Phantoms and Monsters

Bioluminescence in Pennsylvania: A Strange Flying Creature Glowing

NOTE: the following was posted today by researcher Jonathan Whitcomb, who has contributed articles to 'Phantoms and Monsters' previously.

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a lady who was a passenger in a car one night; both driver and passenger saw a glowing creature as the strange thing flew by. Afterwards she did some research and told me, “I have found that a pterosaur is identical to what we saw.” She has not yet told me any details about her research nor what image she may have seen that looked like what was encountered; but it is sufficient to consider that it was a possible American ropen. The sighting was in Pennsylvania, and I believe it involved bioluminescence.

She also mentioned that the flying creature ”was not too terribly high off the ground” and that it was ”quite large and seemed to be lit or glowing. . . . It was one of the strangest things I have ever seen.” She is one of the few eyewitnesses who have reported both a form of an apparent living pterosaur and a glow coming from the creature: strange indeed.

Demon Flyer

That brings up the idea that “ropen” comes from two native words. A brief reflection makes that appear unlikely, for how could such a short word come from two words that mean “demon” and “flyer?” No, it is much more likely that the original meaning of the word was something like ”flyer.”

Strange Flying Creatures and Bulverism

“Bulverism” C. S. Lewis labeled the slick ploy of avoiding reasoning on a subject by pointing out the reason ones opponent is so silly. Do some criticisms of living-pterosaur investigations qualify as bulverism? I believe so.

Let us not make the mistake of some critics. When eyewitnesses report something strange, and the reports have similarities, we need not reject all the reports simply because they appear strange. In this wonderful world in which we live, some creatures appear strange, including some creatures that fly.

Combining “Strange” and “Like a Pterosaur”

It at least some modern pterosaurs have bioluminescence, why do we have so few sighting reports of glowing pterosaurs? Simply combine the two: uncommon modern pterosaurs and brief bioluminescent flashes. When two things are uncommon, the probability of observing both of them together is more rare. But there is more going on hear than just multiplying two improbabilities together. In our Western society, what would happen if somebody reported seeing a glowing pterodactyl? It would sound much too weird, like a fire breathing dragon or like a . . . well . . . a glowing pterodactyl. In Western countries like the United States, we would not expect many eyewitnesses to report a luminous pterosaur to a newspaper, and few newpapers would print that kind of thing; but if a nonfiction author wrote books about that kind of thing, then a few eyewitnesses would send him their reports. That is what has happened to me, since I started writing my books. And I pay attention. - livepterosaur

Live Pterosaurs in America: Sightings of Apparent Pterosaurs in the United States - Jonathan David Whitcomb

Searching for Ropens: Living Pterosaurs in Papua New Guinea - Jonathan David Whitcomb

**********

Utah Birds Crash-Land At WalMart Parking Lot, Thousands Die

Thousands of migratory birds are dead or injured after they apparently mistook a Wal-Mart parking lot, football fields, highways and other areas of southern Utah for bodies of water and plummeted to the ground.

One state wildlife expert is calling it the worst downing she'd ever seen.

Crews went to work cleaning up the dead birds and rescuing the injured survivors after the creatures crash-landed in the St. George area Monday night.

By midday Wednesday, volunteers had helped rescue more than 3,000 birds, releasing them into a nearby pond. There's no count on how many died, although officials estimate it's upwards of 1,500.

Wildlife officials say stormy conditions probably confused the flock of eared grebes, a duck-like aquatic bird likely making its way to the Mexican coast for the winter.

No human injuries or property damage have been reported. - THP

NOTE: must have been an advertised sale. "Save money, live better"...unless, of course, you're skydiving into our parking lot...Lon

**********

New Book Tells of Alleged 1964 UFO Encounter in California

Sacramento, CA, December 15, 2011 --(PR.com)-- A new book tells the story of a California man who allegedly encountered an unidentified flying object and its occupants in 1964 in the Tahoe National Forest, just east of Sacramento. The book, Aliens in the Forest: The Cisco Grove UFO Encounterwas written by UFO researchers Noe Torres and Ruben Uriarte, and is available online at RoswellBooks.com, Amazon.com, and most online book sellers.

