tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46313439924055149102024-03-19T04:34:30.464-07:00Akasha Obscura (Oddities of the Æther)For those who enjoy trips off the beaten path...BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-33658348297843031732016-06-16T18:48:00.001-07:002016-07-08T11:20:56.237-07:00Daddy Long Legs (From The Dark Recesses Of Appalachian Folklore) Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"> The weeks leading up to the events of September 9th, 1938 were marred by an unusual streak of summer heat that seemed to bear down on the already volatile atmosphere that had taken hold of the townsfolk of Ashmore. A series of strange events began to unfold that slowly added to the dark cloud that seemed to loom over the town. Noticeably several weeks before September 9th many of the pets and local livestock owned by the the citizens of Ashmore disappeared without a trace. Several citizens reported visible agitation and other unusual activity from their animals that indicated some sort of disturbance had began to affect them before the animals vanished. As many at 56 reports of missing pets and livestock were filed to the police department from a period of two weeks prior to September 9th. Suspicions as to who may be involved quickly spiraled out of control. Strangely though many of the animals returned within days after September 9th. No suspects were found or reasons given as to why the animals had disappeared so suddenly in unison only to appear back weeks later. An eerie quietness seemed to have taken a hold of the forest as well with many of the citizens remarking about the disappearances of much of the fauna. An article appeared in the Ashmore Gazette on September 2nd, 1938 mentions that local hunters were finding little in terms of game in the nearby woods in which were normally covered with deer and other sources of game. The only animals that remained were the local birds that largely seemed to have lost their voices in the midst of the heat wave. Large groups of bird had begun to settle in the trees that lined main street without uttering a noise. Adding to the disturbing events were reports from local farmers that most of their reserve grains were being overtaken by some sort of fungus that were quickly ravaging their supplies. It seemed as if the land itself was becoming polluted by something seeping in from the outside. The devil or something similar had made it's way to Ashmore. Whispers of eerily similar correlations between the unusual events around the town and those stories involving "Daddy Long Legs" were made in jest by the townsfolk, but a fear lingered in the back of their minds as to what ungodly force had turned its gaze towards the town. The strange events that were slowly consuming Ashmore would come to a terrible end on the evening of September 9th, 1938.</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); color: white;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHP35fUIU0woWjFQTNW1qQXZ6w6He79LnnUI70q9HNey2VRXFhAPiElVZ-S1QLLDn5RN0iSclSzsXG_QfR5Llj0eTM7nSDkWgBoGRNmD_-KBMOt3d2R7xYfniN4Xx8fIUbYcGgQ9bfv0/s1600/Small+town.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHP35fUIU0woWjFQTNW1qQXZ6w6He79LnnUI70q9HNey2VRXFhAPiElVZ-S1QLLDn5RN0iSclSzsXG_QfR5Llj0eTM7nSDkWgBoGRNmD_-KBMOt3d2R7xYfniN4Xx8fIUbYcGgQ9bfv0/s320/Small+town.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: xx-small;">Ashmore, South Carolina 1938. Courtesy of the Ashmore Gazette Archives</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"> Travis Grady, a 92-year-old retired mill worker and part-time town historian of Ashmore was 14 at the time during the events leading up to September 9th,1938. Mr. Grady can still recall how the town of Ashmore was during the days leading up to the tragedy that claimed the lives of Sheriff Julian Redford and Rev. Garon Talley. Mr. Grady had been a youth in Rev. Talley’s congregation and had become close to the reverend and his family before his death. Garon Talley was at the time the reverend of the only African American church in the town of Ashmore, the Bells Branch Heritage Baptist Church. What made Garon Talley unusual among many of those in his congregation was the fact that he had gained a formal education in his youth and was one of the first graduates from The "American Baptist Theological Seminary", a now historical black college located in Nashville, Tennessee. "Reverend Talley and his wife taught many of us in his congregation the importance of education. We had never made it through basic grade school before we were called to the local mills and fields to work for our family. We really were blessed to have him. I'm not sure though the Mayor and the others that controlled the town liked that fact. I think they wanted to keep us ignorant. It kept us from wanting more than what the mill owners and those that were on the town council thought we should want." Mr. Grady's recollections paint a southern town that at the time was deep in the throes of bigotry and interracial hostility. “Back then everything was divided by the Carolina and Northwestern Railway line that cut through the town. It was expected that we kept our business on the western side of the tracks while the white folks kept theirs on the eastern side. Save for us coming in to buy groceries or goin' to work. I remember how cruel some of the white folks were to us. How we weren’t allowed in some stores while they had white customers in or the fact that we had to eat outside even if it were raining if we came in to grab a bite at the local diner. There were a lot of good white folks though. Same as us. Just poor folk tryin' to make it through the way so they could come home to their families with a little food on the table. It kind of seemed that we had traded chains in the fields to chains on the mill floors. Many of the whites were right beside us though. For us poor folk color didn't matter much." In many ways Ashmore was no different than many of the towns that dotted South Carolina. The citizens were largely united by their poverty. A glimmer of hope had come to the citizens of Ashmore from the southwest in the form of a new sheriff.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrE_B6bQJGFaCxUZlEgqbDvUJtAXAXfP_bjY8sPFUSlKP21BG4Ut88xtkILasuLb6hYX0NCJDCxEvbrZWYIf7hQ6MtB10QruUARt-kNh9DljYRmp-iuH2z4IAJgdZPnJUIsKixlI_s3wk/s1600/Jackson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrE_B6bQJGFaCxUZlEgqbDvUJtAXAXfP_bjY8sPFUSlKP21BG4Ut88xtkILasuLb6hYX0NCJDCxEvbrZWYIf7hQ6MtB10QruUARt-kNh9DljYRmp-iuH2z4IAJgdZPnJUIsKixlI_s3wk/s320/Jackson.jpg" width="216" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">Reverend Garon Talley with his daughters Elizabeth & Georgia <span style="font-family: inherit;">Talley</span>. 1935</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"> Those that still remember Sheriff Redford recall a man who was unusual in his straight shooting, no nonsense attitude. He was known by many in the town for his evenhanded treatment of all citizens no matter the color of their skin or their class. A transplant from the southwest, 52 year old Julian Redford had come from a long line of peacekeepers. His daughter Grace Redford revealed that his move to Ashmore was partially motivated by seeking something less violent and dangerous than his work had been for the past 27 years on the United States/Mexico border. Ultimately Sheriff Redford was seeking a quieter life away from the rough world of law enforcement he knew for 27 years prior. With his wife and daughter in tow Sheriff Redford traded his dusty home in the southwest for one in an Appalachian mountain town. Unfortunately he would find no peace in his decision. <br /><br /> From his arrival Sheriff Redford found himself in an uphill battle against a system of elitism that has kept many of those in the town lingering just above and on the poverty line. Worse yet there was a distinct distrust of the police in Ashmore by many of the citizens of the town, particularly among the poorer whites and blacks that were often neglected by the town's law enforcement. It was well known that many of the crimes committed against the poorer citizens were often ignored by the police. Sheriff Redford began his house cleaning of the police department's more corrupt officers and began his outreach to those that represented the interests of the town's citizens. In this outreach Sheriff Redford made the acquaintance of Reverend Talley. 98 year old Rebecca Pennington recalls the type of relationship shared between Sheriff Redford and Rev. Talley. "I remember Sheriff Redford and how he tried to bring change to the town. Him and Rev. Talley weren’t particularly on friendly terms when they were first introduced, but I think it was because of Rev. Talley’s experiences with the police prior to Sheriff Redford coming into town. There was a good ol’ boy mentality among the police before the previous sheriff killed himself over the scandal of him having a mixed child with a black woman. Times were rough for all of us but I reckon tough times bred tough people with tough feelins'. We were all tryin' to eek out a livelihood and I think our prejudices were able to take hold of us easier. There was a certain fear that held us before Sheriff Redford took over. A lot of us began to see some changes for the good come over the town when Sheriff Redford and Rev. Talley started working together. I think maybe if both him and Rev. Talley had lived after that night it wouldn’t have taken so long for change to come to this town.”</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBCpmP2RU9PpFY7DsEm3jb7XCknCSuUzNkuTsx4buIZYuEIn_xy189GQ9AYHQaqoR41G00rmzaMti_To_ikR0b9HcSjrGvxBFwoTzc4PFikZw9sFJ0rxSG6b7FUx7dIyGMd2KLAL_gP8/s1600/tumblr_na25qkX5m11qbtrumo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBCpmP2RU9PpFY7DsEm3jb7XCknCSuUzNkuTsx4buIZYuEIn_xy189GQ9AYHQaqoR41G00rmzaMti_To_ikR0b9HcSjrGvxBFwoTzc4PFikZw9sFJ0rxSG6b7FUx7dIyGMd2KLAL_gP8/s320/tumblr_na25qkX5m11qbtrumo1_1280.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sheriff Julian Redford. 1937</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> The increasingly volatile and bizarre events that surrounded Ashmore came to a head on the night of September 9th, 1938. Official records state that Sheriff Redford was called out that evening in reports to suspicious activity in the abandoned remains of the the original settlement of Ashmore. The current town of Ashmore had been built in the mid 1800s after the original location was abandoned in order to grow the town towards the direction of a planned railway line. This left partial remnants of the old settlement now as a ghost town. Local vagabonds and derelicts from the railway used the place as camping grounds in which were routinely patrolled by police. Rumors of illegal moonshine operations in the area lead the place to eventually gain a negative reputation as well. With tensions between Ashmore's African American and Caucasian citizens at a boiling point due to recent cases of the vandalism of many of the properties owned by Ashmore's black citizens, every potential report to the police were treated with the utmost importance. </span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNYfkBmnQS_AREorsPSBU_jg1LjK1C2asTeyWypbvrH0zNeRQlRNowxZBTOIg4E5ZzVRgYrcEFo8yBlEaFmfkAvkfEve3JoS-ng2_xk-8UmdgCv7-PhtbNaE3qZC2n_Ctw_kWCxCtUU4/s1600/Ashmore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNYfkBmnQS_AREorsPSBU_jg1LjK1C2asTeyWypbvrH0zNeRQlRNowxZBTOIg4E5ZzVRgYrcEFo8yBlEaFmfkAvkfEve3JoS-ng2_xk-8UmdgCv7-PhtbNaE3qZC2n_Ctw_kWCxCtUU4/s320/Ashmore.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Ashmore's "Old District": 1939. From the Ashmore town archives</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> The slew of crimes seemed in response to local ordinances that were pushed by Sheriff Redford to partially desegregate the town and it's citizens. The backlash was loud and immediate with crimes against both groups increasing in severity. There was fear among the police that the violence could turn potentially deadly so any reports of suspicious activity were to be immediately investigated. For reasons unknown Sheriff Redford made contact with Rev. Talley prior to investigating the suspicious activity at the old side of Ashmore and proceeded with the Reverend in tow to the abandoned settlement. Around 10:30 p.m. several citizens reported seeing orange lights and smoke from the direction of the settlement ruins. A group composed of local police and volunteer fire fighters rushed to the area in what would be nearly a two day battle of quelling the fires that were spreading beyond the bounds of the abandoned settlement. What the group found afterwards would haunt many of the citizens for decades. Within the ruins of the settlement's church were the bodies of Sheriff Redford, Reverend Talley and hundreds of birds nearly burnt to ash with what seemed to be the remnants of some sort of ritual. Surprisingly a survivor was found in the church's basement; a teenage girl by the name of Madeline Sinclair. The girl despite suffering from first and second degree burns had miraculously survived the fire. Madeline was quickly taken to a local hospital and treated for her injuries. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08_QF1w9s_97DRuVaNVJixP3gbtyPgQQOO9D0lhcfmT4KSNPcDs9yRS1ezeVU3YBaeLxolyHsd3PGc-SAM9n5gA3JVWqFWVCzoqzjFm_0KGHg-2JEn1c_NzGsLbbZz9AjHqVYlsUlVDs/s1600/tumblr_njqk55Wq9S1r1cuhyo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08_QF1w9s_97DRuVaNVJixP3gbtyPgQQOO9D0lhcfmT4KSNPcDs9yRS1ezeVU3YBaeLxolyHsd3PGc-SAM9n5gA3JVWqFWVCzoqzjFm_0KGHg-2JEn1c_NzGsLbbZz9AjHqVYlsUlVDs/s320/tumblr_njqk55Wq9S1r1cuhyo1_500.jpg" width="197" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Madeline Sinclair. Photo provided by her sister Lisa Sinclair</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> When pressed by investigators, a bizarre story emerged concerning how the girl had been tortured over weeks by the entity known as "Daddy Long Legs" and how the Sheriff and Reverend had managed to somehow subdue it before it could take her away. Madeline's tale became increasingly more bizarre claiming that somehow the local legend was slowly killing the town and only the sheriff and reverend were able to stop it. While there was no medical history to show that Madeline Sinclair had any history of mental illness, the teenage girl was quickly carted off to the "South Carolina State Hospital for the Insane" at the request of Ashmore's town doctor, Dr. Jacob Fields. Rumors circulated that the doctor and several prominent members of Ashmore had attempted to quickly rid themselves of the girl as well as suppress the true story as to what happened to Sheriff Redford and Reverend Talley. The official report in the records of the Ashmore Police Department state that Sheriff Redford and Reverend Talley were killed upon investigating rumors of an illegal moonshine still operating out of the old church. Madeline Sinclair had supposedly stumbled upon the operation and had been held hostage by the moonshiners. Due to Madeline being a member of Reverend Talley's congregation the good reverend was brought by the sheriff in order to ease the situation in negotiated the girl's release. While outside investigator took the story for face value many of the citizens of Ashmore quietly held firm that it was a blatant lie to cover up the actual true and terrifying story. The years have not been kind to the memory of those still alive from those days with many of those citizens refusing to talk about anything from that period save those few mentioned in this post. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /> The Talley family still remain in Ashmore with Garon Talley's grandson Brandon Talley the current Reverend of the "Bells Branch Heritage Baptist Church". Sheriff Redford's widow and daughter moved back to the southwest and severed all contact with anyone from Ashmore. Madeline Sinclair was released in 1948 and returned to her family in Ashmore where she remained until her death in 2009. Madeline refused to speak on the events of 1938 up to her death.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-78976463145927547262016-06-16T16:52:00.002-07:002016-06-16T20:49:16.793-07:00Daddy Long Legs (From The Dark Recesses Of Appalachian Folklore) Part 4<div class="MsoNormal">
Folklore associated with “Daddy Long Legs”<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li> If you find a harvestman in your house (the name
for the arachnid traditionally known as a Daddy Long Legs) then you should
think happy thoughts as you remove it from indoors unharmed. If not the harvest man will return to Daddy
Long Legs and tell him of your sorrows. He will come to visit you soon after</li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Never kill any crow or other bird around your
home as it can be an invite to Daddy Long Legs as he is naturally antagonistic
towards birds and takes it as an invite.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Daddy Long Leg’s does not like the smell of
burning rabbit tobacco (Gnaphalium obtusifolium) and will not venture near it. Likewise a bundle of rabbit tobacco over a
doorway will ward him away.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">An obscure piece of folklore involves people leaving
tallow candles inside a tree hollow with the name of those whom
they wished Daddy Long Legs to visit carved on a piece of bark placed right behind the candle. Supposedly Daddy Long Legs would make his
rounds through the woods and if he spotted the candle and read the note then
