The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

matrix help by Xander
11:14 Mar 29 2006
Times Read: 531

Xander

Viper (21)





Re: 5x5x5, And Matrix thread

Posted: 05:54:59 - Mar 17 2006

Times viewed: 113



I'll post instructions for solving a matrix for anyone who needs them. The way it's set up can be confusing, and more than a little frustrating. All three types (6x6, 7x7, 8x8) are solved the same way, just with different sizes of grids, word length and number of words.



6x6: a grid 6 squares across by 6 down, 6 words of 6 letters each

7x7: a grid 7 squares across by 7 down, 7 words of 7 letters each

8x8: a grid 8 squares across by 8 down, 8 words of 8 letters each



NOTE- There may be more than one word that fits, so watch for that. Also, a dictionary can be of a lot of help.











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Xander

Viper (21)





Re: 5x5x5, And Matrix thread

Posted: 07:06:32 - Mar 17 2006

Times viewed: 110



I would suggest starting off with a 6x6 matrix as they tend to be a bit easier, and go for the ones with the most time left first so you're not racing to beat the clock.



After choosing a matrix you'll start off with 2 grids with numbers along the top and down the side. One is filled with numbers and the other, letters. the coordinates on one grid coorespond with those on the other.

Example: Count across 3, then down 2 on one grid. Then do the same with the other. You'll have a specific number and letter combination.



Grab some paper and something to write with. Draw a grid of squares 6 across and 6 down. Number the top and side like those on your screen.



Going back to the number and alpha grids, find the 1x1 spot on each. The number gives you a coordinate on your paper gri by adding up a top and side number.

Example: If the number on the number grid is a "2", you would place the letter in the 1x1 spot on your grid, if it was a "10", the letter could go in the 6x4, 5x5 or 4x6 spots.



When you're done, all the letters will be entered into your grid.



To solve:

The letter in the "2" (1x1) spot gives you the first letter of the first word. The letter in the "12" (6x6) spot gives you the last letter of the last word. Start there. Then look at the "3" (2x1, 1x2) spots. This gives you the second letter of the first word and the first letter of the second word. You just have to figure out which one goes where. Then on to the "4" (3x1, 2x2, 1x3) spots. This gives you the third letter of the first word, the second letter of the second word and the first letter of the third word. And so on.



Once you have all six words, simply enter them into the spaces, click the "SOLVE" button and see if you're right.



NOTE- All words are in english, no slang and no names.











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Xander

Viper (21)





Re: 5x5x5, And Matrix thread

Posted: 07:24:13 - Mar 17 2006

Times viewed: 108



This is what the grids will look like on your paper. Just replace the numbers with the proper letters from the alpha grid.



6x6

1 2 3 4 5 6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

6 7 8 9 10 11 12



Word Letters

1 2,3,4,5,6,7

2 3,4,5,6,7,8

3 4,5,6,7,8,9

4 5,6,7,8,9,10

5 6,7,8,9,10,11

6 7,8,9,10,11,12



7x7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14



Word Letters

1 2,3,4,5,6,7,8

2 3,4,5,6,7,8,9

3 4,5,6,7,8,9,10

4 5,6,7,8,9,10,11

5 6,7,8,9,10,11,12

6 7,8,9,10,11,12,13

7 8,9,10,11,12,13,14



8x8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16



Word Letters

1 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

2 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

3 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11

4 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12

5 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13

6 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14

7 8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15

8 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16



If anyone has questions, just drop me a line.

Blutiges Ende einer Party
07:33 Mar 27 2006
Times Read: 534




ERSTELLT 26.03.06, 19:13h

WASHINGTON/SEATLLE - Bei einem Blutbad in der Zombie-Szene von Seattle (Washington) hat ein Amokschütze sechs junge Partygänger und danach sich selbst getötet. Zwei weitere Menschen befanden sich einen Tag nach der Tat noch mit teils lebensgefährlichen Verletzungen im Krankenhaus, berichtete die "Seattle Times" am Sonntag. Am Tatort seien Alkohol und Marihuana sichergestellt worden.

Der ganz in Schwarz gekleidete Täter hat nach Angaben der Polizei seine sechs Opfer ohne emotionale Regung wie bei einer Hinrichtung exekutiert. Als ein Sicherheitsbeamter ihn aufgefordert habe, die Waffe fallen zu lassen, habe sich der junge Mann in den Mund geschossen.



