HAUNTED ROADS: A SAMPLING OF SOME OF AMERICA'S GHOSTLY HIGHWAYS!!

    Most ghostly experiences along roadways happen at night. The ghosts that are reportedly seen along these roadways vary from subtle wisps to full-fledged, seemingly corporeal bodies that get into the car and carry on conversations.
    Many road-ghosts just walk down the road where they were killed, or appear alongside a driver hoping to catch a ride back to their home. Sometimes ghosts move alongside a car as it speeds down the highways and still others appear abruptly in front of the vehicle, nearly causing an accident.

    Haunted highways are not only occupied by ghosts, but also phantom cars. Sometimes, these phantom cars appear in the rear view mirror as two headlights (that quickly disappear), other times, a vehicle will allow a car to pass only to discover there is no car behind them after all.
    This type of paranormal activity as legend throughout the world, but to experience it is a rare occurrence.
    Here are details, about some roads, throughout America, that have legends attached and ones where witnesses have claimed to have seen ghostly activity.

   Clinton Road in West Milford, New Jersey: A ten-mile curvy stretch of road that meanders through woods and has a distinct air of isolation. Legend has it a little boy was playing on this road on a bridge above a waterway and fell to his death. They say if you throw a quarter into the water, it will be thrown back at you. There are also tales of being followed by unseen beings, the overwhelming feeling of being watched, and a red-eyed hound from Hell chasing people out from the foliage.

    Shades of Death Road in Warren County in New Jersey: Yes, it really is called "Shades of Death" Road. The locals gave it that name because numerous murders, accidents and strange happenings have occurred on this roadway. It is said that people have been killed by wildcats roaming the area. Discarded, mutilated corpses have been found along this road. The road itself is full of twists and turns and is shaded by numerous trees, lending to its spooky air. The spirits of the Lenni-Lenape people are believed to haunt this road, having been viciously attacked by a tribe of Iroquois Indians.

   Split Rock Road in Hibernia New Jersey: There are numerous legends surrounding this stretch of road. One such urban legend goes: if you drive down this road late at night, people (who these people are depends on who you're talking to locally), they might be Satanists/Albinos/Gangs, will block each end of the one-lane bridge and trap you in the middle as you drive across it. There have been murders and suicides on this road. Animal carcasses have been found as well as unexplained lights in the sky.

    State Road 15 North in Bristol, Indiana: Legend has it if you drive north on State Road 15, past the toll road you will come across a house on the left, directly before the state line. Stop and study this house. Eventually, if you sit there long enough, the spirit of the owner of the house parts the curtains and waves at you.

    HWY 20 in Brushy Prairie, Indiana: Most active around the holidays, there exists an urban legend of a Lady in White. She wears a wedding dress and when people try to pick her up, she disappears. This supposedly happens between the midnight and 5am hours.

    Highway 12 West in Fredrica, Delaware: The legend - A man, quite angry with his landlord, murdered the landlord then ground him up with cornmeal. He then fed it to his dog. It is said that the phantom dog with its red, glowing eyes can be seen by drivers at night along the side of the road.

     Salem Church Road in Newark, Delaware: In the 1900's, a family of six was hung due to accusations of witchcraft. This family has been seen, all six of them, walking along this highway, in search, people say, of the relatives who hung them. (Don't think I'd want to be them!)

    Mona Lisa Drive in New Orleans, Louisiana: The statue of a philanthropist's daughter, Mona, has been erected in City Park but destroyed by careless teenagers. Witnesses claim to have seen a very sad Mona as they drive along this road. She floats silently next to the car, scratching the glass forlornly, then just as quickly, she vaporizes.

    Remember, if you drive down any road expecting to see ghostly spectacles, be respectful of those living there, as well as any other traffic on the road! I would love to hear from anyone who has had a first-hand paranormal experience on any of these, or other roads.

BABA YAGA THE RUSSIAN FOLKLORE WITCH!!

