Ghost Stories

In Cape May, New Jersey, sits a mansion shrouded in earth tones and the privilege of a warm history. George Allen, a Philadelphia merchant, commissioned a country estate for his family and future descendents in 1863. He chose the location because it was South of the Mason-Dickson line and allowed him to do business with both Confederate and Rebel soldiers during the Civil War. Internationally acclaimed architect Samuel Sloan designed the seaside palace and Henri Phillipi built it. In 1879, the beloved summer home escaped a great fire that swept over Cape May. However, after eighty-three years, it couldn’t escape the neglect an owner could inflict upon it. George Allen’s niece, Ester Mercur passed away in 1946. Her husband, Ulysses sold the house and all of its furnishings for a mere $8,000. The property was bought for the sole purpose of income-producing and soon went in to a transition to be a boarding house. The interior was partitioned to create a multitude of small rooms. The ext

What do you look for in a good paranormal TV show?

If you think you've never laid eyes on this ghoulish nocturnal animal, you might be wrong. Many people all over the world watched the creature play out a comedic way of life on film screens in animated form. Children know the aye-aye from the character Maurice in the movie Madagascar . However, in real life, the creature is facing some fatal realities of life. It's mere appearance and nature may have led to its "near threatened" status. The Aye-Aye ways between four to six pounds with dark eyes, long fingers (the middle being longer than the rest) and overall devilish appearance. They live high in the trees of the Madagascar rain forest where they build nests of twigs and leaves and only feast on insect larvae. They don't fear humans. Their curiousity sometimes leads them to their deaths. Villagers believe seeing an aye-aye means you will soon die. According to legend, the aye-aye is thought to sneak into the dwellings of nearby villagers and use its middle finge

The Great Wall of China is among the world’s most widely known landmarks. Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west and stretches for 8,851.8 km. Most believe this barrier was built in the names of war and bloodshed. However, it’s true purpose was for peace. Qi, Jin, Chu, Qin, Lu and Zheng States were the most powerful states among the 149 located in China. Each struggled for power. Thus leading to each section being built between 5th century B.C. and the 16th century. The first wall was arguably built around seven centuries B.C. by the Chu State, powerful prince enfeoffed by the Zhou Kingdom and flourish during the Spring and Autumn Period (B.C. 770 ~ 476). Although, it’s true origins is unknown. Each state added a section or more all for similar purposes. More than twenty states and dynasties built their own walls throughout history. Some parts are of different materials and various shapes. Some sections were made from rammed Earth and gravel between boards. Others bricks, til

Absecon Lighthouse, located in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is the 3rd tallest masonry lighthouse in the United States. A structure which extends 171 feet in to the sky and 228 steps to reach the top. In April 1854, the Powhatan wrecked off the coast. Three hundred and eleven passengers and crew were lost. This tragedy was only one of many earning the Absecon Inlet the nick name of “Graveyard Inlet”. In an effort to prevent further wrecks, the U.S. Lighthouse Service commissioned funding from Congress to build a lighthouse on Absecon Island. Designed by Lt. George Meade, the construction began in 1854.  Lt. Meade replaced Major Hartman Bache to oversee the building. He would later go on to command the Union Army at Gettysburg. The first lighting took place on January 15, 1857 with a kerosene flame focused through a huge 36-plate, First-Order Fresnel lens (which it still retains). The final cost was $52,436.62. The white light shone brightly towards the sea. One could spot it 19.6 nauti

Do you think someone with an unusual status such as psychic, medium, or even paranormal investigator could ever be elected president? Why or why not?

Many debate whether the modern vampire sub cultural should be respected or a fad not worth sweating about not to mention those who isn't swayed either way. We as a country elected our first black president. Is a vampire president going to be our next first? Jonathon “The Impaler” Sharkey certainly hopes so. The 45 yr old Republican with the support of his 19 yr old fiancee, daughter of the same age and 2 yr old grandson is set to file paperwork to run for President of the United States in 2012. He is currently documenting his journey in a film titled The True Impaler . Sharkey is no novice when it comes to politics. He was once on the Executive Committee of the Hillsborough Co. Republican Party (HCRP) in the 1990s. Later ran for Governor of Minnesota in 2006 and also had short-lived bids for U.S. Senate in 2000, U.S. President in 2004, and U.S. President in 2008. And recently switched his party affiliation from Independent to Republican to run with the G.O.P. Although his vampi

Paddy Reilly was born in Dublin, Ireland on October 18th, 1939. Among his Irish brethren, he is known as the country's most famous balladeers. For years, he performed as a solo artist in public establishments such as The Embankment and the Ballad Lounge. With the success of such songs as "The Fields of Athenry" and "The Town I Loved So Well", Reilly toyed with the idea of opening a few pubs. One such pub named after the famous folk singer is located on the corner of 29th St and 2nd Ave in New York City. Paddy Reilly's Pub was opened in 1985 by an Irish footballer from Cavan, Ireland. The small establishment provides customers with the warmth and atmosphere of Ireland. Such bands as Black 47, The Prodigals and The Mickey finns have performed on its stage. Paddy Reilly once owned the pub but has since passed the buck to former partner Steve Duggan. Reilly went on to replace Ronnie Drew in The Dubliners in 1996 until 2005 when he left the group. He still o

What will you miss most about Peter Graves?