"Wir haben absolut keine Vorstellung, was das Motiv ist", sagte Polizeichef Gil Kerlikowske. Die Polizei hat auch keine Erklärung, warum der Schütze vor seiner Tat am frühen Samstagmorgen (Ortszeit) das Wort "Now" (Jetzt) in Orange auf die Treppenstufen von drei benachbarten Häusern sprühte.



Wie die Tageszeitung "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" weiter berichtet, hatten in der Nacht vor der Tat bis zu 1000 Jugendliche eine Zombie-Party mit Techno-Musik gefeiert. Die Gäste hätten sich als Tote verkleidet und geschminkt. Der Täter sei dann von einer Gruppe zu einer Nach-Party eingeladen worden. In dem Haus hätten rund 30 Raver gefeiert und getanzt.



Nach Polizeiangaben verließ der junge Mann morgens um 7.00 Uhr plötzlich die Party und kehrte zehn Minuten später mit zwei Waffen und einem Patronengürtel zurück.



Danach spielten sich nach Augenzeugenberichten dramatische Szenen ab. Zuerst erschoss der Schütze einen Party-Gast auf den Stufen zum Haus. Danach tötete er einen weiteren Mann auf der Veranda. In voller Panik hätten Jugendliche versucht, die Tür zu versperren, berichtete die "Seattle Times". Der Amokläufer habe daraufhin ganze Salven in die Tür gefeuert und sich Zugang in das Haus verschafft. Dort habe er willkürlich um sich gefeuert und drei weitere Menschen erschossen.



Nach Augenzeugenberichten rannten blutende Gäste um ihr Leben. Andere sprangen aus Fenstern, um sich in Sicherheit zu bringen. Ein Pärchen versteckte sich in der Badewanne.



Bei den Opfern handelt es sich um vier junge Männer und zwei junge Frauen. Nach Angaben der Polizei ist es das schwerste Verbrechen in Seattle seit 1983, als 13 Menschen getötet wurden.

(dpa)







http://www.rundschau-online.de/jkr/artikel.jsp?id=1143388177299

Seattle gunman killed people at zombie rave
07:33 Mar 27 2006
Times Read: 535




Seattle gunman was 'very polite'

Apartment manager says man lived with twin brother



Sunday, March 26, 2006; Posted: 7:37 p.m. EST (00:37 GMT)



found at

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/26/seattle.shooting.ap/index.html



Thanks for this stuff



SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- A man suspected of killing six young people at a house party before he turned the gun on himself was described as respectful and polite by an apartment manager.



Aaron Kyle Huff, 28, committed suicide Saturday morning after police said he opened fire on young partygoers who had invited him to a private gathering following a "zombie rave" in the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood.



"This would have been so far out of character," said Jim Pickett, the assistant manager of the Town & Country Apartments.



Pickett described the brothers as "very polite. Very respectful. 'Yessir. Yes ma'am. Can I help ya? How am I doing today?' ... You don't find two boys as respectful as these two always were."



The brothers moved into the third-floor apartment 4 1/2 years ago after leaving their family home in the northern state of Montana, apartment managers said.



Lt. Dave Leib, of the Flathead County sheriff's office in Montana, identified the gunman Sunday afternoon and confirmed that Seattle police called him last night to ask about Huff.



Leib informed Huff's mother Sunday afternoon that her son was dead and was a suspect in the shootings.



Leib said Huff, who went by the name Kyle, was charged with felony criminal mischief in 2000 after shooting a statue of a moose with a shotgun at an art exhibit in Montana. Lieb couldn't say if Huff was convicted, and it wasn't clear whether the alleged statue shooting was a prank or something darker.



Pickett said he never saw either of the brothers with weapons.



Pickett said he saw Huff's brother as police searched the twins' apartment Saturday night.



"He gave a look to me like 'I don't know what's going on,"' Pickett said.



Pickett said he saw police remove three rifles from the apartment.



Police said the gunman was armed with a handgun and a 12-gauge pistol-grip shotgun. He was wearing bandoliers of shells for the shotgun and carrying additional clips for the handgun. In his truck, police found an assault rife and multiple "banana clips" carrying 30 bullets each.



Four young men and two young women were killed, and two people were hospitalized after the shooting Saturday morning. The victims were among about 20 party-goers who had attended a rave the night before.



Police said they invited the gunman to the after-party at a rental home in a residential neighborhood. He left the party at about 7 a.m. and came back with weapons.



