Historians Say First Christmas Celebration was in Tallahassee
This is what Christmas in Tallahassee looks like now, full of lights, cheerful smiles, and holiday traditions. But did you know that many local historians claim Tallahassee as the spot of the first Christmas celebration EVER in the new world.
"Very shocked, never would of guessed," said Kacci Diehl, who lives in Tallahassee. "It being a college town and everything, Christmas would be the last place I thought would be celebrated in Tallahassee," said Darrett Hughes, who also lives in Tallahassee.
Historians say Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto and his expedition of 600 men were in the Tallahassee area for winter encampment from November of 1539 to March of 1540. And while they where here for Christmas, an actual celebration is in question.
"On December 15th they would have celebrated their Christmas with a few people around. There would have been a lot of Apalachee natives here who would have been disputing their presence so they were on the look-out, didn’t have a lot of time to let their guard down," said Rachel Porter, a senior archaeologist with the Bureau of Archaeological Research.
Artifacts like chain mail, a coin, crossbow, pig bones and more lead historians to believe de Soto and his men set up camp near the present day Governor Martin’s home off Lafayette Street and surrounding areas, like Myers Park.
"They’re still working on evidence to prove this, because everything you know seems to line up but there’s always more that you could find that will really make it true," said Helene Whitehurst, the assistant to Bureau Chief of the Bureau of Archaeological Research.
"It makes me a little happier to be a Tallahasseean, I can tell you that. Even though as warm as it is, we are still a big part of Christmas. It’s good to know," said Joe Diehl, who lives in Tallahassee.
Hernando de Soto’s expedition is acknowledged as the first European effort to explore the interior of North America. Historians say because de Soto and his men were under attack their Christmas celebration would have been hurried, but very religious.
Historians Say First Christmas Celebration was in Tallahassee
BBC sci-fi classics show up for free on on YouTube – TV Squad
The BBC’s official YouTube channel is offering free Christmas gifts to sci-fi fans in the form of a classic hero and a field full of deadly plants. The move gives American viewers a great (legal) chance to catch up on quality productions that didn’t (yet?) make their way over to BBC America.
Among the many full episodes of BBC programming now awaiting your computer’s perusal is the creepy 1981 production of Day of the Triffids. Most pop culture and horror buffs know the title from the 1962 monster movie of the same title. But this BBC production was a much more faithful and in-depth production of John Wyndham’s book.
The online series serves as a great lead-in to the new BBC production of Triffids — set to premiere Dec. 28.
The 2005 live production of The Quartermass Experiment is also available. Starring Jason Flemyng (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Primeval) as ambitious scientist Bernard Quartermass, The original 1950s production paved the way for Doctor Who with its alien invasion plot. And, the 2005 remake includes The Doctor himself — or David Tennant at least — as Dr. Briscoe.
Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be an expiration date on these sci-fi offerings. And there’s plenty of room for more premieres from the BBC’s video archives.
BBC sci-fi classics show up for free on on YouTube – TV Squad
The Associated Press: Israel: First Jesus-era house found in Nazareth
NAZARETH, Israel — Days before Christmas, archaeologists on Monday unveiled what they said were the remains of the first dwelling in Nazareth that can be dated back to the time of Jesus — a find that could shed new light on what the hamlet was like during the period the New Testament says Jesus lived there as a boy.
The dwelling and older discoveries of nearby tombs in burial caves suggest that Nazareth was an out-of-the-way hamlet of around 50 houses on a patch of about four acres (1.6 hectares). It was evidently populated by Jews of modest means who kept camouflaged grottos to hide from Roman invaders, said archaeologist Yardena Alexandre, excavations director at the Israel Antiquities Authority,
Based on clay and chalk shards found at the site, the dwelling appeared to house a "simple Jewish family," Alexandre added, as workers at the site carefully chipped away at mud with small pickaxes to reveal stone walls.
Nazareth holds a cherished place in Christianity. It is believed to be the town where Christian tradition says Jesus grew up and where an angel told Mary she would bear the child of God.
"This may well have been a place that Jesus and his contemporaries were familiar with," Alexandre said. A young Jesus may have played around the house with his cousins and friends, she said. "It’s a logical suggestion."
The discovery so close to Christmas has pleased local Christians.
"They say if the people do not speak, the stones will speak," said a smiling Father Jack Karam of the nearby Basilica of the Annunciation, the site where Christian tradition says Mary received the angel’s word.
Alexandre said workers uncovered the first signs of the dwelling in the summer, but it became clear only this month that it was a structure from the era of Jesus.
Alexandre’s team found remains of a wall, a hideout, a courtyard and a water system that appeared to collect water from the roof and supply it to the home. The discovery was made when builders dug up the courtyard of a former convent to make room for a new Christian center, just yards (meters) away from the Basilica.
