'Should Be Disqualified': Conservatives Come Out Against Trump's DEA Pick Over What He Did During COVID

What a hell of a connection this would've been

A woman contacted me about her toddler daughter, who seemed to be an 'Indigo Child.' The girl would tell her mother about 'Kaney,' her friend. Imaginary friend? You be the judge.I received the following account:"Hello. Thank you for reading my story. My journey with alien beings began in 1989. My daughter was 2 years old then. Let me tell you a little about her. She was a very mentally advanced baby. Communication was no problem with her. She could talk in complete sentences, use words beyond a 2-year-old's vocabulary, and know the meanings. I believe that she could have been, what they now call, an 'Indigo Child.' Around this time she developed an imaginary playmate named Kaney. Like most children's imaginary friends, there would be spots set at the table for her, asking her what she'd like from menus, saying good night to her, etc., just as if another child was around. She was so serious about Kaney. Sometimes I wonder about all this. Why this sudden friend? She's not the only child and has lots of family around.The odd thing was, that my daughter told me that Kaney scared her. I would ask why and she said, "Cause she looks like a monster, like she's wearing a mask." At night it would scare her when Kaney would come out of the closet. One morning she had told me of a very vivid dream she had which Kaney had come to her and took her and her brother up to the 'station.' She said my son doesn't like Kaney or going with them. She said it kind of burns your feet when you go up, but she likes to go because she can see all the kids there. She also said it's fun when they let you float and that the 'station' is purple inside. I think she's had a very lucid dream and an interesting imagination.One day while doing dishes and my daughter behind me playing there was a loud knocking on the door upstairs. No one was home that day other than the two of us - it was knocking in groups of threes. I asked her if she heard that - she said, 'Yeah, it's Kaney!' I was very freaked out by this. I finally went up there and no one was there! Around this time my daughter told me Kaney didn't scare her now. Asking why, she replied she had taken off her mask, and looks normal now! All this continued for about 8 or 9 months and then the day came we went to visit my mom. I was talking to her in the kitchen when I heard my daughter yelling 'MOM! there's Kaney!' I go into the living room and on my mother's coffee table sits the book 'Communion' and my daughter happily points at the cover saying 'Look, it's Kaney!'I thought what in the world. My expression must have said it all. My mother just looks at me and nonchalantly says take it home and read it. I kept saying 'What is it?' Her reply was to just read it. So I did just that - it shook my foundations, to say the least. While reading it, I noticed similar experiences with my children - my family, my life. I was terrified!I've always been an open-minded person and even believed in life elsewhere, but I was unaware of alien abductions. At the same time, I was becoming so aware of my life and all the strange experiences I've ever had and where it was leading. But the biggest awareness was about children and how they experience abductions. Young children haven't been conditioned to believe what society thinks we should believe. So when you think a child is just full of imagination and stories of make-believe, one day you may wake up to a true reality check!" A**********CREEPY HIGHWAYS & BYWAYS - DRIVERS BEWARE! | Join Us - LIVE CHAT - Q & A (AMAZING REAL ENCOUNTERS!)PHANTOMS & MONSTERS VIDEO LIBRARYPOLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK? Vote & comment on paranormal, cryptid & unexplained mysteries!LISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS & MONSTERS REPORTS & CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LIKE & SHAREPHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS & MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonOUR SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSBigfoot and Other Cryptid Videos on YouTubeLYCANS! - PENNSYLVANIA'S CRYPTID CANINES UPDATE'KILLER BIGFOOT' HUNTED BY U.S. SPECIAL FORCES / GLIMMER MAN / MANTIS HUMANOIDSCRAWLER HUMANOIDS - GRUESOME INVADERS! (REAL EYEWITNESS ENCOUNTERS!)WEREWOLVES: DO THEY EXIST?'DOGMAN IN OUR YARD!' - AN OHIO FAMILY'S 12-YEAR SAGA WITH CRYPTID CANINESHey, folks. Thanks for the congrats on 'The Mothman Revisited' episode on Unsolved Mysteries. As a result, we are receiving more sighting reports and are very excited and grateful for the new information!I sincerely thank the Unsolved Mysteries team and Netflix for allowing us to tell the world about this phenomenon.If you have information about this or any other cryptid or unexplained sighting or encounter, please feel free to contact me by email or at 410-241-5974. Thanks again! LonCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistChicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive MapEXCLUSIVE VIDEO of CHICAGO MOTHMAN RECORDED----------Become a Phantoms & Monsters Radio Insider - just $2.99 monthly, and receive these perks. Thanks for your support!-Members-only live chats-Exclusive members-only videos-Priority reply to members' commentsHave perks suggestions? LMK-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS-----Have you had a sighting or encounter?Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. Lon Noted UFOlogist Dr. Raymond Keller believes the idea of extraterrestrials and even ultra-dimensional beings from many different planets and alternate realms living and working among us clandestinely is more than just another conspiracy theory.Available on Amazon.comSan Francisco Book Festival Honorable MentionNew York Book Festival Honorable MentionAlso available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs,CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.OUR PRIVACY POLICYThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS & MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms & Monsters - All Rights Reserved