that person would soon die.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you run into a spider's web then you should offer an apology to the spider or else Ol' Daddy Long Legs will come to give you sleepless nights until the spider is able to rebuild it's web. </span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-12608967318878528632016-06-08T17:29:00.002-07:002016-06-12T12:47:44.148-07:00Daddy Long Legs (From The Dark Recesses Of Appalachian Folklore) Part 2<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The Obscure Legend Of "Usonvi-Kahnanesgi"</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Long before the appearance of the French Huguenots and their settlement, the area surrounding and including modern day Ashmore was once part of the vast territory of the Cherokee Nation.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>Despite the fact that this land, a roughly circular area of 5.6 square miles lied in the heart of their hunting territory the Cherokee people avoided the area citing a legend about the "Usonvi-Kahnanesgi" (The Corrupt Spider) as well as their belief that the area was cursed by the "Azgen" (The Moon-Eyed People).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidegkWTGogUwav_meHoDzPEEcr9vUfVS83r_6a58iwYBEmcnJc4ebRbTO_Hydj0aqy4efwcEBXxyHhub87bAjQ01_DTZNJPu0u-Zd_BtR8LRacPRfvqT1HotB6mSCOdLnw90BMINetZr4/s1600/Moon+Eyed+People.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidegkWTGogUwav_meHoDzPEEcr9vUfVS83r_6a58iwYBEmcnJc4ebRbTO_Hydj0aqy4efwcEBXxyHhub87bAjQ01_DTZNJPu0u-Zd_BtR8LRacPRfvqT1HotB6mSCOdLnw90BMINetZr4/s320/Moon+Eyed+People.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">Cherokee Sculptures Depicting the "Azgen"</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The "Azgen" or as they are referred to today as "The Moon-Eyed People" were <span style="font-family: inherit;">a mythical race composed </span>of a small<span style="font-family: inherit;"> human<span style="font-family: inherit;"> beings of </span></span>diminutive stature that once called the area of Southern Appalachia/Cherokee territory home. The "Azgen" were a particularly strange race in both their appearance and practices. The "Azgen" were described as having skin as pale as the moon with large eyes that failed to work during the day. The males of the race kept beards but both the males and females had hair as white and fair as snow. The strange people called the various underground caverns that dotted the mountain landscape home. When the Cherokee people began to settle the area a conflict arose between the Azgen and the Cherokee leading to the Azgen eventually being wiped out entirely. Their history and culture presumably disappeared with their deaths as no written records or items pertaining to the mysterious people have been found. Strange structures and carvings however have been found throughout Southern Appalachia that some anthropologists believe may be actual remnants of the mythical Azgen. Others suggest that they point to the possibility that the area had once been inhabited by settlers from Europe hundreds of years prior to what conventional historians believe today. The general consensus among most anthropologists are that any stories about the Azgen people are more than likely just myths and folktales that exist in the Cherokee mythology. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Though a curious if obscure piece of folklore that has been discovered through one of the last interviews with an elder of a tribe of Cherokee located in Cherokee County, South Carolina may hold one of the last wisps of information regarding the Azgen and the first reports of the mythological entity "Daddy Long Legs" The tale states that during a migration by the Cherokee into the southeast United States that stories from encounters with the Azgen emerged that dealt with an entity known simply as "Usonvi-Kahnanesgi" a rough translation being (The Corrupted Spider). The Cherokee upon entering the area known today as Ashmore noticed markers that had been left by the Azgen. The markers were described as great slates of stone carved with symbols and signs unknown to the Cherokee. Though even to the Cherokee the markers seemed incredibly old even by that time. The Azgen despite calling the area home for presumably hundreds if not thousands of years were strangely absent in this area save for small groups scattered around and about. The Azgen themselves made attempts to warn off the Cherokee from the area. The legend goes that upon arriving at the area the Cherokee scouts discovered the dead bodies of several Azgen whom seemed to have expired from sheer terror. Their bodies were twisted and left as mere husks. Despite the horrors around them the scouts chose to make camp. Their courage left them blind to the horror and warnings around them. There were no animals in sight and an eerie quiet befell the men. The forest and it's spirits had abandoned this place. As the night fell deeper into darkness the scouts discovered what had killed The Moon Eyed People.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAIna5u0tIKt40eAsRO-9WSD1dL3ECrR5j1hQM7D1EUg8oGbMEy9v8SV-KtORyZtTcve7dI3Dm9Ngd-JhdObG_UcGFlq-GunJ1avttnzbIG_WbMRq5pAPuAHw45uHe9TzJ4PDhyphenhypheny1md4/s1600/IMG_9098_The_Human_Spider_black_and_white_dark_surrealism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAIna5u0tIKt40eAsRO-9WSD1dL3ECrR5j1hQM7D1EUg8oGbMEy9v8SV-KtORyZtTcve7dI3Dm9Ngd-JhdObG_UcGFlq-GunJ1avttnzbIG_WbMRq5pAPuAHw45uHe9TzJ4PDhyphenhypheny1md4/s320/IMG_9098_The_Human_Spider_black_and_white_dark_surrealism.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"> "Daddy Long Legs"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">From The Folk Art Collection of Donald Seagrave</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
What came upon the Cherokee scouts that night was not
described in exact detail, but the lone survivor of the scout party had
referred to it as "Usonvi-Kahnanesgi" (The Corrupted Spider). The
eldest Didanawisgi (Medicine Man) of the tribe known as "Oukonunaka"
(White Owl) traveled to the area with a group of warriors to survey the land. Upon entering the spot in which the scouts
had been killed a terrible dread fell upon them. From the silence of the forest
appeared "Usonvi-Kahnanesgi".
The entity tainted the land with each step as it approached. Each
warrior stepped forward to defend the Medicine Man as he began to perform an
obscure ritual he had learned as a child from his own encounters with the
Azgen. Soon after the ritual began the forest filled with crows and various carrion birds that began to
pick at the flesh of the entity. Though
as each bird tasted the corrupted flesh of the entity their feathered bodies
withered and dropped from the sky dead. The entity escaped but its corrupted
touch upon the land could not be dispelled by the medicine man alone. Knowing that the thing could not be
completely vanquished the medicine man brought forth others from his tribe to
seal the borders of the land through incantations originally from the
Azgen. Nothing in concerns to the
rituals and incantations used by the medicine man exist today from what modern
Anthropologists have been able to discover. It is known that even today the
area is still considered tainted land by the local Native American people. This
story has largely fallen into obscurity and has been chalked up as merely
another tale from their mythology. However this obscure tale seems to echo
similar events as to what happened to Doctor Bradford and his party hundreds of
years after this supposed encounter by the Cherokee. Local folklorists have noted similarities to
this and to an event that occurred in a segregated section of Ashmore in 1938
known as "Shadytown" in which many of the town's African American
citizens lived until the abolishment of segregation in the south during the
1960s. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Part 3 will discuss the events of 1938 as well as the
numerous modern folktales attributed to the entity known as "Daddy Long
Legs".<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-15595993202299640402016-05-31T13:50:00.003-07:002016-07-08T12:55:03.907-07:00Daddy Long Legs (From The Dark Recesses Of Appalachian Folklore) Part 1<br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> The cultural region of Appalachia has long remained shrouded in mystery by the depths of fog ensnared forests and mountainous terrain that primarily make up a region that stretches from the southern tip of New York to the upper regions of Mississippi. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpzrB3h9nax-gSes4CWEUeqn1LE3vcDE8drpGa41mooYETOca-20PaaveDrbtZx9_XrNbCH8DUJFg-rynu0im8UhkXYU1CfEOjBtVIH8ee10Va6ezIQjpxWToUxE-8lUqBv3Q3DUxq1A/s1600/regionmap.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpzrB3h9nax-gSes4CWEUeqn1LE3vcDE8drpGa41mooYETOca-20PaaveDrbtZx9_XrNbCH8DUJFg-rynu0im8UhkXYU1CfEOjBtVIH8ee10Va6ezIQjpxWToUxE-8lUqBv3Q3DUxq1A/s320/regionmap.gif" width="315" /></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Appalachia Region: Map Courtesy of Appalachian Regional Commission</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> Serious studies of the patchwork history and folklore of the region has often been hampered by enduring myths and distortions about the various peoples that comprise this region. When the term "Appalachian" is brought about in most conversations today, typically what follows are tales and visions of moonshine stills and uneducated clans of people often just above the intelligent levels of mongoloids due to inbreeding that's reclusive nature hints at insidious acts hidden from the eyes of most "Urbanites". Since the early 20th century these prevalent ideas were brought about by sensational journalists whom crafted tales of a reclusive people prone to violence and inbreeding as well as various illegal activities. These myths and stories surrounding the people of Appalachia still endure to this day. While serious academic works looking into the history and sociological aspects of Appalachia have made progress in attempting to make sense of the various cultural norms and structures that bind these people together there is uncertainty as to how long this region will remain as it has been for nearly 200+ years. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">One of the biggest cultural aspects of Appalachia is the complex mythology and folklore that has culminated overtime from the melding of various groups of people that have come to settle the land. These groups range from the original Native American tribes of the region, European immigrants (including Anglo-Saxon, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, and German), and African Americans. With each group came bits and pieces of their own cultures and beliefs that overtime have melded into unique beliefs and mythologies. While Christianity is still prevalent in the region (represented by numerous subgroups including but not limited to Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Pentecostals, Roman Catholics (Mostly Northern), and Mennonites) there still exists Native American groups that practice and teach their own traditional religion depending on each tribes own doctrines and beliefs. Interesting enough despite the obvious divides religion wise these groups may have many archaic and paganistic myths and folktales that have managed to root themselves into the common culture of many of those whom call the Appalachian region home. Some of these myths and folktales are rooted in very obscure corners of the region and have only been hinted at and barely recognized by Anthropologists and Historians studying Appalachia. These specialized beliefs and practices have managed to survive despite the onset of modern technology and living standards that are slowly reaching the region as a whole. When discussing regional specific folklore one of the most unusual folk character to emerge from Appalachia, specifically from the area around the small town of Ashmore, South Carolina is the spirit known as "Daddy Long Legs", a particularly terrifying and bizarre denizen that supposedly haunts the town and has been responsible for the disappearance of various people in the region for hundreds of years. The stories and tales tied to "Daddy Long Legs" can be traced back even to peculiar snippets from oral traditions of the local Native American tribes that called the region home prior to the arrival of European settlers. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Haint Folktales of Daddy Long Legs</b></span> </div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>"He has a web like a spider's web,<br />Made of silk and light and shadows<br />To hold your fears and dangle them so.<br />It's a web made to catch a man,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>To hold em tight til the end</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>When he relents and gives his soul away</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>So ol' Daddy Long Legs can haunt another day"</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">From The Ashmore Heritage Society's "Folktales and Folksongs of Oconee County" compiled by Hugh Wise</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqueJO33k-QfBT9mHV98QuOGLF7Cq6qkbOQ9vI_QWvck6xJ3oflveuKkUfrjCiO96fPGxBTCgAxam__ycItuEbn09EeT8ngzstGbeKbqi5BTS7Qo6_fJRmD6lK6uqHG_xCeHFKBL-IkCs/s1600/tumblr_o0pbu6Yk8w1qbtrumo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqueJO33k-QfBT9mHV98QuOGLF7Cq6qkbOQ9vI_QWvck6xJ3oflveuKkUfrjCiO96fPGxBTCgAxam__ycItuEbn09EeT8ngzstGbeKbqi5BTS7Qo6_fJRmD6lK6uqHG_xCeHFKBL-IkCs/s320/tumblr_o0pbu6Yk8w1qbtrumo1_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bMqcGz6-Gf3NuTVZRjMSRhvZkEVJknSrk4aL6VSvqDqEKZ5xvS-tezfiTSjsB5r2cKxX-e9atnCFy3p0quLIAXvLLQ404ZcaQPny_x84KiiqRXHxTmDBTFTha4Wm4BVAn7QKujPQTjk/s1600/tumblr_nveu1tgM4M1qbtrumo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> Daddy Long Legs from "Haint Tales of Appalachia" by Annabelle Bishop</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">The first written account of "Daddy Long Legs" appears in the journals of Dr. Giles Bradford; a colonial doctor from Charleston (known as Charles Town at that time) in 1735 whom wrote of his accounts with a group of French Huguenots as he returned from studying the medical practices of a tribe of Cherokee Indians that were involved at that time in trade with the colonial port city. As Dr. Bradford and his party were making their return trip they stumbled upon a search party of men scouring the area for a missing child. This search party was from a nearby French Huguenot village that had settled into the region decades prior during a mass exodus from England. Offering their village as a rest point for the Doctor and his party in exchange for assisting with some medical concerns of the settlers, Dr. Bradford and his group made camp at the settlement. What he witnessed during his time there would be immortalized in the pages of his journal. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Upon arriving at the settlement Dr. Bradford and his party were welcomed by the cawing of several crows caged throughout the settlement in wicker baskets hanging off of posts. Upon inferring as to the reason behind this many of the settlers shied away from answering. Only the town's blacksmith and a watchman offered hints as to the bizarre practice. It was explained to Dr. Bradford as being part of a ward against something. When questioned further the two men offered only silence. The rest of the day consisted of Dr. Bradford examining various members of the town for ailments before him and his party rested for the night. Dr. Bradford had noted that an unusual quietness had seemed to overtake the woods around the settlement. The various native fauna had all but disappeared save for the cawing of the crows. What awoke Dr. Bradford and his party that night is described in detail...(translated from Colonial English to modern)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>"A terrifying cacophony arose steadily throughout the settlement as a feeling of dread filled our hearts. We were frozen in our beds as the cries from the black birds rose higher and higher in the night sky. It seemed as if the birds were in a harmonious chant that grew louder as whatever had frightened them so came closer and closer. It had dawned upon me that we were bearing witness to something ghastly beyond our understanding. Whatever had brought itself into the settlement was not a mere animal as we knew it. The pitch and rhythm of the crows' song began to change as their voices began to relent to silence. The fear that had overtaken us moments before was gone. Gathering our courage and pistols we made our way outside. By the time we made it outside the local settlers were already outside cowering in their doorways while we made our way to the nearby caged crows to see their condition. None of the birds were alive. It seemed as if their bodies had been crushed by a force that left no signs on the cages themselves."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Dr. Bradford's journal continues to describe what the settlers referred to the presence as the "<i>arachnide horribles</i>" the horrible spider. The settlers described something that at first seemed an entity that haunts the pages of mythology or superstition literature. Though the feeling of dread that had fallen upon him and his party as well as the strange events that had overtaken them moments before lent some credence to their tale. The entity described wore the vestiges of human appearance at first appearance with a hunched and shambling pose. It's figure was covered in tattered leather and cloth with strange carvings hanging from pieces of twine from it's belt. The thing's face was covered in a mask of wood that seemed to have been carved by the hands of some primitive savage. Gnarled roots still remained protruding from the wooden mask. None of the thing's limbs could be seen by those that glimpsed it first until the entity had fully made itself known to it's victim. Slowly the entity would reveal its true nature. From the rantings of those haunted by the frightening spirit came a potential reveal of its true form. While the description differed slightly from person to person a general consensus was that the thing had three sets of spindly armlike like appendages similar to those of a spider with each appendage ending in decrepit hands like those afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis. Despite it's shambling appearance the entity could move with an unnerving and supernatural grace in order to track it's victims. It was relentless in it's torture of those it had chosen and left only ruin for those poor souls.