Paranormlolz...

Mondays can be rough. Every so often when I need a little pick-me-up and a good chuckle, I drop by ICanHasCheezburger for some feline amusement. And every so often, they can get a little supernatural. As a little break from too much seriousness here are a few favorites from the site.

What the Surgeon General Forgot to Tell You...

Teenagers becoming possessed after paranormal investigations. People becoming obsessed to an unhealthy degree with EVPs. Evil spirits coming through Ouija boards. These are just a few of the topics tackled by the Southern California Paranormal Research Society (SOCALPRS) on their website, Dangers of the Paranormal.

The aim is to show the downside to ghost hunting. The situations are a tad bit extreme, wouldn't you say? Now, most of us who have been on and conducted investigations don't lie awake at night overcome with paranoia that something horrible will happen. More often than not, nothing happens. In the words of Mad Magazine's Alfred E. Neuman, "What, me worry?"

In my 13+ years in the field, I've never been so much as slapped. Perhaps they're afraid I'd slap back. Maybe I'm just lucky or put up a good defense without realizing it. My head hasn't spun around and spit out pea soup. I've never been mauled by a demon dog. No vampire bunnies bit me. No hand has ever tried to strangle me through a television set. And the one time I used a Ouija board as a child, my sister moved the planchette to spell out a woman's name of who I would marry.

Oh, dear sister. How wrong you were...

Does it mean there aren't any concerns to be had? Hardly. Abandoned buildings and remote locations pose physical risks to health and safety. I've known people who have been temporarily possessed, had cameras smacked out of their hand, and been hit by unseen forces. Some of it might have been a bit of a stretch for me to wrap my brain around (especially the seemingly sane people who've told me their car was attacked by cults or Bigfoot, without any evidence to substantiate the claim), but I keep an open mind. If my best friend starts speaking in tongues in front of me, who am I to judge?

At the same time, the horrific accounts you hear about on this and other sites are few and far between. If it really were so hazardous to your health, none of us would dare do it. More often than not, this is the most boring field to enter. You sit. You wait. Nothing happens. You doze off listening to 12 hours of blank audio tape. You spend $50 bucks to stay overnight at a "haunted" business and don't even get a stupid t-shirt. The only time hairs raise on the back of your neck is when that creepy guy with the lazy eye won't stop staring at you and breathing in your face with pizza-tainted breath.

So, I may chuckle a little at the site. But I've known better than to stay in certain locations when I feel very uncomfortable. Maybe common sense has kept me in the clear for all these years. Yet it is good to err on the side of caution. Good judgment is sound advice. It's better to know the extreme (and occasionally absurd) than walk into the field blind as a bat. It is my nature to find humor in everything. So when I come across a site listing dangers including "insomnia" (hey, I have that naturally), "unexplained financial difficulties" (you spent five grand on a thermal camera instead of paying a bill?), "arrest" (I told you not to trespass), and "mental problems" (I know people who qualified long before becoming investigators) among many others as hazards of the field, I can't resist a little 'tee-hee'.

But on a serious note, there is good information to be found out there. The site has interviews with investigatiors, demonologists, and everything in-between. Here are some very good words of advice and answers from Chip Coffey's interview. It best sums up my own thoughts on the field and I couldn't have said it better myself (and yes, believe it or not, I have the ability to be serious on an investigation... sometimes):

One Starry Night...

I had to share a little astrological bit with you all, courtesy of AstroBarry. I often find myself reading his horoscope for amusement and just to see how close to the current state of affairs it is. Often, he is dead-on... but even if you don't believe in the Zodiac, his words of wisdom are worth a gander.

