Spiritual Photography..by Barek Halfhand Discussions - Architects of a New Dawn2024-03-29T07:35:27Zhttps://architectsofanewdawn.ning.com/group/spiritualphotographybybarekhalfhand/forum?feed=yes&xn_auth=noReturn to Haunted Mount Carmel HDtag:architectsofanewdawn.ning.com,2015-01-20:2227378:Topic:4253902015-01-20T20:50:02.600ZBarek Halfhandhttps://architectsofanewdawn.ning.com/profile/BarekHalfhand61
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>This will be the first of series of return visits to some of my favorite Chicago-land haunted locations to be filmed/photographed in HD.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>*Visual effects have been added to this video.…</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="www.youtube.com/embed/aRMF5yyGRDA?wmode=opaque" width="420"></iframe>
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<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>This will be the first of series of return visits to some of my favorite Chicago-land haunted locations to be filmed/photographed in HD.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>*Visual effects have been added to this video.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/aRMF5yyGRDA?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>The Italian Bride is @ 38:36</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Al Capone is @ 43:30</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Dean O'Banion is @ 45:17</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Hymie Weiss is @ 47:30</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Here is the photo album (edited for color and clarity):</strong></span> <a href="http://s541.photobucket.com/user/MrHalfhand/library/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD?sort=3&page=1">http://s541.photobucket.com/user/MrHalfhand/library/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD?sort=3&page=1</a></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00267.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00267.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00199.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00199.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00174.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00174.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00148.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00148.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00430.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00430.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00181.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00181.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00436.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00436.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00379.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00379.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00295.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00295.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00391.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00391.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00431.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00431.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00432.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00432.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00305.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00305.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00270.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00270.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00267.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00267.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00259.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00259.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/DSC00400.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Return%20To%20Mount%20Carmel%20HD/th_DSC00400.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/DSC00397-0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/th_DSC00397-0.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/DSC00397-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/th_DSC00397-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/DSC00397-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/th_DSC00397-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/DSC00337-0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/th_DSC00337-0.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/DSC00337-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/th_DSC00337-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/DSC00337-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/th_DSC00337-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/DSC00316-0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/th_DSC00316-0.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/DSC00316-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/th_DSC00316-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/DSC00316-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s85/landofhand/chicago%20downtown/th_DSC00316-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p><img alt="" src="http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz355/BarekRawks/newHNsig.jpg"/></p> A Late 19th Century South Loop Basement At Nighttag:architectsofanewdawn.ning.com,2014-06-15:2227378:Topic:4140962014-06-15T18:12:43.687ZBarek Halfhandhttps://architectsofanewdawn.ning.com/profile/BarekHalfhand61
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong> By Barek Halfand</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/chi-1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><img class="align-full" src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_chi-1.jpg"></img></span></a></strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>The 1890’s era South Loop building is preternaturally dark against the scarlet city sky…</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong> By Barek Halfand</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/chi-1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_chi-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></span></a></strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>The 1890’s era South Loop building is preternaturally dark against the scarlet city sky …while the streets are quiet and parking spaces are plentiful as the city sleeps, there is a sense of heightened awareness you feel when you are downtown after midnight … Reminiscent of the Burnham style architecture of the time, it represents an urban renaissance that helped bring the 1893 Columbian Exposition World Fair to Chicago …</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>Over 120 years ago when the bricks where being laid at this location; another structure was rising a little farther south in the Englewood district which bore strikingly similar features …The H.H. Holmes Murder Castle….</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>The entity sulks in the caliginous sodden sub-basement amid the rusted iron support beams, broken bricks and crumbling concrete…I am alone and already uneasy in the 2 am stillness beneath the city streets …sometimes they coalesce into human form, sometimes they smolder as an inert black mist…this tormented soul suffers many stages of manifestation…</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>The guile of control over his stages of incarnation seems to figure prominently in his human shades of denial while the cold stone walls remain impassive all these years.</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>Here is the photo album (edited for color and clarity):</strong></em></span> <a href="http://s541.photobucket.com/user/MrHalfhand/library/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night?sort=3&page=1">http://s541.photobucket.com/user/MrHalfhand/library/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night?sort=3&page=1</a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/100_0196.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_100_0196.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/chi-21.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_chi-21.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/100_0180.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_100_0180.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/100_0174.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_100_0174.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/100_0188.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_100_0188.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/100_0187.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_100_0187.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/chi-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_chi-3.jpg" class="align-full"/></a> <a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/100_0185.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_100_0185.jpg" class="align-full"/></a> <a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/100_0173.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_100_0173.jpg" class="align-full"/></a> <a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/100_0170.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_100_0170.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/0171-0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_0171-0.jpg" class="align-full"/></a> <a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/0171-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_0171-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></a> <a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/0171-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_0171-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a> <a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/0171-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_0171-3.jpg" class="align-full"/></a> <a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/0171-4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/A%20Late%2019th%20Century%20Chicago%20Basement%20%20At%20Night/th_0171-4.jpg" class="align-full"/></a> -------------------------------- <img alt="" src="http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz355/BarekRawks/newHNsig.jpg"/></p> The Gary, Indiana “Demon House”tag:architectsofanewdawn.ning.com,2014-03-09:2227378:Topic:4096272014-03-09T01:09:28.637ZBarek Halfhandhttps://architectsofanewdawn.ning.com/profile/BarekHalfhand61