Standing tall in the South District of Israel overlooking the Dead Sea is a site of ancient palaces and fortifications known as Masada. Carved in to an isolated rock plateau, the site contained cliffs as high as 1,300 feet, casemate walls, towers, storehouses, barracks, armory, two luxurious palaces, a Roman bathhouse, a synagogue and twelve huge cisterns. Three winding paths led to the fortified gates (although today visitors have the option to use the cable car). The fortress was originally constructed during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus (103–76 BCE) and later expanded by Herod the Great between 37 and 31 BCE as a refuge for himself in case a revolt broke out. However, Masada saw its greatest moment of despair years later. In 66 CE, a group of Jewish extremists called the Sicarii and their families fled Jerusalem after the destruction of the Second Temple during the First Jewish-Roman War. Commanded by Elazar ben Ya'ir, the group barracked themselves at Masada, mocking the

MonsterQuest is a series on The History Channel which explores the field of cryptozoology. Unlike Destination Truth, their style is more documentary than entertaining. Each week they tackle a subject for example Bigfoot or Loch Ness Monster and try to explain the monster with science: interview witnesses, test evidence, etc. Probably one of the most professional paranormal shows on the air. Unfortunately, it may have hit a snag. After four seasons, there are rumors circulating the web of its pending cancellation. Supposedly, MonsterQuest is on a short list of shows in danger of not being renewed. I haven't found anything from The History Channel confirming these rumors, but it would be a shame if they did give it the ax. It's refreshing to have something paranormal on TV that sticks to the facts and not so worried about the entertainment value. I mean it is The History Channel. It's not like you're going to switch on the channel and find George Lopez doing stand-up come

Fort Ticonderoga's roots began as a French military fort known as Fort Carillon between 1755 and 1759 during the Seven Years War. It's main purpose was to help control Lake Champlain in upstate New York and essentially the north-south water highway. Only one in a series that the French built. Designed by Michel Chartier de Lotbinière and named after former French officer Philippe de Carrion du Fresnoy who established a trading post at the site in the late 17th Century. On July 8, 1758 the Fort was successfully defended by a French army of 3500 soldiers under the command of Louis-Joseph le Marquis de Montcalm. This victory was one of France's greatest due to being severely outnumber by an attacking British army of 16,000 troops under the command of General James Abercromby. However, the victory would be short lived. A year later, General Jeffery Amerst and the British army of 11,000 troops defeated a garrison of 400 Frenchmen in the Battle of Ticonderoga. They evacuated

Do you think mystery lights seen in places such as Marfa, TX have a more natural origins than supernatural?

There have been several...unusual objects that have come up for auction over the years. The latest are two bottles filled with blue "holy water" and well...a ghost at TradeMe auction website. Supposedly, a man in New Zealand enlisted the help from a couple of spiritual leaders for a nearby church to perform an exorcism on his house. The results were two spirits, one believed to be Les Graham who died in the house in the 1920s and the other is that of a little girl. The blue "holy water" keeps them safely at rest. If you want to release them in to your home, you pour the water in a bowl and let it evaporate in your house. So far, the bidding has reached £275. When an item such as this pops on to radar, I usually write it off as a scam. I mean seriously. It sounds like a scam, right? But this one got me curious. How do you get a ghost to go in to a bottle? Do you lure it in with a treat or something? This led to my latest fishing expedition. From what I found, you can

The time is here. After several seasons, Ghost Hunters have reached their 100th episode. According to some, this is a milestone very few TV programs ever reach. What location does one investigate for such a huge night? Alcatraz of course. Tonight we will be honored with an hour of the Alcatraz investigation followed by another LIVE hour with Josh Gates returning to his hosting duties. Allow me to dive in to the history of Alcatraz and why so many people believe it is haunted. Native Americans discovered the island 10,000 to 20,000 years prior to the Europeans. It is believed the Miwok and Ohlone tribes used the island as a camping spot for gathering food and marine life. Long before one single stone was laid of the believed "inescapable" prison, tradition implies the island may have also been used as a place to banish tribal members who violated tribal law. Unfortunately, oral histories have been lost and not much can be validated. Spaniard Juan Manuel de Ayala spent sever

Welcome to the 2010 March edition of Ghost Stories Carnival. The purpose of this carnival is to gather articles about the paranormal from around the blog-o-sphere. If you would like to submit an article for the next Ghost Stories Carnival, please read the guidelines . So, without further ado, sit back and start clicking away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Article bob simms presents Farmer With An Axe Handle, A Haunting Encounter | X News Now posted at X News Now , saying, "xNewsNow.com Huge Blog for Paranomal, Ufos, Ghost, Aliens, Monsters and More!" Enrico Costantino presents La Top 5 del giorno: Alberghi Infestati « Alt(R)a Fedeltà posted at Alt(R)a Fedeltà . Ghost Stories presents St. Valentine's Day Massacre posted at Ghost Stories . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This concludes the 2010 March edition of the Ghost Stories Carnival. THANK YOU for submitting your links! If you would like to see your work showcased in the April 2010 edi

Do you think Hollywood portrays ghosts in any sense of accuracy?