new JD site launched....

[JxD]

NEW - JERSEY DEVIL SITE LAUNCH [10-20-2006]

I've chosen a select 5 discussion groups to post this single announcement that the new, New Jersey Devil site is now complete. Some of you may have known about it previous to this notice as there has been a bit of talk going around. Among other things you will find the following (with more coming soon):

-All Jersey Devil related pictures, audio and video in existence
-A full rundown on the Pine Barrens with sighting “hot-spots”
-Hundreds of interesting Pine Barrens photos
-25+ conceptual theories and mix-ups
-Complete attribute listing
-Forums and guestbook
-All known oddities

I urge you to view the site intro with the volume up, and I personally welcome you to Land of the Devil!

www.LandoftheDevil.com

-X

[Badfish740]

Taken from the "Devil Land Site" or whatever it's called...

"People from outside of the area may use a derogatory term of “pineys” when referring to the locals. This was and is a place of refuge for law-breakers and people that otherwise wish to be conceiled. Driving through, you will find millions of pitch pines, sandy soil, cranberry bogs, swamps, and various small towns. The landscape is strange and the area has an eerie vibe as is, let alone an unknown creature roams it daily."

Dude, let me be the first to say that you're not helping. If you want to run around out in the woods looking for the Jersey Devil, fine, it's a free country. However, posting websites encouraging other people to go out and do so, along with perpetuating stereotypes like the bolded one above just isn't cool. Without even getting into the stereotyping, do you realize that it's bow season right now? At least advise people that if they're going to go bushwhacking looking for something that doesn't exist that they should be wearing some blaze orange. Also, don't expect a hunter to be happy that you're poking around.

As far as the whole "spooky pine barrens full of law breakers" business... The last thing we (or the pines) need are people coming to the area and treating it like some sort of freakshow instead of a natural area that should be protected from ever encroaching development. The people of the pines are not backward, stupid, or prone to criminality anymore than a normative sample of the population of pretty much anywhere. They just happen to live in an isolated area. The pines are not some eriee, haunted, bizarre place, they're just a piece of what's left of New Jersey's vanishing wilderness.

Finally, I can guarantee that I'm not the only from this site who feels this way. For most of us here the devil is fun campfire story-that's all. We're interested in preserving and protecting the pines-not bringing in carloads of teenagers who want to scare eachother and leave bags of trash behind.

[Piney Boy]

I have to agree whole heartedly with Badfish on this. If you want to enjoy the Pines start with giving our wilderness the proper respect it deserves. The Pine Lands are a place of solitude and beauty, and while the J. Devil is indeed a fine mythology it is a wrong motivator to get in people into the woods. Environmental awareness and preservation are what the Pines need, not folks who only have the Devil on their minds.

[Broke Jeep Joe]

Hello All,

I haven't posted in quite some time after a minor meltdown on my part.( hey bobpbx, how's it going ?) I have to agree with badfish here. This is more sterotypical crap that can only give the guys trying to do the right thing here a bad rap. Funny he should mention car loads of kids throwing trash around after most of us spent our day Sunday cleaning up that very thing !! Just my .02, talk to you all soon.

[onehand]

one of the pics sort of reminded me of "old Nelson" who picked pine cones as well as other local work out on the flats on rt 72 back in the early 60's. all hairy and sort of strange looking, in the dark he would sacre the hair off your whole body !!

[BEHR655]

The photo below that I found in the photo section of your site belongs to a member here. Are you that member or did you swipe it?



Steve

[Ben Ruset]

I wonder what other 4 boards were "lucky" enough to be spammed about this.

I do have to disagree with everyone here: back in Revolutionary times, the Pines were home to a number of outlaws and people who wanted to be left alone - Pine Robbers and Hessian/British deserters.

The Jersey Devil was also something that got me interested in the history of the area. I am far more interested in the history of the Pine Barrens than the nature aspect of it.

[TeeGate]

I agree with Badfish completly. Nice post!

Broke Jeep Joe glad to see you back.Everyone has a melt down at one time or another. Thats in the past.

Steve, I don't think it is his photo so he may have some explaining to do unless he asked permission. Hopefully I am wrong about that.

Guy

[BEHR655]

I do have to disagree with everyone here: back in Revolutionary times, the Pines were home to a number of outlaws and people who wanted to be left alone - Pine Robbers and Hessian/British deserters.

But the quote from the site says "This was and is........"

Steve

[Ben Ruset]

Well, there are an awful lot of bodies dumped in the Pines.

And I'd move to the pines to get away from people.

But yes, I know what you mean. The "piney" stereotype sucks.

[woodjin]

I kind of feel the way Ben does here. The pines have historically been refuge for outlaws and there are alot of body dumps. A ranger specifically singled out a few "organizations" reponsible for most of the dumps at the Harrisville trip. Hell, a body was found across the street from me a few weeks back remember?

A wilderness area so close to major cities...how it could it be otherwise.
I am very much into the nature aspect of the pines!! But I love the history and culture of the area also, and a big part of that culture is the stigma of pineys. Right or wrong.

I didn't look at everything on the website but it doesn't really strike me as anything that harmful. Luets devil page has been around for a long time, i don't know that this is anything new. I saw some directions but nothing too specific, but like I said, I didm't go over the whole site.

Jeff

[Stu]

I'm sad I wasn't one of the lucky 5.
Seriously.

I think it's a pretty well put together site. However, I also don't like the WNJ cheese factor. It's bad enough Brooksbrae has been tagged up to hell; we don't need more carloads of bored kids wrecking stuff - the developers wouldn't appreciate the competition.
And ultimately there isn't anything here I can't find over at the "official" Devil Hunters' page.

[Badfish740]

I think it's a pretty well put together site. However, I also don't like the WNJ cheese factor. It's bad enough Brooksbrae has been tagged up to hell; we don't need more carloads of bored kids wrecking stuff - the developers wouldn't appreciate the competition.

That's all I'm saying. Ben is right about the history of the pines, and the body dumps, etc... Hey by the way what "organizations" did the ranger mention? I'm assuming they were of the Blood and Crip variety? However, I think talking about the history of Hessian and British deserters along with the various hermits Beck encountered in the context of this forum is much different than perpetuating half truths, urban myths, and stereotypes a'la WNJ.

I just feel that it encourages an attitude of ambivilance and apathy toward the area itself to those who visit it solely to scare their girlfriends with stories of "crazy inbred pineys" and the Jersey Devil. Once someone comes in with that mentality they think nothing of leaving their empty cans of Natural Ice Light laying around all over the place and destroying ruins, infrastructure, scrawling graffiti and god knows what else.

[Ben Ruset]

Once someone comes in with that mentality they think nothing of leaving their empty cans of Natural Ice Light laying around all over the place and destroying ruins, infrastructure, scrawling graffiti and god knows what else.

I think that's a pretty big leap to make. IMHO.

I don't think the majority of the WNJ types are the ones doing the bulk of the graphitti. In fact, I would be more willing to bet that most of the vandalisim that goes on in the Pines are by local kids.

[woodjin]

Hey by the way what "organizations" did the ranger mention? I'm assuming they were of the Blood and Crip variety? .

the Pagans, and some neo-nazi type skin head organization.