Filming Migo, the monster of Lake Dakataua
In 1993 a Japanese film crew led by Nadaka Tetsuo succeeded in filming a large animal swimming in the waters of Lake Dakataua on New Britain (the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, just north-east of New Guinea). Supposedly, the lake was the haunt of an aquatic creature called the migo or masali, and here - it was claimed - was proof of its existence. Was this, at last, one of cryptozoology's holy grails: definitive footage of a definite monster?..
Halloween: Season of the spontaneous investigator
As the trees shed their leaves, the nights get colder, and All Hallows Eve approaches, many catch a “haunted fever”. The primary symptom of such fever is curiosity about exploring the unknown, specifically the paranormal. Whether sneaking into an old cemetery, exploring an urban legend, or blowing the dust of of an old Ouija Board in the closet, it seems many at this time of year seek a “cure” for their curiosity. Many believe that cure comes in the form of recklessly pursuing a euphoric experience with the paranormal, even against the advice of others’ caution...
Witches pardon petition launched
A national petition has been launched to get royal pardons for those executed in Britain during the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries. The crime of being a witch was abolished by the 1735 Witchcraft Act but did not grant posthumous pardons. About 400 people were executed in England following accusations of witchcraft and about 2,000 in Scotland. The petition, organised by a London-based firm, will be given to Justice Minister Jack Straw at Halloween...
A family’s tale of mischief and woe
Cooking dinner, washing dishes, doing laundry: these are just some of the everyday activities a family deals with in their home. Becky Eckle has a family of six to clean up after: her husband Tom, her daughter Samantha, her son Kris, and two ghosts. The Eckle family has been coping with paranormal activity at their home, on the corner of Urban and South Wells streets, since moving in nearly nine years ago. Becky, a Tyler County native, moved back to the area to be closer to her mother...
Haunting of the Huntsville Depot
Built in 1860, the Huntsville Depot was originally the Eastern headquarters for the Memphis and Charleston Railroad Company. In 1862, Union troops occupied the city of Huntsville, keeping Confederate prisoners on the 3rd floor. Their graffiti is still visible, written by the soldiers during their incarceration. After the war, the depot remained operational until 1968. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1971, the Huntsville Depot is normally inhabited during the day by tourists and school groups. Sometimes at night it is opened for social functions and Boy Scout sleepovers. Also at night, some say troubled spirits occupy the depot...
Woman investigates castle on a quest for ghosts
Patty Scott of Lakewood calls herself a skeptical believer. She’s convinced ghosts are at large in the world. She spends hours maintaining a Web site, Ghostsamongus.net. Armed with cameras, digital audio recorders and electromagnetic field detectors, she joins other believers on a quest for paranormal phenomena. Scott planned to spend part of this weekend at Thornewood Castle, the Lakewood bed-and-breakfast where the spirits of original residents Chester and Anna Thorne are said to roam...
Host to ghosts: Texas capital home to LBJ, others
Politics can be plenty spooky, especially this time of year. But in Texas, some politicians have a way of sticking around way past Election Day. Some say Sam Houston, the Texas hero who famously gave up his job as governor rather than join the Confederacy, still roams his old home, pacing nervously. Others have seen the ghost of Lyndon Johnson watching election night returns in the mezzanine of the storied Driskill Hotel, or Susanna Wilkerson Dickinson, an Alamo survivor, standing near a posh new hotel on Fourth Street...
5 indispensable Halloween specials
For those of us who grew up in the pre-cable era, cartoons were a rare treat. At best you could expect a couple of solid hours of toy tie-in animation after school on weekdays and a glowing Saturday lineup that always seemed to implode around noon. What we typically didn't have, in those days before Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, were cartoons shown in primetime...
The Cave of Crystals discovered 1,000ft below a Mexican desert
Until you notice the orange-suited men clambering around, it's hard to grasp the extraordinary scale of this underground crystal forest. Nearly 1,000 ft. below the Chihuahua Desert in Mexico, this cave was discovered by two brothers drilling in the Naica lead and silver mine. It is an eerie sight. Up to 170 giant, luminous obelisks - the biggest is 37.4 ft. long and the equivalent height of six men - jut across the grotto like tangled pillars of light; and the damp rock of their walls is covered with yet more flawless clusters of blade-sharp crystal...
