Month: October 2013

Will we default at midnight?

It’s all up to Congress now..

I feel I have done a great disservice to readers.. I had a wonderful experience this weekend at a ‘haunted’ attraction and failed to do any in depth posting about it.. My apologies..

I am relatively close to the beautiful town  of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. If you are too, or willing to take a drive to get there, it’s worth the travels over the next few weeks until the end of the Halloween season.

The town itself is filled with culture, classy restaurants, cool stores, and one of the most interesting court houses you’ll ever be in: The Old Jail.

If you have a lack of knowledge of the coal region of Pennsylvania, know only this: Coal barons were in charge at one time. There were company stores.. there was slave labor.. child labor .. any kind of labor. Deaths in coal minds occurred regularly. Even  the town of Ashland, PA, in Schuylkill County, had a hospital established that, at that time, served only the miners who succumbed to often life threatening injuries in their daily work. I have miners who were in my family.. A great grandfather that I sadly never met had a career in mining before his untimely death prior to my birth in 1980..

And also know this: Molly MaGuires became the first true labor union that organized and often fought their way to social justice. It’s worth your research or simple Google searches if you wanted to read anything further about the Mollys and their brand of unionization..

The ‘old jail’, then the Carbon County Prison, Molly Maguires who were convicted of murder (that they perhaps never committed) and met their fate: Public hangings.

The Old Jail Museum website explains the story of why their prison this way with emphasis added by me in bold:

“The building is best known as the site of the hanging of seven Irish coal miners known as Molly Maguires in the 1800s. On June 21, 1877, today known as the Day of the Rope, Alexander Campbell, Edward Kelly, Michael Doyle and John Donohue were hanged at the same time on gallows erected inside the Old Jail Museum cell block. On March 28, 1878, Thomas P. Fisher was hanged here, and on January 14, 1879, James McDonnell and Charles Sharp were hanged on the same gallows. Historians today feel the Molly Maguire trials were a surrender of state sovereignty. A private corporation (a coal/railroad company) initiated an investigation through a private detective agency (Pinkerton Detectives), a private police force (the Coal & Iron Police) arrested the alleged offenders, and private attorneys (employees of the coal companies) prosecuted these men. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided only the courtroom and the gallows. “

The site goes on to explain this, bringing in that strange paranormal element:

“Before their hanging, the men proclaimed their innocence and today historians believe many of the condemned men were falsely accused of murder. Before his hanging one of the man, thought to be Alexander Campbell, put his hand on the dirty floor of his cell and then placed it firmly on the wall proclaiming, ” This handprint will remain as proof of my innocence.” That handprint is visible today for everyone to view even though past wardens tried to eradicate it by washing it, painting it, and even taking down part of the wall and replastering it.”

Not mentioned in the description: Children of the rich, powerful, and important in then Mauch Chunk, were playing on the gallows the night before the hangings. The privileged few were reportedly mocking the men who would die the next day at the hands of injustice and wealthy coal barons being in charge of law..

I did see the hand print in cell block 17 when I was there.. You are not permitted to photograph the hand or touch it. No photos because the current owners copyrighted the print.. Smart move, I suppose.  So while you may not be able to have a photo proving you saw the hand, you can buy some sweat pants to prove it!

The overall atmosphere wasn’t filled with actors jumping from behind curtains, or groans in the dark with speakers.. No, this ambiance of the Old Jail Museum is just plain, maybe low key to some, and filled with dark history for others. The real paranormal story is the hand print–and a couple other little tales of whispers and pats on the back.. One of the tour guides told me after the show that he is aware of a female tour guide that, during one particular evening, had her hair not only touched but moved up into the air while she was conducting her presentation..   The website has a few photos of ‘ghosts’.. I personally did not see any this weekend when I was there, though I really didn’t want to. There is a certain amount of ‘ghost hunting’ that I find a little disingenuous. If there are truly spirits, I don’t think we should talk to them.. I am sure they’ll talk to us if they need something.  Sometimes it’s better to let things be….without the EVPs …(A few folks did have recorders on my experience)..

The aspect of the Old Jail Museum that amazed me more was the history of it all: This old jail, filled with concrete windowless solitary confinement cells and a history of wrongful public hangings, was still used until 1995 after an inmate sued the county for ‘wretched housing’ at the prison.. imagine! A cell in which prisoners were being injured on a regular basis just under 20 years ago.. My friend remarked to me, ‘imagine a guy being picked up for drunk driving, being put into a cell with a freaky hand print that never goes away?’ …too true.

