Happy Christmas!

... or Holidays .. or whatever it is you're into at this time of year.

BIGFOOT: The Return ......

Ok so its probably just a redneck returning to his trailer after a Halloween party.

A northern Minnesota man thinks he may have photographed Bigfoot with a motion-activated trail camera. Some are impressed by the photo, while others are less enthusiastic that it depicts a real Bigfoot.

Kim Kedrowski told the Bemidji Pioneer Press that he captured the image of what looks like a tall, upright, possibly hairy creature sauntering along a trail that winds through his hunting land just north of the small town of Remer, Minnesota.

Kedrowski said the photo was captured at 7:20 p.m. on Oct. 24, which was an overcast, rainy day. He said they checked with neighbors and friends, and none of them said they had been in the area at the time of the photo.

To get some expert advice, Kedrowski contacted the Minnesota Bigfoot Web site and spoke with Don Sherman and Bob Olson of the Northern Minnesota Bigfoot Research Team. Sherman and Olson are not biologists, but are long-time amateur Bigfoot enthusiasts - and they think the photo may be the real deal.

Sherman visited the site of the photo, and based on a measurement of a sapling seen in the photo, the creature appears to be about 7 feet tall. Sherman said he has made plaster casts of Bigfoot imprints in this neck of the woods in the past, although he did not make any casts in connection with the Kedrowski photo.

Casey Kedrowski, Kim's brother, said that he and his brother were the only two people who knew where the camera was located. They think that the possibility of someone hoaxing them is remote. They also say that neither of them is pulling a fast one on the other.

What I find interesting about this image is the complete lack of orbs ... clearly rednecks in cheap halloween costumes are a very effective ghost deterrant.

Voodoo Spy!

A British Army translator accused of spying for Iran was a voodoo priest who used black magic to protect the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan from the Taliban, a court heard.

Iranian-born Daniel James, 45, who was the personal interpreter to General David Richards, told the Old Bailey that he used pictures, dust, candles and seashells to cast spells protect his boss. He also said he did Tarot card readings for other personnel at the Allied HQ in Kabul to predict the future. James is alleged to have passed on secret information about Allied troop movements to the Iranians – who then passed it on to the Taliban. Giving evidence, James swore on the Bible but said he embraced all religions before telling the court how he converted to Voodoo while on his yearly trips to Cuba to research salsa in 2003. He claimed to be a priest who had recorded 10 Voodoo DVDs. James said: “I actually did black magic for General Richards praying to God to protect him from the Taliban. He explained: “Yoruba is the name of the religion. It is voodoo and black magic. I became the equivalent of a priest in the Church of England.” Corporal James told the court he ran salsa dance lessons from his Brighton club “Capital of Salsa” and dubbed himself “King of Salsa” before selling his businesses in 2005 just as he was called up to Afghanistan as a volunteer in the Territorial Army. As a dancer he regularly appeared on 1980s TV show ‘Solid Soul’ after an invitation by Jonathan Ross, who was then a television researcher, and he was a kick-boxing body builder who was one of Britain’s top three power lifters, the court heard. It is alleged James was a ‘Walter Mitty’ character who had “grandiose ideas about himself and his own self-importance”. He told the jury he agreed with allegations that when he translated for General Richards as he addressed a crowd of Afghan dignitaries he would sometimes act like a general. He said: “Well I think the audience did not understand General Richards. They were watching me and I thought I should act as a general because they are watching me. I was acting good and the public respected me.” Earlier the court heard from General Richards that often, as an quiet aside while on stage in front of an audience, he had to remind his corporal who in fact was the senior officer. James also told the court while out in Afghanistan he called himself General James after being promised promotion because his predecessor had the rank of acting Major. Before he had “could not have cared less” about his rank but was promised promotion to sergeant because it was thought to be more appropriate to his role as the general’s translator – although the promotion never materialised. It is alleged James “turned his back ” on his colleagues because he was “disenchanted” and “bitter” about the British Army because he thought it was racist for not promoting him and was a fantasist “Walter Mitty” character who revelled in the idea of being a spy. But a British Army Colonel known as ‘M’ who was Chief of Combined Intelligence told the court the implications of James’s betrayal was “extremely serious”. Assessing the alleged contact between James and an military assistant at the Iranian embassy in Kabul, he said the relationship was in its infancy but the potential damage was “immense” that could have driven a wedge between the British and its NATO allies. He said: “Information passed over time could help and assist a hostile state in its effort to conduct a tactical deployment that posed a threat to the lives of UK and NATO service personnel in Afghanistan and pose a similar threat to the interior national security of the UK.” James, of Cliff Road, Brighton, denies two breaches of the Official Secrets Act by collecting and passing on military secrets to a foreign power and wilful misconduct in public office. He was caught with two secret reports on NATO troop numbers and movements on a memory stick as he prepared to board an RAF plane back to Afghanistan along with pictures of RAF spy drones and a NATO aircraft manual, it was said. The trial continues.

