my back, and behind that wall there was not yet an 'I'. But at this moment I came upon myself. Previously I had existed, too, but everything had merely happened to me. Now I happened to myself."

Isn't that brilliant? Life is so fascinating and full of miracles I am deeply saddened by people who can't see that and spend time fighting and warring. Here's another great quote, this time from Pema Chodron.

"Even if you live to be 100, it's really a very short time. So why not spend it undergoing this process of evolution, of opening your mind and heart, connecting with your true nature - rather than getting better and better at fixing, grasping, freezing, closing down?"

Squatchers

2011-11-23T07:29:00.005-07:00

Stories of the elusive bigfoot abound. Two of the more well known episodes are the attack at Ape Canyon, near Mt St Helen's in Washington, 1924 and the Ruby Creek Incident in southwest British Columbia in 1941. Both accounts are about a few more aggressive encounters with the creature.

At Ape Canyon a group of gold miners found their cabin under assault as the creatures hurled rocks down upon the roof from a cliff above and attempted to break into the log structure. This was probably because one of the prospectors had fired his rifle at one of the sasquatch earlier in the day.

At Ruby Creek a mother and her three children were at their isolated homestead on Ruby Creek, the husband being away working on the railroad, when the nine-year-old boy came running to the cottage yelling that a big cow was coming through the woods. As the creature came crashing through the woods and approached their home the mom grabbed a blanket to hold up so hide her children behind. They made their way out of the house and to safety as the sasquatch was distracted by a barrel of salted salmon.

Now a group of 'squatchers' are headed out into the woods of northern California in search proof (which has been incredibly difficult to find) that the ape-like animals exist. The game, is once more, a foot. Read more here.

Chinese Lanterns Blamed Again

2011-11-04T10:48:00.005-06:00

Some people can't stand not knowing what's going on. Mystery and Magic are not allowed to exist. A sense of wonder must not prevail. Five glowing objects moved through the night sky in Bloemfontein South Africa and someone had to say they were probably Chinese Lanterns. You can read the story here.

Probably not from the looks of the picture.

Aerial phenomena has been with us as long as they sky has been above the earth. There are accounts throughout recorded history. And they don't just happen at night. In

1566 - UFOs Do Battle In The Heavens Over Basel, Switzerland

A student in Basel, Switzerland reported that just after dawn on August 7, 1566, "many large, black globes were seen in the air, moving before the sun at great speed and turning against each other as if fighting. Some of them became red and fiery and afterwards faded and went out."

The Troublesome Turkey in the Tapestry

2011-10-08T16:52:00.001-06:00

It is commonly thought that when the Spanish conquistadors invaded Mexico they took a liking to the Aztecs domestic turkeys and brought some back to Spain. That would be in the 1500s.

How then to explain the picture of a turkey in Britain's 230 foot long Bayeux Tapestry, embroidered around the year 1070? Among the animal border gracing the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England is a very turkey-like bird. Some historians claim it is a badly drawn peacock. Others suggest that the Vikings had indeed visited North America in the 1000s and brought the bird back with them.

Then there are the medieval murals that decorate the Schleswig Cathedral in Germany. Turkey. Dating from the late 1200s, once again the bird we love to gobble shows up about 300 years before he had 'officially' immigrated. This one has an explanation though. It came out during an art forgery trial.

"Lothar Malskat was a restorer who was commissioned to work on deteriorating Medieval frescoes in two European cathedrals. Instead of restoring the existing works, he found it easier to simply whitewash over the existing paintings and repaint completely new works on the walls. The project was carried out under the utmost secrecy, and managed to defy detection by the most notable art experts and government officials for years. Being something of an anarchist he added a turkey into the mix." Read more about that here where I stole this paragraph and the turkey picture from.

But there's still the Bayeux Tapestry.

Truckers Tangle with Aliens

2011-09-27T11:05:00.006-06:00

The above mystery appears on November 28 in the Almanac of the Infamous. In 1954, two truckers in Venezuela, Gustavo Gonzales and Jose Ponce, found their way blocked by a UFO hovering over the road. When they stopped to investigate they were attacked by a gang of hairy dwarfs with glowing eyes and sharp claws.

Being the research junkie that I am, I keep my eyes open for further information even after the story is apparently finished. Sometimes I am well rewarded. Doing my weekly run of garage sales I came across a magazine with more details. It seems that the truckers weren't the first to encounter these aggressive assailants.

During the next month, two rabbit hunters were attacked by four of the miniature aliens. Taking aim, one of the hunters had his shotgun blown apart in his hands. Only days later, three men were walking in the woods of the Ministry of Agriculture's Exposition Park. One of them wandered off on his own. The two friends soon heard his screams and came rushing to his rescue. They reached the unconscious man in time to see a hairy little man jump into a shiny saucer and fly away.

Snakes Alive!

2011-09-19T09:45:00.005-06:00

On the banks of the Rewa River, wending its way through the rainforests of Guyana, lay an 18 foot anaconda; much to the delight of biologist adventureres, Niall McCann and Rob Pickles. Of course they had to pick it up. All 220 pounds of it. Luckily they had help.

This impressive beast is still just a baby compared to the giant anacondas have previously popped to shake the souls of earlier exploreres. First recorded sightings came from European explorers making their way through the dense South American jungles where they claim to have witnessed a 59 foot long snake. In 1906 mysteriously missing adventurer Percy Fawcett wrote that he shot an anaconda that measured 62 feet. Scientist Vincent Roth claims to have shot a specimen measuring 34 feet. In 1944 a petroleum expedition in Colombia states they measured an anaconda 37 feet long.

But these claims have never been proven.

Should you decide to go on an anaconda expedition yourself you should know, that it is rumoured, that the Wildlife Conservation Society has been offering a large reward (currently US$50,000) for nearly one hundred years now, for live delivery of any snake longer than 30 feet. Might be a rumour worth confirming before you set sail along the sumptuous jungle shores.

Bursting Blazes

2011-06-28T11:24:00.003-06:00

A family in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa is being terrorized by freakish self-igniting fires. Naysayers contend it must be arson or some other 'natural' type case. But spontaneous fires happen and they are more common than you might think. 'Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible and the Ignored' lists many such instances.

On January 5, 1820 in London, England clothes and beds burst into flames. On April 16, 1963 in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia the home of the Douglas MacDonald family continually erupted in blazes, even after the electricity was cut off. On August 7, 1948, in Macomb, Illinois, the farmhouse of Charles Wiley experienced over 200 self-igniting fires in one week. Other locations for this phenomena include Ontario and Indiana. For more details see pages 4, 81,169,289 and many others.

As to their origins - who knows? They could be many explanations that seem 'supernatural' to us but in the ethers or netherworlds make perfect sense. And who cares about making sense anyways. The 'reason' behind such phenomena is the least important thing about them. It's the 'why' behind the 'why' that we need to pay attention to.

Brain Rays: Russia's Secret Weapon?

2011-06-15T10:50:00.005-06:00

Travelling through southwest Utah a few months ago we came upon a glorious junk store. Tucked into a bottom corner of a toppling shelf were a stack of 'Cornonet' magazines. Now I had never heard of these before but they are a researcher's treasure. I tried not to be greedy and only bought seven about the twenty or so magazines that were there. Have been kicking myself ever since. They actually is a place for greed or whatever it's called when it's not neurotic. Silly me.