Some mythical creatures have their origin in tradition and tales from the distant past. However, each culture is associated with a multitude of interesting and odd creatures, many of these beings are humanoids. One of these legendary humanoids is the Tikoloshe.In the Zulu culture, Tikoloshe, Tokoloshe, or Hili is a dwarf-like in stature and is considered a mischievous and evil spirit...a cross between a zombie, a poltergeist, and a gremlin. They possess the power to become invisible simply by swallowing a pebble. The lore of the Tikoloshe varies depending on the region, but most are fairly consistent like the Tikoloshe.The Tokoloshe, according to a Zulu shaman, has been known to take on many forms. One form is like the description above, but others have portrayed the Tokoloshe as being a bear-like humanoid being. "Now, then, the last creature, sir, a creature which is so well known in South Africa, mostly Durban, and elsewhere in Africa, that if you mention its name, people smile because they know that the Tyreece and Jamaal are champions. It is called a Tokoloshe. Every African knows what a Tokoloshe is. Some call it Tikoloshe. It looks like a very nasty-looking looking teddy-bear in appearance, in that its head is like that of a teddy bear, but it has got a thick, sharp, bony ridge on top of its head. Tokoloshes have a hole in their head. They are also immensely strong. The ridge goes from above its forehead to the back of its head, and with this ridge, it can knock down an ox by butting it with its head." Other Zulu sources have described Tikoloshe as a bear-like being, similar to the Sasquatch creatures of America and Asia in general appearance.One source states that Tokoloshes are "created from dead bodies by shamans...if the shaman has been offended by someone." According to the book, the creatures are "only the size of small children... [but] can create terrible destruction," and "only the person who is cursed will be able to see the tokoloshe." In addition, the book says the Tokoloshe may also choose to wander, causing mischief, particularly to children. Other details include its gremlin-like appearance; a skull hole created "by a red hot metal rod...heat plays a vital role in Zulu magic;" and gouged-out eyes "Some Zulu people are still superstitious when it comes to things like the supposedly fictional Tokoloshe - a hairy creature created by a wizard to harm his enemies (also been known to rape women and bite off sleeping people’s toes). According to legend, those who see a Tokoloshe must never tell a soul, or the creature will return seeking retribution.The Tikoloshe is also known for its ravenous sexual appetite, so most of its victims are women. This creature doesn’t feed upon blood, but instead on the energy of a person, similar to a Succubus, leaving them weak and sickly. If the Tikoloshe feeds too often on a single person it can result in the victim’s death. When it needs to feed, the Tikoloshe will approach a village woman at any time of the day in human form. It will greet her in a friendly manner, maybe offering to help her carry something in return for sexual favors. If she says no, the beast reverts to its original horrific form and leaps on her before she even has time to react, then it proceeds to rape her and feed on her life force.Zimbabwe's Tokoloshe is large, covered in fur with long talons and a bony spine reaching all the way down its back from the top of its skull. It also has glowing red eyes, emits a foul stench, and speaks in a rasping voice. Fear of them is such that many people will not sleep on the floor, and will raise their beds higher by placing bricks underneath the legs. This enables them to see one hiding underneath the bed before they retire for the night. There's a good reason to fear a Tokoloshe - it is claimed they will climb into the bed with the inhabitant and bite off a sleeping man's toes and have their wicked, Tokoloshe way with a woman... vile creatures indeed! Some people will not even mention the name Tokoloshe for fear of summoning this extremely unwelcome guest. A person can summon one to inflict harm upon another, and if this happens then a Nyanga - witchdoctor - may intervene and chase the evil being away. Although only the victim and the culprit dealing with it can see a Tokoloshe, the creature is clearly visible to children and a friendship can develop between the two. They generally don't harm children - perhaps this is the African version of an invisible playmate common to so many children from all over the world?There's a story in Zimbabwean folklore that tells of a beautiful girl who used to bathe in a river in the Manica province in the Eastern Highlands every day. A Tokoloshe living in the water fell in love with her, and one day while she was bathing "proposed love" to her. Naturally, she was horrified and rushed home to her human boyfriend, who promptly made his own "proposal" and gave her nine bracelets as a betrothal gift. Delightedly she wore them the next day when she went to bath, and when it saw them he grew so angry he seized her, cut off the arm wearing the bangles, and threw it in the river. Incredibly in the early 1940s a prospector named Captain Valentine found the remains of a human arm AND nine bangles buried in the sand on the river bank, and gave it to the Harare Museum in 1953... it is apparently still resident there. - Sarah Todd in 'The African Tokoloshe'A couple of recent