MoD UFO Department Closes

The MoD department, which has dealt with more than 12,000 reports – including 135 last year – was used to assess threats posed by any Unidentified Flying Objects sightings throughout Britain.

Any reports made would now not be investigated or followed up as the hotline had been closed, a spokesman said.

UFO experts expressed anger at the decision.

MoD chiefs made the decision to close the £50,000 a year department, established in 1950, after deciding there was no benefit investigating sightings which were “an inappropriate use of defence resources”.

It comes after the team was moved from the MoD’s team, similar to the FBI team featured in the TV programme the X Files, was moved a year ago from the Whitehall Headquarters to the RAF Command in High Wycombe, Bucks.

After an application under the Freedom of Information Act, the MoD admitted that responding to every UFO sightings “diverts MoD resources from tasks that are relevant to Defence”.

No decision was announced and the disclosure was instead buried on its website earlier this month.

It said that in more than 50 years “no UFO report has revealed any evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom”.

After investigation, around 5 per cent of reports remain unexplained.

“The MOD has no opinion on the existence or otherwise of extra-terrestrial life,” the spokesman said.

“The MOD has no specific capability for identifying the nature of such sightings.

“Accordingly, and in order to make best use of Defence resources, we have decided that from the 1 December 2009 the dedicated UFO hotline answer-phone service and e-mail address will be withdrawn.”

He added: “MOD will no longer respond to reported UFO sightings or investigate them.”

Nick Pope, who ran the Ministry of Defence UFO project from 1991 to 1994, said it was “outrageous”.

“We’re leaving ourselves wide open to terrorist attacks,” he told The Sun.

The spokesman said the programme to release departmental files on UFO matters to the National Archive would continue.

Peter Jackson's Close Encounter

Seems that Sting has made it cool for celebs to come clean about their spectral sightings. Peter Jackson has outed himself as a believer telling Channel 4 about his experience with a ghostly woman with a screaming face.

In London for the premiere of The Lovely Bones – a film he has directed from Alice Sebold’s story in which a murdered teenage girl gives her viewpoint from heaven – Jackson said he did not know what a real soul was like.

But he told Britain’s Channel 4 TV that while he could not swear the spirit in the movie was 100 percent accurate, he had seen a real ghost.

“It was genuine,” said Jackson, who made a 1996 ghost movie, The Frighteners – co-written with his wife Fran Walsh – starring Michael J Fox.

His sighting was in an apartment he and his wife had in Wellington’s Courtney Place opposite the St James Theatre, when they first met 20 years ago.

“I woke up one morning and there was a figure in the room, she was very scary, she had a screaming face, very accusatory, she was a lady about 50 years old,” Jackson said.

“It was terrifying actually, a very scary image and she was at the end of the bed and she glided across the room and disappeared into the wall.

“I sat in bed and thought, have I really seen that?” said Jackson.

“Then Fran came in. I told her about it and the first thing she said was: ‘was it the woman with the screaming face?”‘ he said.

“Fran had seen the same woman in the same room about two years before.”

Jackson said that when the St James Theatre was being restored a few years ago, people talked about the legend of the woman who committed suicide after being booed off the stage after a bad show in vaudeville days.

“They say she manifests herself in the theatre with a screaming face. Sometimes she’s seen – the same ghost. She needs to learn to smile a little.”

So who'll be next to share?

Quick ... call the Police!

Sting has claimed he once confronted a ghost which wandered into his room at the dead of night.