Harborview Medical Center reported the two injured were in serious condition Sunday morning.

What is a Vampire ?
19:42 Mar 16 2006
Times Read: 539

What is a Vampire ?



Over the years I have worked my way through hundreds of dictionaries and other books trying to find one good all-comprehensive definition of the word "vampire". Sadly, so far I have never managed to find one. Certainly, I have found plenty of definitions and they all describe some kind of vampire. But none of them defines the vampire.



The reason for this is obvious. Ask a hundred people to tell you what a vampire is, and you will end up with a hundred different answers. It's not surprising. By this day and age the word vampire has grown into an ill-defined label that is used to indicate all sorts of phenomena in a rather indiscriminate manner.



In most of the things that are called "vampire" we can find one or more of the following elements: a reanimated corpse, life beyond death, the living dead, immortality, longevity, blood-drinking, stealing the life-force, exploitation of others, parasitism.



Originally the word "vampire" was used exclusively to indicate the traditional reanimated corpse. Precise as this may seem, even then the word was used as a general name for various types of the undead. Some vampires were said to drink blood. Other vampires killed their victims in a different manner. Some of them could be destroyed with a hammer and stake. Others were immune to such treatment. Some of them were thought to be the person itself, come back from the grave. Others were said to be corpses inhabited by a demon. The only thing that all these vampires have in common is the fact that they are all "living corpses".



In the early 19th Century the fictional vampire made its entrance into literature. About a hundred years later, the vampire theme was picked up by the cinema. It's another hundred years later now. In the meantime, thousands of authors have been inventing new types of vampires.



Back to reality. Certain species of bats are called vampires. Some of them drink blood, some of them don't. What else is there? I have heard tales about vampire Gods and Goddesses. Tales of alien vampires from out of space. Almost every place on earth has its own belief in vampirical creatures. They may be human vampires, living or dead, vampire cats, vampire snakes, vampire frogs, vampire trees, vampire crystals, etc., etc. They all have their own peculiarities and most of them are as different as day and night.



As if things weren't confusing enough, the word vampire has also been used to indicate bloodthirsty killers. Undoubtedly you have read tales about "Countess Dracula" (Elizabeth Bathory), "the Vampire of Hannover" (Fritz Haarmann), "the Vampire of Düsseldorf" (Peter Kürten), or - a little more recent - "the Vampire of Sacramento" (Richard Chase). There are dozens and dozens of criminals who have misbehaved in such a bloodthirsty manner that it has earned them the title of "vampire".



To add to the general confusion, the French have decided to use the word "vampire" to indicate necrophiliacs as well. Which is the reason why a ghoulish grave-robbing character called Victor Ardisson has gone down into history as "the Vampire of Muy".



Like I said, early last century the vampire first made its way into literature. By now it seems that we have gone full circle. Strange as it may seem to some, the fictional vampire has made its way back into reality. Recently we have witnessed the birth of another kind of vampire. Inspired by the works of Anne Rice and others, a number of people have started to identify themselves with the vampire to such an extent that some of them have actually started behaving like vampires. They have been labelled "pseudo-vampires" and "vampiroids" by the outside world. It doesn't seem to bother them, for they consider themselves to be true vampires. And - since there are so many different things that are all called "vampire" - why shouldn't they?







© 1999, 2005 by Rob Brautigam - NL - Last changes 15 March 2005

Me and Garlic??? lol Rob Brautigam u r it
19:41 Mar 16 2006
Times Read: 540

The use of Garlic (Allium Sativum) as a charm against the powers of evil seems to date back to ancient times. According to Lewis Spence, the ancient Egyptians believed in a vampire-like ghost that killed sleeping children by sucking up their breath. Believe it or not, the repellent that was used against the attacks of this murderous monster was a wreath of garlic.



The Imperial Dictionary (1894) tells us that garlic is: "a hardy bulbous perennial, indigenous to the South of France, Sicily, and the South of Europe". It would appear, however, that the use of garlic is known all over the world, not only as a tasty culinary asset, but also as a charm against evil spirits. The British vampire expert Montague Summers gives us several examples. Even in places as exotic as China or Malaysia people smear the forehead of their children to protect them from vampires, and in the West Indies too, garlic is used as a means of protection against the evil practices and magic spells of witches and sorcerers.