Here is mine for this past week:

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your sign, Aries, is one of leadership… at least in the sense that, generally speaking, you Mars-ruled types don't often wait around for others to give you permission to do that which moves you. You just pick yourself up—sometimes without even thinking things all the way through (which, incidentally, isn't always a bad thing)—and launch into it. Aries-style leadership, as such, isn't a 'stand up in front of everybody and tell them what to do' didacticism. Rather, it's more the 'grab a machete and cut a new path through the brush' variety, inspiring others to follow through your own actions. And gosh darn, don't we all need a little bit of such guidance-through-example (as opposed to hot-air declarations) right about now? The time is now upon us, Aries, when we need you to step up to the plate and occupy the unmistakable public role of defiant pioneer, the leader who takes it upon him/herself to create something new (and, in the process, to ignore something old) wherever it's become obvious that official 'talk' of principles has gapingly diverged from actual behavior. This is a role you mustn't try to avoid, nor one that's short-lived… and chances are, either very soon or a bit later, you will piss somebody off and/or cause some fracture that may not be reparable. No matter. Among us all, you are one of the bravest, overflowing with 'fuck it' attitude when it's most needed. Apparently, it's needed now.

A Change Will Do You Good...

Since I've been completely neglecting my duties as webmaster/co-founder, I finally decided to get a little work done on P.R.O.U.D. (Paranormal Researchers Out and United in Diversity), the networking site Buck and I created. The main goal for today was a change in color. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but the orange text was boring me to no end!

So, to give it a little overhaul and a more "spiritual" scheme, I switched to shades of indigo and violet. Much easier on the eyes. And while I was there, I decided to help fill up some of the forum areas that were lacking. Six posts seem to be a good start. The banner is still slightly difficult to read, but I'll figure it out eventually.

Otherwise, I still have to get things finished and uploaded on my regular website, work on Christmas ideas, and send out a few more queries (probably next week, since Thursday is a holiday) along with the usual "yah, mule, yah" of subservitude in certain affairs. But I shall rank items in the coming months by a) importance; and b) purpose. After all, life is too short to be led from the barn only to get hitched to a plow for a few hours before being sent back into your stall in the barn. That means the new word for 2009 will be "diversify".

And so... once more unto the breach, dear friends! Time for me to slap that feed bag across my mouth and plow ahead!

Creepy Tales on the Tube...

Halloween has finally arrived, and with it an endless supply of haunted television programming.

Today, That's Life with Robin Swoboda took a look at northeast Ohio hauntings. I was fortunate enough to be contacted by the producer who wished to interview me on camera about a local haunt: "Hell Town", better known as the village of Boston in the Cuyahoga Valley. In two separate segments, I talked a little about the history of the area and its rumors and ghosts.

The program was filmed live at Squire's Castle. Tales of Gore Orphanage and the Melonheads were relayed by the denizen of the departed, Stephanie Lane of Dead Ohio, and the crypt kicker himself, Chuck Hawley of Creepy Cleveland, respectively. Also featured on the show were Robyn Morris, innkeeper of Goodwin House Bed & Breakfast in Burton, as well as people from Painesvile's Rider's Inn and Perkins Mansion in Akron among others.

To view clips of the show, visit Fox 8 Cleveland's 'That's Life' page. Video clips will be viewable for the next seven days.

Have a safe and fun Halloween, everyone!

Creepy Kids in the Hollow...

Most people in northeast Ohio have heard the incredible legends surrounding Gore Orphanage Road. Though the true stories have been twisted over the years, two tales have meshed into one. Though the rumors of Old Man Gore killing kids are unfounded and untrue ("Mr. Gore" didn't even exist), there are some spooky happenings at the old Swift Mansion ruins that I can personally testify to.

I have investigated the spot several times over the years. I have witnessed hand prints of children on parked cars and glowing green mists in the woods. The ghosts of children who died of disease here are real. And recently, FearNet took a trip down the old road to explore the hauntings. Several notable names were interviewed, including author Charles Cassady, tour operator Psychic Sonya, and my dear, sweet, hilarious lawyer pal and webmistress to Dead Ohio: Stephanie Lane.

And here you thought all lawyers were curmudgeons hellbent on making people miserable and lacking any sense of humor.

I could talk about the legends, but FearNet did a great job summarizing things and adding that creepy Oompa-Loompa vibe which we've a come to love this time of year. Watch the video here:

Twist My Arm...

Of all ironies, no one said two words about my website, Haunted Cuyahoga, until after I removed it from cyberspace. Emails and casual questions popped up in the following weeks, even a few people voicing disappointment in its disappearance. I hadn't bothered updating it in months and with the new shift in focus with my efforts, I had decided that operating two separate websites was too time consuming and tedious. I laid to rest that decade of my life.