Sting said he also experienced flying objects and mysterious voices

The singer, who famously sang Spirits In The Material World in the 1980s, said wife Trudie Styler also witnessed the figure, standing with a child in the corner of their bedroom. Sting said he also experienced flying objects and mysterious voices in one of his homes in an interview to be played on Radio 2. He said: ''I would never have said I believe in ghosts, until I saw one - and I've seen a ghost with my own eyes.'' The musician, whose former band The Police recorded an album Ghost In The Machine, continued: ''I was in bed one night, a very old house I used to live in. And I woke up at three in the morning, bolt upright, looked into the corner of the room and thought I saw Trudie standing there with a child - our child - in her arms, staring at me. ''And I thought 'well, that's strange - why is she standing in a corner, staring at me?'. And I then reached next to me and there was Trudie, and I suddenly got this terrible chill. And she woke up and said 'Gosh, who is that?' and she saw this woman and a child in the corner of the room.'' Sting told presenter Claudia Winkleman, in an interview to be broadcast on Friday night at 10pm, that the figure simply disappeared. He added: ''A lot of things happened in that house, a lot of flying objects and voices and strange, strange things happened. ''When you live in old houses you get this energy there. Intellectually, no I don't believe in them (ghosts), but I've experienced them on an emotional level.''

MOST HAUNTED WEEKEND 2009

20th - 22nd November 2009

Join Most Haunted's Richard Felix for a weekend to remember at Kinnitty Castle.

Prices starting at only €175pps including the following:

• 2 nights luxury accommodation in Kinnitty Castle Hotel with breakfast each morning
• Dinner both evenings in the Monks Kitchen situated in the Castle's Haunted Dungeons
• Traditional Music Session in Dungeon Bar
• Stories and chat with special guest Richard Felix
• Midnight Séance
• Tour of 3 of Ireland's Most Haunted Castles
• Overnight Paranormal Investigation of Kinnitty Castle
• Guided historical tour of the Slieve Bloom Mountains

Only €175pps
Limited Places
Call 057 913 37318 to book
Please Quote "Paranormal.ie"
Upgrade your room from only €10pps per night.

All seems to be going well for the 2009 Dublin Paranormal Convention and with less than 3 weeks to go I really dont want any hiccups!

Cant say I regret moving into Dublin City Centre to the Radisson Blu Hotel either. Sure Clontarf had character but the Radisson isnt exactly lacking and the facilities are pretty impressive. Nice to know we wont have to worry about power points and internet connections.

New Footage: Irish Lake Monster!

As you might know from my article over on the 6thSensitive.com I love all things Cryptozological! So can you imagine how excited I was to get an email from Ronan Coghlan letting me know about some amazing footage filmed in Killarney last week. I should be talking to him in the next couple of days but its pretty exciting stuff. Heres the video but make sure you watch it in full and listen to Jon Downes commentary:

I really hope I can get Ronan to come along to the Dublin Paranormal Convention and give people the chance to talk to this fasinating man about what coupld be the most important cryptid footage ever filmed in Ireland or the UK!

GhostHunting at Wicklow Gaol

Ok as per the article in my last post I've got some exciting news!

The PIGs (Paranormal Investigation Guys) are taking over the running of the monthly Paranormal Investigations at the historic Wicklow Gaol. Here are some details and photos:

Wicklow Gaol: Friday, September 18, 2009 at 9:00pm
Wicklow Historic Gaol has been confirmed as one of the most Haunted locations in the Ireland verifying the testimonials of the Gaol’s staff and visitors who have experienced phenomena that defy logical explanation. This is a unique opportunity to stay after the doors have closed and the living have abandoned the Gaol. Join the Paranormal Investigation Guys (PIGs) as they take you through accounts of unexplained activity and learn what it takes to be a Paranormal Investigator. You will not be a spectator! This is not just a tour of one of Ireland's scariest locations, this is a genuine Paranormal Investigation.... and you will be taking part! Please note that all enquiries and bookings must be made through the Gaol directly at the details below.

Friday, September 18, 2009 at 9:00pm
Price: €50
Location: Wicklow Gaol City, Wicklow, Ireland
Phone: 040461599
Email: wicklowgaol@gmail.com

PIGs, Wicklow Gaol and The Star Newspaper

Ok so I got my name in the paper again ... you'd swear I liked the attention! :-D

Genuine Apology

Seems I made a pretty hefty fo0k up yesterday by accidentally sending out a mail to about 300 people. The problem being that the message went out using Cc, not that it should have gone out at all.

While migrating my emails to a new machine I managed to merge a large % of my contacts, both personal and professional, into a mega-mailing list. Even at that I wasnt meant to send it which is evident by the subject line which is months out of date.

I've understandably received some negative feedback for this and have issued apology emails. Some people will remain angry but I just wanted to take this chance to apologies to those here who may have received the mail and guarantee that this was a once off mistake which will not be repeated.