<p>By Barek Halfhand</p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00004.jpg" target="_blank"><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><img class="align-full" src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00004.jpg"></img></b></font></a></p>
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<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>An impromptu Interview with the most recent resident on his moving day; A Halfhand Nation Exclusive.</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>The sun was a seldom seen anomaly on this mid February afternoon. I squinted at the…</b></font></p>
<p>By Barek Halfhand</p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00004.jpg" target="_blank"><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00004.jpg" class="align-full"/></b></font></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>An impromptu Interview with the most recent resident on his moving day; A Halfhand Nation Exclusive.</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>The sun was a seldom seen anomaly on this mid February afternoon. I squinted at the glare on my salt dried, silted windshield as I weaved my way down the poorly plowed backstreets of the impoverished Gary, Indiana neighbourhood, until I finally pulled over and discarded my crudely rendered hand drawn map in favor of my GPS…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>The trip was reminiscent of Detroit with the burned out, boarded-up, gutted houses and buildings but much more disconcerting by way of the close proximity to my own back yard… There are Pitbulls on every other porch on every other block, disabled seeming vehicles buried under the snow …I tend to avoid topics related to religion, politics or other such inviolable dogma and while I do believe that there are negative and nefarious aspects of the spirit realm I think that assigning “demonic” influence to a location or individual has become somewhat gratuitous …that said; if I were to describe an area as “cursed”, it would be Gary Indiana…it is just awful…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Rounding the corner leading to that now infamous house on Carolina St. I could clearly see the bright red moving truck parked out front blocking most of the road save for a narrow strip of tire packed snow along the driver side…unfortunately there was a rather deep ditch on that side of the street cleverly concealed beneath the white mound from one of the infrequent snow plow visits … As I attempted to rock my way out of a deepening rut (and a growing panic at the prospect of getting stranded I that neighborhood) a tall, lanky gentleman appeared at the rear of the truck and advised me that he would not be able to move the truck for a little while, but offered push from the front while I ground my gears in a seeming futile attempt to extricate myself …</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>After several terrifying moments sliding deeper into the inexorable frozen morass, I somehow managed to grab dry pavement and screech my way out of the ditch just missing the moving truck by inches … I exhaled a sigh of relief as I parked my aging SUV on the corner and made my way back to thank the slim Samaritan …he asked me why I was there ( being white and all) and I admitted was there taking photos of the house …he then informed me he was the most recent resident of the house and this was the moving( out) day…he only identified himself as”Ed” but he did provide me cellphone # in the event I wanted to come back later in the day for inside photos ( for a small fee of course LOL)…while it was a tempting prospect, my intuition told me that waiting around Gary Indiana for several hours was a bad idea …( a Gary Police car rolled up when I was leaving and would have probably pulled e over had he been able to get around the moving truck)…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>I did get a chance discuss the house that he lived in for the past few years which has become the subject of a recent media circus … The conversation begins with Barek spinning his tires in a progressively deepening rut next to the moving truck and “Ed” approaching the passenger side window …</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>“Ed”: You are just digging a deeper hole in that ditch, hold on” …</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Mr Halfhand: “I think you’re right” (letting off the gas)...</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>“Ed” I’m not going to be able t move this truck for a while” (gesturing towards the extended ramp leading from he rear of the truck’s box)</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Mr Halfhand: “ I should have just turned around “ …</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>“Ed”: “So what are you doing here anyway?… here to look at the house?”…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Mr Halfhand: “Yeah…I am” (sitting there with a camera in one hand and the steering wheel in the other )</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Ed: “Not surprised, it’s been kinda crazy around here …”</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Mr Halfhand: “Do you know the owner?..”</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Ed: “Yes, but I have been living here for the last XX years (forgot precisely how long he said, didn’t take notes )…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Mr Halfhand: “So is it true what they have been saying about this house?...you know, ‘Portal-To- Hell’ and all?...”</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Ed: (chuckling) “No, it’s all b***s***…”</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>(With the navigational prowess of “Ed” and a hefty push t precisely the right point of momentum ; I was able to extract myself from the quicksand-like winter quagmire, clearing the moving truck by mere inches . …I pulled up to the curb on the corner and hopped out to express my sincere gratitude )…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Mr Halfhand: (extending my hand) Thank you, sir, that would have been a tough call to Triple A followed by a long wait I’m sure...”</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Ed: (accepting m handshake)You are welcome Sir …you are much more polite than most that have come down here to get a look at the house …one came all the way from England ”…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Mr Halfhand: “I take it some have been a little pushy? “…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Ed: “you might say that…if I didn’t answer the door, they tried to force the door open …seriously!”…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Mr Halfhand: “Is this why you are moving out?”…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Ed: No…the house was bought out from underneath me by some guy from California…some guy from one of those Paranoia TV shows”…(Yes, he did call it one of those “PARANOIA TV shows” LOL)</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Mr Halfhand: :” So you weren’t planning on moving, you are being forced out?...”</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Ed: “Pretty much, but I did get lucky and find a place I could afford not far from here”…(Sadly, it is not a stretch to assume Ed is economically challenged like 99.999% of Gary IND residents)…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Mr Halfhand: “I’m sorry Ed”..</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Ed: “You know; if you are going to be round for a few hours I could let you have a look inside… (smiling) if you throw a little something my way”…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Now don’t get me wrong, if I had any cash on me, I would have at least tossed him a $20 or two for the help out of the ditch alone, but I as I have almost completely converted to plastic these days to complete most monetary transactions, I was figuratively penniless … plus I was a little limited, time wise …plus my intuition was nudging me along and I never question my instincts… the Gary Police cruiser crunched up to the rear of the moving truck right about then so hastened my exit , wishing Ed happiness (and peace) at his new residence…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>I continued getting photos of the surrounding streets… while I did not perceive anything preponderant emanating from the “Demon House”, there is a very distinct sense of oppression here that transcends socioeconomic …as I continued canvassing the area for photo ops, there were certain structures that literally made my head pound when I stopped for a shot.. While I admittedly; never watched that ghost show on The Travel Channel (not sure if I even get that cable station), I’m quite certain there is nothing “demonic” present that particular house aside from media generated sensationalism and hype propagated by someone hoping for a book / movie deal…</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>As far as the new future resident from the”Paranoia TV show”… I only have the word of someone standing on the street claiming to be the most recent resident …I would hope this reality TV star would not intentionally displace a poor family for ratings…I leave that for you to decide ….