In any case, inside the June 1955 issue I discovered an article titled "Brain Rays: Russia's Secret Weapon". You can definitely tell the bias of the writer Tris Coffin. Funny name for a person writing on this topic. Here's an excerpt:

"A new and frightening weapon to enslave the minds of the free world is being tested by Soviet Russia and Communist China. (This is written before the minds of the free world were enslaved by advertising - JRV) It has a double blade - the evil use of both hypnotism and telepathy. Under its spell, men are driven to commit acts against their moral, spiritual and patriotic code.

... the ancient mysticism of the Orient is being blended with modern science to produce a maddening compulsion (See? Just like advertising.) This is no weird tale from the realm of fiction. Sobering data in the State and Defense Department at Washington show that these techniques have been tested on prisoners of war, missionaries, and key officials of the West.

... First warning of the new techniques was in a letter sent in 1949 to President Truman from Havana, Cuba. The author, obviously a cultured and disciplined mind, identified himself as a refugee German doctor, one of several German scientists who had created a new force. They could hypnotize individuals across long distances (exactly like television I say) without physical contact, and force them to obey commands.

Ah, if they only knew what was coming ...

Elk Wakes Up in Helicopter

2011-06-09T08:20:00.006-06:00

How would you like to be piloting a helicopter when the two sedated elk in the back wake up early ... and start flailing? Just one of the many adventures surrounding Scottish millionaire Paul Lister as he follows his heart.

People who live with passion 'are the luckiest people in the world'. And also Mr. Lister is fortunate enough to not have financial considerations to hold him back I
believe many of us use lack of money as an excuse not to make our dreams come true. There is always something we can do to further our desires. We only need to know the next step and we always do. Once that step is taken then we will know the next next step.

To read about Paul's brilliant and bold plan to repopulate Scotland with native wildlife from long-a-go and how the first baby elk was birthed in the highlands in over 2500 years plus to see where I stole the picture from go here. Then go follow your heart.

Area 51 exposed

2011-06-05T10:06:00.004-06:00

Been there - got the T-shirt.

Now everything you ever wanted to know, or at least a few things you were curious about regarding that super secret military base, Area 51 and numerous conspiracy theories, are being declassified. Cutting edge aeronautical projects and other hush hush endeavors are being slowly made public. National Geographic has had a hand in it. Read about that here. And the place where I stole the following cool picture from and another interesting article is here.

Oh My Dog! Mummified Remains from Ancient Puppy Mills?

2011-05-24T10:53:00.004-06:00

Catacombs may hold up to 8,000,000 (that's eight million!) canine corpses beneath the Egypt's Saqqara desert. The number is only an estimate and seems extreme but when you consider that many of the puppies were extremely young then they wouldn't be taking up much space. Other dogs apparently lived longer, more luxurious lives before they were eternally preserved.

The complex - approximately 35 feet underground - labyrinth is over 2,500 years old and has only recently come under investigation. It is thought that the creatures were encrypted in honor of the canine-headed god, Anubis, God of the Dead.

Read more about this story from the dark side here.

Montana-Yellowstone Earthquake

2011-05-17T09:21:00.008-06:00

One of the benefits of living in a rural setting is that people cleverly use the garbage transfer station as a recycling depot of sorts. Boxes and bags of reusable items are often left at the side for other to go through and take as they need. The other day I picked up this book out of the box. The Night the Mountain Fell by Edmund Christopherson.

I had never heard of the Montana-Yellowstone earthquake before but now that Yellowstone appears to be gaining in activity again it has caught my interest.
The story, of course, is one of major tragedy. On Monday, August 17, 1959. It was almost midnight when the 7.4 (some say 7.8) earthquake struck in Madison Canyon. A gigantic tidal wave, 20 feet high, sloshed over the top of the Hebgen Dam. Half of a 7,600 ft mountain came crashing down. 80 million tons of mud, rocks (some the size of houses) and debris came tumbling down creating hurricane force winds.

Campers at the Forest Service campgrounds and vacationers at dude ranches and local residents were caught. Mrs. Grace Miller, a seventy-year-old widow who ran the Hillgard Fishing Lodge woke up and dashed out of her cabin, jumping over a five-foot crevise which had appeared outside of her front door before her home dropped into Hegben Lake.

Many died but many more were rescued.

Are You Susceptible to Demonic Possession?

2011-04-15T11:39:00.003-06:00

Demons have targeted and attacked certain humans throughout history and into the present.

What makes some people susceptible and not others is open for discussion/debate. My very limited knowledge on the matter seems to suggest that it is persons who are more psychically aware and who live lives closer to the shadow's edge that receive unwanted attention from the dark-side.

Scratches and bites that mysteriously appear on the victim's body, often in front of credible witnesses. In the Phillipines, 1951, 17-year-old Clarita Villanueva, screamed for her jailers to come to her rescue. Prison guards rushed to the women’s section where female inmates pointed to the tormented girl writhing on the floor, battling an invisible assailant. Clarita had been picked up by a patrol car at two o’clock that morning, hysterical, in front of a waterfront bar for causing a disturbance. Begging the policemen to get The Thing off her, they tossed her in their car and raced back to headquarters. Now they watched in horror as invisible fangs ripped and shredded her young flesh.

More recently, this story also appeared. "Philippine priest in ancient battle with demons" . Not a position we would wish anyone in.

FBI Memo Mentions Roswell

2011-04-10T09:38:00.004-06:00

The Roswell Incident will continue to unravel as new information is slowly released from a variety of agencies. This latest mention in the UK Daily Mail is taken as further proof that aliens landed that seminal day in July 1947. (For a more readable copy of the memo use the Daily Mail link.)

Whether you believe in UFOs or not, it's interesting to speculate how life seems inexplicably tied to what possibilities you are open to.

More incredible stories in Almanac of the Infamous.

More on Luna the Leaping Cow

2011-04-08T08:12:00.002-06:00

Check out the Youtube vid on this dynamic duo. Regina Mayer and her bovine antics are drawing attention from around the world. Go Regina!

No Jumping Horse? Train a Cow.

2011-04-05T10:42:00.005-06:00

That's the spirit!

When teen Regina Mayer found out she wasn't going to get a horse, did she sit around and pout? No way!

This 'nothing is impossible' young woman turned her dreams and aspirations into incredible results by convincing a cow to become her riding partner. Get the cold, hard facts here.

Ingenuity and plain old hard work can make anyone's dreams come true.

Fighting Fire with an Electric Wand

2011-03-30T09:33:00.003-06:00

This is a pretty cool story about using electricity to snuff out fires; particularly promising in enclosed spaces. Of course for every beneficial use there is no doubt a nefarious function. Not a bath tub toy for sure. For this glimpse of the future today, check out this cool new scientific tool and see where I snatched the picture from here.

Also works for trapping ghosts.

Was Amelia Earhart Smuggling Gold?

2011-03-05T11:13:00.004-07:00

Yet another romanticized claim concerning the mystery of Amelia Earhart has risen to the top of the rumour mill. This time the tantalizing scenario comes from Papua New Guinea - with the finding of a sunken plane and the whisper of 1930s female pilots smuggling gold out of Lae - which was Amelia's last known stop before she and navigator Fred Noonan vanished.