Sincerely,

Mark

Paranormal Investigations Vs GhostHunting

Ok so some Paranormal Investigators are a bit snobby when it comes to being called a "GhostBuster" or "GhostHunter" ... not me though! Its usually the only reference some people have and they are just being curious.

That said I do distinguish between an Investigation and a GhostHunt:

Paranormal Investigation: For me this is when a group of people go to a location which has specific reports of activity. So you're investigation the (claims of) activity.

GhostHunt: This is usually where you decided to check out a place because it looks spooky or because there is a history to the place (i.e. a site of a battle etc). Sure theres no activity to investigate but it can be worthwhile. Its a good way to try out new ideas or procedures and at the end of the day if you walk away with nothing you can just write it off.

Anyway thats been in my head for a bit and a recent conversation about why people bother checking out places that have no reports of activity made me want to put it out there. Its not like I'm saying thats how they should be defined, thats just how it works for me.

Nowt as strange as folk ...

So myself and fellow PIG, Niall, joined Michelle and Gail of Bumpz to check out a new location for investigations. The Folk Park was pretty amazing and the people working there really know their stuff. Anyway apart from looking looking right some of the buildings had more to them than just a spooky atmosphere. I cant wait to get in and really check it out.

Meditation

Its not something I do nearly as much as I like but I tried out a new CD last night and it was great!
Going Home - The Reunion CD is by Tom Coltan, a great guy and President of the Spiritualist Union of Ireland. Here's what he says about it:

This meditation will take you higher and higher into the spirit realm, where you will meet one of your loved ones and spend some time talking and catching up with them. It will raise your energy connection and vibration that allows us to communicate with spirit and bring you into a space of calm, a space of peace, a space of knowing and a space of being.

I'm used to giving guided meditations and can get stuck in my own way of doing things. Handing myself over to this was easy and I felt so good after it. Of course I followed it up with a midnight screening of Transformers 2 but I genuinely believe my relaxed state and heightened awareness made the movie even better :-)

You can get the CD from Tom's site Grá agus Solas.

Paranormal.ie - Updated

I updated Paranormal.ie with an article on Ouija Boards plus a few other bits an pieces. Enjoy.

Where or Who would you haunt?

So you're dead, and whatever way these things work you get to choose one person or place to haunt .... where/who?

I suspect alot of guys will say a women's changing room because well ... men are predicable!

For me though I'd want somewhere with a decent amount of human traffic, somewhere that isn't gonna be knocked down anytime soon or get abandoned.

So I'd go with Merchants Arch in Temple Bar, Dublin.

I wouldnt choose to haunt a person because when they die I'd have alot of explaining to do.

Sunday = Church

I was never really a church goer except for when our parents made us go. That said I'm obviously a spiritual person despite not being a traditional catholic (I'm Irish remember).

Something changed recently though ... Ireland finally got a Spiritualist Church thanks to the Spiritualist Union of Ireland!

I have to say I've enjoyed it and am off there again tonight. I can't make it every week because its not easy with 2 young kids but I genuinely feel its making a difference to me. At the very least its a chance to meet up with friends I dont normally get to see on a regular basis.

Anyway I'll see how it goes later and let you know how it went.

*I made the logo based on a drawing by Rob Wright.

Ok so on iRadio tonight they are talking about the paranormal with Michelle from Bumpz in the Nite, Danny from Leinster Paranormal and Mark from PIGs (thats me ;)).

You can listen in live HERE.

Show starts at 10pm.

Friday Stars!

Ok so from todays Metro:

I've highlighted my own but left the rest in case anyone whats a read of their own. I like the sound of mine, times are stressful and a giggle would be a tonic right now.

Please dont stalk me ....

Ok so thats not me standing beside Chris O'Dowd, thats not even me in the back holding the white bag. What you will see (and care less about) is that on the left there is my moped ... which I love.

Anyway thats where I work, or rather where I work for now because at the end of this month I'm out of a job. Yes its a terrible thing but as longa s I can look at it as a new beginning I should be ok. Me, my wife, my daughter, my son, my cat and my mortgage.

So many things I want to do, so many ideas sitting in a waiting room in the back of my head.

Oh yeah, and the screen grab above is from the New Meteor Mobile Broadband to go TV advert. Thats scene is filmed outside my office in Dublin's Temple Bar.

Paranormal Magazine

We dont have our own Paranormal Publication here in Ireland (for now!) but luckily we arent so backwards that we dont have shops (sure aren't I typing this on the internet). Anyway I pick up a copy of Paranormal Magazine now and then its a nice change from just reading off the screen of my iMac.