In the new book, the authors, who are members of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), relate the story of 26-year-old Donald R. Shrum, a former welder for the Aerojet Missile Corporation of Sacramento, who, according to the book, claims that while bow hunting with two friends in 1964, he saw a very large, cigar-shaped flying saucer zoom across the sky toward him. As told in the book, Shrum was then approached by several very strange non-human beings that he claims came out of the UFO, and that, out of fright, he climbed a tall pine tree from where he resisted the creatures' attempts to abduct him.

Shrum's UFO encounter, as described in the book, reportedly lasted approximately 12 hours, during which, he claims that the "aliens" repeatedly gassed him with a vapor that acted as an asphyxiant, which caused him to briefly lose consciousness. According to the book, Shrum fired arrows from his bow to fend off the invaders, and after running out of arrows, he set fire to various flammable objects he was carrying and threw them down at the creatures.

During his 12 hour ordeal, as told in the book, Shrum claims to have seen two distinct types of UFO entities - one that he describes as a "humanoid" and another that seemed "robotic" or may have been another humanoid wearing a bulky suit that made it seem robotic.

Because Shrum worked for a company that made missiles for the U.S. military, he never revealed his true identity in connection with his UFO encounter until now, according to the book. This UFO case was called "the most spectacular report we have examined" by Coral Lorenzen of the Aerial Phenomenon Investigation Committee (APRO), as quoted in the book. Paul Cerny of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) is also quoted in the book as saying, "There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this incident is factual and authentic. I have spent considerable time plus many visits with the main witness, and along with the testimony of the other witnesses, I can rule out any possibility of a hoax."

Shrum's wife, Judi, writes in the book's foreword, "After all these years and for the first time ever, we are disclosing in this book the entire story of my husband’s amazing UFO encounter in hopes that others may learn from it, that others may finally know precisely what happened to us, and that perhaps, even so many years after the fact, somehow we might be able to gain additional insight into exactly what did happen in that dark forest."

Author Ruben Uriarte said, "After spending much time researching this case and talking to the Shrums, I totally believe that Donald’s heroic experience is completely true and fully authentic. I completely endorse it as a factual, believable, true event."

Authors Noe Torres and Ruben Uriarte are active members of the UFO research community with many years of experience investigating UFO cases in the Southwestern U.S. and Northern Mexico. Their research has appeared on the History Channel's UFO Hunters and UFO Files TV shows. Their first book, "Mexico’s Roswell: The Chihuahua UFO Crash," published in 2007, received wide critical acclaim and was the basis for a February 2008 episode of UFO Hunters, in which the authors appeared. The authors have also appeared frequently on many other UFO-related TV and radio shows and have spoken at many conferences and events.

The new book includes over 60 photos, diagrams, sketches, and maps and features art work by noted science-fiction author and illustrator Neil Riebe, as well as a striking front cover illustration by artist Joe Calkins.

Aliens in the Forest: The Cisco Grove UFO Encounter

**********

♫ ♪ ♫ ♪...IT'S RAINING APPLES, HALLELUJAH ...♫ ♪ ♫ ♪

After a series of storm warnings, drivers in the evening rush hour were prepared for almost anything.

Except, that is, for it to start raining apples.

Scores of them battered car roofs and windscreens before landing in the road at a busy junction in Coundon, Coventry.

The deluge of fruit brought traffic to a standstill at 6.45pm on Monday.

A 20-yard stretch of the B4098 was left strewn with green slush after the incident.

One motorist, who was travelling with her husband, said: ‘The apples fell out of nowhere. They were small and green and hit the bonnet hard. Everyone had to stop their cars suddenly.’

On October 5, 1967, thousands of maggots fell like rain over Acapulco, Mexico, after a heavy storm.

