HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: michaelg@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Michael Greenwald)
Subject: Computer ghosts...
Organization: CS Department, Stanford University, California, USA
Distribution: alt
Date:  6 Sep 92 06:53:50 GMT

You'd think that there would be more stories about computers and
ghosts.  After all, lots of people seem to link ghosts to electrical
phenomenon, and surely it's easier to believe that a ghost can
influence a couple of electrons (or holes) in a device on a chip, than
to orchestrate some complicated large-scale phenomena.  Add to that
the bizarre behavior of computer programs that have bugs, and the fact
that programmers sometimes are staring at their computer's after being
awake for 48+ hours in a row....  ...I don't know: I'd expect (hope)
more stories about people who have somehow gotten frightened by the
"ghost in the machine"...
From: beh@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Bruce Howells)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: Northern Michigan Ghost Story
Date: 8 Sep 92 17:44:17 GMT
Distribution: alt
Organization: Internet access via the Free Software Foundation


My mom has always been uncannily good at certain aspects of life, one of
which is "foretelling" things which are going to happen.  I guess it's been
that way pretty much of her life, but she tells one story which is
downright hairraising.  

When she was a teenager, she lived just outside of Munising, Michigan.  She
had a best friend whose name was June.  Well, one weekend during the school
year, my mom was sick with an intestinal virus.  She had been sick pretty
much all weekend, and had to go outside to use the outhouse, as they didn't
have an indoor toilet (my mom is now 70...).  They also did not have a
phone.  Well, Sunday night, she went out to the outhouse with a flashlight
while everyone else was still in bed, and she just about freaked out.  Who
should come to her but her friend June, dressed in this great white dress,
and holding her hands out to her!  Well, my mom dropped the flashlight
down the outhouse hole, and ran screaming into the house, where she
awakened everyone.  She told everyone what she'd seen in great detail, and
after everyone was done laughing at her, they all went back to bed.  The
next day, she still wasn't feeling very well, and so she didn't go to
school.  When her brothers came home, however, they wouldn't go near her.
Why?  Well, it seemed that the whole school had been taken to the funeral
home to view a classmate's body before it was to be interred the next day.
It seemed that the classmate was June, dressed in a brand new white dress
just as Mom had seen her.  She had been in a car accident, and died, and no
one at my Mom's farm knew, 'cause they didn't have a phone.  My
grandparents thought the boys were teasing my mom, so they went into town,
and sure enough, it was true.  Makes you wonder, no?

--Nancy Howells
(beh@gnu.ai.mit.edu through the good graces of my husband)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: wincerw@feserve.cc.purdue.edu (Bill Wincer)
Subject: Ouija boards
Organization: Purdue University
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 21:25:36 GMT


     Personally, I feel that all of this dread of ouija boards is nonsense. 
I've been using them for quite a while now, and it's all just for fun.  Anyone
using the board as an oracle should seriously consider another method.  These 
spirits (if they are spirits and not just the subconscious mind) don't know muchmore than people do and they definitely don't know the future.  They MIGHT give
you an educated guest on what COULD happen, but usually they'll just tell you
what you want to hear or dread hearing (they do like to play mind games with 
you).  Anyway, think of it like this, would you pick a random phone number and
ask whoever answered the phone for advice or a prediction and then take it to
be gospel?  Remember, it's a toy use it as such and don't take it too seriously
and you'll have a lot of fun.
                                                                  --Baedrik

                                                                    /\/^\/^\  
                                                                     /  /  / 
                                                                    /  /  / _.
                                                                   /  /  |_,'|    
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: Ann.Feeney@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Ann Feeney)
Subject: Lyric Opera of Chicago/Civic Opera House
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 19:40:25 GMT


Hi.
I'm wondering if there are any stories of the Lyric Opera of Chicago's
regular theater, the Civic Opera House building, being haunted.

I'd imagine that it's ripe for either stories or hauntings, esp. since a
chorus member had a fatal heart attack, on state, during a performance of
Verdi's Otello.  (At least, I believe that the heart attack was fatal.) 
It was also during the run of Otello where Placido Doming o had to cancel,
because of the Mexican earthquake taking place at that time, and he had
relatives who were killed.