Adrien Cremene confirms that, in Romania, garlic is a weapon of very great importance in the everlasting battle against vampires. Lots of Romanians used to make certain that they ate some garlic every day for their personal protection. But they also smeared garlic on the windows and the doors of their houses, on the gates to their farmyards, and even on the horns of their cattle. They believed that the STRIGOI had a great fear of garlic.



But this is not the only way in which USTUROI (garlic) was employed against Romanian vampires. If a deceased person was thought to be in danger of becoming a vampire, one of the most common protective measures was stuffing some pieces of garlic into the orifices of the corpse, especially the mouth. This was done in order to prevent evil spirits from entering the dead body. At the same times it served the purpose of preventing the soul of the deceased from re-entering its body. Another interesting anti-vampire practice that we can find in Romania is the anointing of the corpse, especially the heels, with a mixture of oil, fat, incense, gunpowder and - of course - garlic.



From a book by Chedo Mijatovich we learn that among the Serbian peasants the night of Shrove Tuesday was considered to be a very dangerous night. According to the Serbs lots of evil witches were uncommonly active during this particular night. Therefore, on this night, lots of Serbs slept with a piece of garlic under their pillow. Or, alternatively, they might wear a piece of garlic inside a special amulet around their neck.



We would be much mistaken, however, to think that it is only the bulb or the cloves of garlic that can be used against vampires. In Stoker's "DRACULA" we can read how my fellow countryman Professor van Helsing fills up a bedroom, not with wreaths of garlic bulbs, but with GARLIC FLOWERS instead, in a commendable attempt to protect Miss Lucy from the bloodthirsty advances of Count Dracula. Stoker's tale is merely fiction, or is it ? For in another book by Tekla Dömötör, a serious Hungarian professor, we find a photograph of a wreath made from the stems of garlic flowers, which is used in Hungarian villages as a means to ward off evil. It would appear then that each and every bit of the powerful garlic plant can be used as an apotropaic.



The French occultist Robert Ambelain has his own remarkable ideas about the use of garlic against vampires. He claims that originally it was not GARLIC but ARSENIC that was thought to have a power against evil. Ambelain tells us that the shepherds in the Carpathian mountains used to eat very small quantities of arsenic and feed a little arsenic to their animals as well, in order to protect themselves from vampires. According to Ambelain, the old alchemists from Prague and other cities in Moravia and Bohemia used to burn arsenic to drive away the powers of evil. The burning of arsenic produces toxic fumes that have the same unpleasant smell as garlic. The thrifty peasants noticed that the magic fumes of the alchemists smelt just like garlic. And so they figured that it would be cheaper to use garlic than hire an expensive alchemist to do the exorcism. And that, according to Ambelain, is how people came to use garlic as a defense against vampires. All in all, I can't help feeling that Ambelain's hypothesis seems rather farfetched.



WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING



It goes without saying that the ingestion of a deadly poison like arsenic - even in small quantities - is an extremely hazardous undertaking which I will not recommend to anyone. I think that it could be quite unhealthy for you, possibly lethal, and your death would be most unpleasant. It is much wiser to eat garlic instead.



However, even the use of garlic is not without its dangers. I think that most people who have an interest in vampires will have heard of the tragical event that happened in the English town of Stoke-on-Trent in 1973, where they discovered the dead body of a gentleman of Polish origin. At the inquest it was found that the unfortunate man had died by choking on a piece of garlic, which he had put in his mouth before going to sleep in order to ward off vampires during the night.







© 1992, 2005 by Rob Brautigam - NL - Last update 15 March 2005

Garlic photograph © 1992 by Rob Brautigam

links and infos part 1 - Vampire Research versus "Vampire Hunters":
19:38 Mar 16 2006
Times Read: 541

Vampire Research versus "Vampire Hunters":



This short piece is about Vampire Research as opposed to Vampire Hunting. What then is Vampire Research ? I can not answer that question for you. So many people, so many different views. But at least I can give you my own opinion on what Vampire Research should be about. To me Vampire Research is the scientific investigation of the possible existence of vampires. It is about one question, really: Do vampires exist ?



It is easy to see that the answer to that question depends on our definition of a vampire. If, for example, we define the vampire as "someone who drinks blood", we will find that there are lots of vampires around these days. Has this phenomenon of blood-drinking persons been scientifically examined ? Not to my knowledge, if we overlook the psychiatric reports on a few extreme and criminal cases. Anything else that I have read on the subject so far, interesting as some of it may have been, was never more than "journalism" at best.