Divers off the coast of Bougainville discovered a plane wreck containing two skulls in the cockpit and three boxes with bars of gold bullion. Businessman Cletus Harepa is financing the recovery and feels confident that the wreckage will prove to be Earhart's Lockheed Electra. Needless to say, other experts on the Amelia disappearance disagree.

Whatever the outcome, Amelia Earhart continues to take a place in the hearts of those inspired by this adventurous woman. No doubt one day, one of the many theories of the pioneer aviatrix will be proven out. Read about this one here.

Catching Bullets is a Bad Idea

2011-02-23T15:51:00.007-07:00

Two rifles were loaded with bullets marked by members of the audience. Two beautiful female assistants pulled their triggers. Black smoke burst into the air. "My God, you've shot me!" gasped the exotic wizard Chung Ling Soo, blood spurting from his torso. The 'flash and bang' of the final act had gone terribly wrong.

The early 1900s were the golden era of the British music halls. Performing on stage at the Wood Green Empire in London, March 23, 1918, was a mysterious magician in oriental robes. For the climax of his show, the Mandarin of Magic would use a china plate to catch two bullets fired at him, point blank. It was his last performance.

Chung Ling Soo was an American named William Ellsworth Robinson who gave his show an oriental theme to increase its popularity in Europe.

After forty years of investigating spurned lovers and secret societies, the truth about his death was finally exposed.

Soo jealously guarded the secrets behind his illusions and loaded the rifles himself. Not being a gunsmith, he failed to recognized that a worn breechblock was allowing gunpowder to build up between the blank charge and the live charge. Soo effectively killed himself with his lack of knowledge.

Mysterious Mayan Manuscript

2011-02-16T11:58:00.003-07:00

In 1869 Charles de Bourbourg, a French ethnographer who became known for his recovery of historical documents, claimed to have deciphered the above obscure Mayan picture writing. His translation tells of two countries that existed many millenniums ago. Earth tremours rocked them to their very foundations. Their entire land mass along with 64 million citizens 'disappeared in the night.'

Bourbourg claims this refers to the continents of Atlantis and Mu. Others claim Bourbourg is speculating on the entire interpretation.

Hey, if you click on the picture you can see it up close - very cool.

Voynich Manuscript

2011-02-12T08:40:00.005-07:00

The 'Most Mysterious Manuscript in the World' has now been radio carbon dated back to between 1404 - 1438; making it 100 years older than previously thought and 250 years older than the Gutenberg bible. Experts, however, are no closer to decoding the cryptic script which has recently been described as making "the "DaVinci Code" look downright lackluster."

It has been suggested that the tome, written on animal skin, is the work of alchemist/scientist Roger Bacon. It is richly illustrated with tiny naked women, 113 unidentified plant species, zodiac signs, courtly figures and other baffling pictures. The Voynich Manuscript is on page 178 in Almanac of the Infamous. I love it when new information on old mysteries is revealed.

"Yes," admitted the prisoner, "I am a werewolf."

2011-02-04T15:21:00.007-07:00

Dark times lived in Gascony, France in 1603. Innocent children were plucked from their beds to suffer a hideous fate. Mass hysteria descended on the village when 13-year-old Marguerite Poirer swore before the magistrate that on the night of the full moon she was savagely attacked by a wolf-like beast while tending her cattle. Luckily she was able to drive the creature off with her sturdy, iron pointed staff.

Jeanne Gaboriaut, 18-years-old, told the judge that 14-year-old Jean Grenier had made advances on her and when she denied him because of his yellow complexion and dirty appearance he told her "That is because of the wolf's skin I wear." The creepy jerk told shepherdess that his wealthy employer gave him a pelt to put on that he might go "haunting" the woods and fields. There where nine other like himself, who roamed the forest between dusk and dawn. Grenier immediately was arrested.

Levitation Made Easy

2011-01-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

Weighing in at 238 pounds, the irrepressible Agnes Guppy was one of many famous cases of levitation from the mid 1800s. Her most famous flight become known as 'The Transit of Venus' when the ample bosomed woman floated some three miles across the London skies, from her home in Highbury to a house conducting a seance in Bloomsbury.

Six men and two women were huddled about a table with professional mediums Frank Herne and Charles Williams. A music box began to levitate and tinkle out its tinny tune while tiny lights floated in the air. One of the spirits present asked the assembled if they would like them to bring something and a young woman responded "I wish she'd bring Mrs Guppy."

Soon after there was a magnificent bump and a shriek. Mrs Guppy appeared standing in the middle of the table wearing her nightgown and bedroom slippers. In one hand she held a pen and in the other her accounts book. The ink in the pen was wet.

Well if Mrs. Guppy can do it certainly you or I can do it.

Perhaps all we need is to follow this sage advice from G.K. Chesterton: "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. Devils fall because of their gravity."

Let me know if you have any luck with that.

Frogs

2010-11-28T10:14:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I was sitting at the local craft fair when a woman who had bought my book previously said that she knew at least one story in it was true because it had happened to her family as well.

Many years ago, when her husband was digging a well for their home, at about ten feet down they discovered a rock that contained a frog. The amphibian was a pale white and lived for a day in the open air, before it died. Who knows how long it had been in hibernation while entombed or how it got there in the first place.

I wish I could remember where I saw a reference to entombed frogs being placed in rocks because in there last human incarnation they committed some kind of spiritual faux pas. Anyone else heard of this?

Elijah

2010-10-19T17:05:00.003-06:00

One of my greatest reference books is a British series from the 70s called Out of This World. In one article they write about the Israelite prophet Elijah who lived in the 9th Century BCE. (And by the way, BCE can be interpreted as 'Before the Common era' or Before the Christian era' and is now popularly used instead of BC meaning 'Before Christ'.)

Anyways, back to Elijah who was said to raise the death, bring fire down from the sky and who ascended to heaven in a flaming chariot; he is also said to have psychically listened in on the battle plans of the king of Syria.

So much of life is interpretation.

Spooky Coincidence

2010-10-11T10:26:00.002-06:00

On Halloween, October 31, 1988, Justin Kyle Russum was born. Both of his parents were also born on Halloween, on it 1954 and the other in 1963. The doctor who delivered Justin, who had just come on duty a few hours earlier, was also born on October 31.

This spooky coincidence was found in Science Frontiers Some Anomalies and Curiosities of Nature compiled by William R. Corliss.

And I thought it was the stork that brought babies - it`s really The Great Pumpkin!

Man Fell From Sky

2010-09-18T09:50:00.003-06:00

That's a scenario I've been running across a lot lately. It's just weird. In this particular case the fellow never even hit the ground. After watching Star Trek 2009 again last night (I never watch movies more than once because they're predictable but this is the fourth time I've seen ST - it's that good!) I was wondering if Scotty has been doing some transporter practise.

Any ideas what would explain this incredible story?

Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission

2010-09-15T22:40:00.005-06:00

Hot off the press from Denver, Colorado:

"Shall the voters for the City and County of Denver adopt an Initiated Ordinance to require the creation of an extraterrestrial affairs commission to help ensure the health, safety, and cultural awareness of Denver residents and visitors in relation to potential encounters or interactions with extraterrestrial intelligent beings or their vehicles, and fund such commission from grants, gifts and donations?"

Jeff Peckman managed to gather 10,000 signatures to get Initiative 300 onto the official Denver ballot in November's election. If it passes, the Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission - funded entirely by gifts and donations - would seek to formalize the existing evidence for UFO's, simplify the reporting process for new sightings, and to evaluate the risks and benefits for Denver citizens of any potential extraterrestrial encounter.