</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Mr Halfhand Here is the photo album (edited for color and clarity):<br/> <a href="http://s541.photobucket.com/user/MrHalfhand/library/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House?sort=3&page=1">http://s541.photobucket.com/user/MrHalfhand/library/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House?sort=3&page=1</a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>Here's the Youtube video:<br/> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGVpS-SFnjA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGVpS-SFnjA</a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00005.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00005.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00007.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00007.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00011.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00011.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00002.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00002.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00006.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00006.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00001.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00010.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00010.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00012.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00012.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00045.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00045.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00022.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00022.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00019.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00019.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00039.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00039.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00024.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00024.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00029.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00029.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00035.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00035.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00041.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00041.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00033.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00033.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00020.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00020.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/DSC00023.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Indiana%20Demon%20House/th_DSC00023.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/DSC00004-0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_DSC00004-0.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/DSC00004-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_DSC00004-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/DSC00004-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_DSC00004-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/DSC00004-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_DSC00004-3.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/DSC00004-4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_DSC00004-4.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00037-0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00037-0.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00037-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00037-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00037-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00037-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00037-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00037-3.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00037-4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00037-4.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00039-0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00039-0.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00039-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00039-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00039-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00039-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00039-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00039-3.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00039-4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00039-4.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00014-0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00014-0.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00014-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00014-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00014-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00014-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00014-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00014-3.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00014-4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00014-4.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00031-0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00031-0.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00031-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00031-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00031-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00031-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00031-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00031-3.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00031-4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00031-4.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00009-0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00009-0.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00009-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00009-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00009-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00009-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></b></font></p>
<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/00009-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/Gary%20Ind%202/th_00009-3.jpg" class="align-full"/></a><br/> <<br/>
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<p><font color="#FF6600" size="3"><b>--------------------------------<br/> <img alt="" src="http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz355/BarekRawks/newHNsig.jpg"/></b></font></p> The Cloaked Shadow Entity In The Old Cincinnati Churchtag:architectsofanewdawn.ning.com,2013-10-26:2227378:Topic:4002892013-10-26T16:15:08.092ZBarek Halfhandhttps://architectsofanewdawn.ning.com/profile/BarekHalfhand61
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>By Barek Halfhand</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/The%20Old%20Cincinnati%20Church/100_6589.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><img class="align-full" src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/The%20Old%20Cincinnati%20Church/th_100_6589.jpg"></img></span></a></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>The old Cincinnati church stands stoically on the old riverside city side street and I was keenly aware of it before it came into view … rumor…</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>By Barek Halfhand</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/The%20Old%20Cincinnati%20Church/100_6589.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/The%20Old%20Cincinnati%20Church/th_100_6589.jpg" class="align-full"/></span></a></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>The old Cincinnati church stands stoically on the old riverside city side street and I was keenly aware of it before it came into view … rumor has it that a shrouded dark entity has been spotted rising out of the floor by way of a widening crack separating the floor from fist step of a rapidly decaying staircase… Legend further contends that it can often be seen through the tiny window square frame in the front door that has long since been relieved of it’s glass when conditions are right or the right person is peering inside …</strong></span></p>
<p><br/><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Those that have encountered shadow entities know that they radiate an intense negativity and while I saw nothing visually, the sheer abrasive pulse piecing my solar plexus validated my 2 hour trip deviation to visit this site …</strong></span></p>
<p><br/><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>The stale air that huffed from within distinctly reminded me of the St Paschal Friary … a dead air tomb-like stench that culminated in an overwhelming, last dying breath exhalation dust loud as I watched the wrecking ball pummel the central wing of the old beast one late fall, 2010 afternoon …</strong></span></p>
<p><br/><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>The first few shots I tried through the window frame were blurry and out of focus and I had to try several different settings but I did finally get a few clear shots … it wasn’t until I dropped the photos on my laptop that I discovered the anomaly …. b</strong></span></p>
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<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/6585-0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/th_6585-0.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/6585-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/th_6585-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/6585-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/th_6585-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/6585-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/th_6585-3.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/6585-4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/th_6585-4.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/The%20Old%20Cincinnati%20Church/100_6587.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/The%20Old%20Cincinnati%20Church/th_100_6587.jpg"/></a></p>