Well, seeing as this is the perfect time for the dead to come back to life, I've given in to public pressure. The old website is back, though not at a different address. I have split www.moonspenders.com down the middle and now, visitors who arrive at the main page have a choice: Haunted Cuyahoga or Queer Paranormal?

So, the references of hauntings in the valley are still available online, but at their original address. It shouldn't take long for it to begin appearing in search engines again so I won't turn my back on the local tales. I wouldn't count on any major updates to either site though, since I'm busily working on several other things. Even though Queer Paranormal is nowhere near completed, it will take some time before I finish all the pages and images to go along with it.

Consider it my little Halloween present to Ohio.

Happy now?

Babes in Coyland...

Sunday, I took the time to pay a visit to my sister and finally see my niece. The older I get, the longer the trip out to No Man's Land becomes. She and her husband may not live in a region void of civilization, yet there's a certain feel to the Ohio Valley. And the sudden blooms of McCain lawn signs mark a definite departure from the solace of suburbia.

I never did hold Sydney. Partly out of that uncomfortable fear I have when it comes to babies. it may sound odd for someone who deals with ghosts and hauntings to be frightened of a small, living creature yet it's undeniable. Fear may not be the best word. Perhaps lack of comfortability. Her being so young, I wouldn't want the weight on my shoulders of something happening. A tumble from my lap. Making her cry for an unknown reason.

I still have flashbacks to my teenage years when I babysat a week-old kitten for a night. The sheer panic and misunderstandings between our minds. Never being able to soothe the creature. Within an hour, the time was passed with the two of us simply sitting and crying—neither knowing what to do about the other. Parenthood and child care can be a nerve wracking and stressful experience in every form.

She was, perhaps, one of the most serene and laid-back infants I have ever encountered. She cried a few times for mere moments, only to voice her disapproval of her position or lack of a bottle. I must have been in the presence of colicky babies in the past, for this was a definite departure from what I knew to be the norm. Or maybe it really does depend on the parents.

The subdued evening was quite pleasant, though my mind was as always running in a thousand directions. I arrived home with enough time to get a few minor things finished before turning in for the night.

My redesigned website, Queer Paranormal, is off to a decent start. There are still many pages to type out and fill in, but the basics are at least taken care of. It will take time to fill out more fully and figure out what is best-suited for some pages, but I'm in no rush. The Cafepress merchandise marketplace has undergone a transition as well. Some images need a bit of work, but I'll toy with them as the time becomes available.

Otherwise, research has slowed to a horrifying crawl. Some place names are quite common so it may take a while to sort through them all and distinguish the correct business from the others. Finding enough research for some locations is proving a definite challenge as well, so I may have to depart from my plan of writing chapters sequentially. And then there's everything else happening at once.

Time is proving to be the most valuable commodity.

Supernatural Spotlight: Sherri Brake-Recco

Over the years, I have met and worked with many paranormal investigators. Only a select few have been gracious and kind, and made working with them a pleasurable experience. In 2005, when I local newspaper asked to accompany me on an investigation, I assembled a makeshift crew of the best people I knew locally.

That night on the Towpath Trail, I had the distinct pleasure of collaborating with a delightful investigator and dowser, Sherri Brake-Recco.

Sherri has over 25 years of experience investigating hauntings. A Civil War reenactor for over a decade, her keen interest in genealogy and history drew her into the supernatural realm.

Back in 2003, Sherri began conducting ghost walking tours in the Canal Fulton area. She achieved so much success that she formed her own ghost tour company, Haunted Heartland Tours, the following year. It is currently ranked one of the Top 10 Ghost Tours in the country.

While her tour company keeps her beyond busy year-round, she still finds the time in her hectic schedule to teach classes on a wide range of paranormal subjects and give presentations and lectures at various libraries and events. And now, Sherri will be adding a new title to her roster: author.

The History Press has signed her on for a book, Haunted Stark County, which will be released some time in July of 2009. If all goes according to plan, another book, Haunted Tuscarawas County, will follow the proceeding year.

Keep an eye out for these titles because they'll be here before you know it. And if you're ever looking for a little haunted excursion to a cemetery or haunted landmark, be sure to give her tour a try...