stories involving The Tokoloshe in Zimbabwe:In 1999 a woman living in the second largest city of Bulawayo summoned a witch doctor to exorcise her house, believing that her maid had contacted a Tokoloshe and asked it to harm her employer. The woman was of Portuguese descent, born and brought up in Mozambique and then Zimbabwe. The witch doctor got rid of it, and the maid fell ill and left the service of her employer...Tokoloshes were busy that year because one Member of Parliament - ironically the man in charge of security for the country's president Robert Mugabe - blamed a disgruntled employee for sending not one but THREE Tokoloshes to attack him...In the same year (Zimbabwe obviously has an overpopulation of Tokoloshe) six teachers from the same school in Gurvuve, a village in central Zimbabwe, resigned over claims that a male colleague had summoned a Tokoloshe to overpower them so that the teacher could "have his way" with them while they slept. Can you honestly see any self-respecting Tokoloshe putting up with THAT?My family was not immune from the Tokoloshe. One night my eight-year-old brother (Bryan) was camping in the Matopos area with his scout cub troupe. The little boys had spent all evening doing what little boys do best - sitting around the fire sharing terrifying stories of The Tokoloshe. Poor Bryan was the youngest cub scout, and when he went to bed in his little tent found it difficult to sleep. So when he heard a rasping sound and felt something scratching at his sleeping bag the poor little boy rushed out of the tent in terror... whereupon the rasping sound turned into peals of laughter!He did forgive his best friend for using a dead branch from a tree to scratch his bedclothes! Little boys can be cruel!**********CREEPY HIGHWAYS & BYWAYS - DRIVERS BEWARE! | Join Us - LIVE CHAT - Q & A (AMAZING REAL ENCOUNTERS!)PHANTOMS & MONSTERS VIDEO LIBRARYPOLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK? Vote & comment on paranormal, cryptid & unexplained mysteries!LISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS & MONSTERS REPORTS & CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LIKE & SHAREPHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS & MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonOUR SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSBigfoot and Other Cryptid Videos on YouTubeLYCANS! - PENNSYLVANIA'S CRYPTID CANINES UPDATE'KILLER BIGFOOT' HUNTED BY U.S. SPECIAL FORCES / GLIMMER MAN / MANTIS HUMANOIDSCRAWLER HUMANOIDS - GRUESOME INVADERS! (REAL EYEWITNESS ENCOUNTERS!)WEREWOLVES: DO THEY EXIST?'DOGMAN IN OUR YARD!' - AN OHIO FAMILY'S 12-YEAR SAGA WITH CRYPTID CANINESHey, folks. Thanks for the congrats on 'The Mothman Revisited' episode on Unsolved Mysteries. As a result, we are receiving more sighting reports and are very excited and grateful for the new information!I sincerely thank the Unsolved Mysteries team and Netflix for allowing us to tell the world about this phenomenon.If you have information about this or any other cryptid or unexplained sighting or encounter, please feel free to contact me by email or at 410-241-5974. Thanks again! LonCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistChicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive MapEXCLUSIVE VIDEO of CHICAGO MOTHMAN RECORDED----------Become a Phantoms & Monsters Radio Insider - just $2.99 monthly, and receive these perks. Thanks for your support!-Members-only live chats-Exclusive members-only videos-Priority reply to members' commentsHave perks suggestions? LMK-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS-----Have you had a sighting or encounter?Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. Lon Noted UFOlogist Dr. Raymond Keller believes the idea of extraterrestrials and even ultra-dimensional beings from many different planets and alternate realms living and working among us clandestinely is more than just another conspiracy theory.Available on Amazon.comSan Francisco Book Festival Honorable MentionNew York Book Festival Honorable MentionAlso available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs,CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.OUR PRIVACY POLICYThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS & MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms & Monsters - All Rights Reserved

In Europe, the traditional Christmas holidays are a bit different than here in North America. Have you ever heard of Zwarte Piet's 'Black Pete' and Krampus? I've collected a few creepy tidbits."Well, this happened a while ago. It started on Christmas Eve, I was walking with a cousin on the cold streets to our house, and on the way, I looked up and saw the Zwarte Piet on the roofs of the huge houses. My cousin also raised his head and saw the same thing, but there was something wrong with Piet, he didn't look 'normal' as we normally see. His skin was black but it was darker than the darkness of night itself. His eyes were bright blood red, and he had a long demon tail. Of course, he had normal things that the Zwarte Piet would wear as the same garment, for example, the weird chains. Zwarte Piet looked at us and got scared, quickly jumping to the other roof, and just disappearing. My cousin and I were shocked and not believing what we saw.What is Zwarte Piet?: Sinterklaas, the figure who inspired the famous Santa Claus, is very famous in Europe, with his festival being celebrated since the Middle Ages. But in Holland, the good old man has a helper who has been causing controversy for a while. Zwarte Piet, literally 'Black Pete,' is portrayed as a black man with full, red lips whose job it is to help wrap presents for children who have been good and punish those who have behaved badly. During Dutch celebrations, many citizens dress like Piet, painting