I _was_ there at that performance, but didn't notice a thing.  (sitting
the the BYOO (Bring Your Own Oxygen) seats will do that).

Ann
--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: fernee@newton.physics.uq.oz.au (Mark Fernee)
Subject: Re: Ghost writing...
Organization: Physics Dept. The University of Queensland
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 02:39:47 GMT

In article <1992Sep12.234823.1@vmsb.is.csupomona.edu>, cvetp036@vmsb.is.csupomona.edu writes:
|> > another is "imprisoned with the pharaohs", originally credited to harry houdini
|> > but actually written by h.p. lovecraft.  modern lovecraft anthologies list it
|> > as written "with harry houdidni".
|> 
|> Hmmm, I thought the Harry Houdin story was titled "Under the Pyramids?"
                                                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Not in the copy that I have.

|> 
|> I'm currently the Lovecraft collection and the story appeared in the volume
|> "Dagon and Other Macabre Tales."
|> 
|> BTW, for you H.P. Lovecraft readers out there, any truth behind the dreaded
|> Necronomicon? I HAD a copy of that I bought at a bookstore, just for the hell
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> of it.
|> 
|> 

What ever you do DON'T READ IT or you go irreversibly INSANE.

Mark.
From: shell@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Michelle Bergeron )
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: Ghosts in Theatres
Date: 12 Sep 92 20:49:35 GMT
Reply-To: shell@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Michelle Bergeron )
Distribution: na
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX
Originator: shell@happy.cc.utexas.edu


	Most theatres leave a light onstage, even when no one is in the theatre.
It's basically for security purposes (so someone won't fall off the end of the
stage) but the lights are commonly known as "ghost lights".
	Also, most theatres have a ghost legend associated with them, and most
of the people involved in that particular theater look positively on the ghost.
	There are two ghost stories associated with the Olney Theatre in Olney,
MD.  (I did an apprenticeship there this summer.)  One involves the daughter of
Helen Hayes.  The girl was thought to have contracted polio from a pool out
behind the theatre--this was before it was discovered you couldn't get polio
that way.  The pool was filled with old, unwanted scenery, and a new pool was
later put in for people to swim in.  The "polio pool",as its commonly called,
is still there, out in the woods.  I never had enough nerve to go back there.
Whenever anyone would mention the idea, I'd get too involved picking rasp-
berries from the bushes that grew near the edge of the woods.  Any way, the
girl's ghost supposedly hangs out at the theatre.  I never got to meet her.
	The other story was written up in the local paper.  There are rooms 
above the box office of the theatre that are used for apprentice housing.  A
couple years back, a girl who occupied one of the rooms woke to "feel" there
was someone in the room.  When she looked over to one of the other beds, she
saw the indentation that someone's butt would make if sitting on the bed.  She
was quite scared, of course.  Someone later went into the room and basically
said, "If you don't bother us, we won't bother you."  The paper quoted the
room as being one in the actor's residence, so the story was somwhat confused.
Many people won't go into that room now, though.
	Boo.

-- 
Michelle Bergeron           |  I want to tell you how I really feel...   
shell@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu    |  I feel fine, thanks.

            
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: spice@convex.csd.uwm.edu (James G Spice)
Subject: Re: Ouija Boards
Organization: Computing Services Division, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 07:56:07 GMT

In article <1992Sep15.044109.21754@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> rnakkula@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Robin J Nakkula) writes:
>Ouija boards offered for sale today (new) are manufactured by Parker Brothers
>(I believe, or Milton Bradley, but in any case, by a large toy manufacturing
>house).  The board I bought in the 1970's was that way, but it also carried
>the name of the individual (a man's name, I can't recall what exactly) who
>originally sold these things (and from whom the toy manufacturer presumably
>bought the rights from).

