Orange You A Virgin?

     FARMINGTON, ME -- Desmond Duguay dotes Dots! So back in February, Desmond and his wife, Amy, went to Rite Aid in Auburn for snacks - one of which was a box of Dots.  Duguay said he ate a few of the gummy candies, felt the funny piece in his hand and showed it to his wife. On a whim, they nicknamed it “The Holy Dot” and listed it on eBay.

From eBay : "So I was eating a box of DOTS today and I found none other than the Virgin Mary herself just chillin' with her other DOT disciples. Just last week my wife and I had our first child and I am convinced that a higher power has stepped in and literally dumped a second miracle in our lap in the form of this Gummy Virgin Mary. A miracle that will no doubt equate to millions of dollars and our child's college tuition bought and paid for. I know that this Gummy Virgin Mary is near priceless and that if I held onto it, it would only appreciate in value. Having just had my beautiful son though I need to be thinking about his future and must let this miracle gummy go and put all proceeds into my son's college fund. This is a 100% authentic Gummy Virgin Mary, that may or may not have mystical and spiritual powers. All I can say is that since I have had this gummy in my possession I have not contracted any viruses, sexually transmitted diseases, or illnesses that I know of and I feel amazing.. Is this due to the Gummy Virgin Mary? I think so."

     As Replica Report readers know, a Resemblance is even more valuable if it was made unintentionally or inadvertently.  We believe it is authentic but many websites are claiming that the gummy candy was made intentionally and are crying foul.

     In a post titled, “A virgin dot? We think not!”, CorporateMal.com skeptically compared the Duguay’s photo to a small Virgin Mary candy mold sold on eBay by A World of Moulds in the United Kingdom.

     From that website:

    “Now there is no way to know for sure what the real story is behind this piece of piousness. However, we can all agree that as long as there are people like the Duguays and a candy like Dots, America will always be the undisputed leader in delicious delusional devotions.”

  The write-up was good for a laugh, but it wasn’t so, Duguay said.  He claims his is no doctored Dot.   “I bought the box unopened,” he said. “I have no idea if or how it could have been placed there . . . We did not modify the Dot one bit.”   His best guess: It’s a defect that quality control missed.
After two initial days of furious activity that saw 42 bids, the auction had stalled by Monday at $215, with three days left to go.  Finally, on March 8th it sold for $305.

Here's Desmond's Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/desmondd?fref=ts

Sources : http://www.sunjournal.com/news/lewiston-auburn/2013/02/27/virgin-mary-candy-sweet-deal-turner-couple/1327036

http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Virgin-Mary-found-in-box-of-DOTS-/190803956605?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c6ccd537d

http://corporatemal.com/2013/03/01/a-virgin-dot-we-think-not-a-sweet-scandal-awaits-the-new-pontiff/

The Mary From Membertou

People from across the region are making a pilgrimage to a home on the Membertou First Nation, where an image described as the Blessed Virgin Mary has appeared on a bedroom wall, and as a result is being covered by news agencies internationally. This Resemblance is remarkable if it is a spot that was made inadvertently or if it was made by nature, ie. mold. There is a chance in this case study for the Resemblance to have been made intentionally.
      Last month, an estimated 2,000 visitors have visited the home, eager to see the image they believe is a message from God.
The spokesperson for the Diocese of Antigonish has also visited the home to view the image.
“This image does look like the Virgin Mary and they are having a faith response to it,” says Rev. Don MacGillivray.
      Homeowner Denise Simon has since converted her bedroom into a shrine, complete with a daily service dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
      “This is her feet, that is her body and that’s her head with the crown, and that’s her rosary beads,” she explains, pointing to the apparent apparition.
Named after the Grand Chief Membertou (1510-1611) the community of Membertou belongs to the greater tribal group of the Mi’kmaw Nation. Membertou is situated in the city of Sydney, Nova Scotia, within its tribal district of Unamaki (Cape Breton). It is one of five Mi’kmaw communities in Cape Breton, and one of thirteen in the Province of Nova Scotia.

• Back in 1998, many people visited the Tim Hortons coffee shop in Bras d’Or, just outside Sydney Mines, after some said they could make out the visage of Christ’s face on the exterior wall.  When outside light bulbs were changed later in the month, the image disappeared.
• Again, in 2001, people in Indian Brook First Nation believed they saw an image of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus on a bedroom wall in a private home.  Thousands journeyed to see that image. The family who lived in the home eventually moved away and it is not known what happened to the image.

Src : http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/ & Mary Ellen MacIntyre - Cape Breton Bureau

Virgin Mary Visits Hamburger Mary

     It took ten days but the first religious Resemblance of 2012 has shown up in Tampa, Florida.  Ybor City is a historic part of town with a hamburger joint by the name of Hamburger Mary's Bar & Grille.  It is here that, over the past weekend, a couple of customers Recognized a stainless steel plate on the wall near the kitchen had a Resemblance on it - one of the Virgin Mary.  And while this Resemblance is more a Similar than a Replica, it makes the grade for the Replica Report as it has been covered by Christopher Collette of News 10 WTSP.  This Resemblance appears on a Type II Matrix - man made but inadvertant or unintentional.
     Pareidolia is a word often used when reporting on such stories.  The word was first used by Goldstein in 1994 despite other vocabulary words existing such as apophenia synchronicity & simulacra and is limited in scope when discussing Resemblances.

 Title: Virgin Mary Visits Hamburger Mary

 Resemblance: Virgin Mary

 Extractionist: Customers of Hamburger Mary's

 Matrix: Stainless Steel Plate (Type II)

 Location: Ybor City - Tampa, Florida

 Date: 10 Jan 2012

 Links:   http://ybor.wtsp.com/photo-gallery/news/99506-virgin-mary-spotted-restaurant?page=5

http://www2.tbo.com/lifestyles/life/2012/jan/10/1/memeto3-image-of-virgin-mary-seen-by-some-at-drag--ar-345568/