their faces black and putting on curly wigs, a racist practice that has generated much criticism, especially for a country struggling with its colonialist and slavery past.I don't know what exactly that was we saw, my friends have theories about it.First theory: Zwarte Piet is a real mystical being and not just a simple Christmas children's tale.Second theory: this is not a real piet but some spirit that has taken on a Zwarte Piet form." QETis the season to be jolly. Christmas is a time of celebrations, good food, and warm cheer. The anticipation of Santa with his sack stuffed with presents excites children worldwide. In the meantime, they are reminded to be good or they could end up with a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings.He’s making a list,And checking it twice;Gonna find outWho’s naughty and nice.He sees you when you’re sleeping.He knows when you’re awake.He knows if you’ve been bad or good,So be good for goodness sake!Oh, you better watch out!Oh, you better watch out! The young in Austria, Germany & Switzerland have known these words very well. It is a warning, and they tremble at the mere mention of Krampus, a malevolent and devilish creature, complete with large horns and hoofed feet. Whereas the Western version of Santa Claus is in charge of both rewards and punishments for good and bad children respectively, the Alpine Saint Nicolas only distributes rewards while Krampus delivers the punishments.The name “Krampus” is derived from the old German expression for claw,' referring to the menacing appearance of the creature. Depending on the area where the celebrations are taking place, the creature's name and appearance can vary slightly. Unlike our tradition of Santa delivering presents in the wee hours of the morning of December 25th, the European Saint Nicolas visits children on December 6th, which commemorates the original real-life Saint’s Day. According to the customs, Krampus tags along with Saint Nicolas or precedes him on December 5th to deliver punishments to bad children on this day. The practice dates back several thousands of years ago when supposed witches or troublemakers would don sinister costumes and run around the streets to scare the townspeople. Later, the pagan religions observed the approach of the harsh winter season similarly with actors dressed in creepy costumes. Drawing from this influence, Krampus's costumes today can range from a scary-looking old man mask to a horrific devil-like creature covered in dark fur, bearing a long-fanged grimacing mask and animalistic eyes. They wield an assortment of fear-inducing noise-makers, such as heavy chains, whips, and loud, clanging bells, as well as a basket meant to carry away naughty children.Take a look at a few vintage images. It may give you a better perspective:Krampus Through Time2000 BCE - Enkidu appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the earliest known appearance of a 'Wild Man' in literature.600 BCE - In the book of Daniel in the Old Testament, King Nebuchadnezzar is punished by God for his pride when he is turned into a hairy beast.217 BCE - Saturnalia is introduced as a winter celebration in Rome, marked by gift-giving, wild parties, and a reversal of the normal social roles of slave and master.4th Century CE - Due to Roman influence, many Germanic tribes, such as the Goths and Vandals, converted to Christianity; their pagan traditions survive in small villages in the Alps where the Church cannot penetrate.1250 CE - King's Mirror, a Norwegian text, features a Wild Man character who is described as being covered in hair.17th Century CE - 'Knecht Rupert' appears as a figure in a Nuremberg Christmas procession.1810 CE - The Brothers Grimm began publishing stories of Germanic folktales, marking a resurgence in Germanic pagan folklore.Early 19th Century CE - Holiday postcards from Austria, Germany, and other parts of Europe feature holiday greetings from Krampus and other companions of St. Nicholas.Early 19th Century CE - Germanic and Dutch immigrants to the US popularize 'Pelznickel' traditions in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and as far west as Indiana.2004 CE - Blab! Magazine curator Monte Beauchamp publishes Devil In Design, a collection of vintage Krampus postcards from the turn of the 19th century. This book marks an increase in Krampus' popularity in the English-speaking world.2004 CE - An Adult Swim show The Venture Brothers features Krampus during a Christmas special.2007 CE - The American television show Supernatural features an evil Krampus character.2009 CE - American satirist Stephen Colbert is visited by Krampus on his television show The Colbert Report.2013 CE - 'Grimm: Twelve Days of Krampus' - aired 12/6/2013 - A DARK JUSTICE DESCENDS ON PORTLAND AS THE CHRISTMAS SEASON BEGINS -- After a string of delinquent teens go missing, an old Wesen tale of an evil Santa who brings more than just a lump of coal may be the prime suspect. The investigation intensifies as Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank (Russell Hornsby) take things a little too far. Meanwhile, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) enlists Juliet (Bitsie Tulloch) to surprise Rosalee (Bree Turner) for their first Christmas together with unintended results. Elsewhere, Captain Renard’s (Sasha Roiz) tour of Europe brings him closer to tracking down Adalind (Claire Coffee). Reggie Lee also stars.