I've seen one of the new boards -- basically the same exept the stylus,
or whatever that little needle in the middle of the cursor (you know the
one that used to fall out and get lost and be replaced by a tack from 
the junk drawer) was called, no longer exists.  It is replaced by a
permanent little plastic hangy-downy thing that is permanently affixed
to the coaster thingy.  Sorry about the technical sophistication.

The name mentioned above still accompanies the "game".  Funny, but I
never noticed it before.  I don't recall the name either, but I'll
post it soon if someone else doesn't, and we'll see if someone can
come up with some history of this guy.


your junk drawer)

-- 
--------------------------------------     Jim Spice
And we're off, like a dirty shirt!         U. of Wisconsin -- Milwaukee
		--Lester Earnest Spice     Dept. of Political Science
======================================     spice@convex.csd.uwm.edu
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: bednarek@picard.med.ge.com (Dennis Bednarek Mfg 4-6971)
Subject: Real Places
Organization: GE Medical Systems, Magnetic Resonance
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 92 08:12:50 GMT



If anyone has knowledge of haunted places in southern Wisconsin
please E-Mail me.  I', seriously intrested in this topic and 
would like further information.

Dennis


--

  
###############################################################################
###NEVER - NEVERMORE###########################################################
###############################################################################
####################################What are the contents of the oblong box?##
###############################################################################
  The usual disclaimer of self and employer applies to all above comments.
#
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: frankm@microsoft.com (Frank R.A.J. Maloney)
Subject: Re: Scariest movie
Date: 04 Sep 92 17:38:04 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Windows/DOS Users Ed Group
Distribution: na

Zooming through this thread I failed to notice (was I
zooming too fast?) any mention of what are for me the two
most disturbing ghost stories I've seen on film.

One is THE INNOCENTS, starring Deborah Kerr and made in the
early 60s. It was based on a Henry James story (The Turn of
the Screw, I think). Is the house haunted by evil spirits
corrupting two innocent children, or is it all the
imaginings of a repressed spinster?

(Damn, I was interrupted and now I've lost my train of
thought. Can I get back to you on this.)

-- 
Frank Richard Aloysius Jude Maloney
	"Well, I'm a little muddled." -- Glinda
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: C0051@vmcms.csuohio.edu
Subject: Ghosts in my home and more...
Organization: CSU
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 16:56:18 GMT

    A few years ago my family went out of town and I decided to stay home. My
aunt lives downstairs (we live in a double house). She went over to her mothers
to drop my cousins off for the weekend. As usual I went down stairs in the base
ment to lock-up for the night. I turned off the lights and made sure there was
no water on. I got into bed and heard water running from somewhere in the house
(from my room you could hear stuff like that). So I got up and went to check it
out. I went down the basement and all the lights were on and any water nosel
that could turn was on. I know that no one could have gotten in...i.e. the dog
would bark. Again I turned everything off and went to bed. Of course the water
started again. Right after, I heard my aunt come in and had her go down with me
and sure enough everything was on again. It took a while before I could go
back to sleep. When I went up I forgot that I didn't let the dogs in. Next
thing I know....up the stairs they come, yelping and crying. So I called my
aunt who had just gotten in bed, she said that she didn't let the dogs
upstairs.
 
     This story happened to my mom.
  After my parents got married, they moved with my grandparents to an old
mansion(sp?) that was split into two houses. My mom was sitting on the couch
reading and she looked up and saw a ghost walk in the door and go through the
wall where there used to be stairs. She said that she could see the head and
the torso very clearly.
 
   And whne we were kids we used to say "Bloddy Mary". You had to sit in front
of a mirror say it ten times and then "Mary" would come and try to get you into
the mirror if she failed she would scratch your face.
 