Some researchers have tried their best to debunk the hand..  The very idea of the hand has been  the talk of the town for decades.. Some still think it’s a fraud.. others think it’s a sign of innocence..

Other legends of the area are as profound.. For example, Molly Maguires were being called out during church services at Saint Ignatius in Centralia Pennsylvania (maybe you’ve heard of this town, the ‘hottest place on earth’?) .. a priest was reportedly taken to the back of the cemetery where he was beaten by activist Mollys.. The priest then,  legend would say,  condemned the town to misery. A mine fire later consumed it and now only a few people remain under imminent domain..

Tales like that are fun.. curses, hexes, and stories of mystery and intrigue.

And while the Old Jail Museum may not scare you as other attractions, it will allow you to get a glimpse into the past, examine your present, and wonder about your future. Did Alexander Campbell leave his mark for generations to come? …and the deeper question… did the Molly Maguires win the battle against unfair corporations, or are they still in charge?

MONDAY OCTOBER 14 2013
Columbus Day.. (We still celebrate this?)

It was an interesting weekend.. no budget deal yet.. but the weather in my neck of the wood sure was perfect. It almost makes financial disaster less scary when the skies are blue and the autumn breeze is warm. Nonetheless, calamnity may befall the nation this week if our Congress fails to pass anything that President Obama will sign. No budget.. no debt ceiling.. we are on the ‘edge’ ..
And free-falling is always fun with Tom Petty signing, but living on the edge is the only thing I can hear with Aerosmith screaming in the distance..

This weekend, as reported on the HORROR REPORT, the EBT system went down. I speculated (at least some did) that the crash may have been a dry run for what would happen if there’s no debt deal.. But not information is being revealed that without a deal, food stamps, unemployment payments, and social security checks could be delayed for days (if not longer) if the United States suffers a debt default.. The WASHINGTON POST reported that these payments may be delayed for one to four days without a deal..

But here is a story that is opposite of the EBT cards not working; Imagine if there’s no limit! Sky’s the limit.. That happened at a Louisiana Walmart, where the cards were still being permitted to use even though a glitch stopped limits from being applied to them. What occurred? Large orders, packed cards.. empty shelves. And eventually, Saturday night police action. Read about all the action here from KSLA . Oh, and of course, there is video.

When federal workers lose weight: One federal worker lost 10 pounds and said she won’t eat solid foods until the government is up and running fully again..  And when she’s back to the office? She EXPECTS LUNCH.

Senate leader sees hope..

The HAJJ and MERS: Good thing the government is shut down.. (*Slate headline is sarcastic, of course)

One pricey hole: Sinkhole in Assumption Parish nears $10 mil!

A video from former CPS investigator: “Corruption, kidnapping, and drugging of children”

A U.S. citizen who had been detained by the Egyptian authorities for more than six weeks was found dead in a police station..

Stampede kills 91 in India (and it killed more than the massive Cyclone Phailin did this weekend)

Moving forward despite the creepy factor; Google unveils plans to use real faces and names in their ads.. The future of advertising is now. Cameras watching your body heat in stores is one thing.. but using YOUR FACE to sell products (And you won’t make a penny off of it?) that’s a whole new thing. Telescreens with messages beamed into your head.. and subliminal marketing used to coerce you into thinking you need something you clearly don’t. Buy buy buy!

More benefits of drinking red wine.. In moderation, I suppose. The bottle a night folks don’t have better skin than me..

“MasterChef” runner-up Joshua Marks was found dead of a gunshot to his head in an alley on Chicago’s south side Friday night, police said Saturday..

From Art Bell: A TV station ghost caught on camera?

Apparently even porn companies are out of ideas: Now the new trend: Dinosaur on human sex novels..

“Illuminati and Masonic” symbolism you may have seen in movies.. I think sometimes, people look very, VERY, deeply into these types of things. It can be overdone–but I agree that things are not placed into movies by accident.

Madonna reportedly banned from film festival for texting..

Say it ain’t so! the creator of the most famous photo of the ‘Loch Ness Monster’ now reveals it was a complete fake..