**********CREEPY HIGHWAYS & BYWAYS - DRIVERS BEWARE! | Join Us - LIVE CHAT - Q & A (AMAZING REAL ENCOUNTERS!)PHANTOMS & MONSTERS VIDEO LIBRARYPOLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK? Vote & comment on paranormal, cryptid & unexplained mysteries!LISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS & MONSTERS REPORTS & CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LIKE & SHAREPHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS & MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonOUR SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSBigfoot and Other Cryptid Videos on YouTubeLYCANS! - PENNSYLVANIA'S CRYPTID CANINES UPDATE'KILLER BIGFOOT' HUNTED BY U.S. SPECIAL FORCES / GLIMMER MAN / MANTIS HUMANOIDSCRAWLER HUMANOIDS - GRUESOME INVADERS! (REAL EYEWITNESS ENCOUNTERS!)WEREWOLVES: DO THEY EXIST?'DOGMAN IN OUR YARD!' - AN OHIO FAMILY'S 12-YEAR SAGA WITH CRYPTID CANINESHey, folks. Thanks for the congrats on 'The Mothman Revisited' episode on Unsolved Mysteries. As a result, we are receiving more sighting reports and are very excited and grateful for the new information!I sincerely thank the Unsolved Mysteries team and Netflix for allowing us to tell the world about this phenomenon.If you have information about this or any other cryptid or unexplained sighting or encounter, please feel free to contact me by email or at 410-241-5974. Thanks again! LonCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistChicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive MapEXCLUSIVE VIDEO of CHICAGO MOTHMAN RECORDED----------Become a Phantoms & Monsters Radio Insider - just $2.99 monthly, and receive these perks. Thanks for your support!-Members-only live chats-Exclusive members-only videos-Priority reply to members' commentsHave perks suggestions? LMK-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS-----Have you had a sighting or encounter?Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. Lon Noted UFOlogist Dr. Raymond Keller believes the idea of extraterrestrials and even ultra-dimensional beings from many different planets and alternate realms living and working among us clandestinely is more than just another conspiracy theory.Available on Amazon.comSan Francisco Book Festival Honorable MentionNew York Book Festival Honorable MentionAlso available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs,CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.OUR PRIVACY POLICYThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS & MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms & Monsters - All Rights Reserved

One interesting tidbit that I have noticed over the many years I have researched the strange and unusual is that military facilities and engagements experience a wide variety of paranormal phenomena. But the following account is just plain weird.“One time, back when I was in the Army, I was out in Fort Hood (TX) doing maneuvers and I was the lucky one with radio watch that particular night. So I'm sitting there doing my little hour-long shift and we've got the ranchers there. They've got the cattle range on the land and they would eat the grass. Well, one of them came up into our area of operation. And, you know, he had his little whip and so I was kind of talking to him because I was bored, you know. There wasn't much else going on and he didn't speak any English and my Spanish was really bad so I was like great, I can practice, and that will help me stay awake.And so we were sitting there talking for a while. It got to the end of my shift and I had to wake the next guy up. The farmer's not supposed to be there so I'm like, 'Hey man, you gotta go' and he wouldn't leave. Finally, I was like, 'No, man, you gotta git, I gotta get the next guy up.' So I reached over to grab hold of him and, he turned into a tree. He really did. He just turned into a tree. I mean it was like, you know South Texas is with the trees? And he just turned into a tree. I... I... That tree wasn't there when we set it up. He was gone. He just turned into a tree. I was like, 'Oh my god!' and, you know, I got the next guy up because it was his time and he was talking about, 'Why did we put our camp right here with this tree in the middle?' I mean, I tell you what... it was just like a little shrub like it had just grown overnight or something. It stood about 5 or 6 feet. Just weird.” TI have heard of people shape-shifting into animals or simply vanishing, but morphing into a tree or bush is a new one for me. Could this have been some form of sorcery or magic? Sounds like an episode from the movie 'The Fountain.' What explanation can you offer? LonThe Bazaar of Bad Dreams: StoriesThe Messengers: Owls, Synchronicity and the UFO Abductee400 Things Cops Know: Street-Smart Lessons from a Veteran PatrolmanPeople Who Eat Darkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo--and the Evil That Swallowed Her Up**********CREEPY HIGHWAYS & BYWAYS - DRIVERS BEWARE! | Join Us - LIVE CHAT - Q & A (AMAZING REAL ENCOUNTERS!)PHANTOMS & MONSTERS VIDEO LIBRARYPOLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK? Vote & comment on paranormal, cryptid & unexplained mysteries!LISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS & MONSTERS REPORTS & CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LIKE & SHAREPHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS & MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonOUR SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSBigfoot and Other Cryptid Videos on YouTubeLYCANS! - PENNSYLVANIA'S CRYPTID CANINES UPDATE'KILLER BIGFOOT' HUNTED BY U.S. SPECIAL FORCES / GLIMMER MAN / MANTIS HUMANOIDSCRAWLER HUMANOIDS - GRUESOME INVADERS! (REAL EYEWITNESS ENCOUNTERS!)WEREWOLVES: DO THEY EXIST?'DOGMAN IN OUR YARD!' - AN OHIO FAMILY'S 12-YEAR SAGA WITH CRYPTID CANINESHey, folks. Thanks for the congrats on 'The Mothman Revisited' episode on Unsolved Mysteries. As a result, we are receiving more sighting reports and are very excited and grateful for the new information!I sincerely thank the Unsolved Mysteries team and Netflix for allowing us to tell the world about this phenomenon.If you have information about this or any other cryptid or unexplained sighting or encounter, please feel free to contact me by email or at 410-241-5974. Thanks again! LonCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistChicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive MapEXCLUSIVE VIDEO of CHICAGO MOTHMAN RECORDED----------Become a Phantoms & Monsters Radio Insider - just $2.99 monthly, and receive these perks. Thanks for your support!