Our grand mission is dedicated to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of human beings in relation to interactions with extraterrestrial beings, and to creating peaceful, harmonious, and mutually beneficial relationships between all beings in the universe," says Peckman.

Could this actually be the beginning of official government recognition? It seems like the logical next step, in the face of this year's declassifying of UFO documents and the increasingly casual acceptance by the public that we are not alone. Astronomy's almost-daily discoveries of new planets certainly helps make the case, too.

If we are not the only ones here, if we are being or about to be visited, I think I'd like someone like Jeff Peckman to be busily researching the most beneficial ways to make contact and keep everybody safe. I'd say yes. Check it out here.

School Girl with Magnetic Hands

2010-09-13T09:03:00.002-06:00

Fascinating. Wonder what she has for breakfast?

"A Serbian schoolgirl has amazed medics with her astonishing magnetic hands.

Ten-year-old Jelena Momcilov has been picking up cutlery, coins and even metal furniture by just touching them at her family home in Zeljusa, since she first discovered her powers five years ago."

Churchill / Eisenhower put the gag on UFO sighting

2010-08-06T08:10:00.003-06:00

Well this is pretty interesting. A controversial subject backed by extremely credible testimony. UFOs may be debated but it's well on its way to not being a fringe element anymore. Betcha more and more 'unexplained' phenomena starts coming to the surface in the next two plus years. I wonder if anyone has started a countdown to December 21, 2012?

The information that Winston Churchill ordered a UFO coverup is appearing in more than one paper. Here's where I read it.

866 days to go

Crop Circle Shroud

2010-08-05T08:51:00.005-06:00

Well, it doesn't take too big of a stretch to see the image of the Shroud of Turin in this crop circle. I can't imagine any 'person' having the precision to do it but unless images of other religious leaders also appear I'll remain somewhat skeptical. It could represent something else. Read the article at the place where I stole the image here.

There are better pictures if you follow the link too.

Anyone have any other ideas what it could be a picture of?

Who Creates Crop Circles?

2010-06-30T09:20:00.005-06:00

A intricate new crop circle has been discovered in Wiltshire, Britain. Composed of about two hundred smaller circles laid out in mathematical precision, the consensus on some chat forums seems to be that the idea of the circles being done by aliens is ridiculous and that they are created by vandals.

Really? That's like saying that pirates buried the treasure on Oak Island. I mean really - most groups of people can't even get along well enough to organize painting the old boards around a hockey rink so how is anyone going to get a group big enough and trained enough to gather in the dark and lay out an elaborate hoax? And why would they bother?

Now I'm not saying yay or nay to aliens being the ones responsible, but why not? It seems we are far too dismissive of anything that demands an opening of our mental tunnel vision.

Personally, I believe that some type of sound wave is involved in the evolution of these splendidly stylized structures. Which brings up the question, since when has recent man ever been interested in creating something so awesome but so impermanent? A change of weather and all that hard work simply vanishes.

Picture stolen from this article here.

Come back and let me know how you think crop circles are created.

Awesome Archeology

2010-06-10T08:58:00.005-06:00

This is totally tremendous. Would you believe that a shoe older than The Great Pyramid of Egypt and Stonehenge has been found buried in sheep dung in a cave in Armenia. To me this is thrilling and I wish that discovering past cultures were more important than making war and destroying them.

Wait ... wait ... have to push my soapbox aside ... or I'm just another dissonant.

Who wore this shoe? Probably the person who made it but that's just an uneducated guess - though it makes sense. In another 5000 years, what will people think when they uncover stiletto high heels shoes? Ceremonial purposes? Perhaps for human sacrifices? They might be more right than we're willing to realize. (squeak ... squeak ... squeak... soapbox trying to sneak back onstage)

Check out this cool article on the shoe and the woman who found it here. I'm going to steal their picture just to entice you further and thanks to PLoS ONE / Ron Pinhasi, Boris Gasparian, et al which is what it says below the photo and I assume is some kind of credit.

Barb(ie) meets Boog(ie)

2010-05-21T05:58:00.007-06:00

I'm going to vote 'hoax' on this one. Apparently this bit of weirdness was pulled from a lake by a dog. It looks like a bad day at the Barbie factory when one of the beauty queens cross pollinated with the Boogie man and then went once around the block with some weird pig creature. It's the luxurious hair that makes me think of dolls.

But then I could be wrong. (I often am and usually when I think someone else is screwing up.) Anyways if this was April 1st, I would refuse to be so gullible. But what do you think? Read the article and post your opinion. I'm wondering how others see it. Be honest now! There are better (or worse) pictures with the article but I just couldn't bring myself to look at them very long.

Speaking of honest, I stole the picture from the website but hope that linking back to the article covers all copyright infringement. Again, I could be wrong.

Let the Crop Circles Begin!

2010-05-08T21:10:00.003-06:00

Was excited to find this article! Crop circles are one of my very favorite mysteries. On one hand, they're so pretty who cares if they were made by aliens or whirlwinds? On the other hand maybe there's no difference.

In any case, enjoy the article.

It's Incredible!

2010-04-29T09:19:00.003-06:00

Two blog postings in one day! That has never happened before and likely will never happen again; usually I'm lucky to blog twice a month.

But I wanted to share these pictures from our Crime Writers of Canada panel in Vancouver on April 22, 2010 as a prelude to the Arthur Ellis Awards shortlist announcements. The photo shows Phyllis Smallman - The Sherri Travis Series, moi - Juanita Violini, and Joan Donaldson-Yarmey - The Traveling Detective Series. That man must be saying something weird, we look pretty skeptical.

Wright On

2010-04-29T08:10:00.000-06:00

"The truth is more important than the facts." - Frank Lloyd Wright.

Bumper Stickers

2010-04-01T14:17:00.007-06:00

A day without sunshine is like, night.

On the other hand, you have more fingers.

I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory.

I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.

Honk if you love peace and quiet.

Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.

How do "Stay off the Grass" signs get there?

Consciousness: That annoying time between naps

I'd give my left arm to be ambidextrous.

I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me send money.

Time is what keeps everything from happening at once.

Give me ambiguity or give me something else.

A flashlight is a case for holding dead batteries

I wouldn't be caught dead with a necrophiliac.

Okay, who put a "stop payment" on my reality check?

Help wanted telepath: you know where to apply

Back Up My Hard Drive? How do I Put it in Reverse?

"Warning: Dates in Calendar are closer than they appear."

"3 kinds of people: those who can count & those who can't."

All those who believe in psychokinesis raise my hand.

The Schizophrenic: An Unauthorized Autobiography

Energizer Bunny arrested, charged with battery.

You don't have to be dead to move towards the Light

Is it really stealing when ...

2010-03-26T09:22:00.002-06:00

Some guy bought a new fridge for his house. To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it saying: "Free to good home. You want it, you take it." For three days the fridge sat there without even one person looking twice at it.

He eventually decided that people were too untrusting of this deal. It looked to good to be true, so he changed the sign to read: "Fridge for sale $50."

The next day someone stole it.