    Myths and legends are a part of virtually every culture. One of the most interesting legends of Russian culture is that of Baba Yaga. She is, however, not unique to Russia. There are similar stories about her, under other names, in Poland as well as in the Czech Republic.
    The figure of Baba Yaga is most often pictured as that of an old hag on a broomstick, reminiscent of the kitchen witches we often see today. Some believe that she might have been the precursor for the ugly, old crones that most often represent witches at Halloween.
    In truth, however, Baba Yaga is a complicated creature associated as much with fertility and fate as she is with death. Some believed that she also had the gift of prophecy and great wisdom. However, for reasons never understood, she seldom chose to use those skills without exacting a gruesome payment. Anyone wishing to partake of Baba Yaga's wisdom had to take on a challenge, which began with a trip to her home hidden deep within a treacherous forest. Those arriving there would often decide to turn back without confronting the hag because of the gruesome look of the house itself. As legends have it, Baba Yaga's home sat atop four chicken legs that allowed her to move it from place to place at will. Surrounded by a black picket fence adorned with flaming human skulls, those arriving on her property were no doubt scared about what they were about to encounter.
    Inside the house, it was said that the crone sat at a spinning wheel, spinning with thread made from the tendons and muscles of human beings. Not prone to help anyone out of a sense of kindness, Baba Yaga would put those who sought her assistance through a series of tests before agreeing to help them.
    Few ever completed them and even some of those who did were never seen again because they dared to anger the old woman in the process. She then turned on them with her sharp teeth. It was said that she could rip apart an animal or a human in less that 30 seconds.

FIESTA de SAN ISIDRO FROM SPAIN!

    San Isidro is the patron saint of the peasants and laborers and is also the patron saint of Madrid. Tradition has it that on May 15th the people of Madrid are to make a pilgrimage to San Isidro's meadow to celebrate his day and to drink the holy water of his fountain in his hermitage's patio. Madrid's biggest "fiesta" is celebrated yearly starting on the Friday before the 15th and running until the following Sunday, 9 days of Saintly jubilee throughout the Comunity of Madrid.

    You can visit the church of the same name on calle Toledo - built over the site where the miracle purportedly took place - about two blocks from the Plaza Mayor. The church holds a small museum with exhibits including the famous well along with a small collection of archaeological findings excavated in the region of Madrid.

    Like most in Spain, this Madrid festival has largely lost its religious character. Instead, the city government uses San Isidro as a platform to represent the best of Madrid culture, old and new, from bullfights to break dancing. You'll enjoy a full calendar of concerts, plays, parades, fairs and special art exhibits, most free of charge.
Gigants (people on stilts) with "cabezudos" (big, satirical papier mache heads) parade around the city center, usually on the first Saturday afternoon of San Isidro.

    Legend has it that San Isidro was a poor peasant farmer and he and his wife Santa María de la Cabeza, were very popular, due to their generosity and always donating food to the poor. So, although the tradition and background of San Isidro is religious and rather mellow, as per usual, it did not take much arm-twisting for the Spaniards to turn it into a veritable bash. Long live the fiestas of Spain!
    Weekend partying is centered day and night around the Plaza de las Vistillas, Plaza de San Andrés and Puente de Segovia in the Austrias neighborhood, near the Plaza Mayor. At night, bars set up shop on the street, or "chiringuitos." Good luck elbowing your way through the hordes to get a "mini," the Spanish term for a huge plastic cup of mojito, beer, cocktail or mixed drink

    Many revelers still dress up in the traditional garb of the period called "Chulapo or Chulapa" which is Madrid's national dress. "Chulapa/o" comes from the word "Chulo" which means "a bit full of oneself" or "very dapper" and since the Madrileños consider themselves the most audacious, the name stuck. They pride themselves on being true Madrileños and the men wear a checkered cap, waistcoat and handkerchief around their necks while the women's getup is composed of fancy lace ridden dresses complete with a headress and elegant wrap around shawl.

    Snack venders with "Barquilleros", "wafer barell organs", can be found everywhere selling their "Barquillos" or "angel?s bread", some dipped in chocolate and others just plain wafery! These snacks are traditional of festivals in Madrid but you can find them all year round as well. San Isidro is also the ultimate bullfighting festival. Scoring tickets to the hot "corridas" or bullfights can be next to impossible unless you have contact.

    San Isidro is without a doubt Madrid's most melodious fiesta. The main stage is always in the Plaza Mayor and during every day and night of the 9 day festival, one can enjoy various concerts and traditional dancing. Most opening acts kick off with a "Hevia", a rather popular bagpipe and wind instrument player from Asturias. The another even bigger venue in the Casa de Campo which features rock concerts.