Of course not every subject they cover rings my bell but it does open me up to some topics I might otherwise ignore.

For those who've been reading Fortean Times for a while I suggest you checking out www.paranormalmagazine.co.uk for an alternative.

F**k it!

I like this.

Saying ‘Fuck It’ is like massage for the mind –
Relaxing you, releasing tension, giving up on things that aren’t working.
John C. Parkin argues that saying Fuck It is a spiritual act:
That it is the perfect western expression of the eastern ideas of letting go, giving up and finding real freedom by realising that things don’t matter so much (if at all).

This is The Fuck It Way.

It works very simply: if you’re feeling stressed about something, say Fuck It… you feel instantly better.

Sometimes I just want to be silly!

I haf sumfing 4 j00 ...... iz a dans

A night in Jail

Actually it was a Gaol but then again we Irish like to be different.

Spent a great night in Wicklow Gaol with the rest of the PIGs (+2). Hadnt been there for a while and its somewhere we are very comfortable working. Sure it was cold but we know the layout very well and its got power .... something we often struggle with for our equipment.

Left to Right: Colum, Niall, Graham, Gavin and Mark (me).

I got some good photos that night though in general it was fairly quiet. Probably the highlight of the night was 5 fairly solid footsteps in the room above us when all 7 of us where in one very small room. I had my own experience of someone breathing heavey behind me but I was on my own so it counts for nothing other than being something for me to ponder.

I'll post a link to the shots once I get the gallery sorted.

Today

So I read my horoscope today:

It's all about inner mysteries today. Psychology, life after death, soul connections and all that jazz. The New Moon is to blame for your distinctly weird outlook on life today - although it actually rather suits you.

Its gonna be one of those days, isn't it?

No words.

Walk this Way!

Ok so as well as looking after my mind I'm just to kick start my body! I'm off bread and potatoes for January to start the weight loss off and Wii Fit has become a part of everyday life. As well as that I'm making the most of my lovely city (Dublin) by going for a small walk (3.5km) a few times a week - leaving me less time to eat during my lunch.

So, an Irish man giving up spuds? Its as rare as hen's teeth. Anyway the map above is the walk I take, if you see me on the blue line between 1-2pm wave.

Feathered Wolf

Okay so I had a dream a few nights ago and while I don't remember the dream when I woke up I had the words "feathered wolf" stuck in my head? Obviously I Googled it ... thats what Google is for. So theres a bird with the nickname "feathered wolf" and a few fantasy anime references of wolves with wings etc.

Of the image search results the one I liked was the one above. I studied art and did sculpture so the stone appeals to me. Anyway, just thought I'd share as the words themselves have no obvious meaning or message for me.

6th

Torn!

On one hand I want to keep it to myself and on the other hand I want Anthony Jacquin to get the attention he deserves for what is without a doubt one of the handiest books I have ever read. I'm talking about my journey into Inpromtu Hynosis.

So what to do? Well for now what I'll do is post this message without links etc and if anyone is bothered they can take the 2 minutes to go find his site and buy the book - and thats a pretty good indication of how easy it is to learn hypnotism!

6th

Happy Medium!

Ok so despite the title this post has nothing to do with the Paranormal!


Yep its music ... not something I talk about much. I love music dont get me wrong but I have never been into the latest big thing or kept up with the top of the pops.

I found Julia Nunes through Crystal's blog ages ago and have been following her youtube channel ever since. It was the first Channel I ever subscribed to and Nunes' album Left, Right, Wrong was the first album I have bought in probably a decade! Her covers on Youtube are great but you really need to check out her own stuff to get the most out of her.

Seriously, I dont suggest music often so this must be good ..... right?

Click her banner in this post to go to the Junu's Channel.

6th

Talking about a Resolution!

Ok so New Year means we've gotta make a few promises to ourselves ...... luckily I've gotten pretty good at forgiving myself over the years!

Anyway, January will be a month of no bread and no potatoes - thats hell for me! But I started Wii Fit last night with my wife and hopefully that will distract me plus make it a bit of fun.

The Hypnotism is something I am very excited about and hopefully I'll get more people to practice on. Then there is the Development Circle later this month and The PIGs should be kicking ass following a long overdue meet up next week.

Apart from that I'm gonna use this year to make myself better at what I do, be that home, work or play!

Oh and I'm gonna blog ... like .... proper blog. I promise.

Happy New Year,

6th