In 1996 dozens of frogs were reported to be falling from the sky in Llanddewi, Wales and again in Croydon, London in 1998.

More recently, on August 18, 2004, fish fell from the sky on to the village of Knighton, Powys.

In August 2007 fish also rained down in the streets of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk after a mini-tornado at sea.

The explanation is down to a typical spell of British summer weather, where a few hot days are often followed by a thunderstorm.

Vigorous updrafts on a hot day may have sucked the frogs, fish and other small creatures into a developing thunder cloud, only to deposit them again in heavy rain downwind.

The phenomenon is believed to be down to a mini tornado which touched down elsewhere, sucking apples from the ground or from trees.

Such a powerful vacuum could have travelled for many miles before the tornado’s energy dissipated, depositing the fruit over Coventry.

Another theory is that the apples could have fallen from the hold of a plane.

Brian Meakins, 63, was stunned when he opened his front door and found his garden full of smashed apples.

The retired forklift truck driver said: ‘At first I assumed kids must have thrown them because we do get the occasional egg and apple thrown but there’s way too many for that.’

Jim Dale, senior meteorologist from British Weather Services, said the event was probably caused by ‘returning polar maritime air’.

‘Essentially these events are caused when a vortex of air, kind of like a mini tornado, lifts things off the ground rising up into the atmosphere until the air around it causes them to fall to earth again.

‘Returning polar maritime air is such an unstable condition and it basically means air returning from the polar regions which is very unstable.

‘We’ve all heard of fish and frogs falling from the sky and apples is certainly unusual because they have some weight to them but it is not out of the realms of possibility.’

The Met Office yesterday warned that a storm expected to hit the south coast tonight and tomorrow would bring more 70mph winds lashing seafronts along the coastline.

Cold air coming in with it to the north could result in snow across the Midlands and parts of Wales, and higher ground in the South.

Other than snowfall seen around Bath, Somerset and higher ground in Gloucestershire yesterday, this will represent the first of the winter for England and Wales beyond the far North.

Spokesman Dan Williams said: ‘At lower levels we expect snow to fall as sleet, but some places will see settled accumulated snow, as high as 10cm (4in) falling on higher ground in the North.’

He also warned drivers to beware of ice across most of the UK today and in northern areas through Friday and Saturday.

On Tuesday night, a five vehicle pile-up on the M5 in Gloucestershire left a Royal Mail lorry driver dead and the carriageway closed for the night. .

Police described the road surface as ‘an ice rink’ - dailymail

**********

Haunted Magazine's Festive Frightener / Spirit Rescue International

Haunted Magazine: The Festive Frightener Digital Download Special is now available WORLDWIDE for just £1.25 via www.hauntedmagazine.co.uk. Featuring the case notes of Spirit Rescue International's first visit to a new terrifying location in Wales and for the first time you can follow the investigation in print and online as we shall be bringing you images taken and audio/video captured during the investigation. Log onto our website and click on the link to pay. The special issue also features an exclusive interview with Robert Englund.

-----

HAUNTED MAGAZINE'S PROFILE: SPIRIT RESCUE INTERNATIONAL

These are PDF file links to the article pages. Simply click the 'Click here to start download from MediaFire' link and the page will download and appear:

Haunted Magazine - Spirit Rescue International - 1
Haunted Magazine - Spirit Rescue International - 2
Haunted Magazine - Spirit Rescue International - 3
Haunted Magazine - Spirit Rescue International - 4
Haunted Magazine - Spirit Rescue International - 5
Haunted Magazine - Spirit Rescue International - 6

PLEASE NOTE: We are changing the newsletter protocol for Spirit Rescue International. A new blog has been created at Spirit Rescue International News & Updates which you can access at anytime. You can also subscribe to the newsletter service which will forward each post directly to your email. Subscribe at the blog or go to Subscribe to Spirit Rescue International News by Email. Thanks for your interest! SRI Team

Labels: alternative news, bizarre, breaking news, fortean, oddball