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5OAIGmt5A3Peuj9IBYZLDX6d18sP0chyphenhyphenHhUYZpsuFW5ZtZqjzf0WfNUYcunhl22GXsm6xrQTv-5yTDzeIO_jIECCyvM0RWysfjXP6s5xXhyphenhyphenmHPzy2HMSr4BHKiaJ07vMC5IBrKbpKvU/s1600/tumblr_my79fmu1pr1qbtrumo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5OAIGmt5A3Peuj9IBYZLDX6d18sP0chyphenhyphenHhUYZpsuFW5ZtZqjzf0WfNUYcunhl22GXsm6xrQTv-5yTDzeIO_jIECCyvM0RWysfjXP6s5xXhyphenhyphenmHPzy2HMSr4BHKiaJ07vMC5IBrKbpKvU/s320/tumblr_my79fmu1pr1qbtrumo1_1280.jpg" width="237" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">A Depiction of "Daddy Long Legs" from "Bizarre Tales From the Dark Corner"</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">by Robert Bachman </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The settlers go into further details as to how the entity had set upon them soon after they had established the settlement, and had driven several settlers over the past two decades to either suicide or to pack up and attempt to leave the settlement. It seemed to pick only one of them each season, often driving the victim to insanity before the specific settler would take his or hers own life over a period of that season. While many of the settlers had held firm to stay and somehow deal with whatever the thing was, the settlement had eventually shrunk from its original 423 settlers to 130 by the time the doctor and his party had come across them. In desperation the settlers had reached out the local Native American groups for any possible help against the entity. Whatever rituals described by the settlers that were used to ward away the thing were never cataloged by Dr. Bradford in his journal outside the mentioned caged crows. Upon his return and subsequent retelling of this bizarre event to local newspapers, Dr. Bradford began plans to return to investigate more into the case. Unfortunately the good doctor would never make his return as his life was claimed soon afterwards by an outbreak of typhoid in the area. The story would eventually evolve into the folktale known as "Daddy Long Legs". The Huguenots settlement would eventually become the town of Ashmore with the story of "Daddy Long Legs" gaining an even more bizarre history throughout the years. Recent archaeological studies of the region trace the origins of the thing known as 'Daddy Long Legs" to oral tales from the local Native American tribes that once called the area home. The proto-mythology that may have originated this tale will be discussed further in part 2 of this investigation. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</div>
BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-75147959970267209732015-11-01T16:27:00.002-08:002015-11-01T16:34:17.480-08:00SIPHON: A Retrospect- Part 3 (Music Direction & a new SIPHON cut)It's been almost a year to the day that my short horror film SIPHON was released. Due to time and work related constraints I had been unable to do much in terms of polishing the film and getting a copy released for festival entry as well as for a dvd release. Luckily though with the help of my Director of Photography/Assistant Editor/FX wizard Aaron Pate (you can see the full spectrum of his talents here at <span style="background-color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><a href="http://www.aarondpate.com/">http://www.aarondpate.com/</a></span></span> ) I've finally been able to get a "final cut" released with all the audio and visuals smoothed out. An example of things we've added to this cut include new FX shots & smoother audio transitions and mixing, Below is an example of one of the many modifications we've done to the new version<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Before Shot</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1tcpkqAsyv_Uag48FohBO2WMBg3-mwO7WKqUWLqLnDn5WNTKhwywGv332rGY2gXjRM6i0a3S9LIpyGQ0FHcFrGECtjTb23AX4wmVKT-Olw-ktZIhe0GY6agOByHoOonE0UjsDubBolA/s1600/Siphon+Film+Back+Scar+VFX+-+Before1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1tcpkqAsyv_Uag48FohBO2WMBg3-mwO7WKqUWLqLnDn5WNTKhwywGv332rGY2gXjRM6i0a3S9LIpyGQ0FHcFrGECtjTb23AX4wmVKT-Olw-ktZIhe0GY6agOByHoOonE0UjsDubBolA/s320/Siphon+Film+Back+Scar+VFX+-+Before1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
After FX modification (spinal scars and deteriorated skin) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88hX34qgWtiPrJJws3ODoYeAPdclzUz0a5woYqJTq7GS0u_9nOfJ9X5DtV_zc7nv_srQeAe80MCBCGqyFImn43bZSyZBKmDRbsrLJ1r9RM4Fp2qmpKNeIToUy_mwud-h8CKUOKOuXoTE/s1600/Siphon+Film+Back+Scar+VFX+-+After1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88hX34qgWtiPrJJws3ODoYeAPdclzUz0a5woYqJTq7GS0u_9nOfJ9X5DtV_zc7nv_srQeAe80MCBCGqyFImn43bZSyZBKmDRbsrLJ1r9RM4Fp2qmpKNeIToUy_mwud-h8CKUOKOuXoTE/s320/Siphon+Film+Back+Scar+VFX+-+After1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Most importantly a thorough credits list was added so that all those whom offered their time and talent to this project would receive the recognition they deserved. Below is the link to the new cut of SIPHON. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/p8d-Sh5ZQJo/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p8d-Sh5ZQJo?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
One of the most important parts of any movie project is the music direction. I had contacted several local talents to see if they could lend me a hand in creating a haunting score for the film and luckily the composer duo (and married couple) Matthew & Anja Kirby crafted a haunting score for the film. The direction I offered was "create me a music score that fits into an 80s horror or science fiction film". I offered a few suggestions such as the music score to the original THE TERMINATOR, ANGEL HEART, THE THING, and while not from the 80s the music score to 2002's THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES for them to gain inspiration from. I've always been a big fan of music scores that incorporate an industrial sound along with what could be considered field recordings. While I believe the influences can be heard in the music score to SIPHON I feel that it's wholly unique score that brings to life the subtle horrors of the film itself. It can be noted that during the scenes in the abandoned factory that real industrial noises from various equipment were added on top of the score to play on the various rusted metal doorways, leaking ventilation pipes, and other equipment around the factory. Even the various bells and emergency noises from the medical equipment add new layers to the underlying score. The score was the perfect element that brought the project fully together. The score is as vital to the film as any of the visuals and performances. Take any movie and remove the score and you see that the film loses a myriad of subtle cues and emotional frequencies. A music score and direct your emotions even more so at times than the visuals can.<br />
<br />
Hopefully SIPHON will see various film festivals play in 2015-2016. Thank you for all of your support through the whole process. Perhaps future interest will garner a push for a full length version. Only time will tell!BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-17356191503254342252015-01-23T12:54:00.001-08:002015-11-01T16:29:10.148-08:00SIPHON: A Retrospect- Part 2 (Original Story VS What Made it To Film) or (Big Ideas vs The Reality of a $0.00 dollars budget)Often times with most independent films you start off with an idea. An idea in which grows and develops layers and substance, eventually gaining a life of it's own. This idea/story is then transferred to a script format. The script is designed to streamline the material for eventual translation to the big screen. Some material is lost during this process as a script doesn't explain the thoughts and feelings of the characters in intimate detail. As a friend once told me after viewing my first draft of the script for SIPHON; "Show through the actions, don't bog down the script with prose. It's just directions, not a novel". A difficult task considering that I'm a storyteller at heart, but after a few weeks and several working drafts later, the script for SIPHON was finished...for the most part. The interesting aspect about a script is that it remains an ever evolving piece, especially when certain sections of the script end up not translating well to film. This can be simply because of the writing itself, the available locations and actors, or usually in my case a lack of time and budget. The biggest issue with my production was time. Whether it was the time frame imposed by the Halloween date from the time we started (basically 2 months from late August to Mid October for pre-production, filming, and post-production) to the time restrictions of actors, locations, and crew availability, time more than anything else was my biggest hurdle on set. Of course, when you're on a shoe-string budget, everything cost wise is covered out of pocket or given by the grace of kind folk lending their time and expertise to you in exchange for cheap pizza and beer. Still though, when you don't have a studio behind you, you tend to have to sacrifice more of the story for a leaner product. It's a tricky balance when attempting to translate story to film. Below, I'll go through what the original story to SIPHON was going to be and what eventually happened to those pieces during the translation from paper to film.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWLAMgnZ7fDsSy0VRpQERoFEJr8THgIrqlsngS18PbA3hy_Kq0gPB74agaD10jUZrDp7QZPsV6wRq6dLzCblGBJ-qWMp2XF2c-M8HoiomGpm2yCSptjTJQHcy2eO3Ka25FEw_3SjsYT0/s1600/Syphon+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWLAMgnZ7fDsSy0VRpQERoFEJr8THgIrqlsngS18PbA3hy_Kq0gPB74agaD10jUZrDp7QZPsV6wRq6dLzCblGBJ-qWMp2XF2c-M8HoiomGpm2yCSptjTJQHcy2eO3Ka25FEw_3SjsYT0/s1600/Syphon+Poster.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Teaser Poster for "SIPHON" before a spelling was finalized.</div>
<br />
<br />
Beginning Prologue: When I originally began outlining the story arc for SIPHON, I wanted to start with the Graham family in the living room of their mill village home watching the news. Lauren would make her brief introduction as she ducks out the house to take off with some friends. Roger, whom is still in his work uniform from a local steel mill, absently watches a news story about a rash of bizarre murders in which people have been found in bed completely drained of their blood without any signs of struggle. His wife Claire would speak to him about the events of the day, even mentioning the news story before hinting for them to head to bed. The story would jump forward to a few hours to the bedroom in which Roger and Claire would be asleep. The killer would be seen silhouetted by moonlight in a veiled window of the bedroom before sliding the window open and unleashing the paralytic in the air. The rest of the scene would play out much like what we see in the film version with the exception that I wanted Lauren to return home the next morning while a barely recovered Roger crawls out of the bedroom, mumbling for her to call the police. We would see Lauren standing there in disbelief as she calls out for her mother. With the screen slowly turning black, we would hear Lauren scream, undoubtedly discovering her dead mother in the bedroom. Unfortunately due to time constraints, only the bedroom scene with the killer attacking the paralyzed Roger and Claire made it on screen. With the increased pressure of scheduling and limited access I had with my main actors due to their jobs, personal lives, ect, this original prologue was shortened significantly. I felt the additional narrative would have help to explain a big of what was going on, including that the killer had been active before the attack on Roger and Claire. Though, I attempted to fill that in during the main story of the film through radio bits.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Main Story: A great amount of additional material would have appeared during the beginning section of the main story. It was my original intent to show the living conditions for both Roger and Lauren two years after the death of Claire. I wanted to show them living in a small apartment space partially paid for by Roger working for the apartment complex as a handy man. The rest of his rent and bills come from odd jobs around town. Due to his tragic backstory with the death of his wife, I had a character by the name of Mrs. Abbot, the Apartment complex manager that was to take pity on Roger and Lauren by allowing them to stay at the Apartment complex for a discounted rate. The story originally explained how Roger lost his home; with the death of his wife whom was working full time as a nurse, half of the household income would have dried up, leaving Roger to fall further and further behind with the mortgage and bills. Since Lauren was only 16 at the time, she was unable to help supplement the household income. Roger was to have been an alcoholic during the years between his wife's death and the main story, with him losing his job at a local steel mill. While he is somewhat recovered by the beginning of the main story, his trades in an addiction to alcohol to an obsession with finding and killing the thing that took away his wife. His own bedroom would contain newspaper clipping concerning the killer, a map of the killer's trail up and down the south eastern United States, a police scanner, and crumbled cigarette packs spread across his desk and floor. The apartment would very much reflect a delicate balance between Roger's unkempt and disheveled personality and the counterculture personality of his daughter Lauren, whom within two years has grown up to be a very intelligent but brooding teenager wise beyond her years. She has almost assumed the role of the parent in this relationship, often taking on the responsibilities of cooking dinner for her and her father along with taking care of the apartment, making sure bills are paid, all the while maintaining her education. I wanted to show the effects that the killer's actions have caused this family. I was working towards even having Lauren in the beginning of the film going and picking up her father from jail for police chasing. A detective and young cop would have been introduced during this scene, both whom would have been involved in tracking down the Vampire of Roanoke (one of the monickers the news media would have given the killer). Having been deeply obsessed with tracking down the killer, Roger has become a nuisance to the detective and local law enforcement. Though the detective is sympathetic to Roger and Lauren, often times only arresting Roger and keeping him in jail until the local crime scene is cleaned up or Lauren can come to pick him up to watch him. Roger's brother would have been introduced in a phone conversation when Roger potentially believes after the latest murder to have pinpointed the Stalker's base of operation. Roger's brother having previously allowed Roger to keep supplies and guns in a barn on some property he own, acts as a warning to Roger to let the police handle the situation. Roger is not deterred. Having linked several stories concerning stolen medical equipment to murders being committed within the relatively same timeframe, Roger believes that the killer is using the blood for some nefarious medical reason. Roger's actions have heavily affected the relationship between himself and his daughter Lauren to the point that, much like Roger, Lauren has no friends grounding, only a few acquaintances. Roger is able to convince Lauren to help him on this crusade with the promise of everything returning to normal after the killer has been dealt with. Turning a blind eye to the truth, Lauren would choose to support her father, knowing that even if they captured the killer that the damage left behind would be too severe for her and her father to have a normal life.<br />
<br />
All of the material above was cut or couldn't be filmed. Instead the film's main story starts with Roger and Lauren driving to pick up supplies, with a few news and story bits coming through the radio in order to fill in the gaps of information concerning the killer and how prolific this killing spree has become. Much of the script and film from this point on remains the same, with the exception of two missing scenes that never made it on screen. The first scene would involve us watching Stalker pushing a stretcher down an abandoned corridor with an unconscious man strapped down to it. Various tubes and medical devices would be attached to both the man and the stretcher, showing that Stalker has begun to kidnap live people to serve as replenishable "Blood Factories". He would be shown carting this man over to a row of about 4-5 other people. The person at the end would be a dry husk of a body. Out of the 5 people, one person would be jerking about in a vain attempt to escape. He/she would look over to the other bodies and finally see the husk of a person before the scream. Stalker would then proceed to spray them with the paralytic agent before reattaching a feeding line to the person. Stalker would then hover over the body before screaming in agony. The second scene would be in the hideout again in which we see Stalker hovering over military documents, pouring over piles of information and marking names off a list. The documents would have hinted towards an experiment called Project: Dry Rot. We would see the siphoning glove and system laying upon a table, showing the container and suctioning device Stalker has rigged up for his nightly home invasions. This would have also given us the first glance of how decayed the Stalker's body has become. His hair would be all gone, as well as the skin around his lips and partially around his eyes. His nose and ears would be withered stubs. Without eyelids, Stalker is forced to wear modified welder's glasses to protect his eyes. Various semi-healed tears would be seen across all exposed skin.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bwEnvuZdLK3zcHtSceAH95wD34xT-Lde8LAN-9x1MZU6CJWcvaABgnotreRNlcDbIACZZmZxfQma3mnohiF63GnQZc_2K4q32URpy0PMvFd7KXP9pVabUHxmli-IoEIwcVPxvjdCEC8/s1600/Unmasked-page-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bwEnvuZdLK3zcHtSceAH95wD34xT-Lde8LAN-9x1MZU6CJWcvaABgnotreRNlcDbIACZZmZxfQma3mnohiF63GnQZc_2K4q32URpy0PMvFd7KXP9pVabUHxmli-IoEIwcVPxvjdCEC8/s1600/Unmasked-page-001.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Concept Art of Stalker: Unmasked by Mitch Rogers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