    San Isidro has been an official festival in Madrid since 1947 and while technically the festivities run from May 8th to the 15th, like good Spaniards they stretch the fun and always start earlier and end later. The festival actually begins with the Mayor's speach on the Friday afternoon prior to the 15th and ends with the ever popular Cocido Madrileño or public Cookout.

CANDY, COSTUMES AND CAVITIES, WHAT DOES IT ALL ADD UP TO???

    From pumpkin farmers to confectioners to costume shops and beyond, Halloween is big business in the U.S.--generating nearly $6 billion annually in retail sector alone. We dig into the numbers to show where the big money is spent, on everything from national charities to neighborhood dentists.

• 36 million-Number of trick-or-treat aged kids 5 to 13 in the U.S.

• 93%-Percentage of children who get to dress up and go door to door.

• $5.77 billion-Total spent in 2008 on Halloween, including candy, parties and witches' brew.

• $140 million-Money Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has raised since 1950.

• 51.8 million-Number of adults who don their sexy nurse, pimp or pirate outfits on Halloween.

• 73.4%-Percentage of households that say they will dish out treats on Halloween (26.6%: Number of households just asking for a nasty trick)

• 28%-Number of children, aged 2 to 5, who will get cavities.

• 1.1 billion-Pounds of pumpkins decorated, turned into pie and smashed in the U.S. each year.

SON OF HOLLYWOOD MONSTER MOVIE TRIVA, TAKE 2!!

In his recent autobiography, Ernest Borgnine reveals that his friend George Lindsay, Goober on "The Andy Griffith Show", turned down the part of "Mr. Spock" on TV's "Star Trek". Lindsay, by the way, started out as a science teacher.

James Whale said his Frankenstein (1931 star, Boris Karloff. "His face fascinated me. I made drawings of his head, adding sharp bony ridges where I imagined the skull might have joined".

The U.S. Air Force refused to help in the filming of Howard Hawks' The Thing (1951), because the theme of the movie was counter to the Air Force's claim that flying saucers don't exist. In fact, one crew member (Dewey Martin) reads a quote from Air Force regulations denying flying saucers to the others as they are flying near the UFO crash site.

In George Pal's War of the Worlds (1953), the unique Flying Wing aircraft that drops the atom bomb on the advancing Martians was a prototype and remains, to this day, the only aircraft of its model in existence.

The title character in King Kong (1933), was actually an aluminum skeleton, covered by molded sponge rubber covered with rabbit fur. In New York scenes, the Long model was 24 inches tall. He was smaller at a one inch- to one foot ratio in the earlier jungle sequences. Certain body parts were constructed on a massive scale when actors were featured in the scene, as when Fay Wray is nestled in the 8 foot cranelike structure that was Kong's paw. Three men were inside Kong's head to operate it.

John Candy was originally supposed to be the young lawyer in Ghostbusters (1984), but Rick Moranis was ultimately hired to play the character, which he helped develop.

Bela Lugosi only made $700 dollars for his seven week role in Dracula (1930). Of course, star making roles such as Lugosi's turn as the blood thirsty count routinely make little for the then unknown actors who make them. They make their bundle on subsequent movies.

The director of Vincent Price's excellent House of Wax (1953), had one eye. What's ironic is that Andre de Toth produced one of the best known 3D movies of the period, which he was unable to enjoy.

The Bates mansion in Psycho (1960), was built to 2/3's scale to heighten the dramatic impact. It appeared in sequels as well as TV episodes, as on CBS's Murder She Wrote.

GOLDEN WEEK IN JAPAN!