Britain UFO Sightings Spike

2010-03-01T07:31:00.005-07:00

If you're interested in the paranormal and UFO's, then you have probably already heard that England's Ministry of Defense released thousands of pages of documents last week, effectively declassifying all of their UFO research and investigations over the past decades. It seems that this has peaked interest in paranormal phenomena again, as sightings of UFO's have spiked recently. Or, perhaps, the aliens are dropping by to see what all the fuss is about.

Sightings of strange objects in the sky in the Scottish Highlands was capped off by a report from Nairn, where a nighttime sojourner saw a glowing, orange fireball on February 14, travelling soundlessly in a straight line before disappearing into the clouds. Okay, sounds intriguing, but there is just not much information there. It could be anything, even just a fancy story.

More solid, and more well reported by far, is the photo taken by intrepid UFO watcher Tom Cooke of St. Helens outside his home on Tuesday, February 16th. When the nine-year-old saw two flaming orange lights gliding side by side in the night air he whipped out his cell phone camera and snapped a pretty clear image of the lights. He was convinced they were UFO's. If interest in the story is any indicator, a whole lot of others are convinced, too.

So. Does releasing tons of documented sightings engender more sightings? Does it spark the imagination, leading to flights of fancy whenever a ball of marsh gas rises above the murk? Or does it sharpen people's eyes, cause them to look upwards more often, and perhaps catch a glimpse of an answer to the ancient question - are we alone? That, dear reader, we leave to you to decide. We know what we believe.

I think we'll go stargazing tonight.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Britian's Most Haunted - again

2010-02-26T10:28:00.007-07:00

This interesting article is about the third site that I have come across claiming that illustrious title of 'Britain's Most Haunted...'. I love Britain, and the competition for the best 'ghostiness' doesn't matter to me in the least.

Burke and Hare, two seedy characters who supplied a surgeon with bodies for his anatomy class, during a time when dissection was illegal, were reputed to have acquired corpses in these vaults of Edinburgh.

Of course the fresher the body the better the pay for the suppliers, so you know where B&H went with that. That would definitely add an aura of evilness to any place they 'shopped'.

Someone should organize a tour of the Most Haunted Places in Britain, moderated by me, to visit said 'Most Haunted' places and check them out. We could then vote on it. Wouldn't mean a thing because I doubt spirits would perform for the sake of being #1, but it could be a whole lot of fun checking it out. Of course you wouldn't want to go alone. That's what I think.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Psychic School of Excellence

2010-02-19T16:42:00.008-07:00

There really is a Hogwarts! Or at least there will be if Kevin Horkin has his way.

This forward thinking businessman is trying to purchase a derelict castle in North Wales with the intention of turning it into a topnotch psychic retreat and seminar centre. I think he's onto something and what a perfect place to do it in.

Britain has long been home to some of the oldest and most mysterious phenomena. From the country where the fairy faith thrived for centuries, to the countryside where elaborate crop circles appear in a whirling dervish of time, Britain has always been a gathering ground for psychics. It seems like a given.

And I know I would like to talk to a group of them. It has long been my experience, and complaint, about those who would help us see beyond the veil of time, that their interpretation is often off. If only those with the vision would just relay what they see, rather than try and figure out for us what the meaning is behind it, I think we would be further ahead.

Perhaps we expect psychics to be mind readers and think that if they are really worth their suss then they'll automatically know how what they see applies to us personally. This is a disservice to those of us paying for their services; and to them and their abilities. I'm sure they have the best of intentions but I believe making use of a psychic involves our active participation.

That's what I think.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Ancient Shipwreck

2010-02-14T09:38:00.007-07:00

What was life like 3000 years ago?

Many of us, if you are as time challenged as I can be, might imagine our hallowed ancestors hopping around with knuckles dragging along the ground, and grunting out a few syllables, trying to develop a communication system. ... not unlike a late Saturday night at many of the current alcoholic watering holes.

I'm kidding - I think...

But no! Well yes, I am kidding, but no - they were much more 'civilized' than that.

Evidence in the form of an ancient shipwreck - although in truth it is more the size of a large canoe than a ship - is proving that trade was very active between Britain and the Continent even a thousand years before Christ. And this isn't the first time a vessel from that era has been found. The illustration is a 'remake' of a photo by Bill Curtsinger of a gold chalice and a two handled cup found amid wreckage of an ancient merchant vessel that sank near Turkey some 3400 years ago.

Things like this are very exciting to me. I would love to travel the world exploring archeological sites, ancient forests and medieval castles. Anyone want to pay me to do that?

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Nfld Premier Danny Williams a 'UFO Guy"

2010-02-02T08:54:00.004-07:00

The Newfoundland UFO sighting at Harbour Mille on January 25 is a story that, like the rocket it resembled, seems to keep on going up. People from all walks of life are discussing it, offering opinions, and having fun with the story, as well as taking it seriously enough to investigate. Newfoundland's Premier, Danny Williams, is following the story with interest, calling himself a UFO guy.

Darlene Stewart and her friend, Elly Pardy, were photographing the sunset on January 25 when they saw several bullet-like objects seem to rise out of the ocean and go streaking across the sky, leaving flaming trails behind them. The phenomena were visible for up to ten minutes, and they took several pictures.

The news immediately spread. The UFO's have been investigated by the RCMP, the Canadian military, and contact was made with other militaries to see if any missile tests were being performed anywhere in the area. Apparently, they were not.

In the usual search for reasonable explanations, theories have been advanced that it was model rocket enthusiasts shooting off rockets, or that it was the 'December phenomenon', when sunset's slanting rays can make an aircraft contrail light up like fire.

First off, nobody in Harbour Mille has model rockets as a hobby, nor are they likely to shoot them off from the ocean. And one look at the photos show the objects and their flaming tails to look nothing like an aircraft or its jetstream.

In the absence of answers, this sighting remains a UFO. And that suits Premier Danny Williams just fine, who enjoys a good unexplained mystery. He is headed for heart surgery that will sideline him for a number of weeks. Perhaps he needs a copy of Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, and The Ignored to give him a spoonful of laughter and a dose of wonder during his convalescence. Not that anybody who lives in Newfoundland is any stranger to wonder, of course.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Send Us Your Incredible Story!

2010-01-26T10:46:00.004-07:00

If you've ever had a brush with the paranormal or the unexplained, we want to hear about it. Now you can send us your stories of amazing occurrences and unusual events via our website.

We will eagerly read every mystery you send to us. Some of the good ones we will post here on this blog, crediting your name to the story. The very best ones we will save for future book projects.

Every astounding story in Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, and The Ignored happened to real people living ordinary lives. Mysteries, enigmas, and the unexplained are all around us. Tell us what's happened to you, and we will help to tell it to the world.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Dalby Spook Haunting Revisited - Gef Returns

2010-01-19T10:18:00.007-07:00

Gef the talking mongoose. It sounds like a child's TV show, but in fact it was a not-very-nice poltergeist that haunted the Irving family on the Isle of Man in the 1930's. Gef is a fixture in English paranormal lore, and is now experiencing a resurgence in popularity thanks to the efforts of Christopher Josiffe, a cataloguer at London University's Senate Library, who is reopening the investigation.

Gef was mostly seen by the family's daughter, Voirrey, who discovered that this strange, yellowish creature could talk and sing. She taught him more English, introduced him to the family, and Gef was a frequent visitor to the house.