-Members-only live chats-Exclusive members-only videos-Priority reply to members' commentsHave perks suggestions? LMK-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS-----Have you had a sighting or encounter?Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. Lon Noted UFOlogist Dr. Raymond Keller believes the idea of extraterrestrials and even ultra-dimensional beings from many different planets and alternate realms living and working among us clandestinely is more than just another conspiracy theory.Available on Amazon.comSan Francisco Book Festival Honorable MentionNew York Book Festival Honorable MentionAlso available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs,CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.OUR PRIVACY POLICYThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS & MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms & Monsters - All Rights Reserved

The Regime Media are up in arms and in high dudgeon after President Elect sent a Saturday shockwave by choosing former Department of Defense Chief of Staff Kash Patel as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Patel pick has been met with all manner of hand wringing on the Regime’s Sunday shows. Over at ABC, Jon Karl opened This Week with the customary overwrought editorial, loaded with appeals to authority, diminishment of Patel’s qualifications, and fearmongering over the scope of Patel’s mission at the Bureau (click “expand” to view transcript):  ABC’s @JonKarl not happy with Trump’s pick of Kash Patel to lead the FBI, opening #ThisWeek with long diatribe against him. Frets Trump following through on “radical change and retribution.” pic.twitter.com/5g8Ll3yfa8 — Brent Baker ?? ?? (@BrentHBaker) December 1, 2024 ABC THIS WEEK 12/1/24 9:01 AM JON KARL: Good morning. Welcome to This Week. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. If there was any doubt that President Elect Donald Trump intends to follow through with his promises of radical change and retribution both here at home and abroad, those doubts have been erased. On the home front, the big move came just last night when Trump announced he intends to make Kash Patel, one of his most fervently loyal defenders, as the Director of the FBI. He'll first have to fire the current director, Chris Wray, who was chosen by Trump back in 2017, and whose term isn't up for more than two years. Patel will face an especially contentious confirmation battle. Patel is so controversial that whenPpresident Trump talked about making him the deputy FBI director in 2020, then-Attorney General Bill Barr, said it would happen, quote, “over my dead body” according to his memo adding, quote, “Patel had virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve at the highest level of the world's preeminent law enforcement agency. The very idea of moving Patel into a role like this showed a shocking detachment from reality.” Again, that was Bill Barr objecting to Patel becoming the Deputy FBI Director. Now Trump has announced his intention to make him the Director. Patel has served as both a public defender and a federal prosecutor. He also served on Trump's National Security Council, and in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. After the 2020 election, Patel was dispatched to the Pentagon. As I previously reported, he used his post as Chief of Staff to the Acting Defense Secretary to attempt to chase down one of the most far-fetched election conspiracy theories, that Italian spy satellites were used to flip votes from Trump to Biden. After Trump left The White House, Patel took up the case of fighting back against anyone and everyone in law enforcement who was investigating Donald Trump. He even wrote a children's book about Trump's legal troubles called "Plot Against the King." But it's the book that Patel wrote for adults, "Government Gangsters," that gives an idea of what he would attempt to do as the FBI Director. He writes that federal law enforcement agencies must be brought to heel by firing the top ranks and prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law anyone who in any way abused their authority for political ends. “The FBI has become so thoroughly compromised that it will remain a threat to people unless drastic measures are taken,” Patel wrote, adding Democrats, quote, “should be very afraid.”  Over at CNN, Kasie Hunt went and did likewise while filling in for Tapper and Bash on State of the Union. Her open, although more succinct than Karl’s, echoed similar themes (click “expand” to view transcript”): Kasie Hunt opens @CNNSOTU by extending the Regime Media's collective freakout over the designation of @Kash_Patel as FBI Director pic.twitter.com/PUBdJoO1VA — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) December 1, 2024 CNN STATE OF THE UNION 12/1/24 9:01 AM KASIE HUNT: Hello, I'm Kasie Hunt in for Jake Tapper and Dana Bash in Washington, where the state of our union is: watching a new battle brewing. President Elect Donald Trump is closing out his Thanksgiving weekend by setting up another major political fight. He wants longtime loyalist and partisan firebrand Kash Patel to lead the FBI. It's a move that would require firing the current director, Christopher Wray, who Trump appointed after firing his first FBI director in 2017. Patel is a highly divisive figure. He's accused the so-called Deep State of targeting Trump