    Golden Week (Gōruden Wīku), often abbreviated to simply GW and also known as Ōgon shūkan ( "Golden Week") or Ōgata renkyū ( "Large consecutive holiday") is a Japanese term applied to the period containing the following public holidays:



April 29

   Emperor's Birthday (Tennō tanjōbi), until 1988
   Greenery Day (Midori no hi), from 1989 until 2006
   Shōwa Day (Shōwa no hi), from 2007

Perhaps a little kite flying during this holiday

May 3

   Constitution Memorial Day ( Kenpō kinenbi)

May 4

    Holiday (Kokumin no kyūjitsu), from 1985 until 2006
    Greenery Day (Midori no hi), from 2007

May 5

    Children's Day (Kodomo no hi), also customarily known as Boys' Day (Tango no sekku)

Heading out to a movie or dinner for Golden Week

History

    The National Holiday Laws, promulgated in July 1948, declared nine official holidays. Since many were concentrated in a week spanning the end of April to early May, many leisure-based industries experienced spikes in their revenues. The film industry was no exception. In 1951, the film Jiyū Gakkō, recorded higher ticket sales during this holiday-filled week than any other time in the year (including New Year's and Obon). This prompted the managing director of Daiei Films to dub the week "Golden Week" based on the Japanese radio lingo “golden time,” which denotes the period with the highest listener ratings.

    At the time, April 29 was a national holiday celebrating the birth of the Shōwa Emperor. Upon his death in 1989, the day was renamed "Greenery Day."
    In 2007, Greenery Day was moved to May 4, and April 29 was renamed Shōwa Day to commemorate the late Emperor.

Heading out to a Shrine

Current Practice

    Many Japanese take paid time off on the intervening work days, but some companies also close down completely and give their employees time off. Golden Week is the longest vacation period of the year for many Japanese jobs. Two other holidays may also be observed for most or all of a week: Japanese New Year in January and Bon Festival in August. Golden Week is an extremely popular time to travel. Flights, trains, and hotels are often fully booked despite significantly higher rates at this time. Popular foreign destinations in Asia, Guam, Saipan, Hawaii, and major cities on the west coast of North America, such as Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco, and    Vancouver, as well as in Europe and Australia, are affected during these seasons by huge numbers of Japanese tourists.

SUPRISING SECRETS OF CHRISTMAS'S MOST POPULAR TUNES!!

    The holidays are filled with joyful emotions and honored traditions, including the playing of songs about snowmen, St. Nick, evergreen trees, and presents wrapped up with big bows. No matter how you celebrate the season, you'll hear these songs on the radio, T.V., at the mall, in the office, and just about anywhere music is played.
    If you think the same songs are played over and over, you're right, but if this bothers you, consider the alternative: Christmas carols were banned in England between 1649 and 1660. Oliver Cromwell, serving as Lord Protector of Britain, believed Christmas should be solemn and also banned parties, limiting celebration to sermons and prayer services.
    Lots of holiday songs are festive, many have spiritual overtones, and all are played so often that they are familiar no matter what your faith. But what do you know about how these songs were created and the people who wrote them?
    There are some fascinating facts behind this memorable music. So, toss a log on the fire, pour yourself some eggnog or hot cocoa, and sit back and relax, as we reveal the secrets behind many of the tunes you hear during the Christmas season.

"The Christmas Song", by Mel Torme and Bob Wells in 1944.

    On a sweltering July day in Los Angeles, 19 year old jazz singer, Torme, worked with 23 year old Wells to create this beautiful tune. Full of wintry images and a charming wistfulness for all the delights of the season, the song became an enormous hit by Nat King Cole the following year. In Torme's autobiography, he says Wells wasn't trying to write lyrics but was simply jotting down ideas that would help him forget about the heat wave.

"The First Noel", Traditional 16th or 17th century carol.

    Some say this is a song with a British background while others insist it has French origins. So far, no one has any definitive proof. Two things are for certain: first, it's very popular if two countries are claiming it, and second, counting the title, the word "Noel" appears in the song 30 times.

"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", Felix Mendelssohn, Charles Wesley, and William Cummings, 1739.

    Wesley's opening line was "Hark how all the welkin rings" and he protested when a collegue changed it. Wesley wanted a slow and solemn anthem for his song, but William Cummings set the lyrics to rousing music by Felix Mendolssohn (from a cantata about movable type by inventor Johann Gutenberg). For his part, Mendolssohn specified that his composition only appear in a secular context, not spiritual. So both original authors' wishes were thwarted in the creation of this glorious song.

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, 1943.

    The songwriting team of Martin (music) and Blane (lyrics) worked together for 5 decades, producing Oscar and Tony nominated songs. This hauntingly lovely tune was made famous by Judy Garland in the 1944 film, "Meet Me in St. Louis". While the song is a bittersweet gem, the original lyrics were actually darker and not to Garland's liking. Since she was a huge star at the time, and was dating the film's director, Vincent Minnelli (she married him the following year), the changes were made.