As news of the poltergeist spread, Gef was investigated by Harry Price, one of England's most celebrated and dedicated magical investigators. Gef never appeared for Price, however. He took pawprint casts and bite-mark impressions and had them analyzed by experts, but they were never associated with any known animal.

Did Voirrey and the rest of the Irvings do this for fame and fortune? There is no evidence that they ever charged for admission to their house, called Doarlish Cashen, and the constant stream of gawkers and tourists was a tremendous bother to them. No, it seems like their report of the haunting was simply factual.

Gef disappeared when the Irvings left in 1935. His legend lives on, however, backed by the testimony of Price and the assertions of Voirrey Irving, to her dying day, that Gef was real.

Now Christopher Josiffe is re-examining Price's documentation and asking for information from Isle of Man residents in an effort to further probe the mystery of Gef. What will he find, more than 70 years after the fact? Mongooses are notoriously slippery creatures, but he may yet grasp more tantalising details to add to the Dalby Spook mystery.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Searching for Humour

2010-01-10T14:45:00.003-07:00

"Hello, is this the RCMP?"
"Yes. How can we help you?"
"I'm calling to report my neighbour, Marilyn Sullivan. She's hiding marijuana inside her firewood."
"Thank you very much for the call, sir."

The next day, the RCMP officers descended on Marilyn's house. They searched the shed where the firewood was kept. Using axes, they busted open every peice of wood, but found no marijuana. They apologized to Marilyn, she swore at them, and they left.

The next day, the phone rang at Marilyn's house.

"Hey, Marilyn. Did the RCMP come to your house?"
"Yeah!"
"Did they chop your firewood?"
"Yep."
"Happy Birthday, darlin'."

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

UFO Reporting Turns Official

2010-01-04T11:36:00.006-07:00

UFO sightings now have an official place to be logged and recorded, thanks to Phillipe Ailleris and the International Year of Astronomy. Now relabelled Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena (UAP), strange night-time lights and objects can now be recorded, in as much detail as possible, at Ailleris' new website, UapReporting.org.

UAP are usually seen at night, when both professional and amateur astronomers have myriad lenses pointed at the sky. They are the most likely people to spot strange lights in the sky, and - more importantly - the most likely to know how to accurately report what they have seen. UapReporting.org seeks to catalog these sightings and add to the body of knowledge about UFO's, UAP's, and false alarms. The site has a comprehensive questionnaire to complete asking for specific details. It also has a section on common mistaken sightings, such as ball lightning and satellites.

We are all in favour of more detailed, critical analysis and insight into the UFO phenomenon. In our way of thinking, the more we can level a critical eye at the unexplained, the more we will find truly unusual events which will slip through our analysis like watermelon seeds.

The more we look, the more wonder we will find. Go, Phillipe! And keep us all informed of what you, and thousands of informed eyes, discover about our strange sky.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Weather Phenomenon - Roll Cloud Startles Nova Scotia

2009-12-30T10:09:00.006-07:00

On April 28, 2009, residents of Southern Nova Scotia were weathering another blustery Atlantic day when the wind suddenly increased to shrieking intensity, picking up rocks and hurling lawn furniture. Those who ventured outside saw an incredibly rare meteorological phenomenon - a roll cloud. A long sausage of dense, dark cloud extended from horizon to horizon, barreling along just over their heads. In moments the cloud was gone, and along with it the wind.

"The trees in the backyard seemed to bend in two and my lawnchairs, shovel, rake and everything else on the deck and surrounding area lifted to the other side of the yard and deck in a matter of seconds," said Amanda Lewis, who lives in the Kingston/Greenwood area. "I ran out to grab what I could before it disappeared. The wind was so strong I had a hard time opening our side door and could barely walk to the deck." Read more eyewitness accounts, and see video footage of the event, in the original article from the Yarmouth County Vanguard.

Mother Nature most often gives us a calm, reassuring regularity to her rhythms. Every once in awhile, though, She lets loose with something special, out of the ordinary, startling. Just to keep us on our toes. Thanks, Mom.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Intuition Catches The Playboy Poisoner

2009-12-27T11:34:00.006-07:00

In 1916, New York City, the notorious Dr. Arthur W. Waite, decided to try his hand at germ warfare - to kill his father-in-law, John Peck.

The nefarious dentist first killed his mother-in-law by lacing her food with influenza and diphtheria germs. After that went smoothly he set out to insert a fatal sickness into Mr. Peck's system, in hopes of inheriting a lucrative fortune.

Billions of germs resided in his bacteriological laboratory and Waite administered typhoid, diphtheria, and pneumonia organisms while working on him in the dentist chair. He even concocted a deadly nasal spray which his father-in-law used but suffered no ill effects from. Eventually the poisoner's patience ran out and he gave the older man an overdose of arsenic.

Elizabeth Hardwick, a schoolteacher and distant relative, happened to hear of Waite acting rudely towards her father, completely out of character from the Doctor'ss usual suave demeanor. This little bit of news gave weight to suspicions Elizabeth had been ignoring about the man and prompted her to send an anonymous telegram to his son "Suspicion aroused. Demand autopsy."

Investigation quickly proved Waite's guilt. He was electrocuted the following year.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

UFO Over Moscow

2009-12-19T10:18:00.005-07:00

It's in the news again. that triangular shaped unidentified flying object that speeds in and out of earth's atmosphere every so often, this time appearing over Red Square in Moscow. Won't be long before someone gives us a 'logical' explanation.

Before the British Ministry of Defense pulled its UFO Hotline service, they use to look into this type of phenomenon. And they were kept very busy back in 1989, 1990.

At that time they investigated a huge wave of space craft sightings making impossible manuveurs over Belgium. These airships were observed to be moving at extreme speeds; extremely slowly at one end of the spectrum (20 miles per hour) and extremely fast (thousands of miles per hour) at the other end. In one night, at the end of March, 1990, the Belgian Air Force received 2,700 reports of UFO sightings from civilians and military. Compare this to the usual 250 reports per year. You can read more about this under March 30th in the Almanac.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Mind your Mind

2009-12-14T10:33:00.008-07:00

Some things just shouldn't be messed with by; like, say, the Mind. Just a bad idea. Not sure why, call it a hunch.

Today I saw an article

Scientists find way to block fearful memories

If I'm reading it properly, they find a way to release a memory (a fearful memory; this is probably for 'our own good') from where it is stored and change it - so you don't have to be afraid anymore.

Dunno. ... it seems to me that our bodies are perfectly created and if we have memories of something that we need to deal with, it would be better to deal with it than just remove the sucker. Could be wrong ... but what else is going out with it? Do we know? Will we ever know?

Could be useful in mental health issue; they say. Well one person's mental health issue could be another person's road to riches. And how would a person know that it was just fearful memories being removed. You don't know what you don't know, right?

For instance, just to start, Can anyone say The Final Cut or Memento?

Pretending to Practise

2009-12-10T19:48:00.005-07:00

There's a curious story taking place in Toronto right now. Vishwantee Persaud is charged with 'pretending to practice' witchcraft; a rare section of Canada's criminal code from 1892.

The man she bewitched was a lawyer. She enchanted him out of $150,000. Do you think 'pretending' to be a witch would pack the same wallop that actually being a witch would? I mean, what would she have gotten out of him she had really been practising instead of just pretending? Just asking.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Horse Braids

2009-12-08T08:35:00.007-07:00

Alright all you folks with horses - have you ever discovered your equine friend had possibly gone to the beauty parlour overnight? Some owners and riders have been finding their horses hair has been done up in plaits for no apparent reason. An article in the Telegraph.co.uk tells of animals in Dorset who have been sporting a new do, much to the puzzlement of investigators.