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<p><a href="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/The%20Old%20Cincinnati%20Church/100_6573.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg397/MrHalfhand/The%20Old%20Cincinnati%20Church/th_100_6573.jpg"/></a></p>
<p>--------------------------------<br/><img alt="" src="http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz355/BarekRawks/newHNsig.jpg"/></p> The Biograph Theater-The Death of John Dillingertag:architectsofanewdawn.ning.com,2013-05-21:2227378:Topic:3815492013-05-21T00:26:59.471ZBarek Halfhandhttps://architectsofanewdawn.ning.com/profile/BarekHalfhand61
<p>The Biograph Theater-The Death of John Dillinger <br></br> By Barek Halfhand</p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/DSC00303.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/th_DSC00303.jpg"></img></a></p>
<p>Spring in Chicago represents an almost ritualistic awakening from hibernation as the lakeside city is finally freed from the often debilitating grip of Midwestern winter extremes… a drive along Lake Shore Drive on one of these sun bathed, warmer afternoons proves that…</p>
<p>The Biograph Theater-The Death of John Dillinger <br/> By Barek Halfhand</p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/DSC00303.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/th_DSC00303.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Spring in Chicago represents an almost ritualistic awakening from hibernation as the lakeside city is finally freed from the often debilitating grip of Midwestern winter extremes… a drive along Lake Shore Drive on one of these sun bathed, warmer afternoons proves that the locals are more than ready to return to the manicured beaches of Oak Street and North Avenue as they stroll, cycle or Rollerblade down the endless sidewalks separating the concrete from the sand and Lake Michigan …while the beach attire is not full blown bikinis and swim trunks, the short sleeved shirts and windbreakers tied around waists leave little doubt that the new indigenous are more than ready to shed their winter coats …</p>
<p>The Congress Hotel still catches my eye no matter how many times I thread my way through the outlying urban grid and finally arrive in The Emerald City …Capone’s unyielding reign as Chicago’s undisputed crime boss was often dictated from that classic block of architecture and Michigan Avenue was awash with blood as a result … I could still feel the dark countenance of Big Al’s “Thousand Mile Stare” as I explored the old banquet rooms and lobbies a few years back …I still feel intimidated every time I stand his headstone in Mt Carmel …</p>
<p>John Dillinger was a different breed of “gangster” than Capone, while the local and federal law enforcement agencies charged with terminating his career tried demonize him with the pejorative; “Public Enemy Number One”, he seemed to have cultivated a sort of celebrity and popularity that many gangsters of the post Capone, Depression era enjoyed… much the way Bonnie and Clyde were acquiring legendary outlaw status down in Texas almost simultaneously …holding up banks at a time when so many were in foreclosure was not necessarily looked upon with disdain by those teetering on the precipice of destitution and homelessness (sound familiar?) …</p>
<p>An illustrious career of crime comprised Dillinger’s resume … by the time he returned Chicago and was “laying low” he had managed to rob 15 or so banks, successfully executed an elaborate plan to break out of one county jail in Ohio and boldly escaped yet another lockup in Indiana …there was the famous shootout at the Little Bohemia Lodge that seems to have some been the subject of some historic revision to accommodate the Johnny Depp film “Public Enemies” but I suppose I can grant some artistic license to that version of events because it was an such good flick …</p>
<p>John Dillinger had the sort of loquacious personality and effervescent demeanor that made him a media sensation and he did seem to bask in the camera flash when the reporters encircled him in Crown Point Indiana … While his assertive self-confidence was often misconstrued as the defiant braggadocio of a common thief in his early days, the later celebrated infamy of “Public Enemy Number One“ welcomed his colorful colloquialisms and good ‘ol Indiana boy antics … was it the perceived sense of public adoration that served as the impetus for John’s false sense of invincibility?… the Robin Hood-esque “steal from the rich” and brag about to the poor imagery that ingratiated him in the collective depression weary sensibility of the public? … Or was it simply because he really was THAT good at being bad?</p>
<p>Alas, even with his success as a crook and escape artist, all of that gangster swag and brazen bank robbing bravado, he could not conceal that much of a larger than life identity even with a trip to the plastic surgeon…his naive attempt at a low profile blurring into the Chicago landscape while things “cooled down” was in vain … Jim Purvis of the newly founded branch of federal law enforcement; “The Bureau Of Investigation” (which would later become the FBI) knew exactly who he was looking for as he staked out the Biograph Theater that humid June evening in 1934…</p>
<p>Lincoln Park traffic has always been challenging and this unseasonably warm pre-spring weekend afternoon was no exception …getting off of Lake Shore Drive and onto Fullerton Ave brought back memories of circling these blocks looking for a parking space when I worked downtown a few years back and the Lincoln Park Zoo seemed to have spoken for every conceivable parking spot for miles on this particular day …It’s not hard to understand why the Twenty-Somethings want to flock the city as soon as they have the means to move out of their parent’s home in the suburbs …there are a billion things to see and do and an equal number of hedonistic delights to indulge but most usually end up relocating back to the burbs by age 30 or so …or once the novelty wears off, whichever comes first ….</p>
<p>The buildings surrounding The Biograph Theater all have that look and feel about them like they are harboring a dark secret that is shrouded in antiquity and obfuscated by neon …the history of this small section of town alone could surely fill up four volumes of an almanac …The site of the St Valentine’s Day Massacre (2122 N. Clark St.,) is a little over a half mile away and if you listen very carefully you can still hear the ringing staccato of machine gun fire when you pass the buildings that now occupy the property where The Obanion Gang made their headquarters…when conditions are right ….</p>
<p>As luck would have it; I was able to secure a parking spot a reasonable distance from the old theater … As I exited my vehicle I was able to seamlessly blend into the throngs of young metro-hipsters making their way along the promenade (being the paragon of trendy hipness that I am)… some of them stopped to chat with small groups congregating in front of a pub or dinner ...some simply nodded in acknowledgement of their fellow cosmopolitans before proceeding to their obscure destinations like a coffee house, eclectic boutique or perhaps a music store specializing in reselling vinyl records, black light posters, lava lamps and assorted incense…Ah nostalgia for a past never experienced, such a strange phenomenon that seems so prevalent amongst today’s youth…I reminded myself that I used to wear black pants, a Concho belt and boots as an homage to Jim Morrison in my late teens/early 20’s even though I was barely out of kindergarten when “The Lizard King” turned in his crown … I almost missed the famous Marquis of the Biograph as in my mental absentia …</p>
<p>Posters advertising plays like “The Wale” lined the lobby windows but I could see that there were people milling about inside, likely there to attend a matinee …as I opened the front doors and assertively strolled inside like I owned the place, I was struck by the telltale momentary disorientation that has come to be an indication that something was amiss …</p>
<p>The sparse audience for the afternoon performance hob-knobbing over cocktails in the lounge area took little notice of me meticulously photographing the building’s forefront interior …nobody challenged me when I made my way down the aisle leading to the main theater although a woman standing on the stage studying the set (comprised solely of a couch surrounded by litter) glared at me indignantly as I casually snapped multiple shots of the old theater-turned auditorium …turning to make my way make down the runway leading out and ultimately back to the lobby I turned the corner and was mildly shocked to see (what I assumed to be) and actress smoking a cigarette indoors ...Illinois smoking laws are pretty tough and the fact that she was wearing her stage wardrobe while committing this almost unheard-of violation piqued my interest enough to simply stop and ask :</p>
<p>“You can smoke in here?...</p>
<p>Looking up at me with troubled yet piercing brown eyes she responded with a terse, Slavic sounding accent; “Of course, why not?” …</p>
<p>She immediately averted her eyes away from me and wiped away a tear …the old fashioned orange gown she wore as her costume complimented her buxom features but she seemed extremely uncomfortable in it nonetheless…</p>
<p>”Something wrong?” I inquired sympathetically …</p>
<p>“What would you care?” she shot back, sharply returning her attention in my direction … Wouldn’t you like to see a conniving Gypsy like me deported?” …</p>
<p>Striving to avoid a tendentious topic like immigration, I decided to extricate myself from the potentially volatile conversation and exit the building… I wasn’t keen on being seen cavorting with the indoor smoker either…</p>
<p>”If you’re one of Purvis’s men, tell him he doesn’t need to check up on me! “She called after me in a tone that seemed to be intentionally muffled but clearly rife with enmity...</p>