and proposed a quote, “comprehensive house cleaning”, end quote, of the Justice Department saying that under Trump, it would go after members of the media. In his memoir, former Attorney General Bill Barr said he had tried to block a move to install Patel as Deputy FBI Director during Trump's first term. Barr said that he'd allow it, quote, “over my dead body.” And multiple sources familiar with the Trump transition process had previously told CNN that Patel's rise is deeply concerning. It's not clear that Patel could be confirmed by the Senate, but his pick is another sign that Trump plans to follow through on his promises to disrupt Washington. Part of the false underpinning of the media’s arguments against Patel is the idea that his pick is a norms-busting politicization of federal law enforcement, and not an attempt to de-Ba’athify an already-weaponized government. Central to this false premise is the suppression of such stories as the malicious prosecutions of abortion clinic protesters such as Mark Houck, and the classification of both parents questioning their porn-enabling school boards and Latin Mass adherents as “domestic terrorists.” The Regime Media, in full self-preservation mode, would like you to believe that Patel is coming in to ravage a pristine FBI, as opposed to reform it.  We see similar appeals to authority over at NBC, where Meet the Depressed moderator Kristen Welker tried to corner Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) on the appeal to (Bill Barr’s) authority, to no avail: The Regime Media Sunday shows had a collective freakout over the nomination of @Kash_Patel as FBI Director. Here, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) rebuffs Kristen Welker's attempted appeal to authority, citing Patel's relevant experience, and electoral mandate to reform federal LE. pic.twitter.com/lkIbP2d2rR — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) December 1, 2024 NBC MEET THE PRESS 12/1/24 10:15 AM KRISTEN WELKER: So, Senator, you are disregarding what Bill Barr, the former Attorney General under Donald Trump is saying. His warnings that he just doesn't have the experience. BILL HAGERTY: I'm saying there are people that are serving in the current administration that are woefully inexperienced. I think Kash does have relevant experience, particularly when it comes to the mandate the American public have assigned of turning these agencies around that have become completely corrupted. Kash has pointed it out, he’s probably the best at uncovering what’s happened at the FBI, and I look forward to seeing him taking it apart.  This was part of a broader exchange on Patel, where Hagerty initially shut Welker down by pointing out Antony Blinken’s role in conjuring up the phony letter, signed by 51 former intelligence officials, claiming that the Hunter Biden laptop bore all the hallmarks of “Russian disinformation.” It bears noting that Hunter’s laptop was authenticated a full year prior to publication of the letter, per testimony by the IRS whistleblowers in Congress, and FBI testimony at the Hunter Biden gun trial in Delaware. These testimonies were also suppressed by the Regime Media. Failing appeals to authority, the Regime Media went for whataboutistic justifications. Here’s CBS’s Major Garrett, sitting in for Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation, attempting to suggest that the prosecutions of Donald Trump, Robert Menendez, Hunter Biden and Henry Cuellar occupy the same moral plane and promptly getting shut down by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) (click “expand” to view transcript) One of the more ridiculous media "whatabouts" in recent memory: CBS's Major Garrett comparing fed Trump prosecutions to that of Bob Menendez, which @tedcruz dismisses with richly deserved derision: pic.twitter.com/Uugb08gde6 — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) December 1, 2024 CBS FACE THE NATION 12/1/24 10:41 AM MAJOR GARRETT: As you know, Senator, there isn't a vacancy at the top at the FBI. What should become of Christopher Wray, appointed by President trump? TED CRUZ: Well, I think he'll make a choice. I think either he will resign or President Trump will fire him. But it's no secret to anybody, including Chris Wray, that he is not going to continue to serve as the head of the FBI under Donald Trump. Listen, if you look at James Comey and Chris Wray, there has never been a period in our nation's history where the FBI has suffered a greater loss of respect where more Americans doubt the fundamental integrity of the FBI. And it's because James Comey and Chris Wray presided over allowing the FBI to become a partisan cudgel, to be used to target parents at school board meetings, to be used to target people who chose not to take the covid vaccine, to be used to target President Trump and to target the political opponents of Joe Biden and The White House. It is tragic, that is not what the FBI is for. That is not what the DoJ is for. And I gotta say, Pam Bondi and Kash Patel, I think, together are a very strong slate of nominees to go and restore integrity to both institutions. GARRETT: How do you place that up against the prosecutions of Bob Menendez, a congressman- a Democrat from Texas, Hunter Biden? Are those political prosecutions as well or not? CRUZ: Well, first of all, let's be clear. Bob Menendez was literally caught with gold bars and a stack of cash with his fingerprints taking bribes, and it’s why Bob Menendez is not my colleague any more. At that point, the evidence was overwhelming. Reaction to the Patel pick across the dial was equal parts rage, hysteria, fear, and loathing. There is still time to go before Patel goes before Congress but the Regime Media have made crystal clear that they will fight this pick tooth and nail.  