It is not clear how big the dwelling is — Alexandre’s team have uncovered about 900 square feet (85 square meters) of the house, but it may have been for an extended family and could be much larger, she said.
Alexandre said her team also found a camouflaged entry way into a grotto, which she believes was used by Jews at the time to hide from Roman soldiers who were battling Jewish rebels at the time for control of the area.
The grotto would have hid around six people for a few hours, she said.
However, Roman soldiers did not end up battling Nazareth’s Jews because the hamlet had little strategic value at the time. The Roman army was more interested in larger towns and strategic hilltop communities, she said.
Alexandre said similar camouflaged grottos were found in other ancient Jewish communities of the lower Galilee such as the nearby biblical village of Cana, which did witness battle between Jews and Romans.
At the site, Alexandre told reporters that archaeologists also found clay and chalk vessels which were likely used by Galilean Jews of the time. The scientists concluded a Jewish family lived there because of the chalk, which was used by Jews at the time to ensure the purity of the food and water kept inside the vessels.
The shards also date back to the time of Jesus, which includes the late Hellenic, early Roman period that ranges from around 100 B.C. to 100 A.D., Alexandre said. The determination was made by comparing the findings to shards and remains found in other parts of the Galilee typical of that period, she said.
The absence of any remains of glass vessels or imported products suggested the family who lived in the dwelling were "simple," but Alexandre said the remains did not indicate whether they were traders or farmers.
The only other artifacts that archeologists have found in the Nazareth area from the time of Jesus are ancient burial caves outside the hamlet, providing a rough idea of the village’s population at the time, Alexandre said.
Work is now taking place to clear newer ruins built above the dwelling, which will be preserved. The dwelling will become a part of a new international Christian center being constructed close to the site and funded by a French Roman Catholic group, said Marc Hodara of the Chemin Neuf Community overseeing construction.
Alexandre said limited space and population density in Nazareth means it is unlikely that archeologists can carry out any further excavations in the area, leaving this dwelling to tell the story of what Jesus’ boyhood home may have looked like.
The discovery at "this time, this period, is very interesting, especially as a Christian," Karam said. "For me it is a great gift."
The Associated Press: Israel: First Jesus-era house found in Nazareth
Triangle UFO hovering above Kremlin | Mail Online
Hovering ominously over the city, this video of what appears to be a triangle-shaped UFO has left Russians baffled.
Sitting motionless in the sky above the Kremlin in Moscow, clips of the unexplained object have become the most-viewed videos on Russia’s YouTube.
The two videos, one taken at night from a car and one during the day, were both filmed by amateurs.
The footage of the pyramid hovering over the Red Square in Moscow for minutes at a time has gone viral on the internet
The ‘UFO’ at night hovering in the sky above Red Square in a second video
The UFO hovered for hours over Red Square in the Russian capital and was seen by hundreds of people.
The identity of the shape has not been confirmed but internet forums are buzzing with the sighting.
The UFO appeared on December 9th, the same night that a mysterious blue spiral light appeared over Norway. That was later attributed to a failed rocket launch from Russia.
Some have likened the object to one of the spaceships from Star Wars.
But others have said it is merely a reflection from inside the cameraman’s car. If the object exists experts estimate that it could be up to a mile wide.
Some commentators have reacted sceptically to the videos and have pointed out that if hundreds of people had seen the object more videos and photos would have emerged by now.
Russian reports ruled out a UFO but police have refused to comment.
Nick Pope, a former Ministry of Defence UFO analyst, said it was ‘one of the most extraordinary UFO clips I’ve ever seen’.
‘At first I thought this was a reflection but it appears to move behind a power line, ruling out this theory.’
A spokesman for aerospace journal Jane’s News said: ‘We have no idea what it is.’
The 12 days of Paranormal Christmas
(sung to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas … well sort of)
On the first day of Christmas,
the Networks gave to me
A nut named Chip Coffey.
On the second day of Christmas,
the Networks gave to me
Paranormal State,
And a nut named Chip Coffey.
On the third day of Christmas,
The Networks gave to me
Ghost Hunters,
Paranormal State,
And a nut named Chip Coffey.
On the fourth day of Christmas,
the Networks gave to me
Most Haunted,
Ghost Hunters,
Paranormal State,
And a nut named Chip Coffey.
On the fifth day of Christmas,
the Networks gave to me
Ghost Hunters International,
Most Haunted,
Ghost Hunters,
Paranormal State,
And a nut named Chip Coffey.
On the sixth day of Christmas,
the Networks gave to me
Ghost Adventures,
Ghost Hunters International,
Most Haunted,
Ghost Hunters,
Paranormal State,
And a nut named Chip Coffey.