These scenes were meant to show and explain the motivation behind Stalker's reasons for siphoning people's blood as well as his military background. The only hints of these we get are the "dialysis" scene in the abandoned factory with Stalker before the arrival of Roger and Lauren. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The rest of the film moves forward similarly to my original story, with the exception of having the Stalker being a bit more physical with Roger. I wanted a scene of Stalker using the siphoning glove on Roger, either with him stabbing Roger multiple times in the back with the needles or possibly trying to siphon out his blood during the hallucination scenes. I wanted to also add some additional radio dialogue at the end in the truck that Stalker has stolen explaining that the police have brought Roger into custody for the killings. It would have added to the already dismal ending. For better or worse, several bits of the material here never made it to film, but ultimately a leaner and still effective horror short was produced. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Look out for Part 3 in which will focus on the music direction/score of the film as well as my plans for the film. Thanks for reading!</div>
BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-2518650171983434842015-01-21T12:02:00.000-08:002015-11-02T09:38:46.347-08:00SIPHON: A Retrospect- Part 1 (About "SIPHON" and The Villian "Stalker")SIPHON was a short horror film I wrote, directed, and produced during the period of late August through mid October of 2014. The film originally stemmed from a horror anthology called "Cinema Inferno" that was to be shown at a Halloween gathering put together by myself and fellow filmmakers Dan Fowler and Dal Kalsi. Given each of our histories in concerns of working on independent films in some capacity (with both Dan and Dal having written, directed, edited and produced several of their own independent films in both collaboration as well as solo), I found myself somewhat of the underdog in the sense of my experience, at least mainly in the technical aspects of film production. While I had co-directed and worked somewhat in the capacity as a co-producer on an independent dark comedy called "Bone To The Dog", most of my creative energies were put towards the actual writing of the script for the film as well as actor direction on set. Despite having some experience with editing, lighting, and shooting films, my education is somewhat on the amateur side. Most of those responsibilities fell onto the shoulders of my friend, artistic co-collaborator, and technical wizard Aaron Pate, whom in my humble opinion is one of the most talented videographers I've met. He was the man that brought to life the words on the page. I would again ask him to go behind the camera for SIPHON, but this time it would be in a limited capacity. For better or worse, SIPHON would be the first film I would be working on that I would have complete control over. While I did seek advice throughout the process of creating the film, from the initial script to the final edit/cut of the film, ultimately the finished product was a result of my decisions. While the film has it's issues (in which I will go into detail further in this series of posts), ultimately I found the finished product rewarding. I wanted to take the time to go through the brief history of the project, from the initial story idea/inspiration, script writing, production, product, and finally what lies next for the project. Below I have a link to the actual film as well as brief synopsis about the film's story if you're not familiar with or haven't seen SIPHON yet.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/p8d-Sh5ZQJo/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p8d-Sh5ZQJo?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
SIPHON: Starring- Mark Meekins, Leah Kathryn, Drew Nicely, Jennifer Carolina, Cody James, Clay Chapman<br />
<br />
Synopsis: Roanoke, Virgina-1984: A string of strange murders in which victims are paralyzed by the employment of an unknown gas agent and drained of their blood in their own homes are causing the citizens of Roanoke, Virgina to descend into panic. One of the victim's husband, Roger Graham, was subdued in his bed along with his wife by The Stalker's paralytic gas agent. While paralyzed in bed Roger is forced to watch as the monster behind the gas mask drains his wife of her blood, leaving him for hours to stare at his deceased wife until the effects of the gas wore off. Roger is left as a widow and single father to his daughter Lauren Graham whom discovers the ghastly sight upon returning from a party the next day. Two years later, Roger and Lauren's quest for vengeance against the killer only known as "The Stalker" culminates as they track the killer down to his hidden dwelling/refuge; an abandoned factory. Here this story will culminate to a horrific climax.<br />
<br />
Part 1: Inspirations for SIPHON's antagonist- The film's influences are many, but it was my hope that the concept and script for the film would be original enough to where the viewer would distinguish it as standing on it's own merit instead of merely being a ripoff of this or that horror cliche. If you've been a follower of my blog or if you're perusing through it now, you'll see that I wrote a two part post discussing the "Phantom Anesthetist" or more commonly known as "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon". I unabashedly took parts of this true life story and adapted aspects of the Mad Gasser's modus operandi into the concept of SIPHON's killer; known within the script as "STALKER". Much like the Mad Gasser, Stalker used an unspecified gas deployed by an old model insecticide sprayer. Though, unlike the Mad Gasser of Mattoon, I wanted Stalker to be more menacing. Instead of paralyzing victims for unknown reasons and leaving them relatively unharmed, I opted instead to give Stalker a reason behind paralyzing his victims while leaving enough of a mystery behind it to where people would begin to ask questions. Since Stalker was already apparently proficient enough in chemistry, since he was using a paralytic gas to subdue his victims, I decided that Stalker needed a reason behind his killings and his unusual skill set....as well as to add a terrifying way of going about disposing of his victims.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwGWvCOsuK443oihW_MuCZVUdJuLd_QxdtnRiwWwOCA1lZSfH6FR2ya48mgo_UX_k8CmRaOqYo09MFOLH88tGrv7zXhLRdPPpAVk0e9L6XU90qpr6dunRIhYGY8HcRyn4-yBek-6A9FI/s1600/$_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwGWvCOsuK443oihW_MuCZVUdJuLd_QxdtnRiwWwOCA1lZSfH6FR2ya48mgo_UX_k8CmRaOqYo09MFOLH88tGrv7zXhLRdPPpAVk0e9L6XU90qpr6dunRIhYGY8HcRyn4-yBek-6A9FI/s1600/$_57.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
An antique insecticide sprayer used as a prop in SIPHON</div>
<br />
<br />
I had been discussing with a fellow horror fan our dissatisfaction with how vampires were being portrayed in current cinema, lamenting mainly about how vampires were now being overtly romanticized and had been "defanged" of their true horror elements (I wont soil my post mentioning the garbage films and series we talked about. You probably have a good idea which ones I'm speaking of). I decided then that, while I was avoiding supernatural elements in my film, that I would take the concept of the vampire and tweak it to work within the framework of the film. Stalker would soon become a man that, for unknown reasons, needed a constant supply of fresh blood to replace his own. One scene early on I wanted to see make it from script to film was that of an emaciated Stalker having to perform self dialysis with the blood of a recent victim, his own body in return pushing out black ichor while the fresh blood replaced his own. Though, before I could have this scene in the film I needed to figure out a way for Stalker to quickly drain his victims of blood as well as for that method to remain both terrifying and somewhat in the realm of reality. I had decided then that the apparatus would have to be something attached to him and also be fairly easy to employ. I had decided to design the apparatus to attach to one of his hands, with the end result being something reminiscent of Freddy Krueger's glove...though instead of being implemented as a slashing weapon, it's only purpose would be to stab and siphon an individual's blood.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKOubr59mNQAIWVWPDnTVBTB4OxJpcX2jFLLdAtN5MNX-XtzBLjZtFkeEKIvZOxwJMMsrht95Up0N1Trf7GmPZG9y4H9CqBc6ovG5CW3yJbvenIJ2zwfqPDjOM3yC6JvCJD6KGaDIzdM/s1600/Siphon+Glove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKOubr59mNQAIWVWPDnTVBTB4OxJpcX2jFLLdAtN5MNX-XtzBLjZtFkeEKIvZOxwJMMsrht95Up0N1Trf7GmPZG9y4H9CqBc6ovG5CW3yJbvenIJ2zwfqPDjOM3yC6JvCJD6KGaDIzdM/s1600/Siphon+Glove.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Prototype of Stalker's glove<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1wPVKKRIwsFTkcX18U7AjJ4ELrg-WaXQe8by-2B-MDUJK7GMK7SLOeebDgJ2u0O8a4zj2Gy7AL3YOjo-b94jqt5X_OHJK72mUzxgeJG2EyOhm1WZhwsn8v4Nv7WxornwKqIih70JRPo/s1600/10632857_10152644762773605_2308874397817692708_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1wPVKKRIwsFTkcX18U7AjJ4ELrg-WaXQe8by-2B-MDUJK7GMK7SLOeebDgJ2u0O8a4zj2Gy7AL3YOjo-b94jqt5X_OHJK72mUzxgeJG2EyOhm1WZhwsn8v4Nv7WxornwKqIih70JRPo/s1600/10632857_10152644762773605_2308874397817692708_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As seen in film</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The actual needles on the glove are real needles borrowed from an antique cabinet of medical equipment from the 20th century provided by the Nursing Program at the university I work for. The tubing attached to the needles comes from a discarded assembly used to recreate veins within a static arm nursing students use to practice injections. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPs7b-pIlact4ZUfq8_H1ao3oxdptsYKnFAByIxOOyHEKMg_2jh3ujaNitB8PbM6CQbEncnu-x8OOXAJR_d8i16Huf6IQsknmq-Pk8a4EqtVs_DclzwQZ0h0-Oc7hPkH1CSp59EuF7lA/s1600/Siphon+4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPs7b-pIlact4ZUfq8_H1ao3oxdptsYKnFAByIxOOyHEKMg_2jh3ujaNitB8PbM6CQbEncnu-x8OOXAJR_d8i16Huf6IQsknmq-Pk8a4EqtVs_DclzwQZ0h0-Oc7hPkH1CSp59EuF7lA/s1600/Siphon+4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSzbrkB9_jJHCo3PMREaJYwwK-bqi8H8AccSB4uvFwS8igmqMB2MwtySvfG9O81mFnRQCdVWQs8QG5jfG7oxXP_YlioYZGsTz25aklMxovVaoc7aT5kimGlHXbmrH4wm_8XFdJKe6E1g/s1600/Siphon+8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSzbrkB9_jJHCo3PMREaJYwwK-bqi8H8AccSB4uvFwS8igmqMB2MwtySvfG9O81mFnRQCdVWQs8QG5jfG7oxXP_YlioYZGsTz25aklMxovVaoc7aT5kimGlHXbmrH4wm_8XFdJKe6E1g/s1600/Siphon+8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
The actual tubing and manifold displayed above could easily be recreated with a few items from a local hardware store, but luckily I had accessed to this dismantled unit. I found the merging of this tubing system with the glove interesting given their original purposes of recreating veins while in the film they're being used as artificial veins as Stalker siphons blood out of his victims. The idea of a somewhat proto-biomechanical mechanism was appealing. While not completely merged permanently within the physical biology of Stalker, the siphoning mechanism would act as artificial veins providing him with a way to circulate in fresh blood and out the poisonous ichor his body was producing.<br />
<br />
The actual attire of the Stalker would be influenced by a back story I created for the character. I knew from the beginning that I wanted the film to be set in the 80s as I've always had an affinity towards the horror films of that era. Given the cunning of the Stalker and his proficiency in both chemistry and medicine, I decided that a military background and back story might help to explain both his skills and eventually the malady that forces him to drain the blood of others and replace his own poisonous blood with theirs. As a fan of conspiracy theories and such, I've spent a great deal of time studying about the U.S. Government's testing of biological and chemical agents on their own populace, especially soldiers during war. Several secret experiments on servicemen during Vietnam, including supposedly drugs used to alter and enhance the performance of troops during prolong missions, have been rumored and whispered about by both former soldiers and conspiracy theorists. Evidence of such experiments have emerged from declassified documents over the years, but the true nature of the experiments and results are unknown. Chemicals ranging from 3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate (BZ) to Sarin were used by the military on their own personnel in order to gather data of their effectiveness before being used on enemy combatants. I decided that Stalker's background would be as a survivor of one of these experiments. He was at one point a member of the U.S. Chemical Corps and after being exposed to an experimental agent, he would be the only survivor initially. However, the chemical agent would have profound effects on his body, eventually turning his own blood into a poisonous sludge that he must constantly remove and replenish with healthy blood. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXb6Xq90t9orhcKx70XjUzmGOkQOs5Vg_hx6RHRMZznvAC2ayYqFgAKC6jmIqkeo9XuiG0-acRSZAnan3PbS81ZgdLyt3X0jn7pbixFg4w8Rk5W7mkp6G4IP7F8e2ysOpwbppTB0wFQc/s1600/chemical-biological-weapons-terrorism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXb6Xq90t9orhcKx70XjUzmGOkQOs5Vg_hx6RHRMZznvAC2ayYqFgAKC6jmIqkeo9XuiG0-acRSZAnan3PbS81ZgdLyt3X0jn7pbixFg4w8Rk5W7mkp6G4IP7F8e2ysOpwbppTB0wFQc/s1600/chemical-biological-weapons-terrorism.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
U.S. Chemical Corps uniform from 1950s</div>
<br />
His affliction would also have slowly weakened his body, so thus the need to paralyze his victims before draining them of their blood. The Stalker, while not as physically built as the typical horror movie villain would need to use his brains instead of brawn to survive. The gas mask Stalker wears serves several purposes. Obviously it protects him from his own chemicals when he's using them, it obscures his face from detection, and finally due to the constant dialysis he must perform on himself, it helps to protect him from sickness caused by a compromised immune system. The military trench coat is only there to hide the malformed condition of the Stalker's body....as well as to obscure any features since the budget wasn't there for any heavy practical make-up effects. Unfortunately most of this back story never made it into the film due to time and financial constraints, but for anyone interested in the reason's behind Stalker's motives, there ya go.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYfz0wYxb147GtnS3ZNlMyz7ml1WzrO9ckL9iS6nD8U44Ml0gdD71TqHVyjnDakTqXGQdZQcRdF_sUypIQlSiMH-2IRMJ9mUZx22hc13r-d29VYsOe9sBL5aQOLXFGcL5YwcOYqzaozQ/s1600/Uniform-page-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYfz0wYxb147GtnS3ZNlMyz7ml1WzrO9ckL9iS6nD8U44Ml0gdD71TqHVyjnDakTqXGQdZQcRdF_sUypIQlSiMH-2IRMJ9mUZx22hc13r-d29VYsOe9sBL5aQOLXFGcL5YwcOYqzaozQ/s1600/Uniform-page-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Concept artwork of "Stalker" by Mitch Rogers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
