STRANGE ACCOUNTS

Certainly, Felix had never shown any patriotic leanings before, so his murder of Rasputin is hard to explain from a political standpoint. It may have been there was some other, more personal, reason for Felix's desire to get rid of him. Besides Felix, who was the mastermind of the plot, the Tsar's first cousin and ward Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich Romanov, and a member of the Imperial Duma, Vladimir Mitrofanovich Purishkevich, were also involved in Rasputin's killing.

The story has always concluded with young Edward committing suicide at the age of twenty-three. The method of his death also differs, sometimes poison does him in and in other versions a bullet ‘between the eyes of his devil-twin’ puts him out of his misery. In both versions Edward leaves behind a letter requesting that the ‘demon face’ be destroyed before his burial, ‘lest it continues its dreadful whisperings in my grave.’

Now new DNA findings indicate that the Starchild Skull may well be “alien”! Now all that remains is to determine whether alien means  “foreign to normal human genetics within the framework of that subject as it is currently understood,” or “definitely not from planet Earth”…. or something in between.

The Yara-ma-yha-who is a creature from Australian Aboriginal Folklore. This creature resembles a little red man with a very big head and large mouth with no teeth. On the ends of its hands and feet are suckers. It lives in fig trees and does not hunt for food, but waits until an unsuspecting traveler rests under the tree, then catches the victim and drains their blood using the suckers on its hands and feet, making them weak. It later comes back and consumes the person, drinks some water, and then takes a nap. When the Yara-ma-yha-who awakens, it regurgitates the victim, leaving it "shorter" than before. The victim's skin also turns slightly more "red" than before.

The senior prosecutor began investigating immediately.

The ahool is a legendary giant bat, or by other accounts, a pterosaur or flying primate. Named for its distinctive call "A-hool", it is said to live in the deepest rainforests of Java. It is described as having a monkey/ape-like head with large dark eyes, large claws on its forearms approximately the size of an infant, and a body covered in gray fur. Possibly the most intriguing and astounding feature is that it is said to have a wingspan of 3 m 10 ft. This is almost twice as long as the largest known bat in the world, the common flying fox.

The Winchester Mystery House The Winchester Mansion is located in San Jose California.  Tours are given on a daily basis, and on Halloween and every Friday the 13th there are flashlight tours.  The Mansion has a very interesting history. Sarah Winchester was once a prominent member of the Boston elite society. After the deaths of her only child, a girl, and Sarah's husband who was the son and heir of the man who produced the Winchester repeating rifles, Sarah thought the reason her child and husband had died was because the spirits of everyone killed by the Winchester rifle had taken them and placed a curse on the Winchesters.  The only way to appease the spirits was to build a mansion and keep building it forever. Thus began a 38 year quest by Sarah Winchester to not only appease the spirits but confuse them as well so they couldn't find her. The wealthy Mrs. Winchester at the age of 44 travelled alone to San Jose California to build a mansion and kept the construction for the next 38 years until her death.  The house at one time rose 7 stories and contained a maze of rooms, hallways, staircases and doors.  She named her mystery house Llanda Villa.  It was a 160 room mansion although Sarah closed off the front 30 rooms .  She boarded them up after an earthquake in 1906.  She took the earthquake as a sign that the spirits were unhappy with the way the construction was going.  However estimates point to over 600 rooms built and demolished over a 38 year time frame. One feature of the Mansion was a bell tower, where the bell was rung every night at about midnight to summon the spirits.  Sarah would then ask the good spirits how they wanted the mansion constructed.  The bell would again ring out at 2 am. to signal the spirits that it was time to leave.  Sarah would emerge from the seance room with new plans for the construction workers.  She claimed the good spirits gave her the plans to help her confuse the bad spirits so they couldn't get to her.    Many psychics have spent the night at the Winchester Mansion hoping to contact the spirits that reside there.  They were not disapointed.  Experiences include organ music being heard in the Blue Room where Sarah died.  In Sarah's bedroom cold spots are felt and red balls of light are seen that seem to explode and fade.  Apparitions of a couple lingering in the corner of the bedroom clothed in servants garb dating to the early 20th century.  The sense of being watched is also felt in many parts of the house. During one seance a psychic appeared to age dramatically and take on the physical appearence of Sarah.  Although most people who have felt Sarah have said she is a kind and gentle spirit. A caretaker who worked at the house for several years said he heard breathing in one room, and once had followed the sound of footsteps to the doorway of Sarahs bedroom.  Both instances he was alone.  Another worker in the house claimed to have heard his name whispered.  While still others have sensed being watched, hearing footsteps, and perhapes the strangest of all, the smell of chicken soup coming from the front kitchen that had not been in use for several years. Apparitions of Sarh have been seen and photographed as well as a man in overalls.  Many episodes of lights turning off and on by themselves when the house is empty and locked up for the night.  Also a room in the house was flooded, every item in the room was soaked.  Upon further inspection of the room the floor, the ceiling and the walls were completely dry. Although Sarah Winchester lived her life in solitude and reclusive for the last 38 years of her life, it would seem she enjoys putting on a show for the workers and tour groups who visit her unique home now.