 
 
thats all for now
Maureen
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: fernee@newton.physics.uq.oz.au (Mark Fernee)
Subject: Re: Ghost writing...
Organization: Physics Dept. The University of Queensland
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 07:32:01 GMT

In article <H.38PTF8X6OGA@harvee.billerica.ma.us>, scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us (S. Mudgett aka little gator) writes:
|> In <1992Sep10.182529.2577@HQ.Ileaf.COM>, Hal Wadleigh writes:
|> >All the following are true:
|> >
|> >1. Some dead authors put out new books written after they are dead.
|> >2. Some live authors put out books they have never seen themselves.
|> >3. Some authors who never existed as real people put out books.
|> 
|> >An example of 2 is Ron Goulart's Tek books published as by Shatner.
|> another is "imprisoned with the pharaohs", originally credited to harry houdini
               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> but actually written by h.p. lovecraft.  modern lovecraft anthologies list it
|> as written "with harry houdidni".
|> -- 
|> -- little gator aka s. mudgett     email: scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us
|> -- friend of a gator is a friend of mine

What a great story. 
I love to read individual Lovecraft stories, but an entire anthology gets
a bit tedious. The strange case of Charles Dexter Ward is one of my fav's.

Are all the best writers of ghost stories and the supernatural dead?

I have heard a narrated version of Lovecrafts, The rats in the walls.
I can no longer find it, but it was great listening after midnight.

Mark.
 
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: betsy@access.digex.com (Betsy Marks)
Subject: Re: a ghost called Mary Worth
Organization: Express Access, Greenbelt, Maryland USA
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 14:19:40 GMT

In article <1992Sep2.175222.1877@bradley.bradley.edu> death@buhub.bradley.edu (Dustin Slater) writes:
>We also had this same sort of thing as a kid, but for us you could make her
>appear by turing in a circle three times with the light off and saying a
>"chant". In so doing this supposedly arms were going to appear out of the
>mirror and scratch your face. 
>--
>death@buhub.bradley.edu                              death@camelot.bradley.edu

So did we, but in our version, you were supposed to say "Bloody Mary" three 
times.  (This was in Rochester, NY.  Where were the other versions known?)

And by the way; no, I never tried it.

-betsy {Araminta, Goddess of Phonelists}

     <betsy@access.digex.com   h) 202/244-2958   w) 202/554-9066 x262>
Xref: sparky alt.folklore.ghost-stories:370 alt.folklore.urban:23395
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories,alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Ghost writing...
From: cvetp036@vmsb.is.csupomona.edu
Date: 12 Sep 92 23:48:23 PST
 992Sep10.182529.2577@HQ.Ileaf.COM> <H.38PTF8X6OGA@harvee.billerica.ma.us>
Organization: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Nntp-Posting-User: cvetp036

> another is "imprisoned with the pharaohs", originally credited to harry houdini
> but actually written by h.p. lovecraft.  modern lovecraft anthologies list it
> as written "with harry houdidni".

Hmmm, I thought the Harry Houdin story was titled "Under the Pyramids?"

I'm currently the Lovecraft collection and the story appeared in the volume
"Dagon and Other Macabre Tales."

BTW, for you H.P. Lovecraft readers out there, any truth behind the dreaded
Necronomicon? I HAD a copy of that I bought at a bookstore, just for the hell
of it.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: some of these
From: connorm@vax.sonoma.edu (Michelle Connor)
Date: 11 Sep 1992 11:20 PST  
Distribution: world
Organization: Sonoma State University
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

Are there any psych majors out there?  I think some of these stories (while
great!) resemble hypnagogic hallucinations... t kind you get right before you
fall asleep, or when you suddenly wake up for "no reason"....if I remember
correctly, you can either feel very peaceful, overy terrified; you can't
moveve...usually you see something (man-like form) walking toward/away from you
-- or, you can't really see anything, but youknow* something is there...


this is not to say that I am debunking any of these stories; only bringing up a
possible explanation...

Michelle =-besides, I believe in ghosts, anyway!-=


Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: death@buhub.bradley.edu (Dustin Slater)
Subject: Re: arm ripped off
Organization: Bradley University
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 92 18:41:09 GMT

In <tn8ynjq@rpi.edu> garrem@aix.rpi.edu (Matthew Olsen Garretson) writes:

>In article <1992Sep6.204858.12421@news.nd.edu> () writes:
>>i'm from north new jersey, looking for information on "hooker man". this is

Ok, I think I know this story, I read it in an urban legends book. 
Disclaimer: I do not profess to be a good story teller.