Since the film takes place initially in 1984 and moves ahead 2 years to 1986, I wanted to show in the film how much the malady had taken a toll on Stalker. Initially in the film we see a somewhat healthy Stalker with hair and fairly robust figure, but by the scenes in the abandoned factory 2 years later, we have a more gaunt (and bald) killer covered in gauze as well as needle marks from constant dialysis. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBhhbxX_HZsIIjExWuJ-Jv8e5RNq8NTsS9q9HtwzoASJ8QjFvU5ubf6tkTddj3G3U6mIEXnpODBTX_Ii7uxXHIE1XPG4XAXTlJLzPyk0ygaVq-yTxR3m-cPma3JcZOZKws7hbKyQ3WtE/s1600/10636135_10152646030078605_6021735225720863774_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBhhbxX_HZsIIjExWuJ-Jv8e5RNq8NTsS9q9HtwzoASJ8QjFvU5ubf6tkTddj3G3U6mIEXnpODBTX_Ii7uxXHIE1XPG4XAXTlJLzPyk0ygaVq-yTxR3m-cPma3JcZOZKws7hbKyQ3WtE/s1600/10636135_10152646030078605_6021735225720863774_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Stalker (1984)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZARedqE1ixcbyX6gPwRHbSy69S4iLjT2GMYWdrrggfGTtPLd7PBpF_0CHa5yGHp5WdWmskmfMuj5K7ffV86Yc_cmOkdx1SgnMn5mEaZZBQQwETmLJXWFshRA9A_RfTVC9AD7rk98Mho/s1600/1986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZARedqE1ixcbyX6gPwRHbSy69S4iLjT2GMYWdrrggfGTtPLd7PBpF_0CHa5yGHp5WdWmskmfMuj5K7ffV86Yc_cmOkdx1SgnMn5mEaZZBQQwETmLJXWFshRA9A_RfTVC9AD7rk98Mho/s1600/1986.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Stalker (1986)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I chose two actors to play Stalker in the film, the 1984 version being played by Clay Chapman and the 1986 version being played by Drew Nicely. Obviously their physical characteristics were important to show the progression of the Stalker's transformation over two years. Even something as simple as having one actor shave their head and applying some medical gauze gives the illusion of a much more decrepit and gaunt figure, despite (in the case of the 86 version of Stalker) Drew's normally healthy body type. With some simple techniques, you can easily give the appearance of sickness and malformed structure by modifying movements and posture. Since Stalker is caught off guard by Roger and Lauren later in the film, we see that the killer has modified his domain to serve his needs, including an access point that he can inject a hallucinogenic compound into the buildings still functioning air system to help slow down any potential intruders as well as an alarm system if the building is entered. The Stalker is very much a creature whom uses his environment to his advantage. The wounded animal is often more vicious than a healthy one, especially when they're clinging onto life so readily. Ultimately I wanted to create a villain the film that encompassed some of our own most prevalent fears: Isolation, Powerlessness, Morality vs Instinct. While the film touches on some of these, enough of the fear factor of the character makes it onto screen. While the story isn't as fleshed out on film as in my initial script design and back story, he still remains a terrifying presence on screen. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-89738072445505606522015-01-20T09:31:00.001-08:002015-01-20T09:31:09.128-08:00New BeginningsSo, I've been pretty neglectful with keeping this thing up to date, so I wanted to apologize to anyone who's been following this blog. My goal for this year is to do a minimum of 2-4 posts a month on this, ranging from topics of the paranormal, horror flicks and the obscure...along with a few short stories and project here and there of my design. Here's to a productive 2015 and hopefully I'll see more out of you guys as well. BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-29656349040833332032014-02-14T13:45:00.003-08:002014-02-14T13:59:10.735-08:00The “Phantom Anesthetists”: The famous cases of the “Mad Gassers of Mattoon & Roanoke” Part 2<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>The Return of the “Phantom Anesthetist” </u></b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmwg_IJtuu2cWFNZ7YqW5W9YHp3HmzvE_-2SenVEHrA7CgGPrlLE-WOnyvoIq9__qETtKwvDU9MVLS9MH6ijTrw1u8DUw4f16s0LqOjXGDNoKh4wtaT_sftD-trjTAXZPg3GtcPZwdCA/s1600/madgasser_morphy2-585x306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmwg_IJtuu2cWFNZ7YqW5W9YHp3HmzvE_-2SenVEHrA7CgGPrlLE-WOnyvoIq9__qETtKwvDU9MVLS9MH6ijTrw1u8DUw4f16s0LqOjXGDNoKh4wtaT_sftD-trjTAXZPg3GtcPZwdCA/s1600/madgasser_morphy2-585x306.jpg" height="167" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>We move ahead from the bizarre events surrounding the
citizens of Botetourt County, Virginia during the winter of 1933/34 and fast
forward ten years to 1944. The world has escaped the clutches of “The Great
Depression” only to find itself plunged into the full out horror of World War
II.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The backdrop of the Mad Gasser’s
return would coincide with the height of the war in 1944.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>America was in full war time mode, with the
majority of the men from the country out in the trenches of Europe or island
hopping in the Pacific fighting to protect their homeland from the axis powers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fear and paranoia hung in the air like a
vaporous poison, and looking back now it seemed a perfectly eerie backdrop to
the return of the “Phantom Anesthetist”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This time though, the Mad Gasser would pick a new location to begin a
new reign of terror…..Mattoon, Illinois.</b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>The Terror Begins Anew</u></b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoo_o3C42s8rGB8YAQ4CmlH8NJZZmUdwsQp6GF5TVXMVSlIhylXEZOU9_iSZJPx6bRXaad6AeupijOaRUb8YulXYjXfTEHPmXRqZZzsXUgp58Y2abvSaJXQq3mb3UMSMG78Sgl2V6keE/s1600/gasser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoo_o3C42s8rGB8YAQ4CmlH8NJZZmUdwsQp6GF5TVXMVSlIhylXEZOU9_iSZJPx6bRXaad6AeupijOaRUb8YulXYjXfTEHPmXRqZZzsXUgp58Y2abvSaJXQq3mb3UMSMG78Sgl2V6keE/s1600/gasser.jpg" height="114" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On August 31<sup>st</sup>,
1944 in a small house on Grant Avenue in the town of Mattoon, Illinois would
become the first stage in the Mad Gasser’s attacks upon the town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A gentleman by the name of Urban Raef was
awoken by a strange odor that had encompassed most of the interior of his house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon Mr. Raef was overtaken by headaches, nausea
leading to bouts of vomiting and even myasthenia (muscle weakness).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Urban’s wife, suspecting that perhaps there
was a leak in the gas line to the house, attempted to check the gas line for
her husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, she found
herself partially paralyzed and unable to move out of bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. & Mrs. Raef would simply be the first
victims of the night, with another two (a mother & daughter) being added to
the list by the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>September 1<sup>st</sup>
would bring another group of victims as well as a description of the
assailant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Mrs. Kearney reported that
at around 11 p.m. , a strange odor began to overtake her household.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first Mrs. Kearney dismissed the smell,
but soon the gas became overwhelming, and eventually she began to suffer from
partial paralysis along with nausea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
a panic Mrs. Kearney contacted her sister (whom was upstairs at the time) about
her condition, whom in turn contacted the police.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mrs. Kearney’s husband arrived home around
12:30 a.m. and discovered an unidentified assailant outside of his
household.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. Kearney described the
assailant as a tall, thin framed man wearing dark clothing and a tight fitting
cap around his head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. Kearney
attempted to chase after the prowler, but ultimately the mysterious individual was
able to escape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would remain the
general description of the “Mad Gasser of Mattoon” for the rest of the timeline
of the attacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b> For nearly two weeks
the attacks continued, remaining more or less the same throughout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An unknown assailant would sneak up to houses
and through various entryways (usually through a cracked windows, doors, and
even holes in the floorboard), would inject some sort of gas into these
households.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The victims inside would all
suffer more or less from the same symptoms (partial paralysis, nausea/vomiting,
headaches, and swelling (of the mouth, tongue, nasal passages, and the
trachea)).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From August 31<sup>st</sup>
to September 13<sup>th</sup>, the Gasser’s reign of terror would hold the town
of Mattoon hostage until, as mysteriously as the Gasser appeared, the Gasser disappeared without a trace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The police
ultimately found little evidence as to the identity of the Gasser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though several misnomers about the identity
and the methods used by the Gasser in his/her’s attacks were brought up by the
victims, none of them were able to paint a complete picture of the Gasser or of
the Gasser’s motives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>*One of the victims reported seeing blue gas being pumped
into her house and also hearing the buzzing of some sort of equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was hypothesized that the Gasser was using
equipment traditionally used by farmers for fumigating crops.</b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>*The supposed final victim, a Ms. Bertha Burch described an
encounter with the Mad Gasser, and said that the Gasser was a woman dressed as
a man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While a set of woman’s footprints
were found on Ms. Burch’s property that were not the victim’s, the police ultimately
were unable to collaborate her story.</b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Theories on the Mattoon Gasser’s Identity</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWxxgv86jKmM7-5tCudAj3sVkrHOCU4bp_w0897qhl_mWC0BC-HMw6jzVZTZ7H6nvflzOrVCCvNSjXYOZW32QZu5sqCbkG8y1H-Xwi42NMtHBKsIJxA6Zexi9g2keNxj7EzUXBoyLKY8/s1600/mad-gasser-by-aidan-wilson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWxxgv86jKmM7-5tCudAj3sVkrHOCU4bp_w0897qhl_mWC0BC-HMw6jzVZTZ7H6nvflzOrVCCvNSjXYOZW32QZu5sqCbkG8y1H-Xwi42NMtHBKsIJxA6Zexi9g2keNxj7EzUXBoyLKY8/s1600/mad-gasser-by-aidan-wilson.jpg" height="127" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span> </b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><u>Mass Hysteria/Burglar</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been proposed that a possible burglar
was using some sort of anesthesia/sleeping gas/ Diethyl ether to paralyze
victims while robbing the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
may be a copycat burglar whom followed after the potential assailant in Botetourt
County in 1934</b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><u>Toxic Waste or Pollution/emissions from a nearby
factory</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Police investigated nearby
factories and released public statements about the possibility of pollution
from nearby factories being a potential cause of sickness amongst those in
Mattoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may take into account the similarly
reported (sweet odor) and symptoms across all the victims.</b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> <b></b></span></span></span><u>An Actual Assailant</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is possible that the assailant had some
connection to the Gasser attacks in Botetourt County and may actually be one in
the same.</b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><u>Aliens/Paranormal Beings</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been hypothesized that due to the bizarre
attacks by “The Phantom Anesthetist” and the fact that there were no discernible
reasons behind the attacks (burglary, murder, sexual assault, etc) and also the
fact that there was no physical trace of the Gasser, some people theorize that
the Gasser’s identity may lie more in the paranormal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People throughout the decades have suffered
from experiences of being paralyzed in bed and being visited by “strange beings”
that do nothing physically traceable to them except viewing them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could the “Mad Gasser” be a precursor or
interpretation of such experiences?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><br />
<b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 5. <u>Disturbed Medical Student</u>: Scott Maruna, a former resident that was affected by the 1944 Mattoon attacks wrote a book entitled "</span>The Mad Gasser of Mattoon: Dispelling the Hysteria", theorized that a medical student from The University of Illinois by the name of Farley Llewellyn may have been responsible for the gas attacks. Mr. Llewellyn was known as an accomplished chemist student that was ridiculed by the population of Mattoon due to rumors that he was a homosexual. More information about this can theory can be found in Mr. Maruna's book.</b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> No other attacks were reported after 1944. At the time of this posting, no information on the identity or the whereabouts of "The Phantom Anethesist" has been found </b></div>
<b>
</b>BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-20334138674888622342014-02-06T13:15:00.001-08:002015-10-30T08:33:37.504-07:00The “Phantom Anesthetists”: The famous cases of the “Mad Gassers of Mattoon & Roanoke” Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKq3SVtFB7_ZnSvDL886sCwERlMXB-gq7BgNnOCq4kaYWzaW95xlCWKGSXDFO5jizFPczB7LV4tp9IOkPu1ACPxxf-xTRsLMMsJYK-QitGZPN1z7GV_iiz3iRFZ7SdKiEbA0x8RE-RPeQ/s1600/wwi-mask-259x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKq3SVtFB7_ZnSvDL886sCwERlMXB-gq7BgNnOCq4kaYWzaW95xlCWKGSXDFO5jizFPczB7LV4tp9IOkPu1ACPxxf-xTRsLMMsJYK-QitGZPN1z7GV_iiz3iRFZ7SdKiEbA0x8RE-RPeQ/s1600/wwi-mask-259x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;"> <b><span style="background-color: black;"> The evening hours are waning as you prepare yourself for bed. Consciousness begins to slip away from you as you wrap yourself tightly in the sheets of your bed. The toils of the day have begun to slowly dissolve away from your thoughts as your mind slips into sleep. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, a
sudden draft of cold air escaping from a raised window stirs you awake. Through
the fog of your memory you can’t seem to remember cracking the window open, but
then again all of your memories and thoughts at the moment are insubstantial
and scattered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though you’re mostly
awake now, your thoughts cannot and will not come to focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
only think in passing that you can smell something in the air that's unfamiliar. The smell is sweet yet oddly similar to the smell of sickness. Your eyes attempt to focus out of the dream world and back into reality as
you glance at the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a moment,
you think you catch the glimpse of a thin framed figure crawling through the now half opened window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> You begin to think that childhood fears are somehow returning to prominence in your mind. You feel silly to suddenly be afraid of the dark, and perhaps you try to displace the thoughts. </span>You blink a few times to rid yourself of the
fragments of sleep that still cling to your eyelids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the world comes to focus, you find nothing
there behind the window except the curtains swaying slightly against the draft
of the night air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You decide that the
cool air is too much of an inconvenience so you try to get up to close the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, you realize quite suddenly and terrifyingly that your body and mind are
disconnected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your limbs are weak and
brittle and will not respond to the impulses of your brain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even your
lungs seem to struggle to keep their automatic functions steady and stable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want
to panic, but something in the air prevents the reptilian part of your brain
from activating your primal instincts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You are alone and paralyzed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
you lie there with hope ebbing out of your body, you feel the presence of
someone or something in the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
catch the thing; a tall vaguely human shaped figure wearing a coat and black
garbs that give nothing away of what, if any, flesh and bone that may lay underneath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The figure almost seems too thin to be a man, but the fumes in the air are distorting your vision. The reality around you is bending and contorting in odd forms. The figure itself ceases for a moment to even resemble that of a man. Though, your focus keeps jumping from the terrifying delusion and the even more terrifying reality of this thing. </span>A tight fitting hat of some
sort obscures the figure’s face, if it even has one, and the only thing truly discernible about the
figure is the fact that you can see a sort of tubing hanging out from the
figure’s clothes that connects to some sort of sprayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks almost like a stereotypical
insecticide sprayer that maybe someone you know uses on their flowers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The figure hovers
over you for a while as it lifts the sprayer and releases puffs of gas around
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The smell is familiar now, the same
sweet odor you detected before this nightmare began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You feel nauseated and you can feel your
throat slowly swelling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consciousness is
slipping fast and you close your eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hours pass like seconds and as your eyes open and you blink between the
rays of the morning sun, the nausea remains and along with it a headache that now gnaws
away at the sensors of your brain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
can move now, albeit your limbs are stiff and sore. You're slowly gaining control back. Whatever poison the thing used to
paralyze you has mostly worked its way out of your system…still though the lingering
effects are there. You look around and notice that nothing looks missing in
your room on from your person. You look to the window and find is completely
opened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The impression of footprints can
be seen all around your bed, leading to and from the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re left with more questions than answers.
