Archive | June, 2009

France faces fine for hamster neglect

The European Commission is taking steps to fine the French Government after a failure to protect the great hamster of Alsace. Only around 250 of the hamsters are believed to be left in the world.

Great Hamster of Alsace – NZ Herald
Great Hamster of Alsace – NZ Herald

If the French Government is found guilty then they may be fined as much as €17,000,000 (which is about €68,000 for each hamster).

The Commission had warned the French on a number of occasions that they were not taking sufficient steps to protect the hamsters’ natural environment. Now under the directives for the preservation of wildlife they’re pulling the French Government into Court.

Previously the French had attempted to protect the hamster by encouraging farmers to grow what or lucerne for the hamsters habitat. Efforts to protect the hamsters failed and the population dropped from 500 to 250 in just a matter of years.

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The ghost of the Duchess of Lauderdale photographed at Ham House?

In June of 2009 Elaine Della Camera and boyfriend Colin Iles visited the historic building and heard a growl while they were touring the lower floor. Although she could see nothing out of the ordinary at the time, Elaine turned around and took a picture.

The picture shows a ghostly shape. Iles believes his girlfriend has captured evidence that the ghosts of the Duchess of Lauderdale and her dog are roaming the mansion.

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The Indigenous Traditional Healers Association and Sierra Leone police round up witch doctors

Police questioned a group of nine suspects on Saturday in Freetown after a recent spate of deaths in Sierra Leone’s capital city.

The nine people are believed to be practising witch doctors and police found masks, goat horns and ritual robes during their raid.

The police action was assisted by The Indigenous Traditional Healers Association in Sierra Leone who helped with the investigation.

Speaking to the press, Sulaiman Kabbah, spoke of the extreme tension in the city and the anger towards the suspected witch doctors; “hundreds of bystanders wanted to lynch them but they were restrained by the police presence.”

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Mysterious Incan artefact surfaces in rural English village

An auction house running a valuation day event was surprised when a rare 400 year old pottery flask was brought in.

Incan artefact – Express and Star
Incan artefact – Express and Star

The owner of the 16th century artefact, believed to originate from Peru, hails from Shenstone, near Lichfield, a small Staffordshire village.

Charles Hanson, who manages the auction house, told press; “We don’t know how the vendor acquired the object,” but there is speculation that the owner’s grandfather may have brought it home after decades of travel in the late 19th century.

The flask is in good condition, with some minor wear around the rim, despite travelling so far and pre-dating the reign of Henry VIII.

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Rome’s midsummer San Giovanni celebrations to include a musical witch hunt

The city of Rome will stage a witch-hunt, music and a feast in order to celebrate St John the Baptist. The San Giovanni (Saint John) festival is traditionally held on the night of the 24th and midsummer.

A tradition in the city of Rome is that the night before, the 23rd, is the “Night of the Witches”. To mark this occasion there will be a night of song, verse and a musical witch hunt in the gardens adjacent to Via Sannio.

Stands in the gardens will offer party goers free samples of snails – to eat. It is believed that eating a snail would prevent a man’s wife from committing adultery on him.

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Most Haunted ghost hunter to fight for new role in Derby City

The historian Richard Felix has announced he intends to stand for the Labour Party in the next series of Council elections in Derby City.

Richard Felix came to widespread attention as a ghost hunter through UK Living’s Most Haunted TV series.

Felix told press, “I’ve been incredibly lucky to make a career doing what I love but I’m a local boy and it’s time to give something back to the city.

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Kelly Neylan: An interview with an Usui and Karuna Ki Reiki Master

Kelly Neylan is an Usui and Karuna Ki Reiki Master as well as registered Yoga Instructor. In Pure Spirit is very lucky to have Kelly as a guest expert author for today’s post.
She is the founder of Lasting Light Yoga and Reiki in Columbia, MD. She follows an intuitive approach to her energy healing and lets the energy guide her in the sessions. Her unique background in yoga and reiki compliment one another and give her many tools with which to change the energy flow in the body.

In her yoga practice she teaches all levels of yoga children through adult with specialties in pre-natal and children’s yoga.

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Photograph of Kent’s Cavern Ghost

A tourist visiting the most ancient inhabited site in the United Kingdom may have captured the image of a ghost on camera. Ghostly photograph from Kent’s Cavern – Daily Mail Simon Howard’s photograph at Kent’s Cavern in Torquay, Devon, shows what looks to be a face formed from an eerie mist up against the side [...]

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The meaning of the number 8

The number 8 is powerful. The number represents power but also sacrifice. Personality traits of the number 8 Number 8 and the people linked to it tend to be visionary, powerful but forgiving, board-minded but sometimes money-conscious. People linked to the number 8 are often in business, entrepreneurs, atheles or politicians. Letter numeric values for [...]

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Witchcraft blamed for poverty on the Kenyan Coast

Speaking at the Kenya Investment Authority strategy meeting the Provincial Commissioner Ernest Munyi blamed the lack of investment on witchcraft killings.

The Commissioner highlighted the problem of the murder of elderly people suspected of practising witchcraft as sending bad signals which scared investors away.

Charities have reported that the killing of elderly people in Kenya is sometimes an economic crime. Families are unable to support their elderly dependants and adopt excuses to facilitate their murder.

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