A THIRD X-FILES movie a bad idea?

HAPPY VISIONS THAT NEVER WERE

Can you imagine being a child left in such a place? It must have been terrible to be taken away from your family (if you had the benefit of having one that cared) and basically dumped off at an institution that labeled and discarded you into one of their many buildings or cottages. Understaffed the ratio of care taker to residents was absurd and the institute was severely underfunded, having little ability to change anything. Children were basically left to fend for themselves or tied into beds, becoming often the victims of neglect, beatings and even rape. Children drew into themselves, failed to progress – some became silent. Thankfully, Pennhurst was closed down in 1987. New laws emerged.

I am going to be clear. I am not a 50 SHADES OF GRAY fan, I have never read the book, and I have no plans, ever, to see the movie.
But I have been notified by my wife and another reader of THE HORROR REPORT that Charlie Hunnan has dropped out of the lead role of the film–and that is a pretty big deal. They say.

You can read the full story here if you so choose..

The only thing I can relate to in this matter is how much of a fan backlash occurred after Hunnan was chosen for the film–that I remember. It reminded me a little of the Ben Affleck anger when he was named BATMAN recently..

But Affleck has one up on Hunnan .. he didn’t drop out of the lead role. At this point.

Concerning Hunnan: We have been told, PR wise, that the drop out happened because of a busy TV schedule.

Now perhaps, those Affleck haters will have a rejuvenated sense of hope..
Hunnan today? Batman tomorrow..?

A few years ago I would happily carve my pumpkins to look like that in the opening scene of HALLOWEEN. Now I make them look like Angry Birds. This year, the hunt is on: We are desperately trying to find a Ninja Turtles Donetalla costume that fits Ayden.

Parenting is surely fun.. It changes everything.
Especially Halloween..

PHAILIN WAS AS STRONG AS IT WAS FEARED IT WOULD BE

….but how long would it take before social unrest if they never did?

I asked this question of myself a number of times yesterday. If you didn’t know, the EBT system was down in much of the United States. The technological glitch stopped people from using their food stamps to purchase items at grocery stories across the nation.

I heard one person asking, “Is this just a dry run?”
And that is a fascinating question, given the possibility that if our government can’t agree on anything, October 17 may be a very bad day in the markets, and the global economy.

That’s the date we default.. on debt.. owned by lots of other nations.

China will be seeing red!

Nonetheless, the prospects of permanent inactive EBT cards–and social security checks that stop being sent–are possible Armageddon-like scenarios that the United States faces. About 49% of people live in a household that receives some type of government assistance.  that can be minor, to major.

I have long held a belief that the people on welfare and other programs, though maligned and used as political fodder during election campaigns to divide voters, don’t pose much of a threat to anyone.. As a matter of fact, numbers back up my way of thinking: The government spends MORE on corporate welfare and programs than it does on the social end of it.. fat cats stay fat while stray cats pick at the garbage .. The same goes for humans, where big companies can achieve greatness with the held of a long arm  of Uncle Sam, while social programs seem to simply keep people in the darkness of a permanent lower class ..

But all of that aside, the prospects of the food stamp program going down …right now.. are interesting.
That comment, ‘was it a dry run,’ keeps sticking in my mind like glue.
I don’t propose any form  of conspiracy theory that the government would use some sort of weird experiment to see how people would react (now they’d never do such things, right?), but it’s surely interesting timing. The week coming up when the system may actually halt, and this weekend a little 17-state issue for people trying to use their cards..

Corporations that rely on government have their safety net already. They bought it–often with money from the government.. but those relying on a weekly check or a pittance of money to live? They don’t have a safety net.. Their net is tattered and filled with holes.. filled with pitfalls. What would happen if the social security checks stopped? The EBT cards? The rest of it that 49% of Americans rely on? Some others have speculated on what would happen..  I will let them do the speculation. I am just asking questions–questions based on what we saw yesterday with the system crash.

And if you don’t believe me, or other non-experts in the field of anything, rely a little on the good word of CNBC. They know their money. And they also wrote about 7 doomsday default scenarios that the United States could experience should the house of cards fall down..

So was it a dry run?
Probably not.
But I sure bet the powers that be, whomever they be, are studying the outcome of just a few hours of a system crash to see what would happen if one of those seven disasters played out in a post October 17 world…