On the seventh day of Christmas,
the Networks gave to me
Ghost Lab,
Ghost Adventures,
Ghost Hunters International,
Most Haunted,
Ghost Hunters,
Paranormal State,
And a nut named Chip Coffey.
On the eighth day of Christmas,
the Networks gave to me
Ghost Hunters Academy,
Ghost Lab,
Ghost Adventures,
Ghost Hunters International,
Most Haunted,
Ghost Hunters,
Paranormal State,
And a nut named Chip Coffey.
On the ninth day of Christmas,
the Networks gave to me
Ghost Intervention,
Ghost Hunters Academy,
Ghost Lab,
Ghost Adventures,
Ghost Hunters International,
Most Haunted,
Ghost Hunters,
Paranormal State,
And a nut named Chip Coffey.
On the tenth day of Christmas,
the Networks gave to me
Paranormal Cops,
Ghost Intervention,
Ghost Hunters Academy,
Ghost Lab,
Ghost Adventures,
Ghost Hunters International,
Most Haunted,
Ghost Hunters,
Paranormal State,
And a nut named Chip Coffey.
On the eleventh day of Christmas,
the Networks gave to me
Extreme Paranormal,
Paranormal Cops,
Ghost Intervention,
Ghost Hunters Academy,
Ghost Lab,
Ghost Adventures,
Ghost Hunters International,
Most Haunted,
Ghost Hunters,
Paranormal State,
And a nut named Chip Coffey.
On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
The Haunted,
Extreme Paranormal,
Paranormal Cops,
Ghost Intervention,
Ghost Hunters Academy,
Ghost Lab,
Ghost Adventures,
Ghost Hunters International,
Most Haunted,
Ghost Hunters,
Paranormal State,
And a nut named Chip Coffey!
Lee Greenwood, please forgive me …
GH and GHA have there season finales
The Ghost Hunters crew visited the site of the Hindenburg crash. Sadly, thats about all that they did. They only briefly visited the actual site of the crash. The investigation actually took place about 1/2 mile away in hangar one. I know, I don’t understand it either.
Jason and Grant chased a shadow person that no one else saw and was not captured on the FLIR. They also managed to smell some sewer gas and find some equipment under a sheet. Dustin thought something got into his precious hair. Not to be out done by Jason and Grant, Dustin and Britt also gave chase to a shadow above them.
Perhaps the highlight of the evening was when the cameraman gave us a nice shot of Kris’ behind as she and Amy climbed some stairs. I guess that the ratings must be slipping. The girls believe that they heard a cough and saw a light go out.
In the end, there was not very much to this episode.
Ghost Hunters Academy:
I thought that this was their best episode. The cadets are coming together as a team and looking a bit more professional. This time the cadets visited the Essex County Hospital. Although they didn’t find very much, I thought that it was a solid investigation.
Professionalism, Skepticism, Honesty, Composure & Respect …
Maybe I missed it, but I don’t remember those qualities being mentioned earlier in the show. However; Steve claimed that they were the measuring stick that he used in his decision-making.
Professionalism?
This coming from a man who would wear stage props and make odd bets with Tango to eat bugs during investigations? The man who bashed doors with wet mops and ran from birds, bats, and bugs? This man judges others on professionalism? Oh brother …
Jane was dropped from the show. Susan and Karl are offered spots on GHI. The rest of the cast are offered spots on another season of GHA. Oh no, there is going to be another season of GHA.
I guess that these “new” qualities will become the mantra of paranormal investigators and that will be a good thing. While the last episode was pretty good, I doubt that I will watch the next season of GHA. Maybe I just reached the saturation point of paranormal shows.
Ghost Hunters International’s newest member Paul Bradford
Arizona fans of SyFy Channel’s Ghost Hunters International take note. Paul Bradford, seen in one of the last episodes of the 2009 season, has become the team’s latest investigating member. Paul is widely known in the Tucson, Arizona area as the founder of the paranormal team, Sonoran Paranormal Investigations.
I’ve had the pleasure of working on an investigation with Paul in the past. Together with two additional teams located in Arizona, we were the first paranormal investigators to seek the ghosts in the Avenue Hotel in the border town of Douglas Arizona. Immediately, the members of this special investigation crew were impressed with Paul’s knowledge of the equipment, and found he was not afraid to experiment with a few gadgets of his own. The ghost hunters in Arizona that have worked side by side with Bradford affectingly call him the “paranormal MacGyver” in the ghost investigation field.
I recently caught up with Paul Bradford as he attended his first convention as a member of GHI. He was a guest speaker at TusCon 36 in Tucson, Arizona this past November 14, 2009 and entertained the audience with some of his latest inventions. He co-headed a session called “Ghost Hunting Techniques and Equipment.” Paul showed us an array of new meters that combine an EMF, Temp Scanner, K ll and flashlight all in one hand held piece of equipment.