"I'll Be Home For Christmas", Kim Gannon and Walter Kent, 1942.

    Gannon and Kent worked often together, but even with her three Academy Award nominations, nothing was as successful as this wartime song. By getting it to Bing Crosby, they were assured of big sales even though it competed with Crosby's recording of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas". The song is a perennial favorite, and appears often in films, including "Catch Me If You Can" and "The Polar Express".

"Jingle Bells", James Pierpont, 1850's.

   Starting out as a lively celebration of the Salem Street sleigh races, the song called "One-Horse Open Sleigh", made a fast transition to the more sober atmosphere of the church social and became known as "Jingle Bells". While there are 4 verses, only the first is usually sung, because of the lyrics in the remaining 3 verses. A woman named Fannie Bright appears in verse two, which also features a sleigh crash. The 3rd verse displays an anti-Samaritan laughing at a fallen sleigh driver and leaving him sprawled in a snow bank, while the final verse offers such lines as "Go it while you're young" and "Take the girls tonight". Ah yes, just good clean mid-nineteenth century fun.

"Joy to the World", Isaac Watts and Lowell Mason, 1719 and 1822.

    The words, inspired by the 98th Psalm, were written by Watts, a British pastor, preacher, and poet. More than a century later, banker and choral teacher Mason composed music for the piece but attributed it to Handel, presumably to make the hymn more popular. It took another century for the hoax to be uncovered.

"Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", Johnny Marks, 1949.

    Beginning as a coloring book written by advertising copywriter Robert L. May in 1939, the story of an unloved caribou triumphing over adversity was a promotional item for Montgomery Wards department stores. May's fairy-tale was enormously popular, and became even more so when May's brother-in-law, songwriter Marks, composed music and lyrics and got the composition to singer Gene Autry. That version sold 2 million copies the first year alone. While most of the other reindeer names were invented by Clement Moore in his 1822 poem, "The Night Before Christmas", the hero of the May story was called Rollo. Wait, that name was nixed by store executives, so he became Reginald. Oops, that was also rejected, too. Finally, May's daughter suggested Rudolf.

"Santa Claus is Coming to Town", Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots, 1932.

    After countless versions by stars as varied as Bruce Springsteen and Perry Como, it's hard to believe that Gillespie and Coots' song was turned down all over town because it was "a kid's song". Even though Coots was a writer on the Eddie Cantor radio show. Cantor at first passed on the song, only agreeing to do it at the urging of his wife. Now it's so successful there's even a parody version by Bob Rivers (in the style of Springsteen) called "Santa Claus is Foolin' Around".

"Silent Night", Joseph Mohr and Franz X. Gruber, 1916-1818.

    There are numerous stories and fanciful speculations about the origin of this beautiful song. Tossing aside the more lurid stories, we are left with this: the poem, "Stille Nacht", was written by Mohr, who became assistant pastor of the St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria. Mohr gave the poem to Gruber, the church organist, reportedly on Christmas Eve, in 1818, and was performed that same midnight. Oddly, the first version did not involve an organ, but was arranged for two voices, guitar and choir. Both Mohr and Gruber created manuscripts with different instrumentation at various times from 1820 to 1855. The tune first made its way around the world as a "Tyrolean Folk Song" before gaining enough fame to be instantly recognized with its first two words or first four notes. The Silent Night web page claims there are more than 300 translations of the song and features links to 180 versions in 121 languages.

White Christmas", Irving Berlin, 1942.

    Sometimes considered America's most popular holiday song, Berlin composed it for a movie soundtrack ("Holiday Inn", starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire). With its quiet power and elegant longing for the simple pleasures of the past, it was the perfect song for the gloomy months during the middle of World War II. Composer Berlin was not positive about the song when he first presented it to Crosby, but Bing's confidence was well founded. Spawning a movie of its own (1954's "White Christmas" with Crosby and Danny Kaye), the song hit the Top 30 nearly 20 times and has now sold more than 30 million copies. There are reportedly 500+ recorded versions of the tune in two dozen languages.