<p>I turned to ask for a clarification but she evidently had already left the corner and returned to the backstage area … the retrofitted ventilation system must be pretty good in that old structure because I didn’t see any trace of the billowing cloud she was producing by her emotionally charged smoke break …Back outside, I turned left and proceeded to the alley where Dillinger met his demise …</p>
<p>I didn’t see any bullet holes as legend contends are still visible upon close inspection…but I did see the blood …some pushed past me in a jovial frenzy to dip handkerchiefs in the dark ichor liquid that looked so black against the streetlight illuminated darkness …the pop of flashbulbs were like lightning flashes against the night shrouded background features of the city block… as I struggled to regain my equilibrium; it was then that I realized that not only did my reality shift from day to night but from living color to black and white...</p>
<p>Squinting at the sudden flashback to midday brightness as I exited the alley, I began the block or so jaunt back to the car … I was suddenly thrust back into my subjective state of redolence by the squawking sound of a 1930’s era car horn (struggles to phonetically express the sound; “aaaaahhhh-ooooooh-gaaah”)… The Ford DeLuxe Roadster that rumbled up from behind was piloted by a man wearing clothing of and indeterminable era at first assessment but as he rolled past me my hopes were dashed by the Blue Tooth clearly visible in his right ear…</p>
<p>Here are the photos from my visit to the Biograph Theater, some may have been color enhanced or edited for aesthetic optimization ….b<br/> <a href="http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/FoundersHill/library/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago?sort=3&page=1">http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/FoundersHill/library/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago?sort=3&page=1</a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/DSC00300.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/th_DSC00300.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/DSC00328.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/th_DSC00328.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/DSC00322.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/th_DSC00322.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/DSC00334.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/th_DSC00334.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/DSC00314.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Biograph%20Theater-Chicago/th_DSC00314.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/0317-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/th_0317-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/0317-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/th_0317-3.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/0317-4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/th_0317-4.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>------------------------</p>
<p><img src="http://spiritualphotographybybarekh.webs.com/k16zd5-HN.jpg" alt=""/></p> The Drew Peterson Housetag:architectsofanewdawn.ning.com,2013-03-25:2227378:Topic:3750202013-03-25T17:56:01.566ZBarek Halfhandhttps://architectsofanewdawn.ning.com/profile/BarekHalfhand61
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>The Drew Peterson House</strong></span> <br></br><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>By Barek Halfhand</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/DSC00179.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><img class="align-full" src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/th_DSC00179.jpg"></img></span></a></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>By now, unless you have been living in a cave you all know…</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>The Drew Peterson House</strong></span> <br/><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>By Barek Halfhand</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/DSC00179.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/th_DSC00179.jpg" class="align-full"/></span></a></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>By now, unless you have been living in a cave you all know the story … national headlines, international intrigue, talk shows, tabloids and even a Lifetime Channel movie featuring Rob Lowe delivering a chilling performance and an uncanny Drew…</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>All media hype and pop culture sensationalism aside; there are children missing their mothers, parents missing their daughters, sibling missing their sisters …We know the 3rd wife of former Bolingbrook Ill. Police Sgt. Peterson was found dead in her bathtub back in 2004 and he was finally convicted of the murder which was originally considered accidental …in 2007 Drew’s 4th and much younger wife; Stacy went missing without a trace leaving her own children and the children of Drew’s previous marriage she often cared for …</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Drew has received a 38 year sentence in the death of his 3rd wife and will likely never leave prison…thus far he has seen the inside of the Will County lockup, Stateville Correctional Center; where John Wayne Gacy and Richard Speck lived out their last days, the 140 plus year old Pontiac Correction Center and most recently to downstate Chester Ill where a long stretch at the 130 plus year old Menard Correctional Center awaits him … In addition to the decommissioned Joliet Correctional Center; I have also done some work at Pontiac and I can assure you it is not a pleasant place by any stretch of the imagination …</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>I was spending an extensive amount of time photo documenting the Queen of Heaven Cemetery/Mausoleum (Marian Apparition site) in Hillside Illinois back in late 2007 when they exhumed the body of Kathleen Savio … I didn’t witness the actual task but distinctly remember how unsettling it was to see the TV vans set up across from the cemetery gates with cameras and lights focused on the darkness beyond and the reporters and crew nowhere in sight... the images of that sodden white coffin getting hoisted out of the ground on the news over the next few days evoked a visceral reaction from the public collective that reminded us all that a cool, calculating, cerebral killer can live amongst us largely detected …</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Stacy has yet to be found but the once smiling, vibrant Kathleen has somberly returned to her dirt smeared box in the cold earth …”I told you the bastard was going to kill me!” ….</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/DSC00180.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/th_DSC00180.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/DSC00178.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/th_DSC00178.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/DSC00177.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/th_DSC00177.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/DSC00175.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/th_DSC00175.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/DSC00174.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/The%20Drew%20Peterson%20House/th_DSC00174.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/0173-0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/th_0173-0.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/0173-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/th_0173-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/0173-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/th_0173-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/0173-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/th_0173-3.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/0173-4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/th_0173-4.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/0176-0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/th_0176-0.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/0176-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/th_0176-1.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/0176-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/th_0176-2.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/0176-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/th_0176-3.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/0176-4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g363/FoundersHill/th_0176-4.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p> The Lost Blogtag:architectsofanewdawn.ning.com,2013-02-07:2227378:Topic:3689612013-02-07T21:23:16.438ZBarek Halfhandhttps://architectsofanewdawn.ning.com/profile/BarekHalfhand61
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>The Lost Blog</strong></em></span><br></br><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>by Barek Halfhand</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5190.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><img class="align-full" src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/th_100_5190.jpg"></img></span></a></strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>Long story short, I had a long and…</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>The Lost Blog</strong></em></span><br/><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>by Barek Halfhand</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5190.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/th_100_5190.jpg" class="align-full"/></span></a></strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>Long story short, I had a long and typically bizarre narrative ready to accompany the photos of this site but as I am usually vigilant went it comes to backing up my files, I have become somewhat lax as of late in updating my backup preferences and manually committing files to the cloud as soon as I create them the way I used to …</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>So take this as a cautionary advisory for those that think it will never happen to you (like me)…it will…</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>In my early AM, pre-coffee haste to circumnavigate the BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) I was experiencing upon start-up, I must have somehow inadvertently selected the options to completely format and reinstall windows instead of just another attempt at a repair (safe-mode wouldn’t even start) …The error message I was getting from the BSOD screen implied the problem was related to a recent hardware change and all I could conclude from this was that it had something to do with the fact that I both started and shut down my laptop with an HDMI cable plugged into a TV (for Netflix) the night before …I have had problems in the past with HDMI making the screen on my laptop freak out and making changes to my sound playback option that often necessitated manual changes to revert to the original audio functionality and stability etc. …</strong></em></span></p>