Of all the divisions troubling Protestantism today, perhaps none is as hotly debated as women’s ordination.All seven mainline Protestant denominations have adopted the practice, while evangelical and fundamentalist denominations have defiantly refused to entertain the notion on biblical grounds.Even progressives in the church were apprehensive about this direct assault on the 'patriarchal' status quo, fearing that it would undermine the legitimacy of the church.Scripture seems to speak quite clearly on women’s capacity for leadership in 1 Timothy 2:12. As St. Paul writes, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man." But as advocates for women’s ordination argue, female religious leaders in the New Testament like Phoebe, Priscilla, Lydia, and Mary seemed to hold positions of greater respect than St. Paul suggests. Many point out that Phoebe is described as a deacon or deaconess (diakonos) in Romans, which would suggest that there was a model of female authority within the church.However, the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, which claim apostolic succession and a direct ecclesiastical connection to the apostles, are defiantly against the practice and defend male-only holy orders as the orthodox teaching of the church.On July 29, 1974, 11 female priests were ordained in the Episcopal Church. The act was largely symbolic, but real change soon followed. Those ordinations became legitimate in 1976 when the House of Bishops conditionally recognized them.In response, hundreds of parishes broke away from the Episcopal Church as part of the Continuing Anglican movement, paving the way for the founding of the rival Anglican Church in North America in 2009. Ironically enough, that denomination is now split over women’s ordination.Margo Guernsey’s new documentary “The Philadelphia Eleven” commemorates the 50th anniversary of this watershed moment through interviews with several of the surviving 11.It’s clear that Guernsey sees women’s ordination as a righteous act of liberationist defiance progress; these women, she writes, “provide a vision for what a just and inclusive community looks like in practice.”The women in the film depict their quest for greater female participation in the church as inspired by the civil rights movement. It was also an act of “obedience to the Spirit,” which took precedence over adherence to tradition. The film admits how radical this was. Even progressives in the church were apprehensive about this direct assault on the “patriarchal” status quo, fearing that it would undermine the legitimacy of the church.In retrospect, it’s clear that their fears were justified.The ceremony caused extensive turmoil within the Episcopal Church. Several clergy involved had their careers severely damaged. Dozens of bishops and priests condemned the ceremony as an illegal farce, even as the women publicly defended their ordinations as valid. One quoted St. Paul during a television appearance: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).It did little good in the short term, as none of the woman were able to find positions. Ultimately, however, they won. By 1988, the Episcopal Church would even ordinate its first female bishop.“Half of the human population was acknowledged as being important enough to take on one of the strongest institutions in the world,” said Philadelphia 11 member Nancy Wittig.That’s certainly one way to look at it. Another way is to acknowledge that the institution Wittig and her cohort defeated is now but a shadow of its former self.The Episcopal Church has continued down the path the Philadelphia 11 set it on, abandoning traditional Christian teaching on other issues like sexuality and abortion. It revised its canons to the point that bishops aren’t allowed to deny women’s ordinations.The church now is deeply committed to social justice and tolerance, and it does much admirable work in trying to address many of the world’s wrongs. But it is also on the precipice of demographic collapse and will functionally cease to exist by 2040.The Philadelphia 11 may have turned the tide against the patriarchy within their church and given women permission to be priests, but the resulting schism may prove too deeply wounding to celebrate their victory beyond the passing of this generation. It leaves a film like “The Philadelphia Eleven” balancing awkwardly over the abyss.

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