What was this thing that visited you last night? Why did this person or thing
go through such actions and steps to paralyze you without killing you or
stealing from you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was it merely the act
of a deranged individual or something else?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While this may sound a bit like something out of a Weekly World News
magazine or a subject on a late night paranormal radio show, an entity/individual known as
the “Phantom Anesthetist/The Mad Gasser(s) of Roanoke/Mattoon” commited similar attacks
as described above in possibly two separate time periods in 1933/34 and again
in 1944. While both events are divided by nearly 10 years
and occurring in two places, Botetourt County, Virginia and Mattoon, Illinois, both separated by
hundreds of miles, the circumstances of the attacks and the methods
employed in the attacks were eerily similar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiBkqEvYpYOzUvTe-p5cFqD9s6XvjJ9G0o2NgBRDXbUplUri-hLs_zFaHfECsTd2YBXVlyevfeg27QKHeddqw_MezrZAQfLdI2t95qnXhsCekZ2GfJ7pTcZh9rUq0Rbke25lapLjXLJ4/s1600/image004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiBkqEvYpYOzUvTe-p5cFqD9s6XvjJ9G0o2NgBRDXbUplUri-hLs_zFaHfECsTd2YBXVlyevfeg27QKHeddqw_MezrZAQfLdI2t95qnXhsCekZ2GfJ7pTcZh9rUq0Rbke25lapLjXLJ4/s1600/image004.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">Several theories exist about whom or what was responsible for these
attacks including 1: (For both places) A panic created from a mass hysteria
induced by a single/multiple perpetrators' attack on a family, 2: (In the case of
Mattoon) At least one chemical leak in a nearby factory, 3: A potentially
mentally disturbed individual (Roanoke) or mentally disturbed medical student
(Mattoon), and even 4: the possibility of extra-terrestrials visiting and
conducting experiments on individuals in these specific locations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll explore some of those theories as well
as have some recounts from the events involving the “The Mad Gassers of
Roanoke/Mattoon". </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zuOvzGg5lTiZQnCxPXn55fpSP1kLjo2CgStCXMUUV9q8GL1Ie3GaknLIZKyp0drwdXv7tUDflvevYHzsfBOXm7Y1lB_t4ihIeYGx9HOq_DHk4sfZowmzoLq1yOxuZ-0T3kjmflGszuk/s1600/Florida-Gasser-1024x791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiD-ObKCWVuzCZb4TZC2pfiWnLYXaUnnB9_1ELuQoZoKHFv1-JwfDihbjsxKrx2PYgE65Wxq3aBN19pdux5yWrHZGV0SzmGk55BkteXieyWcVfwK4PMb44NuLbfoKPClIZO2tHkiLXOw/s1600/madgasser_morphy2-585x306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiD-ObKCWVuzCZb4TZC2pfiWnLYXaUnnB9_1ELuQoZoKHFv1-JwfDihbjsxKrx2PYgE65Wxq3aBN19pdux5yWrHZGV0SzmGk55BkteXieyWcVfwK4PMb44NuLbfoKPClIZO2tHkiLXOw/s1600/madgasser_morphy2-585x306.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysGWn0Yy33y_GWNPZmT7MZAEETxka0kSHG63rq45zEK75pD8lopOHoIuNokvaK6s8niKVvNOgnHj8briUCRUsiCpWHGrl0Szpbb2NBnjPXGp8WwOBN0LNrWRNItO8HhlbFlBSk4F4xwY/s1600/gasser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">On December 22<sup>nd</sup>, 1933 one family’s terrifying encounter
with the entity that will eventually be known as “The Mad Gasser of Roanoke”
made headlines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story goes as
follows…</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: black;"> In Botetourt County, Virginia at roughly 10 p.m.,
the matriarch of the Huffman family reported smelling an unusual sweet odor
that was seeping into and through her home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Within minutes of coming into contact with the gas, she became
overwhelmed with nausea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within a half
an hour from the first appearance and fading of the odor, another wave of the mysterious gas
overtook the home and its occupants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
father of the household, Mr. Hoffman, contacted the police after noticing the
unusual odor and gas that was seeping into the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the gas dissipated, Mr. Huffman and his
family, along with a guest Ashby Henderson retired to their individual bedrooms
for sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The true nightmare began
around 1 a.m. as the house again began filling with the nauseous gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The symptoms from the gas intensified,
resulting in all 8 members of the Huffman family along with their guest
suffering from headaches, nausea, and swelling of the face, mouth, and
throat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of Mr. Huffman’s daughters,
Alice Huffman suffered a severe reaction and eventually passed out, having to
be ultimately resuscitated back to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Remnants from the gas attacks would affect her for subsequent weeks
after the bizarre incident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither the
Huffman family or their guest were able to identify who or what was behind the
incident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Nearly</span> two days later
another family was attacked via gas being injected into their household. The bizarre assaults by the Mad Gasser were only beginning.</span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC5BNBh5Muw-uzqCXDMtkvu4-M_7cdxs2KYW8dr_nTu0eiGBfKWgtfz1CMn0tx2URIWYuUkte0YUynReKUa83qoZRsaJxsFZDiMa6PpJJda2obyTqjbOMXgnsgAtTBG8mAmk07SA-2VY/s1600/mad+gasser.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC5BNBh5Muw-uzqCXDMtkvu4-M_7cdxs2KYW8dr_nTu0eiGBfKWgtfz1CMn0tx2URIWYuUkte0YUynReKUa83qoZRsaJxsFZDiMa6PpJJda2obyTqjbOMXgnsgAtTBG8mAmk07SA-2VY/s1600/mad+gasser.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"> A depiction of the "Phantom Anesthetist"</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"> On December 24<sup>th</sup>, a house in Cloverdale, Virginia
would be the next target of the bizarre Gasser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The household of Mr. and Mrs. Hall along with their two children were
exposed to an unknown gas agent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similar
symptoms were reported being suffered by the Hall family as those experienced
by the Huffman family. However this time, police were able to track the source of where the gas was emanating from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Police believed that an unidentified
individual had removed a nail from a rear window of the Hall’s house and
used this hole to inject the gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forensic
evidence, including high concentrations of residue left by the gas in the area of the nail hole showed that
the gas was being pumped into the house from that area of the home. Mr. Hall rallied several other men from nearby homes and formed a search party in order to track down the assailant, but no suspects were found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon after the incident with the Hall family,
numerous other incidents were reported to the police that followed along with a
strange and similar pattern to the first two attacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> For three days the Gasser continued upon his or her's bizarre rampage. On December 28th, the Gasser's attack abruptly ended. The local police were offering a $500 reward for any information on the Gasser, a sizable sum considering the Great Depression at the time. The reward was never claimed. It would be nearly two weeks before the Gasser's attacks would begin again.</span></span></span></b><span style="display: none; mso-hide: all;">Hhhh</span><br />
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"> One report to the police by a local resident on January 10<sup>th</sup>
mentions that she heard voices before she watched a billow of gas being
injected into her house through a cracked window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No description of the assailant was given
though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The Gasser's attacks quickly escalated over the following weeks, leading to an all out police investigations as well as several mobs searching in vain for the "Phantom Anesthetist". January 22nd would prove to be the height of the mad Gasser's devious attacks as within a span of an hour the Gasser attacked three sets of individuals before disappear into the night. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Raymond Ette and his son, the second group to be victims of the Gasser, claimed to have pursued the Gasser into the woods near their house, even going so far as to fire upon the fleeing Gasser. Though, no evidence that the Gasser was wounded or killed was found. The most frightening aspect of the Gasser's attack was the fact that it seemed as if the Gasser was experimenting on various new types of chemical compositions for his gas. </span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> On February 3rd, the Skagges family was attacked by the Gasser. Mr. Skagges, his wife, and children all suffered from the same effects previously reported by past victims as well as the additional effects of hallucinations and temporary mania. Even the family's dog was reported to have been affected by the gas . The Gasser was evolving in his technique, and it was bringing the people who called the area home to their knees in terror. </span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> February 9th would be considered to be the final day the Gasser would strike before disappearing into obscurity. A gentleman by the name of </span>J.G. Shafe reported a run in with the Gasser in his own home. Mr. Shafe chased the assailant through the snow drifts that covered his land, eventually cornering the Gasser in a barn. However, as Shafe moved in for the kill, The Gasser had mysteriously vanished. Police were called to the scene and followed the footprint trail from Shafe's house to the barn. No evidence was found of footprints leaving from the barn. The Gasser vanished without a trace. It should be noted though that the vague imprints of women's shoes were found nearby on Mr. Shafe's property. However, the distance between the woman's shoe prints and the barn were inconclusive.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"> Nearly a dozen cases from the
advent of the Gasser's attacks on December 22<sup>nd</sup> through the final
one on February 9<sup>th</sup> were reported. Some of the reported incidents mentioned the possibility of several Gassers working in congruency. One report even mentioned that a family that was affected by the Gasser(s)' attack saw four unknown individuals fleeing from their home and into some nearby woods. Whether or not this was a hallucination from the gas or a real coordinated assault by multiple individuals is unknown. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
the police say that several additional claims were made in concerns to the Mad Gasser, several were written off as hoaxes or hysteria. Theories ranged from a
panic caused by a potential burglar to a mentally disturbed individual(s) attempting
to poison people through the use of insecticides and a flit gun. One unique theory that I'd like to mention that was thrown around at the time was the possibility that the attacks were a form of lashing out by formers soldiers whom were the victims of gas attacks in WW1. A sort of PTSD/shell shock formulating into a psychosis that led the soldiers to act out the abuse they suffered on the battlefield upon others. No matter the theories, as abruptly as
the “Phantom Anesthetist” appeared, the entity disappeared forever into the night, leaving more questions than answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be 11 years later and
hundreds of miles away in Illinois that a similar string of attacks would
occur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time, a portrait of whom or
what was behind the attacks would emerge.</span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76W4LkLIguXTId-k90KsmKC_FkH4au1JeTH423IACgbcFwi9QGA3Y1pUPppiwUXR3Rhm_d57NOyLe3sXvXqlr3x1TOfU6sNqVy9J7Zo_3Uk8zs_OPdrQ1pN4IHnVtlfcz-dAXpZPYxn0/s1600/il_570xN.361638110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76W4LkLIguXTId-k90KsmKC_FkH4au1JeTH423IACgbcFwi9QGA3Y1pUPppiwUXR3Rhm_d57NOyLe3sXvXqlr3x1TOfU6sNqVy9J7Zo_3Uk8zs_OPdrQ1pN4IHnVtlfcz-dAXpZPYxn0/s1600/il_570xN.361638110.jpg" width="320" /></a> </span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"> A Flint Gun used in the early 20th century for spraying insecticides.</span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-6936070647938863042011-11-04T13:39:00.000-07:002014-02-07T12:44:32.597-08:00Dwellers on The Threshold: Voices through Static<div style="background-color: black;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span></span></span><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) are electronic voices that appear in conjecture with radio broadcasts, recordings, transmissions, and white noise. These voices are created by the butchering and cannibalization of various recordings and then reconfigured in such ways that they are believed to be attempts at communication with the receiver of the messages by some unknown entity or force. These voices have no traceable origin and seem to appear at random intervals of length in communication. The voices often seem to home in on those using radio equipment as a communication device and have been known to answer in cryptic fashions to radio operator’s questions. Theories about where the voices originate range from coincidence, alien contact, ghostly contact, or potentially even other dimensions. While considered by today’s standards as a pseudoscience, the study of EVP was once a serious phenomenon that was studied as an emerging result of the growing use of radio and television in the early to mid-20<sup>th</sup> century. While the story below the links involves my first experience with EVP and will mainly discuss this, you should take the time to check out the links below and learn a little bit as I will not be relaying some nimrod story about bumbling around an abandoned house with a tape recorder asking spirits redundant and pointless questions about how it’s like being dead and stuck in a shitty limbo while being bothered by the living.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>For more information on EVP, check out the following links. </b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: black; color: white;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pOM6egAomj6yw6TxHLsEEvU1CYAW9m-SR3nJqKFRO_JLzR4431BAooFELR2A1ysL5D9WCDxFsJ1r-sPWsxdtbEG6hu4SzXfwNOnjwOzBfkOz_pzAK1Mt4YRGk_-4rlpMOTOYO2iAh6c/s1600/jurgenson1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pOM6egAomj6yw6TxHLsEEvU1CYAW9m-SR3nJqKFRO_JLzR4431BAooFELR2A1ysL5D9WCDxFsJ1r-sPWsxdtbEG6hu4SzXfwNOnjwOzBfkOz_pzAK1Mt4YRGk_-4rlpMOTOYO2iAh6c/s1600/jurgenson1.png" /></a></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.fargfabriken.se/fjf/life.html">Friedrich Jürgenson</a>: Considered the first pioneer of the study and understanding of EVP</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: black; color: white;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-EyXstpTsSuhsqyZhZn6hoM4jmk_lms2hBFTCCH9Z5otfia33TCBH5xa8PX2DmBsAhol-lRmkI61NfhUBy0-Qe7F0m8vjBW3S-LbvNqVxeyXRrTKk3i862a8GdHi8l99URAm8UGz-xls/s1600/Konstantins%252520Raudive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-EyXstpTsSuhsqyZhZn6hoM4jmk_lms2hBFTCCH9Z5otfia33TCBH5xa8PX2DmBsAhol-lRmkI61NfhUBy0-Qe7F0m8vjBW3S-LbvNqVxeyXRrTKk3i862a8GdHi8l99URAm8UGz-xls/s320/Konstantins%252520Raudive.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Raudive">Dr. Konstantīns Raudive</a>: Parapsychologist and the father of the modern study of EVP</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: black; color: white;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NwImVKyXKiozcvb4g9BKuUXPCLWs5ue6KeyERhl4XqskE9Zc8GW1VoGqP9FU8tAjiE35GMvu_f207Tjdd38Gi1Fmn0ysXscTUeFIB4OVQp0t6S7RIOBP8i7gARpngbJJZQQbHAhgZN0/s1600/0000320240_350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NwImVKyXKiozcvb4g9BKuUXPCLWs5ue6KeyERhl4XqskE9Zc8GW1VoGqP9FU8tAjiE35GMvu_f207Tjdd38Gi1Fmn0ysXscTUeFIB4OVQp0t6S7RIOBP8i7gARpngbJJZQQbHAhgZN0/s320/0000320240_350.