The Hollow Earth Theory People often ask "Why must the Earth be hollow and why must there be a hole at each pole?" This is a fair question, one which we can answer easily enough using science. To begin, let's ask ourselves — "What do we observe with most spinning systems in nature ... hurricanes, tornadoes, whirlpools or water vortices, etc.?" Well, one common feature they all share is that they are have an inner empty space near the centre of rotation. Why is this? Why doesn't matter want to stick near the centre of the axis of rotation? Have you ever sat in the middle of a merry-go-round and tried to stay in the centre while someone spins it faster and faster? It's next to impossible to stay near the centre. The same holds true for a spinning system of matter which is coalescing to form a new planet — the matter at the centre will fly out outward due to centrifugal acceleration. But that's not the only force acting upon the spinning system — gravity is also acting to pull the matter back together. Let's use another example. What happens when you hold a weight on a string and spin your body around? The weight will fly out a certain distance until it reaches a point of equilibrium where gravity and the centrifugal force counteract and balance each other until the net force is zero. Now spin faster. The weight will fly out even further until it stops at a new equilibrium point. This is perfectly illustrated by the planets Jupiter and Saturn. How many hours does it take Jupiter and Saturn each to complete one rotational period? If your answer was more than 24 hours, you'd be wrong — Saturn has a day of 10.5 hours and Jupiter's day is even shorter at 9.8 hours. Most people assume that Jupiter and Saturn are bigger because they are more massive. I posit that they are bigger because the matter that coalesced to form them had a faster rate of rotation and so their radius was necessarily greater than their slower spinning counterparts — just like the spinning weight on the string example. Now we've shown, using simple physics and logic, that spinning systems are hollow and the radius of planets are determined by their rate of rotation during formation so that the centrifugal acceleration and gravitational attraction balance out. At this point of equilibrium the heaviest elements coalesce and the lighter elements (such as atmosphere and water) form on either side of this centre point, creating an atmosphere and oceans on the inner and outer surfaces of the planet. As you near the poles, the crust thins until eventually you have an opening or a hole at both northern and southern extremities. The resulting configuration is a hollow planet with a shell or crust that can sustain life on the inner and outer surfaces.

Pontianak From Indonesian mythology, the Pontianak are the spirits of ladies who died during child-birth, and became undead. Pontianak are said to scare people (mostly men), and then rip out their internal organs for feeding with their claws. In the case of men that the Pontianak knew when they were alive (who abused, or otherwise betrayed them), they are said to remove the man’s genitalia with their bare hands (Ouch!!). They are much like vampires; however, they do what they do more out of vengeance, rather than necessity or sustenance. It’s also hard to judge just how far away from you they are; usually, a loud cry means the Pontianak is far away, whereas a soft cry signifies that the Pontianak is nearby. It is also said that a faint floral fragrance is detected upon first seeing it, however, the fragrance changes to something rotten after a short period of time. Pontianak are believed to live in banana trees, a possible phallic-/fertility-reference.

Jikininki From Japanese Buddhist mythology, Jikininki are the spirits of selfish, greedy, or ungodly people who have passed on. They are said to be cursed to eat the flesh of human corpses. It is also said that they take valuables from the corpses, in order to bribe local law-enforcement officials to leave them alone. Unlike most demons, they actually hate what they are, and are in a constant state of self-disgust and self-loathing. Some accounts state that they are so terrifying to look at, that seeing one would make you paralysed with fear. Other accounts indicate that Jikininki can take the form of normal human beings, and can even lead seemingly normal lives by day. They are notable in that – unlike other gaki or rakshasa (“hungry ghosts”), and ghosts in general – they are an endangered species, if one can use such a term in this context