Thieves have been suspected, but really, when you are trying to make a getaway wouldn't it be smarter to ride the horse than do its hair? Besides, nothing has been stolen.

Others suspect it's the wind. Pretty dexterous. Besides, some of the braids are down by the withers - a little low for a gust to get fancy. A warlock suggested it is part of a ritual in white magic but I have a better suggestion - Fairies!

This is not the first time I've heard of this phenomenon. At least one incident took place in 1906 when a captain in the Bavarian cavalry had a horse who got sick and was found by the groom each morning covered in sweat with his mane and tail braided. The captain spent the night in the stall and in the early morning hours was astonished to see the animal begin to tremble and his mane and tail become whipped into intricate plaits, leaving the horse coated in foam.

Anyone else have this experience with their horses?

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Canadian Police Chase

2009-12-04T07:09:00.004-07:00

This is pretty funny. Cleverness in advertising. At least if people are trying to sell you something it's nice to get a smile out of it. Enjoy a few seconds of this high speed chase.

"The Human X-Ray" - Paranormal Healer In Toronto

2009-11-30T09:30:00.005-07:00

Unexplained mysteries aren't unusual, exotic, or something only accessible to other people. They can be as close as your own city. Take Ms. Nateliya Frelova, for example, one of a number of Russian-born healers living and working in Toronto, Ontario. She runs a healing center called Speleocenter Harmony, where she matter-of-factly uses her paranormal powers, including complete x-ray vision, to promote healing.

Nateliya comes from a family of healers. When she was fifteen - a common age for the emergence of extrasensory powers - she suddenly could see people's internal organs. Frightening at first, this talent soon became useful, and now is the centrepiece of her healing work.

Another feature of her clinic is the Salt Room, an entire room coated, floor to ceiling, in salts. People sit comfortably inside and soak up the ions, reputed to be great for respiratory problems. Sounds like a wonderful spot for french fries and popcorn, too.

Look around you. If you think the unusual or unexplained might exist, then you'll find it. And it might be right next door.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Unexplained Radio Hits The Comics

2009-11-17T17:46:00.004-07:00

When your favourite topic hits the comic strips, you know it's gone mainstream.

The Almanac has been featured on numerous radio shows in the past months, many of them focusing on paranormal investigations and the unexplained. It's an entire subculture that is growing by leaps and bounds as many seek to know more about the strange place we live in.

What should I see when I peruse my favourite comic strips today, but this pearl from Pearls Before Swine (from one of the sharpest pencils in the comics business today, in my humble opinion):

I can't wait to see what Mr. Pastis does with this theme next. Maybe he'll have Rat reading The Almanac!

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Whitley Strieber Hosts The Almanac on Dreamland Radio!

2009-10-30T08:00:00.004-06:00

Whitley Strieber - writer of the 1987 classic Communion, alien novels such as The Grays, and novels-become-movies like The Day After Tomorrow, has read Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, and The Ignored - and couldn't put it down! Now he is hosting Juanita on his popular radio show Dreamland this Saturday.

Whitley is a big fan of The Almanac. Of course - he is a phenomenon himself, an outspoken leader in the field of paranormal research and dissemination. Whitley Strieber and his wife, Anne, cover the range of unusual investigations on their Dreamland radio show, and on their website, Unknown Country. The Almanac's factual but fascinating portrayal of hundreds of actual mind-boggling events, just as they happened, captivates any true lover of mystery.

Listen in to Juanita and Whitley, hear some excerpts from The Almanac, and catch some interesting stories behind the making of this new compendium of the unexplained. You can find it Saturday Afternoon, 1 pm Pacific time, or catch it on podcast for 2 weeks afterward.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Ice Falls from Sky

2009-10-27T10:10:00.004-06:00

Wow! Look what I found! This is amazing ...

If I knew how to add just the video I would do it but this is definitely worth a trip to the site - just scroll down to the video and prepare to have your paradigm shifted.

Stuff like this makes blogging easy. Heads up!

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

The Drive To Explain

2009-10-21T21:52:00.005-06:00

Today the CBC website carried a photo essay of famous publicity stunts. They covered both times Oprah got hoodwinked by writers, the lady who lied about a winning lottery ticket, and the Boston Marathon runner who took a shortcut.

They also decided to mention crop circles and the granddaddy alien story of them all, the Roswell autopsies. In these stories, of course, the CBC writers sailed into famously dangerous and murky waters.

The crop circle phenomenon is an enduring mystery, and rightly so. On the surface, it seems eminently explainable, and Doug Bower and Dave Chorley decided to do just that, telling the world that they had created some of the world's most amazing crop circles with little more than a length of wood and some string. What they didn't explain, and what the world media seems never to have asked, is how two bar buddies could have created mathematical marvels that would stretch the capabilities of a team of engineers and surveyors, in only a few minutes, often under the eyes of people who saw nothing special happening.

The televised Roswell alien autopsy, supposedly put together from footage of the actual event in 1947, is also mentioned as a publicity stunt. It may have been; the Roswell incident has spawned more imitators and takeoffs than Elvis. The real event, however, remains far too inexplicable for reason to rest easy. And I couldn't help noticing that this was the one story they didn't actually come out and call a hoax.

Mysteries are, by their nature, uncomfortable for our reasoning brains. Therein lies their allure; that is why we will reach for any explanation, sometimes in blatant blindness of the outstanding evidence.

There are many of us, however, who are content to let mystery be. This world would be a greyer place if we could explain all of it. Having some unsolveable mysteries reassures me that we will never quite be as big as the world in which we live.

Like unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena? Then you'll love Almanac of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored, 365 days of amazing real-life occurrences and paranormal activities written by Juanita Rose Violini and published by Weiser Books. It's a must-read for every mystery lover. Check it out at www.incrediblealmanac.com today. A magical daily read!

Almanac On The Radio

2009-10-16T09:51:00.003-06:00

Tune in to Cult Radio A GoGo this Saturday, October 17, at 6pm Pacific time. Hear Juanita bring the Almanac to the wildest counterculture scene on the Internet! It's bound to be an interesting listen.

Check it out at the link, halfway down the page.

http://www.cultradioagogo.com/thisweek.html

New Photos on Almanac Facebook Page

2009-10-15T23:35:00.002-06:00

Book signings are a wonderful place to catch Juanita in action, talking about mysteries and meeting her fans. I've put a few photos of these events up on the Almanac Facebook page, go have a look.

If you haven't seen our Facebook presence yet, you really should. This is where we put much of our announcements, discussions, and even a few extra mysteries. Check it out at:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Almanac-Of-The-Infamous-The-Incredible-And-The-Ignored/113239236442

Pet Psychic

2009-10-07T15:05:00.005-06:00

At our gathering the other night a friend of mine told me of an experience she had recently had. This lovely woman was moved to contact a pet psychic and during their conversation she asked about the welfare of a dog that use to be hers. The psychic wasn't willing to speak to much about the animal but did say she was picking up on great sadness and suggested my friend might want to contact the person who now had the dog.

So she did.

Unfortunately the new owner had to go travelling and had had the phone company disconnect the phone.