<p><br/><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>I was able to recover more than half of the photos via my “sent mail” files because I shared more than usual of the raw images with a few colleagues that were interested in this particular location… again I would usually back these up as soon as I transferred them from my camera, but not this time…I had the usual enhancements with the myriad of colorful boxes and arrows but those lost so I am just adding the base photos I have recovered from the emails …</strong></em></span></p>
<p><br/><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>The site itself was by way of a tip I received from a realtor that wishes to remain anonymous and has reported rumors of a long history of alleged activity on the two overgrown lots and long empty homes that now occupy these seemingly marketable and beautifully wooded plots of land…the first stone façade home was wide open and strewn with debris ranging from liquor bottles to portions of the ceiling has fallen to the floor …there was one locked bedroom missing a doorknob and when I peered through the hole I saw a shadow pass in front of the space between the door and the rear window which prompted an immediate exit and thus an abbreviated visit …</strong></em></span></p>
<p><br/><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>The second house turned out to be locked albeit the fact that my contact promised it would be opened …an open rear window where the air conditioner had fallen out revealed a musty dank interior and that special stale, sour smell and the house looked to be fully furnished and likely occupied by a senior citizen that either passed on or relocated to an assisted living situation …A few calls to my contact only connected me to voicemail and while I did get some temporary satisfaction from the frenetic message I left, it did not solve problem …while I was certain that I would be legally safe climbing through the window , a flash of prescience I have to trust prevented me from entering …There was a light burning in the front of the house as I made my way back to the front and down the gravel driveway … I heard the front door slam behind me halfway down the driveway...</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><em><strong>Here are the (compressed to 1MB) photos...some have been slightly sharpened or color enhanced....b</strong></em></span> <br/><a href="http://s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/">http://s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5228.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/th_100_5228.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_52251.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/th_100_52251.jpg" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5228.jpg" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5215.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/th_100_5215.jpg" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5228.jpg" target="_blank"></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5222.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/th_100_5222.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5213.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/th_100_5213.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5200.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/th_100_5200.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5203.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/th_100_5203.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5240.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/th_100_5240.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5235.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/th_100_5235.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5198.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/th_100_5198.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/100_5227.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Lost%20Blog/th_100_5227.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>----------------------------<br/><img src="http://spiritualphotographybybarekh.webs.com/k16zd5-HN.jpg" alt=""/></p> The Alamotag:architectsofanewdawn.ning.com,2012-10-08:2227378:Topic:3538872012-10-08T00:16:22.475ZBarek Halfhandhttps://architectsofanewdawn.ning.com/profile/BarekHalfhand61
<p>The Alamo <br></br> by Barek Halfhand</p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Alamo/100_4138.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Alamo/th_100_4138.jpg"></img></a></p>
<p>Smack dab in the heart of downtown San Antonio stands an archaic structure has come to serve as the symbol of Texas pride… the name “Alamo” alone represents an entire lexicon of history, lore, romance and war …on one particularly warm Sunday morning I made my way to south on Texas I 35…</p>
<p>Once downtown I was able to secure a…</p>
<p>The Alamo <br/> by Barek Halfhand</p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Alamo/100_4138.jpg"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Alamo/th_100_4138.jpg" alt=""/></a></p>
<p>Smack dab in the heart of downtown San Antonio stands an archaic structure has come to serve as the symbol of Texas pride… the name “Alamo” alone represents an entire lexicon of history, lore, romance and war …on one particularly warm Sunday morning I made my way to south on Texas I 35…</p>
<p>Once downtown I was able to secure a self-park garage for $10.00 which I found quite reasonable compared to the $28-32 dollar a day parking I’m used to in downtown Chicago…The clip clop of horse drawn carriages is an odd sound amid circling traffic the roar of the highway and overpass nearby. The specialty shops, boutiques, special attractions and bars of The River Walk looked great, the Crockett and Menger Hotel on the periphery of the Alamo made for great photos as they both most assuredly are situated on battle grounds …</p>
<p>The square little plot of land bordered by a stone wall literally has a visible aura and once one attempts to fully digest the complexity of the Alamo’s history the vibe there resonates even more …construction on this old mission started in 1724 and was originally named” Mission San Antonio de Valero”… this site saw secularization attempts by the Mexican government which brought about many changes and redistribution of Native American lands granting both Indians and European settlers a home with the promise of religious conversion to Catholicism … throughout the next 100 years the tiny mission experienced occupancy by both the Spanish Army and the Mexican army until The Texas Revolution in 1835…</p>
<p>The most famous event in the Alamo’s history (and perhaps Texas history) was of course the 13 days siege that began on February 23, 1836, when the Mexican army led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna attacked the fortified mission and were held at bay by a rag tag regiment of defenders consisting of soldiers, ranchers, doctors, lawyers and eventually volunteers from nearby settlements like Gonzalez Texas…Names like Colonel Travis, David (Davey) Crockett and Jim Bowie (creator of the Bowie knife) are forged into the American collective conscious from that battle but despite the bravery and fierce attempts to defend the Alamo, on March 6, 1836, the Mexican army breached the outer walls and commenced their relentless attack on the church and Long barrack with cannons captured from the inside…the hand full of women and children holed up in the church that survived were spared and released eventually ...the momentum inspired by this ignominious victory by Santa Anna’s army was short lived and by ordering the execution of 400 of Sam Houston’s newly formed Republic of Texas army after losing a lopsided battle near what is now La Grange Texas as an ego inflated Santa Anna tailed Houston’s retreating T.R.A. along the Gulf Coast. The tables turned in favor of Houston and his revenge motivated fighters, the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, lasted a whole 18 minutes when Houston’s angered forces surprised Santa Anna’s army taking their afternoon siesta …</p>
<p>Being the early bird that I am the weekend tourism traffic was somewhat sparse at the 10:00 am opening hours posted on The Alamo’s side gate… The old church is now an official Texas State shrine and they even require that gentlemen “remove their hats” upon entry ….the multi ethnic crowd peacefully visiting this historic site seemed to represent a convergent blending of heritage and ideologies that now comprises the contemporary Texas demographic and the tradition of pride that seems to pervade the entire state …It seemed almost incomprehensible that that this peaceful morning scene was the site of such fierce violence and carnage over 176 years ago as people milled about with their families or friends periodically exchanging pleasantries and platitudes with the attendant staff or each other… Eyewitnesses reported between 182 and 257 Texans dead and while that figure is disputed most historians agree that 400–600 Mexicans were killed or wounded or wounded in that epic battle…</p>