Wandering Rocks The mysterious “moving rocks” or “sailing stones” of Racetrack Playa in Death Valley, California are a popular topic for blogs, online communities, and various other websites. Photographs of the moving rocks also circulate via email along with numerous explanations for the phenomenon. The rocks have generated a great deal of debate. Some commentators claim that photographs of the rocks and their tracks are digital fakes. Some observers put forward super-natural or other-worldly explanations. And others suggest that the moving rocks are part of an elaborate hoax with prankster-power being the real rock mover rather than any natural or supernatural influence. However, the phenomenon is certainly real and has been well documented over many years. And the circulating photographs of the moving stones are perfectly genuine. To date, no one has been present when the rocks have actually moved. However, scientists have studied the sailing stones for decades and clear and compelling evidence indicates that the rocks do indeed move without human or animal interference. Examination of the tracks left by the moving rocks shows that they are created when the playa’s surface is covered with soft mud. Thus it seems highly improbable that human pranksters or animals could shift the rocks without leaving clear signs of their interference along with the rock “trails”. Cases of moving rocks have been recorded many times since the 1940′s and the phenomenon occurs in other playas in the region as well as the Racetrack, so the “hoax” theory also seems highly improbable. That said, scientists still are not certain exactly how the rocks move. The general consensus is that wind is the primary factor. This theory is supported by the fact that most of the rock tracks run in the same general direction as the prevailing winds that blow across the playa. One popular theory is that during wet conditions, strong wind gusts on the playa get the rocks sliding across the soft slippery mud. Experts speculate that, once a rock starts sliding, even more gentle winds may then be enough to keep the rocks moving for considerable distances. An alternative theory is that the rocks become embedded in a thin layer of ice and are subsequently dragged along as the wind propels the enclosing ice sheet across the playa surface.

The Black Shuck An Old Norfolk Saying... "And a dreadful thing from the cliff did spring, And its wild bark thrill'd around, His eyes had the glow of the fires below, Twas the form of the Spectre Hound." There are so many myths, tales, legends and sighting's of this fearsome apparition that it is hard to know where to begin. Black Shuck is said to be one of the oldest phantoms of Great Britain, with the name deriving from the Anglo-Saxon word 'scucca', meaning demon or devil. Other historians say that the hound has its origins in Norse mythology, based on Odin and Thor's huge dog of war 'Shukir'. Local legend tells of a huge hound, the size of a small calf with blazing eyes, who regularly prowls the coastal path between Sheringham and Overstrand. Unsuspecting night walkers would first become aware of the padding sound of the hound's heavy paws. Out of the corner of their eye they may see a gathering darkness slowly forms into the outline of a huge hound. Lurking in the night shadows, the beast is said to track the steps of its victim, drawing ever closer. Anyone unfortunate enough to turn around and meet its fiery gaze is said to die within a twelve month period. The Black Shuck has had many documented sightings. In 1890 a young boy was rescued from the North Sea who told of being forced to swim further and further from the shore by a huge black dog who had chased him into the sea. Even during the 1920's and 1930's there were reports from the fishermen of Sheringham, of hearing a hound howling on the cliff tops during stormy nights. As recently as 1970 a sighting of Black Shuck made the headlines, when a huge hound was seen pounding over the beach at Great Yarmouth. In 1980, a young woman claimed to have met the hell hound whilst out walking with her young son. This sighting took place near Wisbeach, though the woman said that this hound had yellow eyes rather than red, but all of the other details were the same as that of Black Shuck. Mythology says that 'ghost dogs' tend to haunt old straight roads which may be located on 'Leylines', ancient straight paths of invisible earth energy.  Folklore says that churches would be sited on these straight lines and would be used by spirits who would travel along them from graveyard to graveyard. These were sometimes known as 'Corpse Ways'.

Tim writes: "About a month ago, I learned that one of my co-workers and his girlfriend moved out of her house 9 months ago because of paranormal activity and due to circumstances beyond her control have to move back in. Needless to say, they're afraid of the house and asked me for help. Activity includes disembodied voices, blankets yanked off her kids beds, footsteps, doors slamming shut, full body apparitions, shadow figures, etc, etc. The phenomena was also witnessed by a few of her friends as well as her whole family for a span of about a year or so. I instructed her to take pictures throughout the house and would be there the next night. The morning before my 1st investigation she emailed me a picture taken in her basement by her friend and there appears to be an apparition on the stairs. It was taken at 10:30 in the morning and when the picture was taken nothing unusual was noticed until she viewed the pictures after the fact."

Nandi Bear Reports of the Nandi Bear have been coming out of western Africa from as early as the 1900’s, however the native people have been encountering the beast for much longer. The creature takes its name from the Nandi people which call western Kenya their home. The Nandi people call the creature “Kent’ and believe that when the Nandi Bear takes a human life, it only does so to eat the brains. Described as being about the same size as a large lion and resembling that of a hyena with a brownish red to a dark color coat, the name Nandi Bear can be a bit misleading. The name comes from two factors, its frequent sightings by the Nandi people and its apparent bear like facial features and stride. The only known bear species in Africa, the Atlas Bear, which lived some distance away in the Atlas Mountains, is said to have gone extinct some time ago due to over hunting by the Roman Empire, leaving us with one question, what is the Nandi Bear?