Fortunately, somehow, my friend's call made it through to the new owner anyways and my friend is now reunited with her previous pet. They are both very happy.

Our House

2009-10-06T12:48:00.004-06:00

We enjoyed a fabulous evening with friends this past weekend. They were all very enthusiastic about the book which made us feel on top of the world. I love this little town we live in. Bears, cougars and some of the best people in the world.

Tomorrow will be my first Author Reading. It takes place at Bacchus Books in Golden, BC. Pretty excited about that.

Amazon Action Today

2009-10-04T08:57:00.002-06:00

Go to Amazon.com now. Today. Look at the Almanac page there, and Amazon will notice your attention. If enough of us do this, Amazon will give the Almanac an increased presence on their site, effectively boosting its marketing.

So go have a look, now. Tell all your friends to do it too. Today. Spread the word. Thank you.

http://www.amazon.com/Almanac-Infamous-Incredible-Ignored-Juanita/dp/1578634474/

Comfort Zone

2009-10-02T10:11:00.003-06:00

I am definitely feeling stretched! The book - it works!

Sort of a silly thing for the author to say but I've been taking myself at my word and the old 'comfort zone' is nowhere to be seen. One of the things the Almanac talks about, in the metaphysical portion, is that being constantly comfortable is going nowhere. We have to push ourselves - at this time I think this is the only thing that works.

Life as an experiment as well as an experience - and I am experimenting and experiencings as never before. Radio interviews are my equivalent of 'going boldly' where I have never gone before. Pretty wild stuff. I feel like a wallflower whose wall has been removed.

Would love to hear of others experiences in leaving their comfort zones.

September Sheep

2009-09-20T17:38:00.009-06:00

One of the hardest things about blogging, at least for me, is the imagined limits of sticking to a topic. Infamous, incredible and ignored are pretty big topics but somehow ... oh the pressure. So screw it. This incredible blog is also going to be about things interesting, idiotic, irreplacable and a whole bunch of other words. And sometimes I'm just going to want to share. Like today.

I am very blessed to live in an area near wilderness and wildlife. Fresh from my camera today: September Sheep.

Google Crop Circles

2009-09-15T07:33:00.000-06:00

Sept 15, 2009: Google strikes again, with a theme of the mysterious and the bizarre celebrated on their home page for the second time this month. www.google.ca. This time it's crop circles.

Speculation is rampant on the Net about why Google is doing this - first a UFO abducts the letter O, then crop circles seem to forget about the letter L. Is it some weird marketing campaign? Is it something more sinister? Google doesn't seem to be telling.

Well, we love it. Everybody needs a little reminder of the mystery in life. that's what the Almanac is all about. Way to go, Google - keep it up.

New Video - Molten Rain

2009-09-13T10:08:00.002-06:00

The research for the Almanac involved hundreds of real-life mysteries. Juanita's criteria for inclusion into the book - verifiable from at least two different sources, a true mystery, before the year 2000, and more - meant that some didn't make the cut. Also, there are only so many mysteries you can put into a 365-day book.

So ... I've taken a few of the better mysteries from the trimmed pile and turned them into Youtube videos. Partly this is to advertise the Almanac, but also because some of these mysteries are simply too good not to do anything with. Watch them; you'll see what I mean.

They are also tremendous fun to put together.

Here is the first in the Incredible Almanac Youtube series, a mystery about an afternoon of molten rain. I call it Too Hot To Handle.

Enjoy it. Pass it around.

Google Has It Right

2009-09-05T12:27:00.002-06:00

Sept 4, 2009: Google has chosen today to honour the incredible number of searches it gets for 'unexplained phenomenon'. http://www.google.ca/

More and more, people are experiencing the sensation that there is something more to this world than what we simply see - call it a feeling, an intuition, but it's too pervasive to be dismissed. Thus, people begin their search. You can read more about it on Greg Bishop's UFO Mystic blog, here.

What better time to get a book with 365 of the world's most amazing occurrences and unexplainable events? What better time to pick one up for your friend? A shameless plug, I know, but hey, it's our blog, and it happens to be true.

Mystery really is all around us. The unexplained is out there. Maybe, with a daily dose of the unusual and the incredible, we can sharpen our senses to see more deeply into the mysterious world we live in.

Fact or Fantasy

2009-09-04T09:19:00.007-06:00

Let me confess right now that I've stolen this image. I hope Isobelle Carmody doesn't mind because I'm about to rave about her latest book, Alyzon Whitestarr.

Written as a young adult novel that story, which I can barely put down long enough to write this, is about a young girl who discovers her supersenses after an accident.

(Why does it always have to be an accident or illness that uncovers these things? Why can wanting it be enough. Oh I know. The alternative would be hard work to uncover them - just like all thing worthwhile.)

In any case her newly enhanced sense of smell, for instance, can detect the different moods, thoughts and attentions of the people around her. Realistically overwhelming at first. Her other senses are also supremely altered.

This is not the first time this idea has been presented and it's not always in fiction. Marlo Morgan's Mutant Message Down Under accounts the journey she took with Australian aborigines and discovered many innate human abilities. Mind you the walkabout was no cake walk.

Roald Dahl writes in The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar

“All of us, you see, have two senses of sight, just as we have two senses of smell and taste and hearing. There is the outer sense, the highly developed one which we all use, and there is the inner one also. If only we could develop these inner senses of ours, then we could smell without our noses, tast without out tongues, hear without our ears and see without our eyes."

Welcome

2009-08-23T10:18:00.006-06:00

Hey, welcome all to the incredible blog! Get ready for some super interesting stuff and plenty of non-sequiturs. This is going to be my opportunity to ramble, rant, occasionally rave and generally see what pops out.

Sometimes my best stuff happens that way. Ok. Sometimes my worse stuff too.

Let's start with this:

Yesterday for the first time I came across the term 'psychic instinct'. Now I always thought - um no - assumed is probably more accurate, that instinct was instinct but this got me thinking about different subtleties that might be involved.

Good old 'animal instinct' for those basic survival needs.

'Psychic instinct' might be for those times when you show up somewhere 'in the nick of time' to help someone.

'Telephone instinct' for when you're thinking of someone and they phone. Ok this might be starting to be a little silly.

'Fashion instinct' - something I am sadly lacking but I think it might be teachable. Can instinct be taught?

Ok let's go back to psychic instinct. The other day I was in toll booth number two because some of the stuff in toll booth number one wasn't working. I decided I needed to go to toll booth number one to get some change and as soon as I entered, the phone started to ring. I answered it and it was someone reporting an emergency. Maybe it was a combination of psychic instinct AND telephone instinct. (but that's just being silly)

Lucky I was there to answer the phone huh? And it turns out I didn't need change after all. Hmmmmmmm.

Would love to hear what other kinds of instinct people have experience with - as well as some funky instinct suggestions.

Welcome

2009-08-22T21:47:00.002-06:00

Welcome to Almanac Of The Infamous, The Incredible, And The Ignored.

This blog will enlighten, entertain, and remind you of the magic we have all around us, and the many ways it is constantly trying to make its presence felt in the crush of our 'ordinary' world.

Impossible occurrences, mystifying phenomena, incredible events - not everything that happens can be explained by our philosophies, not by a long shot.

Share with us this journey, this exploration, this trip into what we already know but have forgotten. Let's dabble in the mysteries, and see what we can find.