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?tyummlny3hj">The Ghost Orchid: An Introduction to EVP</a>: A fantastic CD that explains the history of and offered several samples of EVP. I even own a copy myself. </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_voice_phenomenon">Overview of EVP</a>: For those who are unaware, EVP wasn’t originally a phenomenon that half-wit ghost hunters on television discovered with crappy tape recorders. There actually is a bit of science behind it. </b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: black; color: white;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JQX558z673y6uFd6CIFgAgXTLxoIzRGzoyJ8BGNDOZKM8y2I14hqMdRstbyHnKQN63hNS7kuFMDWJtcK8kJ0EerIINbFboCRlCzMs6pYrUSqIRy1abEN9xA9XadxYET8RreTqDEfSms/s1600/Mentalism-Illustration-I_photo_medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JQX558z673y6uFd6CIFgAgXTLxoIzRGzoyJ8BGNDOZKM8y2I14hqMdRstbyHnKQN63hNS7kuFMDWJtcK8kJ0EerIINbFboCRlCzMs6pYrUSqIRy1abEN9xA9XadxYET8RreTqDEfSms/s320/Mentalism-Illustration-I_photo_medium.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></a></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>It was the loud screaming of an unfamiliar woman’s voice through the speaker in the police scanner that violently awoke me from my sleep. Stirring awake in a bit of confusion, but mostly irritation, I quickly realized I had dozed off in the remarkably comfortable rocking chair on my front porch while listening into the lives of people I had never met, and from some of the conversations I’ve overheard, I’d probably never would want to meet. As I stretched a bit, I turned my attention to the police scanner and began my search again for another interesting glimps into a nearby neighbor's life, the conversation with the screaming woman involving her torrent love triangle between her husband and lesbian lover had settled into sobbing, and even I knew that it was best to turn the channel. I thought for a moment that I heard something cutting through the static of one of the channels as they scanner passed through several channels. A voice it seemed was building in the background white noise and I waited with a sort of reserved anticipation, but nothing conjured and I passed it off as nothing else but a weak signal that failed to reach. Sometimes when the signals become entangled through the transistors, conversations and music from distant locations fight and meld into a strange ambiance that I cannot help but to feel is being somehow controlled by some unforeseen force. At times, I’m reminded of my childhood with my grandfather and a strange event that some would consider paranormal.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>On cool, fall evenings with the dimming, twilight sun barely illuminating the seemingly endless corn fields of my grandfather’s farm I would listen along with my grandfather to his police scanner and CB radio while he spoke about bits and pieces of his youth. I never realized at the time as he went about the stories how the conversations and voices coming through the police scanner seemed to form a sort of strangely constructed soundtrack that, now that I think about it, became an unsettling background score for a man unfolding bits and pieces of his life to a child that, at the time, did not fully grasp the weight of the words. Every so often, whenever a specific message would come through the CB radio, my grandfather would pause from his story and speak into the CB, and, after receiving some muffled confirmation, would continue on with whatever exciting point we were on in one of his past misadventures. One has to wonder why a farmer out on the countryside would need these tools to communicate to truckers and vagrants of the highways. Perhaps it was some strange network of human connection for those without a home that my grandfather provided. Maybe he was running a bootlegging operation. Hell, maybe it was something that I should best leave to the confines of the past. I suppose the men who keep such secrets probably knew it was best to keep them to their grave. To this day, I’ve never found an answer.</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: black; color: white;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDwYnM6xbq88qcmblbtqSfD-YsO0BO07RVV-cHt0UkjjJ2Q2SiHFed8VaxmJ00ZfmRC5MsCcUBVKERYWup-Z5F3bL8ApZj8gur86XA3XOrNu9ZvnehNAReO1El09WDyJpgbhF95Aqpfs/s1600/tumblr_ls05ajaTbn1qdmioco1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDwYnM6xbq88qcmblbtqSfD-YsO0BO07RVV-cHt0UkjjJ2Q2SiHFed8VaxmJ00ZfmRC5MsCcUBVKERYWup-Z5F3bL8ApZj8gur86XA3XOrNu9ZvnehNAReO1El09WDyJpgbhF95Aqpfs/s320/tumblr_ls05ajaTbn1qdmioco1_500.jpg" height="320" width="278" /></a></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>It was during one of these evenings with my grandfather that I had my first experience with EVP. As usual, my grandfather and I found ourselves on the front porch of his home listening to the CB while my grandmother brought us out bowls of her special chicken and dumplings. The crisp, fall air brought about the lovely scents of distant things that I can only describe as pure nostalgia, but for a kid it meant the aroma of warm chicken and the faint smell of a camel cigarette slowly burning between my grandfather’s fingers. The perfection of that moment has now been outlined with some unspeakable ominous highlight that I all but now can recognize with each replay of it in my mind. The CB radio, with a distant voice of a trucker asking for directions, was scrambled by a voice that I can only describe as ethereal and familiar. I remember my grandfather becoming rigid as this female voice began to sing in strange lyrical tones that seemed almost an amalgam of various songs sewn together with only the voice remaining the same. I cannot remember the words of the voice, but my grandfather intently held onto each of them I know because he spoke each of them silently as I watched on. He scrambled to pick up the microphone and held it wordlessly to his lips as the lyrical voice stopped. As he lowered it for a moment with a blank expression on his face, the voice returned and spoke again in the lyrical tone, and I could have sworn I heard the name “Julian” within the song. </b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCq1sChIwfv4vR7EFtYvACL493-x_WiuaW7dprqFXPOEpZWhlmTz1-i_88eKFUsaSfrKCFQpUuPmFUHYsJdZVcICwnSoc6Sjody2l1tIiTlqI7M-ll1TNsX09Yxge81kQmayNooW1r70/s1600/tumblr_kui3lin9YW1qztk1wo1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCq1sChIwfv4vR7EFtYvACL493-x_WiuaW7dprqFXPOEpZWhlmTz1-i_88eKFUsaSfrKCFQpUuPmFUHYsJdZVcICwnSoc6Sjody2l1tIiTlqI7M-ll1TNsX09Yxge81kQmayNooW1r70/s320/tumblr_kui3lin9YW1qztk1wo1_400.jpg" height="320" width="258" /></a></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The significance of this being the fact it was my grandfather’s name. My grandfather kept repeating a name through the microphone with muddled urgency. “Claire? Claire…Claire?” His voice repeated until it became an almost inaudible whisper. Abruptly, my grandfather stood up and nearly ripped off the power switch off the CB radio as he mumbled to himself angrily. He turned to me and with a look of absolute fatigue asked me to go inside. “But who was that grandpa? Who’s Claire?” I asked as I slinked to the door. He looked up to me before I entered into the house and mumbled “She passed away a long time ago”. I could tell from his voice that I was not to tread any further with questions. I never told my grandmother or anyone else about that night, simply because I knew even then what had happened was nothing that could quite be explained, only described in the often obscured lines and shades of words that will never hold the appropriate weight of the event’s significance. Years later, long after my grandfather had passed away and those wonderful Fall evenings had become only memories, I still have the CB radio and police scanner he used, in which I might add still work perfectly. </b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: black; color: white;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: black; color: white;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; line-height: 115%;">On nights when my hermitic nature takes over, I find myself sitting alone on my porch listening to the CB radio and scanner in an attempt to find any myriad of fascinating glimpses into others' lives through the speaker. This usually goes on for several hours of the evening and morning until the liquor or wine that I bring out with me has been emptied, and my body has become rigid from the rocking chair I usually occupy. I still wait until the last weight of the day’s events bring my eyelids to a close, clinging to some strange and hesitant hope that one day I’ll hear a familiar voice from my past through the speaker, singing those familiar lyrical tones that haunted my grandfather that one night when I was a child. </span></b></span></div>
BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-24299283677513465442011-10-06T11:20:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:13:42.908-07:00The Obscure of the World 1: Sokushinbutsu (Self-Mummified Buddhist Priests)<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">One of the greatest testaments to how far humans are willing to go for personal enlightenment comes from a small prefecture in the northern section of Japan called Yamagata. The testaments in question are the self-mummified Buddhist priest of Yamagata known as the Sokushinbutsu. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJfQ8d_lIEaMaKwNzFQ6q2oY6lVjOt1KdCLumM2ofx-44GA_XvZc7A384zBdiUCcNHFVfPxV982UxSsOQdgzpLNLbUw46AXTIGVP1EYFeg0CA9LRcbMxFF1RflxsWwuFLs5efxXntdTY/s1600/untitled4.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJfQ8d_lIEaMaKwNzFQ6q2oY6lVjOt1KdCLumM2ofx-44GA_XvZc7A384zBdiUCcNHFVfPxV982UxSsOQdgzpLNLbUw46AXTIGVP1EYFeg0CA9LRcbMxFF1RflxsWwuFLs5efxXntdTY/s320/untitled4.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <i>Kind of peaceful looking for a mummy</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> Though who exactly were the Sukushinbutsu and how did these Buddhist priest ever manage such a feat as self-mummification? Well, look no farther as I’m here to explain that and much more. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwU9xzScTKXHXybkTXsWuoq2mVOzZpCdE_sClAe5O5ijYc976HrQV3ka7ECvfscrNAglEh6D7_IldTKWxpqIbJ6LoVOIJzQQt1Q8bJiCuEsd_kMHMUs-FMcon7JGaOjp-Z_8qEs-yDdAg/s1600/tumblr_l0zlbaYrUt1qz5rrlo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwU9xzScTKXHXybkTXsWuoq2mVOzZpCdE_sClAe5O5ijYc976HrQV3ka7ECvfscrNAglEh6D7_IldTKWxpqIbJ6LoVOIJzQQt1Q8bJiCuEsd_kMHMUs-FMcon7JGaOjp-Z_8qEs-yDdAg/s320/tumblr_l0zlbaYrUt1qz5rrlo1_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <i>Not creepy in the slightest....</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The Sukushinbutsu were, as mentioned above, Buddhist monks whom studied a syncretic, Buddhic religion known as Shugendo in which combined esoteric Buddhism, old Shinto beliefs, animism, and even Taoism. If you want to know more about Shugendo, check out this site <a href="http://www.shugendo.fr/en">here</a> for more information. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvAYkEmyVZwnuZ2subgoT__-eoflDbtddM7b2ygoSqK0QmVnHdfFqvU8vFBy5MEynTIxdYJassZw72CUA1lnMeaMybsAwmzWDJLrZORIDf-Hg1E_LveIq6xdpl9k-f44z9ogeZg5X9Xc/s1600/en-no-gyoja-Janine_Moulton-kamakura-period-TN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvAYkEmyVZwnuZ2subgoT__-eoflDbtddM7b2ygoSqK0QmVnHdfFqvU8vFBy5MEynTIxdYJassZw72CUA1lnMeaMybsAwmzWDJLrZORIDf-Hg1E_LveIq6xdpl9k-f44z9ogeZg5X9Xc/s1600/en-no-gyoja-Janine_Moulton-kamakura-period-TN.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i> </i><i>Enno Gyōja: The Father of Shugendo</i><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Though, the Sukushinbutsu differed themselves from the typical Shugendo follower through one extreme practice of reaching enlightenment, the practice of self-mummification. The priests that pursued the path to Sukushinbutsu were believed to be able to obtain the status of a Buddha as well as ultimate enlightenment through the physically and mentally tormenting process that lasted nearly ten years. In the end if was believed that the priest's incorporeal bodies would be ultimately detached from the illusions of life itself and become venerated. How does one then begin the journey of enlightenment via self-mummification? The answer is far from simple.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The priest for 1,000 days would maintain a special diet consisting of eating only nuts and seeds along with a regiment of rigorous physical exercise that would nearly strip their bodies of fat. Just to stress the fact of how difficult this would have been, remember that 1,000 days is a little less than three years. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoS7KGtB0775-ObmvCYN6ieCn4UUBYEPE8uq8CnWYhnldd5E7yAi7Lz1VyHVxL2uN6CD2TuBBQcuUyTTHNwlc0kYIuS9QOqu53Yk-zor5jWKGaUhAY9wZ-JLzvoHFAXlsutlXb7gZWs2s/s1600/sesam.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoS7KGtB0775-ObmvCYN6ieCn4UUBYEPE8uq8CnWYhnldd5E7yAi7Lz1VyHVxL2uN6CD2TuBBQcuUyTTHNwlc0kYIuS9QOqu53Yk-zor5jWKGaUhAY9wZ-JLzvoHFAXlsutlXb7gZWs2s/s1600/sesam.gif" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <i>and I get sick of eating the same type of cereal for more than a week....</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">After the first 1,000 days, the priest would change their diet to one that consisted of eating bark and roots of various trees and plants for another 1,000 days. The only liquid nourishment outside of water the priest would be allowed was Urushi tea, a poisonous tea made from the sap of the Urushi tree. The sap traditionally was used for creating lacquer for bowls and furniture. The resulting diet would effectively cause the body’s flesh to become poisonous to any animals or insects that may attempt to eat the priest’s remains as well as to the microbes that cause decay. However, this tea would cause the priest to suffer bouts of vomiting and other unpleasant physical issues. During this time as well the priest undergoing this would experience hallucinations and other psychological anomalies due to the body’s continued deterioration by the poison and malnutrition.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bM04cS7nAYrBojbwTNFumygMbSLlx4c-LqskBX1fSQfdxd5a7aynSPyjbKcr3SbTGze6jEL06Yr9kvT48jyzxXvlpyB92EV2LcNKXQELxxZ-4f9UeZYuOsisVN8_Oe1y59OC7VSbdAk/s1600/untitled2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bM04cS7nAYrBojbwTNFumygMbSLlx4c-LqskBX1fSQfdxd5a7aynSPyjbKcr3SbTGze6jEL06Yr9kvT48jyzxXvlpyB92EV2LcNKXQELxxZ-4f9UeZYuOsisVN8_Oe1y59OC7VSbdAk/s320/untitled2.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <i>and they say weight watchers is a tough program...</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Finally, the priest would be moved to a small, stone tomb large enough to house the priest while in the lotus position (a position in Buddhism believed to help in meditation). An air tube along with a bell would be attached to the priest so that he could ring the bell to alert other priests to him being alive.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKp4Xff4GiXbLfL3dclWuoXs45GOQhVJiCqv947AgCgaN6DiwqTYtPbMWJvbtWL-4Pat8OXbyE2RTBTSuVLxmvZUUCcRV60mR4BXuGpnO63cMBx6xr7a8dlRQDMpHaPpSpKTLAdBlRGAE/s1600/Japanese%252Btomb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKp4Xff4GiXbLfL3dclWuoXs45GOQhVJiCqv947AgCgaN6DiwqTYtPbMWJvbtWL-4Pat8OXbyE2RTBTSuVLxmvZUUCcRV60mR4BXuGpnO63cMBx6xr7a8dlRQDMpHaPpSpKTLAdBlRGAE/s320/Japanese%252Btomb.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hopefully none of them were claustrophobic.</i> </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Once the jingling of the bell stopped, the air tub was removed and the tomb completely sealed for another 1,000 days. Upon the last day, the other priests would open the tomb to see if the mummification was complete. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTzwNGPUdLXsShAeGyY9AHmbknph278iB3zFMkHASELR8DzKEP2ObIbm_E18NuSeu4oPw_nirNg1x0Bqo6NXt35kHt5NxxAQYfSugIntPKDdN9lnlI59AI94M8p18f7ecdWyizMFTFmo/s1600/untitled1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTzwNGPUdLXsShAeGyY9AHmbknph278iB3zFMkHASELR8DzKEP2ObIbm_E18NuSeu4oPw_nirNg1x0Bqo6NXt35kHt5NxxAQYfSugIntPKDdN9lnlI59AI94M8p18f7ecdWyizMFTFmo/s320/untitled1.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <i>adorned in relics</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Two things may have happened upon opening the tomb. Most often the only thing within the tomb would be a decomposing body that quickly rotted away. While these priests failed to reach self-mummification and instant status as a Buddha, they were revered for their stalwart attempt and honored. However, out of the hundreds that attempted to become Sukushinbutsu, it is estimated that only 16 to 28 actual Sukushinbutsus exist to this day. </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">As one could imagine, this strange and obscure feat by the Sukushinbutsu priests become a testament to the lengths in which these seekers of enlightenment would go for their beliefs. Comparatively to some of the more destructive beliefs of other religions around the world, one can admire the display of willpower these individuals exhibited for their beliefs in which are strictly self-inflicted. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2xd_KECyT0zQlN8Z9dPpCZyZMYc2gidPG4tvB8PKgIl2qPsSXFXpzS7AZfM8bTDnlz7Y9ghJiaaThImiSDxFstyqtXmumB7zIIJVfCEzt2XiXp-M8b7addDSN2JeOcyEFYLSM7umGK0/s1600/mumonk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2xd_KECyT0zQlN8Z9dPpCZyZMYc2gidPG4tvB8PKgIl2qPsSXFXpzS7AZfM8bTDnlz7Y9ghJiaaThImiSDxFstyqtXmumB7zIIJVfCEzt2XiXp-M8b7addDSN2JeOcyEFYLSM7umGK0/s320/mumonk.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>Not for the weary.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">While the practice was banned in Japan in the 19<sup>th</sup> century, there have been cases of priests attempting the practice up into the 20<sup>th</sup> century. The majority of the bodies of those priests successful in becoming Sukushinbutsus are located in a temple on a mountain called Yudono in the Yamagata prefecture. </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Scientist believe that the arsenic levels within a natural spring beside the temple would have aided in the success of the priest attempting self-mummification as the high levels of arsenic were able to kill and ward off any microscopic organisms that may have otherwise feasted on the monk’s flesh. Currently, none of the sects of Buddhism in Japan actively practice self-mummification. Debates on whether the practice of Sukushinbutsu was indeed suicide or instead an acceptable practice to enlightenment have been and still are in debate amongst the different sects of Buddhism to this day</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjWB_dYcxyldubSXarhiqx0lMLDhADeUu4ZzYqjcQmDf2zMLtSx15pBokD7IrwJLCq72QfoI81ivJoGWQ2VU8lrqkKJbMhtGJrAyZtme7jFUkkIrlc0RyYuWlq3GnOnNSUDtikZdScrs/s1600/tumblr_lpayucBAYd1qzozzyo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjWB_dYcxyldubSXarhiqx0lMLDhADeUu4ZzYqjcQmDf2zMLtSx15pBokD7IrwJLCq72QfoI81ivJoGWQ2VU8lrqkKJbMhtGJrAyZtme7jFUkkIrlc0RyYuWlq3GnOnNSUDtikZdScrs/s320/tumblr_lpayucBAYd1qzozzyo1_500.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> . </div>BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-23681072935824989082011-10-03T12:34:00.000-07:002011-10-03T19:39:46.789-07:00Childhood Horror Gem (What Movies Spooked You As A Child?)<div style="text-align: center;">While meandering about through Greenville a few weeks ago on one of my rare free days, I found myself perusing through the movie section of a local record store. Most of the films were bizarre and their titles equally matched in their absurdity (Alien Zombie Killers, The Werewolf & The Yeti, Critters, Snuff, etc) and sadly I have to say that most of them all ready have a home on my dvd shelf. Though it was when I finally made it to the "Just Released" section that I stumbled upon a lost relic of my childhood nightmares. The title in question: "Dark Night Of The Scarecrow"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb98srIE7GqxIzm5I68aase4bKH9plnFCyWc9lihQTJqVtu7jTzEsiQGoqT0_qSqdetyozN6eIrvyJdFqfiOEokoRsAskFXlitb71r8hGAOTrQnCxsqu3L-5QZUfDXP0eY_J0gvGFo5FY/s1600/o_dark_night_of_the_scarecrow_custom_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb98srIE7GqxIzm5I68aase4bKH9plnFCyWc9lihQTJqVtu7jTzEsiQGoqT0_qSqdetyozN6eIrvyJdFqfiOEokoRsAskFXlitb71r8hGAOTrQnCxsqu3L-5QZUfDXP0eY_J0gvGFo5FY/s320/o_dark_night_of_the_scarecrow_custom_cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Creepier than stumbling upon your parents' "special" toys</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There are few things that get under my skin. In fact, I've made it a pastime to see nearly every banned, explotative, sadistic, nauseous rendering film out there that I can get my hands on (I've sat through Salo: 120 Days of Sodom without missing a bite of my food for a moment, in which several people I know wouldn't be so capable of doing), not really for the bragging rights but more so simply out of good ol' curiosity. Why then would a movie such as "Dark Night Of The Scarecrow" disturb me so to the point of childhood flashbacks of hiding under my sheets and praying to whatever would protect me against such a relatively unfrightening thing as a goofy looking scarecrow? Well, let me offer a brief synopsis of this delightfully frightening piece of cinema.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Dark Night Of The Scarecrow" was a made-for-tv-movie directed by Frank De Felitta (who wrote oddly enough "Audrey Rose") that premiered in 1981. The setting of the movie is a stereotypical farm town in what seems to be the South. The story follows one Charles Elliot "Bubba" Ritter, a mentally challenged bear of a man with the mind and soul of a child, whom befriends a young girl by the name of Marylee.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDi1szat6FkUchSYQdyRzRUAPoNdzjgTUGJgJn4Erh75y8ybvH1CHKrHibAmcbxV6888ut0UwLABJX1a9Xnu0j3b5_s96nLvinhrzm71SlhAHvbRAtDoz_PlUjdOp14gsVygPy3qDMMhw/s1600/imagesCAG7K8J0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDi1szat6FkUchSYQdyRzRUAPoNdzjgTUGJgJn4Erh75y8ybvH1CHKrHibAmcbxV6888ut0UwLABJX1a9Xnu0j3b5_s96nLvinhrzm71SlhAHvbRAtDoz_PlUjdOp14gsVygPy3qDMMhw/s1600/imagesCAG7K8J0.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <i>Marylee and Bubba</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bubba finds himself the target of harassment of a group of men in the small town led by the drunkard postman Otis (played by Charles Durning). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopjrtEQRf8AMDsoanm3uJboMupbLqrdF0SX-Pb_ZFv9JTBLtaCQxSX7siV0O4ZVy9UbKpb80Orce1vn1M3ZM_InhJbDeB4viQwYWknkPcpRtr_MiCgYnBD9LhE1s9q4drJGrP0oIYnPw/s1600/5049-4413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopjrtEQRf8AMDsoanm3uJboMupbLqrdF0SX-Pb_ZFv9JTBLtaCQxSX7siV0O4ZVy9UbKpb80Orce1vn1M3ZM_InhJbDeB4viQwYWknkPcpRtr_MiCgYnBD9LhE1s9q4drJGrP0oIYnPw/s1600/5049-4413.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <i>A disheveled postman with a tinge of good ol' small town ignorance</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">While walking home one day with Marylee, Bubba is convinced in helping her sneak into a neighbor's backyard, which subsequently gets the poor girl attacked by a guard dog. While Bubba saves the girl, the townsfolk believe that it was actually Bubba who attacked her. Otis and three other prominent men of the town take off to hunt down the innocent Bubba, who has by this point escaped with the help of his mother by hiding and disguising himself as a scarecrow in a local wheat field. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0ewvh1r0TtP01dixhC9_KBPJscKmixAfvpJ7PleyvYUA_sDud5Fpm7NYf-EGAcjs1llb4OiZ_9ofm9FWlTR8PZUnSB2VY_Yq9EDP8ILCfuSEGGEw2y03EE_9TpR1IHN5rATb3XZFh20/s1600/1286251823_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0ewvh1r0TtP01dixhC9_KBPJscKmixAfvpJ7PleyvYUA_sDud5Fpm7NYf-EGAcjs1llb4OiZ_9ofm9FWlTR8PZUnSB2VY_Yq9EDP8ILCfuSEGGEw2y03EE_9TpR1IHN5rATb3XZFh20/s1600/1286251823_4.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Bubba and his Mother</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwX8pa9oFcHevyLI32ySTB8oNtU8P-I9VnEM7WVQgpBPPfUh-c8Dk5sg5QnV7xNfyx6ygO_kZvGNrwZFzQrkRwT2I46ZpbGXxEwglVCbkdT_oqDUjlOq1oBt6JZAudZL3oVtrtrvWPF2k/s1600/1286251823_6.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>By this point, you'll feel pretty crappy for poor Bubba</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In short, Bubba is eventually caught and killed via a four men firing squad while strapped to a cross used in supporting a typical scarecrow in a field. The vigilante group frames Bubba's corpse in such a way that the local judge believes that the group had to defend themselves against a crazed Bubba. In ominous fashion Bubba's mother warns the four men that "There's other justice in this world, What you sow, so shall you reap...". </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmdrrXNiTcYI8eRugdz23tiBHgpddb_Dr-n2TQA56YpxnWmebJ_ZQH_pCLY4_7b8U4TtgT27EF4SzKeSHP1GNywVnUArpphEtv7B3P85NZckUXZlcZCEPhCY2W5sQlKYTC6h2MX5x3Ls/s1600/scarecrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmdrrXNiTcYI8eRugdz23tiBHgpddb_Dr-n2TQA56YpxnWmebJ_ZQH_pCLY4_7b8U4TtgT27EF4SzKeSHP1GNywVnUArpphEtv7B3P85NZckUXZlcZCEPhCY2W5sQlKYTC6h2MX5x3Ls/s320/scarecrow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This scarecrow gives me the screaming meemies</i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0ewvh1r0TtP01dixhC9_KBPJscKmixAfvpJ7PleyvYUA_sDud5Fpm7NYf-EGAcjs1llb4OiZ_9ofm9FWlTR8PZUnSB2VY_Yq9EDP8ILCfuSEGGEw2y03EE_9TpR1IHN5rATb3XZFh20/s1600/1286251823_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Soon the four men begin to see an eerily similar scarecrow that Bubba was dressed up as when he died popping up around their homes and farms. As you may have guessed, the men begin to get picked off one by one in pretty brutal fashion, until Otis is left as the final victim of the mysterious scarecrow's wrath.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQOjiTo7G7u5aDUo7pRgYmvwIt9oy2iniIPFAKUcO0bKPpMwqwdDn9LZd1DPGlcMs5Ny-_1kTXSOPmaBaY39tfz3x9Yb2A18mNWczOdO9_hhJyf1U6w37_35LmJeyExwHkCgaSNqM7AY/s1600/1286256052_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQOjiTo7G7u5aDUo7pRgYmvwIt9oy2iniIPFAKUcO0bKPpMwqwdDn9LZd1DPGlcMs5Ny-_1kTXSOPmaBaY39tfz3x9Yb2A18mNWczOdO9_hhJyf1U6w37_35LmJeyExwHkCgaSNqM7AY/s1600/1286256052_10.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Man+Woodchipper=You Guessed It: Human Salsa</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AknO1GbNslccSgp92yDvBZiP4p_URbeHFy9HdEFQrT6Q3Ap6CYTKdFF8SEoQBnVkZjYsM9loxpyW8jViEfLsPF6l9Y7E1PY7aVdlI9K4R2ms0w6neYG97IbFMBqVoToJWMMaD5aLsv8/s1600/dark-night-of-the-scarecrow-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AknO1GbNslccSgp92yDvBZiP4p_URbeHFy9HdEFQrT6Q3Ap6CYTKdFF8SEoQBnVkZjYsM9loxpyW8jViEfLsPF6l9Y7E1PY7aVdlI9K4R2ms0w6neYG97IbFMBqVoToJWMMaD5aLsv8/s320/dark-night-of-the-scarecrow-03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Buried to death by pig feed....Irony?</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The most frightening thing about this film isn't the gore (in which there hardly is any save some blood here and there) or the manner in which Otis and the other men die. In fact, the true terror honestly lies in the fact that the scarecrow itself has become this unbound spirit of vengeance born from the death of a gentle, mentally handicap man. While the supernatural origins of the scarecrow are never explained (nor really important), the scarecrow proves to be an effective vessel for bringing justice for one (spoiler: two) innocent lives by the end of the film. A fantastic point of the scarecrow is the fact how often you dont see the scarecrow on camera. In spine tingling fashion, each of the four vigilantes never have a chance to see their assailent in the act of hunting them down, but only as the empty husk of a typical field scarecrow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFKeDkuwGlScxGg6EVKq7xXjgCPQqTjdF1aaxiE9NTovzXMZkN4tRF091MvqND_T7vi8KEhc60iE1PVOOg0kLVLn_ewJ0PuMBojZwPes_rrh2hDa1vBy0o2PYa3oo_GpzL25HLYVf1dg/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-11-18-15h09m25s242.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFKeDkuwGlScxGg6EVKq7xXjgCPQqTjdF1aaxiE9NTovzXMZkN4tRF091MvqND_T7vi8KEhc60iE1PVOOg0kLVLn_ewJ0PuMBojZwPes_rrh2hDa1vBy0o2PYa3oo_GpzL25HLYVf1dg/s320/vlcsnap-2010-11-18-15h09m25s242.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <i>An avenging specter without a physical body to stop</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> The young Marylee helps to intensity the fright in the film through the fact that she both communicates with and helps the scarecrow (Bubba's) search for vengeance throughout the film. Close examination of Otis brings the audience to wonder how depraved the character truly is, with subtle hints of sexual deviance and stark prejudice against those he deem "unfit" for the town. By the close of the film, you will undoubtaly find yourself rooting for Otis' death. The last few minutes from this 30 year old flick still gives me chills when I think about it. It was a pleasure to finally be able to buy the movie on dvd.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMdwBG7sqKPmSba4AmM38R5VDzVIJI2TmlqfC_hN3J3g6Vdtsgq670TRcHUtUi6qzHoH0dIbHsiEieiATCGRS8pjWKSBaaZtLR4vjZMO49X5Vz3oTQfSsKgDDiMRZ01qt2MB5hmYZBFg/s1600/PSS-Scarecrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMdwBG7sqKPmSba4AmM38R5VDzVIJI2TmlqfC_hN3J3g6Vdtsgq670TRcHUtUi6qzHoH0dIbHsiEieiATCGRS8pjWKSBaaZtLR4vjZMO49X5Vz3oTQfSsKgDDiMRZ01qt2MB5hmYZBFg/s320/PSS-Scarecrow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Merciless Eyes Of Vengeance</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So in the end, I managed to find a rare gem of horror that I remember (semi)fondly as a child watching for the first time with my father on one of his rare nights at home before retiring in my teens. Now that you've (more than likely) sat through and read my rant, I now pose a question to you. What movies frightened you as a child? Any specific ones that you look back on and cringe a bit about to this day? Comment below and let me know. Its all about sharing the fear and such. Mu ha ha!</div>BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4631343992405514910.post-77057709567026698712011-10-03T10:08:00.000-07:002011-10-03T10:11:34.433-07:00What in the hell is this for anyways?As the title suggest, this is sort of a brief explanation as to what this blog will be about. Since I'm first and foremost horribly out of practice writing wise, I'll be using this as sort of a metaphysical forge for my writing, posting mainly short stories, particular quips about an odd moment of the day, and dreams as well. A (close if not tied for first) second point of this blog will be posting about the current movie I'm working on along with two close friends of mine entitled "Bone To The Dog". I wont be posting specific updates about the film, but more so musing about the story and interesting points of the overall thing. For those interested in keeping up with the actual process of the film and what we're doing every week on set, go to <a href="http://www.bonetothedog.com/">http://www.bonetothedog.com/</a> for all of the details. Third and lastly, I'll be posting about obscure things that interest me (movie reviews, paranormal phenomena, music, interesting works of art, books, etc). I assure you that most of it will be macabre in nature, a bit spooky, and maybe even a bit romantic at times. So, we'll see where it goes from here.BlackStarOfCarcosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01775516788255200044noreply@blogger.com0