Kappa Kappa are Japanese flesh-eating water imps who live in rivers, lakes, ponds, and other watery realms. They smell like fish and are generally portrayed with the body of a tortoise, ape-like head, scaly limbs, long hair circling the skull, webbed feet and hands, and yellow-green skin. They are often depicted with a tortoise shell attached to their backs. Some say they can change colour like the chameleon. They abhor metal objects and loud noises (cannon fire, gunfire, etc.). The defining characteristic of the Kappa is the hollow cavity atop its head. This saucer-like depression holds a strength-giving fluid. Should you chance upon the quarrelsome Kappa, please remember to bow deeply. If the courteous Kappa bows in return, it will spill its strength-giving water, making it feeble, and forcing it to return to its water kingdom. About the size of a child aged 6 to 10, the Kappa is nonetheless incredibly strong. It attacks horses, cattle, and humans, usually dragging its prey into the water, where, according to various legends, it feeds on their blood, or drains their life force, or pulls out their livers through their anuses, or sucks out their entrails, leaving nothing behind except a hollow gourd. In some tales, the Kappa is associated with theft and raping women. Stories tell of Kappa pulling little children into the water and drowning them. In many localities, drowning is still referred to as GAPPADOKO ガーッパドコ (e.g., near Nagasaki in Iwate Prefecture).

The Fresno Nightcrawler In late 2008, Jose, a Fresno resident, was woken late at night by his dogs barking in a very unusual way. When he checked the CCTV fitted to his house, he saw two odd creatures walking across his lawn. Jose was terrified but kept the tape and, eventually, approached Univision 21, a local TV channel about the incident. They, in turn, contacted Victor Camacho, a local UFO investigator and member of international body MUFON whose talk on the case brought it out into the open in 2008. That holy trinity of separation, investigator to confidant to witness is very common, the information still held frustratingly out of arm’s reach and the situation isn’t helped any by some of the editing choices made on the video. For no readily apparent reason, a second of footage of an animatronic grey alien is used as a scene buffer, Camacho even apologising for this. Even worse, the footage itself is never spliced into the report. Instead, at several points we watch the footage from Jose’s CCTV camera being played on a TV which is in turn being filmed by another camera, the image all but lost beneath huge pixels, interference and a frankly surreal editing decision. It’s not even like the rest of the film hasn’t been post-produced, after all someone thought a second of animatronic Grey would be a good idea, but for some reason no one thought to splice in the original footage. What’s tragic about this is that the Fresno Nightcrawlers might just be something incredible. The camera watches a tall, thin creature with no arms walk slowly across the lawn, stop and then proceed onwards. A few seconds later, a creature which looks for all the world like a billowing pair of trousers follows it, the flaps of it’s clothing, or body, clearly visible blowing in the wind. It’s less than two minutes long, you can barely see what’s there but what’s there looks strange, different, alien. If it’s a fake, it’s a great fake and the more you look, or squint, the more you see exactly how odd these creatures are. There’s a natural gait to their walk’ and they appear almost relaxed, ambling through Jose’s garden in the same way that people browse in a shop. They look confident, assured and crucially you see them moving for a relatively long time, something which is all but unheard of with most ‘alien’ videos. A couple of seconds, if you’re lucky, is usually all you get but here you get a clear view, a locked off camera and a chance to take a good look at whatever is using Jose’s lawn as a shortcut. Or you would do, if anyone had thought to encode the original film and upload it. Instead, you’re left squinting at something which might be incredibly important, on a TV screen, being filmed and shown on another TV screen. The million ring circus strikes again, the truth stays just outside the light.

Men with the heads of dogs have been reported since ancient times. Cynocephali were supposed to be a race living in Africa who cannibalized humans. Seeing such beings in modern times would seem incredible, yet there have been increasing reports of these creatures. Most sightings occur at night, though some have happened during daylight hours. Bizarrely, some have reported the men indifferently walking along main roads, attired normally, except they have the head of a dog. Most witnesses insist the head is too real in appearance and lifelike motion to be a mask. Some reports have been more sinister, where the creature has been caught unawares lurking around at night, near woods or the darkness of a backyard. One night-time jogger reported that a dog headed man kept pace with him as he ran across a field, staying alongside until the petrified man finally made it to his well lit doorway. There was one report of a DHM seen through a window from outside a house, lurking towards the kitchen. Other cases describe DHM’s who stand outside at night and look in through windows.