<p>There are some fascinating artifacts beneath the glass in one of the buildings…a knife belonging to James Bowie, a musket owned by Davey Crocket, uniforms from the Mexican army, cannon balls, horse-shoes, pistols, daggers, candle holders, canteens, coins cookware and more…There were a few gentlemen dressed in period clothing conversing with the public and showing off their weapons, authentic garb and assorted accoutrements, the IPhone poking out of the shirt pocket of one of them kind of ruined the effect, but no one seemed to care…</p>
<p>Rounding the corner of one of the buildings I noticed one of the guys dressed in his (presumed) historic reenactment gear standing alone in a quiet, shaded spot beneath a tree, away from the main path and the crow. Walking past him I noticed he was staring at the ground and mumbling something while scraping a stick across the ground …<br/> “Taking a break from the tourists?” I asked as before I realized this was not just another volunteer playing dress up…He jerked his head upright and said: “I’m a coward; I was the only one that wouldn’t cross the line!”…I edged a little closer despite the growing agitation and prickly static electricity… “What line?” I asked simply…He looked up again, the pain very plain in his eyes, “ Bill asked that those who would stand and fight with him to cross the line”… he lowered his head again and continued his back and forth scraping motion with the stick…”Bill?” I asked…He looked up again, rather annoyed this time; “Col. William Barrett Travis!” he replied in a suddenly irritated and considerably amplified voice …it didn’t surprise me that a group walking nearby gave no indication of hearing this sudden raspy, angry outburst …lowering his voice he went on; “He requested that those that would stand and fight with him cross over a line he scratched in the ground with his sword…I was the only one that didn’t walk across the line”… looking up; his eyes were welling up with tears …”You’re taking this role playing thing a little too seriously aren’t you?” I asked insouciantly, more to myself than to him and he just stood there blinking …Getting into the spirit of things I tried a new strategy: “As we speak, Santa Anna’s army marches east and there are rumors that they are executing prisoners”… he seemed to straighten up and look at me squarely in the eyes but said nothing …affecting my best (bad) southern drawl I continue;…”I have been dispatched by Major General Sam Houston to recruit soldiers to fight for the Republic Of Texas and stop Santa Anna in his tracks.”…He dropped the stick he was holding and began tucking in his oversized shirt and straightening his floppy leather hat …I reached down, picked up his discarded stick and scratched a line in the loose soil before me as I continued: “By the authority of General Houston and by my commissioned rank as a commander … I, Lt. Colonel Beauregard Halfhand III ask those who will stand with me in battle to cross this line in the sand …or um mud”… Without hesitation or disputation and holding his head high, he clicked his heals and snapped to attention “I will fight by your side in the name of General Houston and for the Republic of Texas” …with a straight legged stride he started towards me and my makeshift line of demarcation …as anticipated he flashed out of existence as soon as he crossed the mark leaving me standing alone beneath a tree saluting idiotically and holding a crooked stick just as a gaggle of tourists rounded the corner and walked past me motioning and giggling ….</p>
<p>Here's the Youtube video:<br/> <a href="http://youtu.be/7lzlDaxtxbU">http://youtu.be/7lzlDaxtxbU</a></p>
<p>Here are the (compressed to 1MB) photos...some have been slightly sharpened or color enhanced....b</p>
<p><a href="http://s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Alamo/">http://s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Alamo/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Alamo/100_4198.jpg"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/The%20Alamo/th_100_4198.jpg" alt=""/></a></p>
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<p>----------------------------<br/> <img src="http://spiritualphotographybybarekh.webs.com/k16zd5-HN.jpg" alt=""/></p> The St Paul Hotel (St Paul MN) and the Orpheum Theater (Omaha NE)tag:architectsofanewdawn.ning.com,2012-08-22:2227378:Topic:3481602012-08-22T21:28:27.686ZBarek Halfhandhttps://architectsofanewdawn.ning.com/profile/BarekHalfhand61
<p>The St Paul Hotel (St Paul MN) and the Orpheum Theater (Omaha NE)<br></br> By Barek Halfhand</p>
<p>The summer of 2012 has thus far been the hottest in the Midwest in recorded history and lowest levels rainfall precipitation measured since the mid 30’s, the likes of which were so bad that it prolonged and exacerbated and already deeply depressed economy…the relentless heat and lack of moisture has decimated crops and vegetation in such a large geographic region that the lack of food production…</p>
<p>The St Paul Hotel (St Paul MN) and the Orpheum Theater (Omaha NE)<br/> By Barek Halfhand</p>
<p>The summer of 2012 has thus far been the hottest in the Midwest in recorded history and lowest levels rainfall precipitation measured since the mid 30’s, the likes of which were so bad that it prolonged and exacerbated and already deeply depressed economy…the relentless heat and lack of moisture has decimated crops and vegetation in such a large geographic region that the lack of food production is expected to drastically raise prices in the later months of 2012 and well into 2013. Traveling north to Minnesota, the stifling heat transformed what would normally have been a lush and florid ride this time of year, into a bleak and blighted landscape …the yellowing and stunted cornstalks along the brown grass lined highway stood in silent testament to the Sun’s latest scorched earth policy and this frightening sight extended far into northwest Wisconsin and into further into Minnesota… a little more than a week later; a westward journey through western Illinois, mid-Iowa, Nebraska and ultimately KC MO would prove by personal witness that this agricultural emergency was not limited to the upper Midwest/Great Lakes region ….<br/> The St Paul Hotel and The Orpheus Theater have both weathered the drought and Great Depression of the 30’s and both appear to stand stoically indifferent to the most recent of extreme temperatures and economic tribulations…the first stop; St Paul provided little in the way of relief from hot, arid heat but somehow just being so far north seemed to lessen the severity by suggestion alone …The hotel is located just a short stroll from an elevated boulevard overlooking the Mississippi River and nestled in the center of downtown St Paul where newer, taller buildings now overshadow it but fail to diminish it’s intrigue…<br/>
The property where the St. Paul hotel now stands is rife with history itself … from 1871– 1878 stood “The German House” until it was claimed by a fire, from 1871 an new luxury hotel named “The Winsor” occupied the property until time, community growth, ownership changes and inevitable obsolescence paved the way for one of The Winsor’s new proprietors: Lucius P. Ordway to embark upon the most daring, opulent and luxurious hotels to sit on that plot of land and in the City Of St. Paul yet … <br/>
Inspired by his own ambitious visions, construction began in 1908 and opened with much fanfare in 1910 …with the intention of mimicking the finer hotels of New York and Chicago, The St. Paul certainly lived up to the challenge … with the décor and European interior designs and the cut stone trim, terra-cotta ornamentation and massive cornice of the exterior it certainly lived up to that expectation …the hotel hosted a variety of notable guests in its illustrious past including: <br/>
-1927: A dinner in Charles Lindberg’s honor after he completed his historic trans-Atlantic flight and returning home to St Paul.<br/>
-1920’s through 1930’s: St Paul’s top gangster; Leon Gleckman sets up his headquarters in a suite much the way Al Capone did at The Congress in Chicago. <br/>
-1937: A young Lawrence Welk begins leading the house band on Saturday nights.</p>
<p>1947: Gene Autry (and horse) stays for eight days while featured at the “World Championship Rodeo” in town that year.</p>
<p>1960: John F. Kennedy visits the hotel preparing for the elections.<br/> The merciless mid-day temperatures created a heat-wave distortion radiating off of the pavement as I fought my way to downtown St. Paul amid endless construction barricades and the resultant traffic jams … I picked a side street that looked to provide a reprieve from the gridlocked expressway and grant me access to the inner city and the ultimately the old hotel …My gamble paid off and I found a parking spot along the river where the elevated street created a parallax view of the opposite river banks…a short walk down a city street brought the unmistakable stone blocks and planter box bottomed windows into view …the pictures linked to the Photobucket album ( below) will provide a good impression of the inside as I feel that in this particular instance words wouldn’t do it justice despite my at times excessive verbosity but needless to say I was awe struck by its grandiose yet subtle and tasteful décor ..<br/>
The rumor is that the specter of young girl likes to loiter in the lobby and is known to be spotted peeking out from behind the furnishings from time to time… while I didn’t spot this elusive phantasm (or even get the notion of one) something interesting did show up in one of the photos (see photo enhancements below) but I make no claims …<br/>
The midland plains of Iowa were also in dire straits with little hope of crop revival as of late July/early August… crossing the border into Nebraska I witnessed more of the same.<br/>