Now how about the original traditional vampire, the dead corpse that is said to leave its grave at night in order to feed upon the living ? It is here that our basic question becomes more interesting: Do these undead vampires exist ? Anyone who claims to do research into this sort of vampire should ask himself that question. If, after thoroughly investigating the subject, he should reach the conclusion that vampires do exist, then this is not sufficient. For we are still dealing with no more than an opinion or belief. Our investigator now has the seemingly impossible task to present us with scientific proof of the vampire's existence. Likewise, if he reaches the conclusion that they do not exist, he has to present us with proof of their non-existence.



In 1751, the Frenchman Dom Augustin Calmet wrote the following:



"If the return of vampires is real, then we must defend that fact and prove it. And if it is just an illusion, then it is in the interest of religion to disprove it for the benefit of those who do believe in its existence."



In the 18th Century, even though he was a cleric, Dom Calmet was already aware of the basic rule of Vampire Research. But then, Dom Calmet was too great a mind to let the dogmatic restraints of his religious believes stand in the way of Reason.



Now what about people who claim to be Vampire Hunters ? They do not need to ask themselves the question if vampires exist. For they do believe in vampires, and from their narrow point of view, that should be all the proof that we ever need. Vampire Hunters dogmatically rule out the possibility of the vampire's non-existence, and are consequently totally incapable of conducting any scientific Vampire Research. Their only goal is the vampire's annihilation. Therefore, they cannot possibly make any claim to be vampire researchers. Quite the opposite: with their destructive methods they stand in the way of true Vampire Research.







© 1994, 2005 by Rob Brautigam - NL - Last changes 15 March 2005

links and infos part 1 - Beyond the "Highgate Vampire":
19:36 Mar 16 2006
Times Read: 543

Beyond the "Highgate Vampire":



Much has been written about the strange happenings in and around Highgate Cemetery. Happenings that are said to have taken place in the late sixties, early seventies of the last Century. Much of the material that has been published about these happenings is based on what we consider to be a work of fiction. A novel titled "The Highgate Vampire", written by a man of many faces. A man, who after being involved in an occult society in his younger days, now purports to be the bishop of his own small sectarian church. His wild accounts about the supposed happenings in Highgate are quite entertaining, just as long as we take them for what they are: an amusing piece of horror fiction. The author, however, insists that the fantastic happenings in his novel are completely based on true events. He also claims to have destroyed an undead vampire corpse. And, by sticking to this sensational story, he has managed to get a lot of press coverage (read: free advertisement for his books, cassettes and other merchandise) for a couple of decades. Quite an accomplishment.



Although we can and do appreciate a good vampire story, we should never accept fantastic tales being presented as "the truth". We feel that the subject of vampires should be treated seriously. And that is why we were delighted about the publication of another, less sensational, more factual, account of the Highgate happenings.



David Farrant is the President of the British Psychic and Occult Society. He has been investigating the phenomena in Highgate Cemetery from the very beginning. He has written and published a short but interesting book called "Beyond the Highgate Vampire" in which he gives us his own views and findings on the case. I was pleased to find that, unlike "the other book", David Farrant's account of the happenings in and around Highgate Cemetery is not based on fantasy, but on facts.



Our bishop/novelist, whose Highgate yarn seems loosely based on elements borrowed from Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and various horror films, insists that his preposterous tales are Gospel truth (and may God have mercy on us if we dare question his words). Fortunately, David Farrant is more serious and intelligent in his approach to the Highgate happenings. Whereas our "bishop" demands us to believe that he, and he alone, has all the answers, David Farrant is simply giving us the facts, offering no easy explanations, and obviously expecting us to draw our own conclusions. Which, of course, is the way it should be...



"Beyond the Highgate Vampire" has been reprinted a number of times. New photographs have been added, and we think that the book is a "must" for everyone who has a serious interest in the Highgate case.



David Farrant:

"Beyond the Highgate Vampire"

B.P.O.S., London 1997

(3rd revised edition)

(ISBN 0-9517867-2-5)





Last time I looked, the book could be ordered through Amazon UK. But in case there are any problems, you can also get it straight from the author through the following address:



British Psychic & Occult Society

P.O.Box 1112

London N10 3XE

United Kingdom





Please enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope (within the UK)

or an International Reply Coupon (for the rest of the world).







© 1999, 2005 by Rob Brautigam - NL - Last changes 26 April 2005

photograph Highgate Cemetery - © 1986 by Rob Brautigam