    It seems that a small town had been living in fear for months because
of a creul serial killer.  The killer had been going to the local make-out
places for teenagers and visciously slaughtering them with a hook. The cops
had only a very vague description of him. His right hand was a hook.
Finally after weeks of intense searching he was caught.
     A few nights later a young couple in love were driving around, ready
to park and indulge in some lovemaking.  On the radio they heard that the
"hooked man" had escaped, and to be on the lookout for him.  The couple had
driven to a pretty remote place so they weren't worried.  They started
kissing, but the girl soon quit, saying "I think I heard something".
The boy reassured her that nothing could happen way out where they were. So
they again started kissing. This time she quit even sooner. "I am sure I
heard something, I'm really scared just take me home" Well, the guy was mad
that his evening was ruined just because of her "thinking" she heard
something. So he started up the car and tore out of there.  When he arrived
at her house he was still mad, until he got out of the car to open her
car door.........and found a hook on her door handle.



:-)

--
death@buhub.bradley.edu                              death@camelot.bradley.edu

                 Then death comes, and suddenly they know all.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
From: death@buhub.bradley.edu (Dustin Slater)
Subject: Re: a ghost called Mary Worth
Organization: Bradley University
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 92 00:34:08 GMT

In <1992Sep12.183810.8331@samba.oit.unc.edu> Ann.Feeney@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Ann Feeney) writes:

>In article <1992Sep12.141940.3452@access.digex.com> betsy@access.digex.com (Betsy Marks) writes:
>>In article <1992Sep2.175222.1877@bradley.bradley.edu> death@buhub.bradley.edu (Dustin Slater) writes:
>>>We also had this same sort of thing as a kid, but for us you could make her
>>>appear by turing in a circle three times with the light off and saying a
>>>"chant". In so doing this supposedly arms were going to appear out of the
>>>mirror and scratch your face. 
>>>--
>>>death@buhub.bradley.edu                              death@camelot.bradley.edu
>>
>>So did we, but in our version, you were supposed to say "Bloody Mary" three 
>>times.  (This was in Rochester, NY.  Where were the other versions known?)
>>
>>And by the way; no, I never tried it.
>>
>>-betsy {Araminta, Goddess of Phonelists}
>>
>>     <betsy@access.digex.com   h) 202/244-2958   w) 202/554-9066 x262>


>Yup, Bloody Mary was the Chicago area version.  (I'm from Oak Park, a
>suburb adjoining on the west.)  And the chant ws "I believe in Bloody Mary."

That's it!!! i am from antioch. a town an hour north of chicago.
--
death@buhub.bradley.edu                              death@camelot.bradley.edu

               You are never more alive then when you are in pain.
From: Ann.Feeney@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Ann Feeney)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: Re: a ghost called Mary Worth
Date: 12 Sep 92 18:38:10 GMT
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service

In article <1992Sep12.141940.3452@access.digex.com> betsy@access.digex.com (Betsy Marks) writes:
>In article <1992Sep2.175222.1877@bradley.bradley.edu> death@buhub.bradley.edu (Dustin Slater) writes:
>>We also had this same sort of thing as a kid, but for us you could make her
>>appear by turing in a circle three times with the light off and saying a
>>"chant". In so doing this supposedly arms were going to appear out of the
>>mirror and scratch your face. 
>>--
>>death@buhub.bradley.edu                              death@camelot.bradley.edu
>
>So did we, but in our version, you were supposed to say "Bloody Mary" three 
>times.  (This was in Rochester, NY.  Where were the other versions known?)
>
>And by the way; no, I never tried it.
>
>-betsy {Araminta, Goddess of Phonelists}
>
>     <betsy@access.digex.com   h) 202/244-2958   w) 202/554-9066 x262>


Yup, Bloody Mary was the Chicago area version.  (I'm from Oak Park, a
suburb adjoining on the west.)  And the chant ws "I believe in Bloody Mary."
--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80