Then it was time for a bit of Ghost Stories and Q & A with members of the TusCon 36 panel. Paul Bradford, age 30, was born in Kent, England and has that pronounced British accent that makes you smile. He has a lovely wife and two adorable daughters.
Paul told us of a paranormal event that happened on one of his first investigations up at Vulture Mine near Wickenburg, Arizona. A group of ghost hunters were inside the mess hall of the old mining camp when he witnessed a ball of light floating inside the kitchen area. He had never seen anything like it before and could not explain the phenomena he witnessed. After that investigation, Paul was hooked on ghost hunting and soon Sonoran Paranormal Investigations was in operation. The team has been serving Tucson and places around Arizona for about four years. They became a TAPS Family member a couple of years ago which led to Bradford becoming a member of GHI.
Paul has been a Tech Specialist and Investigator with GHI for about six months. He says the best part of becoming a member of the team is investigating the most haunted places in the world and meeting new people. He adds that the down side of the show is time away from his family. When he comes home or has a break, he spends as much time possible with them.
I asked Paul if he had any advice for paranormal investigators or new ghost hunters. He said “Get out there and investigate. It is not like it is on TV—even for us. You’ll learn more in the field than sitting home watching the TV shows. Read up on the subjects you find interesting and stick with it.”
When asked what he would like to see happen in the paranormal/ghost hunting field in the next five years, Paul told me, “I would like to see the more serious groups still out and about. The ones only in it for a TV show will fade away, and what we will have left are the teams w
ho may actually find the answers—or at very least help move the field forward.”
Paul started building equipment a few years ago for his own use when hunting ghosts, but quickly people started to ask where they could purchase these items. He began building the ghost tools to order. After a short while, he put together a MYSpace account where people could purchase one or more of his ghost hunting tools. Within a year he needed to expand the demand for his devices. It grew faster than he could possibly expect, so that was the start of CreepyHollowGear.com. More information about these gadgets can he found on Paul Bradford’s website:
http://www.creepyhollowgear.com
Watch Paul Bradford on the new season of Ghost Hunters International returning in January 2010.
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Review: Jesus Lives by Sarah Young
I received this complimentary book from Thomas Nelson for review purposes.
Jesus Lives by Sarah Young is a small, yet beautiful, devotional book. It contains 180 devotionals broken into topics while the opposite page contains the supporting Biblical verses. The topics range from “Abiding in Him”, “Right Living”, and “Worship”.
I was a bit uncomfortable with the devotionals written as if Jesus were speaking and I didn’t like the shifting between 5 different translations of the Bible.
However; it is easy to read and the verses fit the topics nicely. It should prove to be a good resource for locating scriptures.
In short, I enjoyed it and found it to be very inspirational. I would recommend the book as an excellent gift.
Full moon brings out inner werewolf: study | The Courier-Mail
SOME people are more violent and exhibit “werewolf” tendencies during a full moon, a study published in the respected Australia Medical Journal reveals.
The findings of the 11-month research at the Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital could force police and other emergency services to shake-up how and when they deploy staff.
Many in the industry have already claimed for years there is a direct link between a full moon and more violent episodes, however, many police have disregarded anecdotal evidence as only a coincidence.
The hospital’s clinical research nurse in toxicology Leonie Calver said the study centred on 91 patients who attended the emergency department, displaying “violent and acute behavioral disturbance” between August 2008 and July 2009.
“Of the 91 patients, 21 (23 percent) presented during the full moon _ double the number for other lunar phases,” Ms Calver said.
“Sixty-six percent were under the influence of alcohol and/or recreational drugs and five attacked staff.
“Some of these patients attacked the staff like animals (by) biting, spitting and scratching. One might compare them with the werewolves past, who are said to have also appeared during the full moon.
“It has been reported that the practice of rubbing magic ointment on the skin or inhaling vapour from a magic potion by an alleged werewolf induces metamorphosis.
“Not surprisingly, the main ingredients of these ointments and potions were belladonna and nightshade, both of which can produce delirium, hallucinations and delusion of bodily metamorphosis.”
She said violent people seemed to want to take alcohol and drugs more during a full moon.
Full moon brings out inner &squo;werewolf&squo;: study | The Courier-Mail
Book Giveaway: Werewolf Smackdown – SciFiChick.com
Courtesy of Eos Books, I have an extra ARC of Werewolf Smackdown by Mario Acevedo for one lucky winner!
Contest is open to everyone. To enter, just fill out the form below. Contest ends January 1. I’ll draw names on January 2, and notify winners via email.
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