Supernatural Imitates Life...

Every so often, there's a need to be silly for no apparent reason.

Here's a little something submitted to totallylookslike.com by yours truly:


see more famous faces look-a-likes

The Pressing of Time...

Summer is slowly winding down and fall is quickly approaching. It may seem at times that I've fallen off the edge of the world, but I'm still going and keeping myself quite busy. Although this summer didn't hold the drastic changes I expected, it has been quite interesting and productive. August has been a bit chaotic and a bit harried, yet there is a lot of change looming on my horizon.

Once more, I am taking steps to quit that dreaded smoking habit of mine. I have learned that quitting "cold turkey" isn't an easy method, so I'm weening myself off slowly. I've cut down drastically, and I'm changing habits which give me the desire to smoke. Gone are the days of drinking two monstrous cups of coffee with plenty of cream in the morning. My habit of smoking while writing is being altered as well. I make my cigarettes not-so-easily accessible now, and I've been getting along fine on only a few a day. I will cut back once more to one or two a day before finally dropping them altogether. At least I'm allowing my body to adjust to low nicotine levels first so that I should spare everyone the grouchy, cranky withdrawal symptoms.

I also am working on a new web venture. Yes, my old website is now a thing of the past. I'm giving myself two months to set up a new site with a new focus. This past weekend was spent working on some new graphics, and I must say I'm quite pleased with how one of them has turned out. I'm not expert, but I have a decent grasp on the basics now. My aim is to keep things relatively simple yet visually appealing. It will change as time passes, but for now the rudimentary site should be up and running rather soon.

Otherwise, research is slowly progressing. I have hit a few snags here and there, but overall it is going smoothly. I have set a few goals for the end of this month, and hopefully I'll be able to meet or exceed those milestones. I have encountered some fascinating bits of history and tales of people long since dead. While I am often seeking out information over a great distance, I have only hit a few major roadblocks. A few small detours should bring me back onto the right course once again.

Coming Soon to a Computer Near You...

Well, it has been quite a few weeks since Buck and I discussed the idea of a networking site for GLBT paranormal investigators. I was feeling a little restless and inspired last night, so I started doing a little tinkering...

It's in the works, but it will take me a little while to get it all set up. I decided I might as well start the ball rolling, since it's the best way to see if there really is any widespread interest. For now, it's a rudimentary, incomplete social networking free site that I will keep private until it looks presentable. I have to start working on images and layout. I was too tired and it was getting too late to do much.

Hopefully within a few weeks, I'll be mentioning it on here more in-depth. Who knows where it could all lead...

Fortunes, Forecasts,... and Homoscopes...

What do the stars hold in store for you?

Even though most of us take astrology with a grain of salt and treat it solely as a source of entertainment, it can be quite a fascinating pseudo-science. Most of us would like to believe there is some order to the cosmos as well as our own lives. Yet traditional horoscopes seem to lack that one thing: a gay slant.

Believe it or not, there have been many gay and lesbian astrologers over the years. And I'm not talking about Miss Cleo.

Still today, you can find them anywhere on the web. One of the best resources is AstroQueer. It's a free site jam-packed full of anything and everything astrology-related for the GLBT community at large. And then there's Homostrology, another online site featuring gay horoscopes.

Personally, I've been visiting AstroBarry over the past few weeks for a little amusement. He's quite an amusing (and often funny) individual... and his weekly forecasts are certainly worth a read.

And sometimes, a little too uncanny.

Here's a brief excerpt of this week's Aries horoscope. I think it's quite fitting to some parts of my life!

"The jumping-off point from last week's horoscope that I want to begin with is the idea of getting up and walking away, should you find that some shit-stirrer or drama-queen wants to drag you into their shit or drama. The moment you begin to sense traces of a ridiculously irrelevant power struggle brewing, that's your cue to move it along. And why stay put, Aries? With all the people and possibilities out there, there's no real need to overstay your welcome in any one place—particularly if it's just not very friendly. Perpetual social motion is one of your best pals this week, to be sure..."

If you're really into astrology, check out the books Queer Astrology for Menand Queer Astrology for Womenas well...