Omaha is an old city steeped in history and legend …being a lifelong Chicagoan I sometimes have to chuckle at the comparative sizes of these cities but they each have their own distinct energy signature and feel…the predominately red bricked cobblestone streets are oddly un-annoying thumping beneath the tires but I doubt the inhabitants of this town ever become completely desensitized to them once the nostalgia wears off … <br/>
The Orpheum Theater has undergone a few transformations over the years and despite the internecine squabbling in the past within the theater/music community concerning its viability and it’s need for renovation, the old landmark stands proudly downtown with placards posted in its storefront windows advertising upcoming engagements ranging from opera, symphony, Shrek the Musical, Jackson Browne and Jane’s Addiction …getting inside for photos was simply a matter of walking up and asking ...Once inside I was flabbergasted by the beauty I beheld, I was especially appreciative of the huge auditorium; “Slossburg Hall with its massive stage, opulent arched ceiling and inset box seats; the likes of which would have been a favorite of John Wilkes Boothe … from its humble beginning in 1892 as a vaudevillian house, this building has seen much in the way of change both socially and structurally… <br/>
The alleged sightings here seem to revolve around the appearance of a 40s era musician that sort of sulks around the side of the stage…the theater management is supposedly tight-lipped about this so I didn’t inquire after I was granted extemporal access for the expressed purpose of photos but the hapless minstrel flashed into corporeal existence as soon as I entered the hall… <br/>
As I made way down the center isle (pausing intermittently for photos) I noticed the man was clasping a violin to his chest and staring at the empty stage with an unmistakably sour expression…moving his direction in a side stepping fashion while taking my snapshots along the length of the parquet, he neither changed expression or seemed to notice my cautious approach …as I sort of sidled up next to him, with all the magnanimity I could muster, I inquired: “Why so gloomy Maestro?”…after a few eternal seconds he responded without turning my direction and with very little in the way of inflection: “I was demoted to second seat violinist, I don’t deserve to be a second seater” …Not being much of a classical music aficionado I simply assumed this was sort of a less coveted or an understudy designation in the orchestra pit …the dour duffer continued: “relegated to the ranks of a back row fiddler “…<br/>
“Did your replacement deserve his promotion and can you honestly assert that the choice to reassign you was unwarranted?” I chided in an effort to evoke a more interrogative dialog …unfortunately his laconically brief response proved the efficacy of my tactic to be lacking…<br/>
“I don’t deserve this” …and as I gestured towards the stage to remind him that as a (novice) musician myself; I would feel privileged to perform on such an immaculate stage in ANY capacity, I noticed him vanish from my periphery and he could not be located anywhere on the main floor now…Shrugging in my disappointment that he wasn’t amenable to a conversation and heading back up the center isle (hoping nobody observed me talking to myself down by the stage) I heard a loud crack and muffled grunt overhead …knowing what had occurred, I elected not to look upward as I ducked under his dangling, twitching legs below the balcony railing …</p>
<p>Here are the (compressed to 1MB) photos...some have been slightly sharpened or color enhanced (08-2012) <br/> Orpheuous Theater, & downtown Omaha NE:<br/>
<a href="http://s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/Omaha%20NE/">http://s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/Omaha%20NE/</a></p>
<p>The Paul Hotel/downtown St Paul MN/St Katherine College/ and an old Lutheran cemetery:<br/> <a href="http://s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/Omaha%20NE/St%20Paul%20MN/">http://s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/Omaha%20NE/St%20Paul%20MN/</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/4019-0.jpg"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/th_4019-0.jpg" alt=""/></a></p>
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<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/4019-2.jpg"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/th_4019-2.jpg" alt=""/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/4019-3.jpg"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/th_4019-3.jpg" alt=""/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/4019-4.jpg"><img src="http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/th_4019-4.jpg" alt=""/></a></p>
<p>----------------------------<br/> <img src="http://spiritualphotographybybarekh.webs.com/k16zd5-HN.jpg" alt=""/></p> Katherine Legge Parktag:architectsofanewdawn.ning.com,2012-07-15:2227378:Topic:3439862012-07-15T01:47:34.276ZBarek Halfhandhttps://architectsofanewdawn.ning.com/profile/BarekHalfhand61
<p><i><span style="text-decoration: underline;">“3 miles away: At Katherine Legge Memorial Park, the main building (not the lodge) used to be a woman's dorm. Supposedly if you are there alone at night on the first floor, you can hear footsteps on the second floor...”</span></i><br></br> Source:<br></br> <a href="http://www.ghostsofamerica.com/6/Illinois_Western_Springs_ghost_sightings4.html">http://www.ghostsofamerica.com/6/Illinois_Western_Springs_ghost_sightings4.html</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>Katherine…</p>
<p><i><span style="text-decoration: underline;">“3 miles away: At Katherine Legge Memorial Park, the main building (not the lodge) used to be a woman's dorm. Supposedly if you are there alone at night on the first floor, you can hear footsteps on the second floor...”</span></i><br/> Source:<br/> <a href="http://www.ghostsofamerica.com/6/Illinois_Western_Springs_ghost_sightings4.html">http://www.ghostsofamerica.com/6/Illinois_Western_Springs_ghost_sightings4.html</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>Katherine Legge Park<br/> By Barek Halfhand</p>
<p></p>
<p>There are a few interesting parallels between K.L Park and the Peabody Estate such as both Alexander Legge and Francis Stuyvesant Peabody dying of a heart attack on their respective properties…both survived the death of a wife (or first wife) and erected memorials on the grounds …both were well to do executives and while Katherine and Alexander Legge were perhaps the more philanthropically and humanitarianism oriented Mr. Peabody was known to be a kind and generous man …</p>
<p><br/> The similarities end at F.S. Peabody’s evident disdain for his beloved ground being traipsed by the general public as a sort of contemporary museum/dog-park/civic event center/ bike trail/favorite fishing spot…the austere Mr Peabody grimaced at my mention of the new “Dog Park” from his spectral horse before galloping off and away from my mind’s eye..<br/> The Legge’s on the other hand seem delighted by the dog walkers, strollers, swing set playground swingers and reveling party attendees enjoying a private booked affair that spilled out onto the lodge patio complete with a DJ and black –tied bar tenders …</p>
<p><br/> Alexander was devastated by the loss of Katherine as the result of typhoid fever and while he was taken aback by the arrival of the painted portraits of the two if them Katherine had rendered surreptitiously based on photos photographs …Alexander being a man that was born of modest means felt posing for a portrait to be the epitome of vanity and self-aggrandizement but fulfilled the wishes of his late betrothed by vowing to prominently display the painting at her memorial ( now hanging in “The Lodge”…a side note; his cheeks still redden at the mention of these paintings even in the afterlife …</p>
<p><br/> The headstone memorial cordoned off by an oxidizing iron spiked fence and flanked by neatly pruned evergreens seems oddly out of place off a sidewalk between the Lodge patio and the Arts Building and my impression is that this is Mrs Legge’s least favorite aspect of the park …</p>
<p><br/> The 2nd floor old main building is not devoid of furnishing or occupant but a single light in the hallway provides an ambient glow when viewed through the windows from below …It is rumored the mellifluous, dulcet voice of a woman singing can be faintly heard emanating from the building…an unofficial source has relayed that one particularly Rubenesque dorm mothers used to sing a certain sonnet to signify that “lights out” time was rapidly approaching… Though loved, this stern matron had little tolerance for insolence and occasionally “lowered the boom” on the at times petulant young ladies, but these incidents were rare at best...on those rare occasions where the girls were a bit more boisterous before lights out, the normal serene sonnet the woman would sing was replaced by a melancholy melody about a bereft widow lamenting the loss of her husband in WW1…at least this is the most I could decipher as I made my way up the rickety outer wooden staircase…</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Here's the Youtube video:</strong><br/> <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbYK3cszk_0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbYK3cszk_0</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Here are the (compressed to 1MB) photos...some have been slightly sharpened or color enhanced (06-2012) 70 total....b</strong> <br/> <strong><a href="http://s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/Katherine%20Legge%20Park/">http://s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy188/TheNotoriousMrhalfhand/Katherine%20Legge%20Park/</a></strong></p>
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<p>----------------------------<br/> <img src="http://spiritualphotographybybarekh.webs.com/k16zd5-HN.jpg" alt=""/></p>